Democrats Cower on Hill

The scurrying squeaks coming out of D.C. are the terrified hiccups of the Democratic party running for the mouse hole of safe political decisions.

The (ha-ha) leadership on the Hill is leading from behind what they think is a safe haven of "don't look at us"... it's not our war, our stripping of civil rights, our torture, our spending, our immigration, our Iran saber-rattling policies.

Oh.... but they are. The very timidity of the Democratic party is allowing The Decider to continue his power-grabbing, ideological rampage, making them complicit by their cowardly inaction, or worse, their enabling support however loudly justified.

The Democratic party seems to forget that those things you aren't against, you are for. Those things you don't stop, you support. They seem to forget why they were handed the reins in January.

The latest abdication of the Democratic leadership's moral bearings and our civil rights is over the concessions they appear ready to make on the Bush administration's broadened eavesdropping powers.... "Democrats Seem Ready to Extend Wiretap Powers" New York Times.

The Democrats are described as "nervous" that they will be called soft on terrorism if they insist on stricter curbs on gathering intelligence. They are also nervous about not giving immunity retroactively to telecommunication utilities who illegally caved to the Bush administration's warrantless demands for private records. The issue isn't settled, but the muted squeaking bodes well for giving the snooping administration and their corporate enablers a pass.

Their case of the nerves will cost the Democratic party dearly at the polls next November. By their very Minnie Mouse approach to curbing the excesses of this administration, they have become what they are most trying to avoid appearing to be..... soft.

By trying to do nothing to lose their majority status in Congress and not standing on principle, the Democratic leadership is leaving the mouse hole wide open for a Reagan-like GOP presidential candidate to pounce on the office with full veto powers.