Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

They did not hound the airwaves on Fitzmas day, when Libby was indicted.  And again, the media noted, time and time again, the conspicious silence of the Democrats.  

And it wasn't until days later, that the Democrats attacked.  Their weapon of choice: Rule 21. And that single ploy began the war, and we find ourselves now entrenched in it.

Do you doubt it? Do you doubt the weight of what is occuring around us?  Democrats, in the minority, have relentlessly attacked the President for his manipulation of pre-war intelligence.  The President, in return, has launched a counter-offensive calling into question not only the character, by the patriotism of Democratic members of Congress.  

Verbal bullets are being shot on both sides of the aisle.  The Democratic rhetoric is measured, but stern.  The Republicans have been caught off gaurd, and don't know what to do or say.

So we have McCain calling Democrats "liars." Yes, he used the "l" word. We have O'Reilly wishing a terrorist attack upon American soil. We have all of Wingnuttia franticly running around, blinded by our burst of courage, hands reaching out wildly for any talking points to guide them through this battle.

This is a battle.  If you have not seen Harry Reid in a press conference, make sure to catch the next one. If you have not watched Kennedy and Kerry on the Senate floor, do it. Do it now.  Because listening to the Democratic leaders for even a few seconds will reveal that this is not ordinary politics.

This is war.  This is a war not only for the truth, but for the life of our party and its values.  The media is playing this new-found Democratic courage as a political game, a way to score points against the President. But it goes beyond that.  Democrats aren't fighting now to see their poll numbers go up. They aren't doing it because that's what expected. They aren't speaking out because they like the cameras or have Presidential ambitions. They are fighting now because they finally realized that our values are worth fighting for.

If we do not protect our liberal values, they will be destroyed by our enemies.  We've seen that happen already to some extent.  Protecting peace became emboldening the enemy.   Exposing government corruption became treason. Saving the middle class became communism. Our Democratic values were no longer our own.

Reid and Pelosi and the rest of the Democrats, for some reason or another, have finally awakened from their stupor and realized that they were confronted with a choice:  fight now, or sacrifice our values forever.

Our leaders have chosen to fight. I cannot emphasize what courage this has taken. We are the minority. We have the media against us.  The only thing on our side in this fight for America's soul is the will of the masses and the truth. Armed with both, there is no doubt this Presidency will suffer.

Events will intensify.  The Bush administration, faced with its demise, will fight, and will fight dirty. But the Democrats cannot turn back now. They cannot retreat, they must not accept any concessions. We have the enemy  on its knees; Republicans are already capitulating on Gitmo, on the Wildlife Refuge, on Social Security. The issue now is one of endurance.

Let us not lose this battle cry we've heard now. Let us keep it going, rolling month after month, piling truth upon truth until the weight of all its wrong crushes this Administration, and the GOP along with it.

2006 is on the horizon.  We can win the battle then. And in 2008, we can win the war, the Presidency, and finally the power to set this nation back on track again.