An astonishing rumor has been circulating recently ““ the
Democratic Party may just be growing a backbone.
For anyone keeping up on the news and desperately waiting for a
sign that the Democratic Party is still alive, this announcement
may seem shocking.
In the past few months, the irate liberals screaming,
“Down with the Bush regime!” on Bruin Walk have been
garnering more attention than Democratic leaders. Democrats have
been trembling in a corner, watching the GOP stumble, but too
afraid of appearing unpatriotic to take advantage of the gold mine
of Republican screw-ups ““ until now.
The Los Angeles Times recently reported that prior to the war in
Iraq, German authorities warned the Bush administration that
information from “one of the most important informants on
Saddam Hussein’s suspected weapons of mass destruction”
was “not proven.”
According to German authorities, the source’s mental
stability was also not proven. Hopefully this was on the agenda for
discussion during a secret session called by Senate Democrats
earlier this month.
Another topic might have been the indictment of I. Lewis
“Scooter” Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s
chief of staff, for lying during an investigation of the leak of a
CIA agent’s identity ““ an agent who just happened to be
married to a vocal opponent of the war. The source of the evidence
incriminating Libby? His personal notes. He all but tied his own
noose.
The Republicans are practically begging Democrats to highlight
their mistakes for voters. And to their credit, the Democrats seem
to be taking the bait. Democratic Representative John Murtha made
waves by declaring that the U.S. should immediately withdraw from
Iraq.
Unable to let just one person have all the fun, Democratic
Senators Russ Feingold and Barack Obama are advocating a plan to
gradually withdraw troops. No matter which course of action is
wiser ““ an immediate or gradual withdrawal ““ at least
the Democrats are finally showing signs of opposition to this
administration’s we’ll-just-wait-and-see policy.
Hints of frustration are beginning to surface; one day someone
might even get angry. Finally a decent campaign adviser let
Democrats in on the age-old political secret of winning over the
public: appearing human.
And this new humanity is terrifying the Republicans, who are
showing signs of desperation. Ann Coulter wrote that Democrats who
desire withdrawal from Iraq “long to see U.S. troops
shot” and “humiliated.” This accusation would be
comical, aside from its morbid nature and the fact that Coulter
probably really believes this.
In a less extreme but equally frantic defense, Republican
Representative Jean Schmidt recently called Murtha a
“coward” for his call to withdraw troops from Iraq.
She later stated she was quoting someone else’s allegation
after she realized Murtha is a decorated Vietnam vet ““ a fact
she apparently didn’t hear repeated over and over again
during the congressional debates. Oh, and when asked for comment,
Someone Else, a colonel in the Marines, later denied making the
statement.
The Republicans are growing sloppy ““ an excellent sign
that Democrats are getting into their heads, having an effect, and
causing intimidation.
But why now? After all the nervous silence, what has caused the
uproar? Perhaps it’s the surfacing of information regarding
corruption in the administration. The National Journal reported
that 10 days after Sept. 11, 2001, President Bush was told by his
own intelligence officials that virtually no evidence could be
found linking Saddam to al-Qaida. Now when White House officials
answer war critics by saying, “Hey, you guys voted for it
too,” the Democrats have a defense: Deceit made Congress
incapable of making an informed decision.
Or perhaps this new fervor is a result of Democrat
interpretation of a computer-imposed black X that appeared over
Dick Cheney’s face on CNN, without the help of a human
operator, as a divine message.
Whatever the motivation, at least Democrats are making news. In
order to gain supporters, they must at least have a presence in the
public eye.
If they continue to speak out about these new-fangled
“opinions” and refuse to back down, they may even have
a chance at the White House in 2008.
As we learned in 2004, superior qualifications, a more coherent
platform, or even the ability to speak better English are qualities
that go unnoticed without a strong voice attracting attention.
Displays of decisiveness and leadership are the only way to take
advantage of the fact that only about 34 percent of Americans
currently approve of Bush.
So please, e-mail your Democratic representatives and let them
know that all this hell-raising has not gone unappreciated. A lack
of support could lead to Democrats resuming their silence and,
heaven forbid, another conservative administration in 2008.
If visions of Coulter haunt your nightmares, e-mail
Strickland at kstrickland@media.ucla.edu to commiserate. Send
general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.