Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

This comes hot on the heels of John Edwards and John Kerry admitting their war votes were a mistake (albeit a year late), and collapsing public opinion on the war and the reasons that led us there.

I think 3 things are primarily responsible for this on going and fast moving change.

1. The war isn't going well - its a quagmire with no end in sight and no plan
2. Cindy Sheehan. She made the scarifies our men and women in uniform were making personal, and was one of the first people to attempt to hold the President accountable in a highly public manner, with her weeks long vigil at his Crawford pig farm Ranch back in August.
3. Finally, Paul Hackett in the Ohio 2nd special election earlier this year. An Iraq war vet hitting the GOP hard on the war Issue, using his service and common sense to add weight.

While other Democrats certainly opposed the war, and some voted against it (including Sherrod Brown) few have had the courage to talk boldly about the failure, especially during an election (Dennis Kucinich comes to mind from Ohio). Hackett's efforts along with Sheehan's and the ongoing quagmire helped shift the debate, and the political momentum, and now with the likes of Murtha piling on there seems little doubt that the flood gates are about to open.

A mention should also go to Chuck Hagel who has taken a courageous stance against the war. Hagel, Murtha and Hackett - the connection ? All wore the uniform and served. these guys talk from experience and their opinions carry real weight, more weight than those who attack them, as Murtha pointedly proved

Murtha on Cheney: "I like guys who've never been there that criticize us who've been there. I like that. I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done."

Which all kinda reminds me of this

On ABC on Sunday, reporter Geoff Morrell recited how Hackett denounced Bush as a "chicken hawk" and "the biggest threat to America," but instead of describing that as mudslinging, Morrell called it "candor," relaying: "If elected, Hackett says he'll use that same candor to educate Congress about what's really going on in Iraq." On Saturday, CBS's Drew Levinson touted Hackett as "a tough talker" who "goes as far as saying President Bush is a greater threat to U.S. security than Osama bin Laden." Tuesday on CNN, Bruce Morton noted how Hackett's attacks on Bush have "angered some Republicans," but highlighted how one "Vietnam vet, who voted for Bush, is having second thoughts." NBC's Carl Quintanilla plugged Hackett as what "some call a next generation Democrat" and asserted that "analysts like Stu Rothenberg say there may be fallout even if Hackett finishes a close second."

Starting to look like a lot of old Democrats are beginning to act like next generation ones.