PDHblog
This is a place for members of Progressive Democrats of Hawai‘i to express their thoughts
and exasperations about political happenings. The opinions and views are not necessarily
those of PDH's steering committee or membership as a whole.

these days, it’s clear whose interests the republicans represent at our capitol: those with money, influence, and power.  these are the people who benefit from illegal wars, lax environmental policies/enforcement, and top bracket tax cuts, just to name a few.  and while i wouldn’t say the republicans represent the religious right, they certainly pretend to (in order to keep control).  now, can you tell me who the democrats represent?  the average response is the working man.  the middle and lower classes.  at least, they used to.

political commentary following the november midterms was more or less consistent: the democrats didn’t win, the republicans lost.  with no clear plan or message, the democratic party cleaned up in the elections and was given back control of congress for the first time in 12 years.  those same commentators also said the number one issue was the war in iraq.  while i’m starting to believe democrats are the sharpest knives in the drawer, it seems pretty clear to me that they won because people are sick of the war and want out of iraq.

now, little more than a month after their startling victory the party of the common person still has no clear plan or vision for iraq.  in fact, there are those amongst the party leadership that seem to think SENDING MORE TROOPS IS A GRAND IDEA!  reid has said he’s not apposed to the idea and (as far as in know) pelosi hasn’t publicly claimed a position.  i wish this was a sign that i have wandered into some alternate reality, but alas, i cannot feign surprise.  as has become sadly typical for the democratic members of congress they seem to be flailing wildly with no plan, no party cohesion, and no hope of making any real changes.

mere days after the election, speaker-to-be pelosi politely stepped any discussion for impeachment right out in front of the bus.  since then, while congressmen and women do their christmas shopping, progressives (i prefer to call them liberals, but whatever) across the country have been organizing for showdown on the issue of impeachment, despite the democratic party’s apparent unwillingness to even discuss the issue.

and don’t even get me started on the issue of INCREASING the size of the US military….

i am disappointed and disgusted (though not remotely surprised) with the democratic party.  unfortunately, they are continue to be the lesser of two evils and i’m forced to swallow hard every time i’m asked of which party am i a member.  let’s face it, the days of party politics (at least the good parts) are gone forever.  just about the only way to tell the difference between republicans and democrats these days is to ask to see their party membership card.