Wednesday, October 25, 2006

The Most Important Election In History


Less than two weeks to go and there's every reason to be optimistic; the polls show that by a margin of fifty-seven to thirty-seven percent (six percent of us couldn't care less), the people want to give the House and Senate back to the Democrats. The GOP is quite literally imploding as one ugly, shameful scandal after another makes itself known....Then why am I full of pessimism? There are a number of reasons for that. First, there is what can only be described as the unexplainable over-confidence of the First Fool. In an interview on Sunday with ABC's George Stephanopolus, when asked if he thought the republicans would be able to hold on to power, he seemed to possess not a shred of a doubt. Why would he portray himself in such a way when all the evidence says that, come Election Day, the results will make him look foolish? Is this just another example of his well known arrogance? Is it merely his obvious and inarguable stupidity? Or is it more than that? Could it be the possibility that he knows he has nothing to worry about because the fix is in? They've already successfully stolen two elections, do you seriously doubt they won't try to do it again? Don't let your guard down.

All of the so-called "October surprises" are in place. The new dialogue out of the White House is that there is now the possibility of massive troop withdrawal by early 2008. They're even implying that Iraqi leaders had better have their act together very soon - or else. This sort of talk is totally at odds with their previous position: "When they stand up, we'll stand down". Press Secretary Tony Snow has just announced that the term, "Stay the course", is no longer operational. What's this all about? Are they serious? Of course they're not. It's just another cynical election year ploy. After November 7th, whatever the outcome, it'll be business as usual. They have been lying to us for six years and that's not going to change - ever.

And here's another very good reason to be concerned about the election next week: the jaw-dropping stupidity of the American public. Although most Americans voted against George W. Bush in 2000, a significant minority of them were dumb enough to actually believe that sending him to the White House was a neat idea. That is the reason they were able to steal the election. When the vote is that close, it's always easy to "adjust" the results in your favor. I'm sure if there's going to be any salvation for the Republican Party, it will be the new, easily hackable electronic voting machines that are manufactured by a major GOP contributor. That's how they were able to steal Ohio and New Mexico in 2004. They're planning on doing the same thing this year. Count on it.

The big question is, will enough democrats and independents make it to the polls next week to make another stolen election virtually impossible? Maybe. But recent polls are starting to give me the jitters. In Tennessee, Harold Ford, Jr., who is the most extraordinary candidate to run for public office in my lifetime (and that includes Jack and Bobby Kennedy) is now running two percentage points behind his opponent, the aptly named, Bob Corker. After a healthy lead in the early stages of the campaign, Ford, who is black, was caught off guard when the GOP began playing the race card which, as we all know, is one of their specialties. In Virginia, inexplicably, Republican incumbent, George Allen - a man who gives mediocrity a bad name, a man so gut-bustingly out-of-touch with reality he actually thinks he is going to be our next president - is running ahead of his challenger, Jim Webb. Yeah. There are good reasons to be worried - a whole lot of reasons .

Of this there is no doubt: if the Democrats screw this one up, our country is finished. We cannot afford this reckless and criminal president to go on for another two years pissing on our Constitution. This administration has committed far too many crimes to even list and must be called to account. In an excellent article called, "Inside The Worst Congress Ever", in this week's Rolling Stone, Matt Taibbi writes that during the Clinton years, the Republicans, "issued more than one-thousand subpoenas to investigate alleged administration and Democratic misconduct, reviewing more than two-million pages of government documents. Guess how many subpoenas have been issued to the White House since Gorge W. Bush took office? Zero - that's right, zero...". One of the "investigations" initiated by the republicans during this period was Bubba's mis-use of the White House Christmas card list - I'm serious! Please, if you get a chance, pick up a copy of that issue - It's worth the price of the ticket. As Taibbi's piece makes clear, another two years of a corrupt, sycophantic and rubber stamp Congress will do this country more harm than can be accurately assessed. The damage that the Bush administration has done to this nation and the planet will be with us for generations. They must be placed in check and, most importantly, removed from office by means of impeachment. The Republicans aren't going to do that. The Democrats will.

According to CNN, fifty-eight percent of Americans believe that the Democrats have no plan for the 110th Congress. Sadly, that's probably true. One hopes that, once they take control, they'll be able to gain their footing and set things on a steady course by going back to their wicked liberal ways. But remember this: the Republicans do have a plan - a big plan - and it doesn't bode well for you and me. What they have planned is the ultimate destruction of the middle class in this country and a continuous war of aggression across the globe - the blueprint of which can be found in the pages of the Project For A New American Century (PNAC). When, during the campaign of 2000, Bush claimed that he didn't believe in "nation building" and that he would impose a "humble" foreign policy, he wasn't telling you the truth (Surprise!) The truth is, while Bush was making these statements, the PNAC Mob was already measuring the Situation Room for drapes.

