Why The Democrats Are Still Angry

There is just no pleasing the Democrats these days. They have taken control of both chambers of Congress, they have several candidates for President who seem to be doing well in the polls, and they even managed the combo of getting Mr. Libby convicted where there was no crime, while people on their side up to their ears in dubious undertakings are enjoying wealth and power unscathed. Yet the mood in Donkeytown is still one of anger and bitterness. And there are three good reasons why this is so.

The first reason is, of course, President George W. Bush. The Democrats have hated him for years, most since he first laid hand on the Bible and took the oath. I remember hearing threats that he would be impeached from the spring of 2001, not that there has ever been the slightest rational reason to pursue that course. Dubya has been called every name the Left can come up with, denigrating every possible human characteristic, and in recent times there has been a chilling thirst for blood from the Left, as many on that side have publicly pronounced a hope for his death by assassination. Yet he has not only managed to avoid the vast majority of traps set by the Left, and won re-election in 2004 by the first clear popular majority since his father, Mr. Bush has steadily demonstrated that he is not concerned by the opinion the Left has of him. He fears and serves the Lord, he loves and serves the United States, and he loves and protects the ideals he has sworn to uphold. George W. Bush sleeps well at night, knowing he has done his best to do what was right, not what was easy.

The President also rests well, in the knowledge that he has a trump card in his plans: Karl Rove. The Libby affair, like so many cartoonish plans from the Left, began in Democrats' plans as a way to get at Rove. Unable to accept the better qualities of President Bush, Democrats have assigned the strength of his victories to his advisors, chiefly Karl Rove. The attention given to 'get Rove' has thrown the Democrats off opportunity and into confusion more than a few times. Also, abilities, Rove will certainly play an important role in the 2008 election, whether as a valuable advisor to a serious candidate, or also as foil to Democrat strategies.

There is also one crucial reason why the Democrats have never been as eager as their rabid-frothing sector to impeach Bush, besides the fact that such an attempt would be a brazen frame job on completely false charges: It would lead to increased authority for Richard Cheney. If Democrats were somehow able to remove Bush from office, Cheney would become President, and there is no question that Dick Cheney would not be soft on the Left. The Democrats have begun to consider another nasty possibility; the deft politician has no desire to run for the Presidency himself, but like Bush is determined to protect America from its enemies, and if the Democrats attempted to smear the President with a campaign to weaken the Republican position in the 2008 campaign, the weak field of candidates presently available could well inspire Cheney to do one of two things - lead from within as a strong center to the party, or if necessary run himself. Don't laugh, but this is genuinely a fear in the DNC. Under nominal circumstances, a Cheney campaign would be insignificant, unlikely to develop the momentum needed to win the GOP nomination. However, if the Democrats changed conditions through a direct assault on the Bush White House, the mood among Republicans - and the voters as a whole - would change, and the new dynamics would create demand for new conditions. Even if his participation was limited to advising the party and a selected candidate, Cheney's experience and political ability could be devastating to the Left, and they know it. Cheney is the bear the Left must let sleep, for fear of his teeth.

Knowing this, the Democrats proceed in their futile rage, which is good news for America.

Tom DeLay – An Example of What is Wrong with the Right

Tom Delay, former Congressman and much-feared “Hammer” for the Republican Party, has written a book. A disappointing whine of self-pity, actually, and nothing worth your time, attention, or money. In brief, DeLay wrote a warped, bitter perspective on the present political condition, a paranoid delusion where he is at no fault but everyone else, from opponents to his (former) closest friends, is to be blamed. I find myself troubled to discover that a man who did so much to help lead the 1994 Republican Revolution, should now prove to be so petty, disloyal, and shallow.

I wrestled for a while about what to write here. Tom DeLay did a lot of good for the nation and for his district while he was a Congressman, and for that he deserves respect and thanks. But that hardly excuses his present conduct and arrogance, so common among many men and women on the Hill. But there is a point where Republicans, especially, should remember not only their worth and value but also their limits and responsibilities, including the so-often-ignored duty to take orders from the leadership for the advancement of promised legislation, and party discipline in order to prevent the opposition from playing divide-and-conquer in order to gain power. Of course, even though I was saying this last year, it was ignored in preference of personal feuds and individual empire-building. DeLay’s lie that President Bush is “compassionate … but no conservative” is not only popular among men inclined to excuse their derilection of duty, but also those many people who love a television camera more than remembering their promises to their constituents.

The Democrats do not seem inclined to do a better job of governing than the Republicans, but that is hardly the goal we should seek. Reaching, then defending a party consensus for the nation’s needs is more than just a nice idea; it is the essential mission which must be pursued right now. And unfortunately, before that can happen the GOP needs to sit its members down, point out Tom DeLay, what he was and what he has become, and explain clearly that the DeLay of 1994 helped create greatness, while the DeLay of 2006 helped tear down the party. It is well past time to clean house of egotists and unaccountable mandarins.

Prayers For The Edwards

John and Elizabeth Edwards announced today that Elizabeth's cancer has returned. The biopsy results have been confirmed, and so despite surgery and radiation treatment, the Edwarsd will once again have to find this monster.

Despite strong political differences with Mister Edwards, my own recent good news about my own cancer reminds me that not everyone is lucky in their fight, and that everyone who must go through this battle deserves prayers and support.

Medical Update

It has been a busy two weeks!

Two weeks ago, I was training the guy who would be replacing me while I was out on FMLA leave, for surgery and convalescence. My schedule was full of preparations, as I readied myself for a series of tests on the 9th of March, to be followed by consultation on the 12th with Dr, Lambert at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

The tests on Friday March 9 were long, detailed, and uncomfortable. But they were worth it for the news I got the following Monday. Dr. Lambert sat me down next to my wife Mikki, and informed us that - at this time - surgery is not necessary to treat my cancer. Essentially, what happened is that Dr. Thomas got everything in my surgery on November 7th, and what was left has not appreciably grown. They can treat it with chemicals, and in July I will have another CT scan at MDA and a laparascopic exam to see what's going on in there. Dr. Lambert hastened to warn me this is not 'cured', but it is very good news. Both Dr. Thomas and Dr. Foote has insisted that major surgery was inevitable.

Just one more reminder about doing your own homework, and ALWAYS get a second opinion.