Coming Out for Obama

I'm supporting Senator Obama for many reasons, but what put me over the top is his stand against and continued leadership in the US Senate regarding the Iraq War. I believe that the Iraq War is the greatest atrocity of a generation, in terms of what it has done to our military and their families, and, just as importantly, to the Iraqi people. I believe that George Bush and Dick Cheney fit the textbook definition of "war criminal," and many Democrats, fearing for their political lives four years ago, signed on as enablers of this awful, shambolic misadventure in American foreign policy. Among these enablers, unfortunately, were Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.
It's easy to dismiss Senator Clinton, because she's the consummate "finger-to-the-wind" politician, even more so than her husband, and she just joined the anti-war movement a few months ago. She expects us to forget what she has done---she didn't just vote for the resolution late in 2002, she was one of the staunchest hawks in a Congress that enabled Republicans to lay waste to our military and cause the deaths and maimings of over 30,000 American soldiers and tens of thousands (maybe even hundreds of thousands) of Iraqis.
Edwards is a little more difficult, but I must ultimately put him gently to the side as well. While he's still my "#2," assuming Gore doesn't take the plunge, saying you're sorry isn't enough. Edwards and Clinton are running all over the country saying things like "I'm accountable for my vote," or "I take responsibility for my vote." This is code language for "thanks for bringing that up, but let me dismiss that issue in one sentence."
True responsibility and true accountability often means that you face the rewards or consequences for your actions. And the consequence, for Sens Edwards and Clinton, is that they won't get my vote for President of the United States. When you see the carnage and waste (what EVIL profiteering we are seeing while Iraq burns and our own soldiers don't even have the boots and toiletries they need, much less body armor!), you have to remember that when these folks had their time in the hotseat, they wilted, either due to political calculation (Clinton) or just plain getting it wrong (Edwards, as he admits). While I admit that we can't know for sure how Obama would have voted as a US Senator had he been one at the time, we do know how Clinton and Edwards cast their respective lots.
So, while all the Dems would be a million times better than Bush, my choice is simple. While they all have great plans and records on the environment, healthcare, and helping the disenfranchised, not to mention women's reproductive rights and civil rights in general one, and only one, has an unblemished record of leadership on the number one issue in the realm of war and peace in our time---Barack Obama.
Even still, I love Edwards (and I really love the details of his plans for America), and I'll forgive him and give him my support if Obama fails in his run . But for now, I can forgive him and support somebody who's gotten this one right from the start. As angry as I've become about the war (see Anglico's blog about how Republicans treat the troops), I just can't support anybody in the primary who's got blood on his or her hands, even if it's just a small amount (Edwards) or covered with it (Clinton). I'm not trying to be vindictive---I love Edwards and can even bring myself to like Sen Clinton quite a bit sometimes, it's just how I'm making my choice.

Two Things Brought Me Back to Life This Week

And they both came from the John Edwards camp. First, on Tuesday, Senator Edwards rolled out the most ambitious plan for cleaning up our environment and changing the way Americans consume the world's resources and pollute without end, in an effort to eliminate global warming-induced climate change. And he picked a great time to roll out his plan, as The People's Hero, Al Gore, was testifying before Congress. One redneck rep from Texas, upon hearing Gore's testimony, described it as "an all-out attack on fossil fuels and nuclear power." EXACTLY! I'M GLAD YOU GET IT, JERK! Check out the Edwards plan (I thought of calling it Gore Junior, but there's nothing junior or light about it at http://www.johnedwards.com/about/issues/energy/new-energy-economy/

But overshadowing Edwards' incredible plan for greening America, and rightfully so, was yesterday's horrific revelation that the Edwardses are dealing with a recurrence of Elizabeth's breast cancer. Knowing first-hand what it's like to live with a chronic illness, I think it's amazing that they are facing it with their heads held high, relying on the support of each other and the millions of us who wish them well. They are setting a great example for their children and for all of us.

GUILTY

Lewis Libby is GUILTY of obstruction of justice and lying to a fedeal grand jury in the Valerie Plame case. He is a symbol of the megalomaniacal thirst for power in the Cheney cabal of Bush's banana republic.

What a disgrace to our country, that they threaten our freedoms by outing secret agents for political tit-for-tat. What an absolute disgrace. And you know where the ultimate blame lies in this mess---with the people of the United States. All of this abuse of power started right after 9/11, yet they still let this corrupt group of crooks keep power in 2004.

You reap what you sow. Don't blame me---I voted for Kerry/Edwards. I have no claim on the Chimp and the Penguin. And I won't take responsibility for anything they do.

They're not fighting this war in my name. Not by a damn sight.

Another reason I'm proud to be a Democrat

Just this weekend, a good, dual illustration of why I'm proud to be a Democrat:

In Washington, conservatives gathered to hoot and laugh at a Democrat being the object of a homophobic slur.

While in Selma, Alabama, the leading contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination were competing to show who has taken the greatest stand for and has the greatest appreciation for the civil rights movement in their respective careers.

When we talk about character issues defining parties/candidates/campaigns, let it be said that the Democrats stand up for the least among us so that we are all better for it.

Stand Up

I think it's great that Ann Coulter and the conservatives at this weekend's CPAC convention in Washington want to slur John Edwards with homophobic slurs and laugh about it. The HUGE irony here is that many at the convention are fretting over the slate of Republican presidential candidates lacking true Christian values.

I think it's great because it shows these people for what they really are----power-obsessed jerks who will summon up all measure of bile and hate just to win an election. A far cry from Jesus Christ's sermon on the mount, don't you think?

To Edwards's credit, his campaign has responded by using Coulter's slur to raise money. This morning on his website, they are trying to raise a little "Coulter Cash" to help end the culture of bigotry that folks like Coulter, Karl Rove and the men they serve----that's you, George W Bush---have created in this country. Inspirational leadership in response to the smallness of the right. I smell a big victory in 2008, which just might consign their anti-gay, anti-environment, anti-woman, anti-poor agenda to the dustbin of history.