The next thirteen days are riddled with uncertainty. This disgusting, incumbent president has the power to unleash a chain of events that could be devastating to the hopes and aspirations of the minority party. The only thing they have to offer is fear, itself, and part of their plan is to frighten the masses into staying with their murderous agenda. But be absolutely certain of this: If the GOP is allowed another two years of their rape and plunder of our economy, our country and our planet, by the end of the Bush era - whenever the hell that's going to be - you won't recognize America. You might not even recognize yourselves.

Pray for peace.

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
tomdegan@frontiernet.net

22 Comments:

At 8:20 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fine rant Tom, every word unfortunately true. You ended by saying by the time Bush goes out of office you won't recognize this country. I haven't been able to recognize my country since 2000 and it only gets more unrecognizeable each time Bush signs another bill shredding the Constitution and the bill of rights and freedoms that have been in force since Magna Carta. As for winning this election, forget it. Rove has some October Surprise that will stir up 9 11 fever and Diebolt is licking their chops as well in anticipation of success. Bush is too dumb to fake optimism tho I haven't heard optimism used as a part of his vocabulary lately.I have doubts the Democrats will be able to govern effectively even if they should win, the margin will be so narrow Bush could veto any legislation he wants to and the Dems wouldn't be able to override. I think the country is doomed and we will never get it back

 
At 9:04 AM, Blogger Tom Degan said...

Thank you for the posting, Wilma. I hope you're wrong but I'm afraid you might be right.
Time will tell, ay?
Love,
Tom

 
At 9:34 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey not to worry Pinocchio, Diebolt is on the job. In northen Va where the Democratic challenger to Republican Allen is expected to run strongest has had part of his name stricken off the ballot AND ta DAH! it can't be fixed before election day.

 
At 10:29 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Expect to get in line or be disappeared. The Bush machine is well OILED and ready to take the next step toward total Dictatorship. 1984 is coming to pass after all. Vote by all means but don't expect too much. That smirk tells the story. Long live the heroic leader! Sayonara America the republic.

Dick Wagner

 
At 10:51 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

A very fine posting and sadly enough I agree with you and all of the other responders. I have the unhappy feeling that this country and democracy is doomed.
Regardless of what the polls show, this election is going to be rigged and manipulated and "the will and choice of the people" doesn't amount to a sack of dog poop. A prime example is Lieberman. He did not rig the election in CT, but when he was obviously not the Democratic choice, he launched out on his own, refusing to accept the parties decision.
As for his confidence that the Republicans will remain in the majority, Bush is either incredibly stupid or knows more than he is telling. Let us hope it is the former.

 
At 12:26 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Charles Moore, we know the first is true, Bush is incredibly stupid. Whether he is smart enough not to blab a secret is problematic

 
At 12:30 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lieberman will act as the spoiler, he is awash in Republican financing and I doubt ge will vote with the Democrats, that would be biting the hand that feeds you.

 
At 1:36 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nice going,Tom.

Can you recommend any sites to learn more about PNAC? I've been hearing more about this and I want to know who is at the bottom of it and when it came about...
Thanks!
Bam

 
At 11:19 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Tom, as usual, you hit the nail on the head. However, THIS TIME there are thousands of people mobilized to cry foul at the slightest evidence that '06 is cooked. Blackwell is of course up to his usual tricks in Ohio, and all of the election reform newsletters that I get are filled with tales of malfunction (and perhaps malfeasance). On the up side, a Florida court struck down the 100 foot limit from the polling place for exit pollers. The bottom line is, are we ready to fill the streest a la Ukraine if the bastards do it again?

 
At 12:39 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

That the plans are in place to steal another election, either by means of voter disenfranchisement or outright fraud,let there be no doubt -- and I agree, the confidence of the First Fool bespeaks of it. The only question is, are people gonna take it in the ass again from this bunch? Hey, we've all been Washington pages for about 20 years now -- it's only within the last ten or so that the chess pieces have been moved into place. I still can't believe this administration got re-elected and seriously doubt they did.

 
At 12:06 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great commentary. I was led here by reading many comments you made at Alternet. I also want to thank you and "The Rant" for inspiring meto start my own blog.

 
At 11:39 PM, Blogger sumo said...

