Democrats to the Rescue?

Democrats finally drew Republican blood on the 7th of November 2006 in the midterm elections; they substantially captured the House of Representatives and took control of the Senate. Up until then, GW Bush held power, albeit under murky circumstances, since the election win decreed by the US Supreme Court in 2000, and corrupt election results in Ohio in 2004, gave the election to Republicans. It was a combination of decent candidates with good field marshals in Dean, Schumer, and Imanuel who showed the way to victory. This, added to GW Bush's dopey antics and disastrous national security policy failures along with Republican greed and corruption, fiercely drove the electorate into the Democrat nets. But do the Democrats have the juice or mojo to bring sanity and direction to the country?

Bush with his holy rollers and pro Israeli neocons were in disarray – the born again had hypocrisy issues – Republican Foley in Congress who could not keep his hands off page boys was protected by Republican leadership, and number one evangelist Haggard demonstrated a proclivity for homosexual muscle man prostitutes, and a taste for crank as he was promoting, at the same time, anti gay marriage initiatives. As a result, it disgusted the independents, moderate Republicans, and born agains; one quarter of whom voted democratic.

Remember when VEEP Cheney celebrated the invasion of Iraq with a quiet dinner at the VEEP residence with superneocons Perle, Wolfowitz and Adelman the evening after the invasion? Cheney was really dancing cheek to cheek with these guys on national security policy. On the eve of the recent midterm elections, Perle and Adelman stabbed Bush in the back publicly by blaming Bush's war fighting ineptitude for the failure of the Iraq adventure. Have not heard publicly from Wolfowitz, but he was promoted to president of the World Bank and awarded the Presidential Freedom Medal, so his silence is paid for by the president.

Democrats will do their socioeconomic progressive programs – minimum wage, health care, tax reform, stem cell research, chase big oil – and maybe some flaccid immigration legislation. They will also investigate suppressed information on 9/11 and the Iraq War. Oversight subpoenas will fly – Halliburton may want build up its legal defense fund. But the flashing lights priority in the room is still Iraq. Initially, the Democrats will stall facing the issues by waiting for the Bipartisan Baker/Hamilton Commission report. Once that report is in, their dilemma will remain.

War in iraq is just one element in the broader Middle East policy problem; in the heat of the campaign Bush blurted out that the US had to control the oil in Iraq otherwise the terrorists will. So let us drop the mask and agree that an uninterrupted oil supply is a major legitimate national security objective; war is just one way to achieve it – an expensive and bloody way. Try paying for it with mutual exploration deals or bribes. In Iraq it seemed to me that the Europeans and Asians were beating us at the game, so we invaded. With that same logic, should we invade Japan as it has beat us silly in the automobile competition. The US now has bases all over the middle East and still wants to garrison Iraq permanently. This is the formula for permanent war with Islam and amounts to long term stupidity.

Another element in the Middle East is the unqualified military support of Israel by the US. Within the last week, direct Israeli tank fire killed women and children while they slept at homes in Gaza – killed by US tank shells; 18 Palestinian civilians also were killed by Israeli artillery shells made in the USA. These are massacres. Palestinians vowed to retaliate against the US and Israel... Condoleezza, come out from wherever you are! This US support of Israel needs reevaluation and perspective; there is no reason for an American to die for Israel. While arming Israel, to date, the US has been unable make Israel behave appropriately with its neighbors, so the US bears the same opprobrium in the region as Israel. Like the US military presence in the region, our continued support of Israel, if left unmodified, will be the basis of continuos Jihadist attacks on the US. It took the American people six years to take the measure of GW Bush. How long will it take to do the same for the Israel Lobby?

Whereas the Democrats can back off the blood for oil policy self righteously, they, like the Republicans, have a hammer lock on their heads by the Israeli lobby and its neocon stooges. Continued US presence in Iraq and a US attack on Iran are the burning items on the Lobby's agenda – and the Democrats will dance to the tune unless there is political bravery which is hard to find in either party. By turning on Bush, the neocons have now positioned themselves to jump on the Democratic band wagon. This influence of Israel is indeed a corrosive aspect in America, especially when you consider two Israel agents are in US prisons and two others currently under indictment for espionage against the US.

SECDEF Rumsfeld’s resignation lances a boil for the Republicans; Democrats, afraid to attack Bush directly on the war, used Rumsfeld as a surrogate. Now that Rumsfeld has been replaced by former CIA chief Bob Gates, all the Democrats and retired TV US generals are in a rapture, but their target is now down. Rumsfeld was a Bush scapegoat. What next? Gates is a very competent quiet man, who may not know the difference between a squad and division; he has no big time business management acumen, but is part of the Bipartisan Baker Commission and the Bush family fan club. So do not look for early troop departure from Iraq from Gates. Gates is a superb faceless bureaucrat who got where he is by quietly moving papers from the in box to the out box and never threatening anyone competitively. The best the Democrats can do is squeeze Gates at confirmation hearings. After that, only threats on the military budget approval can bring him under congressional control.

Despite my misgivings on certain Democratic personalities, the party must be congratulated on a great political victory. Hopefully its acquisition of power will curb the destructive policies of GW Bush and his clique. In this victorious Democratic wave, my fascination is with the newly elected Democratic senator Jim Webb from Virginia.

He is not the typical ass kissing politician; he is a man of substance: an ex Marine officer hero from Vietnam, awarded the navy cross, three silver stars and four purple hearts. Webb has brains, guts and principles. He resigned as Secretary of the Navy when he disagreed with the Reagan administration. His book, FIELDS OF FIRE, on combat in Vietnam is a classic; and, he has written several other books and a produced film script in the military genre. About three months before the invasion of Iraq, his OpEd against the Iraq war was published in the WASHINGTON POST. He had never run for office before and his candidacy against powerful sitting Senator Allen was regarded as politically quixotic. Married three times, Webb certainly believes in the triumph of hope. As the campaign developed, I crossed my fingers hoping he would not slug the smug drug store cowboy Allen, who was at a dude ranch while Webb bled, fighting the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese By all standards he is confrontational. There does not seem to be an ounce of legislative mentality in Webb, but so what? Bravo! Maybe he will scatter the self absorbed, clucking chickens in the senatorial chicken-coop. The people of the Commonwealth of Virginia will be well served by Senator Webb as will be the nation. Colonel Robert E Bartos USA RET