I haven't recognized this country since Ronnie got a hold of it. It's been sliding that slope for a while. The Dub is just the frosting on the cake of the inevitable. I feel the way you do Tom...they will cheat their asses off to stay in power. I honestly think there are Dems that have good ideas and ways to help us get up off of our knees again...but the other side of the isle won't let them. I really don't think it's always the fact that the Dems are cowards...they can't get a forum to do much of anything...because the other side is good at sabotage. I don't think Rove actually sleeps, I think he's on 24/7 checking into everything. And never forget the lies...OMG the lies they spew with such abandon. I sincerely hope the tide turns on the 7th...but I can't stop the cynicism of the cheating at the polls. I'm even trying to steal myself to the realization that we may lose and will just have to live with it. Or...we take to the streets and storm the Bastille and revolt. Are you in Tom?

 
At 1:40 AM, Blogger Tom Degan said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

 
At 1:41 AM, Blogger Tom Degan said...

Dear Sumo,
I'm in. Count on it.
Peace!
Tom Degan

 
At 11:57 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey Sumo! now you are talking my kind of talk, I have have been advocating a USof A Bastille Day of our own by first reducing the lying corporate media hqs to bug dust and moving on from there. I know it is unrealistic but fun to think about. Bush has ships headed for the Straits of Hormuz, wonder if this is Rove's "October Surprise" maybe delayed for a few days just before the election so Bush can declare martial law and cancel the elections or simply too close to election day for the opposition to mount their opposition

 
At 6:26 PM, Blogger sumo said...

Wilma...I have considered the election travesty myself...he'd just better not dare!

 
At 9:14 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sumo, Sorry to disagree but he would dare, his hubris is out of control, he is fool enough to think he is invincible and the idiots around him are too chicken to tell the emperor he has no clothes and his bare behind is showing tho it has been most of his life. I hope the pot at the end of their rainbow has something smelly in it and not the blsck gold they think is within their grasp

 
At 10:30 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Tom, you know I love you, but I can't read this commie crap/ George W is the man and thank god he is president at this most important time. Your buddies Carter and Clinton got us to this point.We need to fight these scumbags now so we don't have to fight them in the future. If Carter had any balls at all he would have confronted them when they took us hostage in '79 and we wouldn't be where we are now. You liberals should alll be ashamed of yourselves to act like this at a time of war. If your buddy Clinton did something besides getting head from Monica I would have been 100% behind him. We should have confronted them then and maybe 911 would never have happened. You really need to wake up and see the real world. These asssholes want us alll dead and there is nothing that will change thier minds. You can talk to them all you want and they will still want us gone and impose their sick views of the world. You know my dad worked in Saudi Arabia alll those years, and he told me nothing but horror stories of how they think and what they do. This war is good verses evil and WE are the good and they are the evil. Please stop bad mouthing George W and let's try and win a war for a change.
Your closest Repulblican friend Tim Finkle.

 
At 5:26 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello, Tim!
It was great to see you the other night. Your lady friend, Oliviet, is lovely! We must all get together again soon; twenty years is just too long.
As for politics....Well, you and I are are on different boats as far as THAT subject is concerned! Still, men of good purposes can agree to differ, ay?
Cheers!
Tom
PS - Send me an e-mail:
tomdegan@frorntiernet.net

 
At 12:36 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Mr. Finkle ... not to toss terds back and forth, but if being a "Liberal" means the following, then I am proudly and forever one:

- protection of our borders
- better use of armed forces
- corporations and the wealthiest Americans paying higher proportion of taxes than currently, moving significant burden off the middle class
- Growth in wages/income for the middle and lower class
- (good) jobs! and manufacturing base
- protection from existing jobs moving across the border
- a National Health Care plan/system that isn't dependent upon one having a job; affordable medicine!
- better Medicare plan
- end to Corporate welfare
- balanced budget and reduced deficit; that "do-nothing" Clinton fellow you spoke of left office with a surplus!
- balanced trade
- higher moral values than I've certainly seen demonstrated by this administration and Congress;

I could go on and on.

 
At 8:20 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

All very good points. I would love to line up Pat Robertson, Jerry Foulwell, James Chickendobbie et all and ask them if the Jesus they purport to worship was a conservative and hear them try to think of an answer

 
At 10:59 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Tom..I totally agree with the your rant. This election worries me more than the Canadian election did..you know the one. Where George's evil twin came to power - and has been kissing his a** ever since!

What worries me even more are the two bills George signed on October 17th, because I believe he won't hesitate to use the second one if the Democrats do win. It appears that Harper has signed over control of our country to George as well..so we're gonna feel the result of this election all the way up here.

Whatever the outcome, I wish all Americans well on November 7th - and I look forward to seeing you on Alternet soon.

 

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