The Real Democratic Schism

There is much talk about Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and the fact that some of his belligerent comments are apt to "split" the Democratic Party and alienate the Republicans. However, I beg to differ. Dr. Dean does not create the divisions among Democrats that have occurred over the last couple of decades. He only sees and recognizes them and realizes how far separated the rank and file already feel from their national representation.

Former President Bill Clinton, as much as we adore him now and long for the good old days when he held the White House, was much too conciliatory with the Republican Congess for the taste of many as he allowed the weakening of of social programs under the guise of "welfare reform" and the beginning of the Republican campaign to "reform" all other social progams out of existence. Many Democrats thought that he was too quick to compromise and to deal away issues that were important to us.

Then, the good old "free American media" got on Clinton's back and stayed there, even belittling Al Gore in his campaign and assisting the Republican gang tactics in robbing us of a legitimate presidency. They were largely responsible for the fact that Howard Dean was not the presidential candidate in 2004. They took his words out of context and repeated them as if the true meaning were according to their interpretation. The most infamous example of this was the way they took the cheer of Dr. Dean in addressing his followers, turned it into a "scream", and maligned him for having a bad temper!

As a result, many Democrats out here in the Real World either boycotted the election or scurried about, looking for a third party, especially after John Kerry adopted the military macho attitude that the war was just peachy-keen and we should stay in Iraq until the reign of peace in the Middle East was accomplished. This gave us, in the wrods of Ross Perot, "not a dime's worth of difference". Actually, in the minds of the rank-and-filers out here on the front lines, the only thing that he has said wrong since becoming the chairman of the Democratic National Committee was when he suggested that since we are in Iraq we have to stay. We see Iraq as Vietnamh redux and our government is making the same wrong decisions for the same wrong reasons.

Meanwhile, inside the Beltway, the powers that be are saying that, in order to win, the Democrats need to "move further to the right, to the middle" and attract some of the disenchanted Conservative Republicans who are revolted by the prospect of the growing national debt and the destructions of our freedoms. But as rural wisdom will tell you, "if you stick to the middle of the road, you will get run over, sure as hell!" And the "establishment Democrats" are getting run over. They are "making nice" as Senators Lieberman, Biden, and Clinton, among others, are adopting an attitude of agreeing with the administrations on everything but the kitchen sink. Seven "wise old men" got together with a like number of experienced Republicans in a "spirit of bipartisanship" and, as the result, our nation is saddled with at least three activist Federal judges who will work to destroy the environment and the rights of the working man for as long as they live. Fellows, your mama should have told you that there some little boys that you just can't play nice with. While you are reaching out your hand in friendship to one, another will get behind you and kick you in the butt!

The Beltway Democrats do not understand what Howard Dean instinctively knows. We have taken enough of having our rights to privacy destroyed, our jobs outsourced offshore or taken by illegal immigrants, and our very future threatened by the attacks on Social Security. Further, we want something done about the availability of affordable health care other than another campaign to further enrich the insurance companies. We want our children, friends, and fathers or mothers to have the best equipment available to help them fight this feackless war instead of spending all the money on no-bid contracts for the multinational corporations at their expense. And we want them home. NOW!

There are many small groups who are trying to start "third parties" in order to be able to vote for someone who will stand up for us and fight back against those who would turn our beloved nation into a totalitarian state and make all of us to become wage slaves. ONE MAN with the ideals of Howard Dean or Dennis Kucinich could congeal these groups into a common cause that could be a very real threat to the "established order".

Give us a leader to stand with Robert Bryd, waving the Constitution under the noses of those who threaten our liberties; give us someone who will stand with John Conyers as he demands, on our behalf, an investigation into the facts behind the Downing Street Minutes, who will look directly into the eyes of George Bush, Dick Cheney, or Donald Runsfeld and say, "You, Sir, are a liar! You lied about the threats from Saddam, you lied about the Weapons of Mass Destruction. You assumed un-Constitutional power when you sent troops into Afghanistan without a proper declaration of war and you did it again when you began increased bombing of Iraq in 2002, a year before you were able to make a case which would allow a ground attack. You lied about the need for tax cuts for the rich and you still lie about the need to cut "entitlements" in order to balance the budget."

Howard Dean may upset the Beltway Democrats as well as the Republicans by some of his statements, but he inspires those who are most injured by the actions of the current administration and almost makes them think that they could make a difference by going to the polls, provided the voting machines are not "fixed". This nation was built by the efforts, the hopes, and the prayers of the common man and is being exploited by the spoilers who care not for the welfare of mankind or the future of our nation, but only for their own greed. If convinced of his sincerity, even many of the followers of the "religious right" would vote for a progressive candidate who understands their concerns, regardless of party. These people know that there are some things more important than money; things like brotherhood, the right to earn a living, and the right to live in peace with our healthy, well-fed families.

Howard Dean appeals to the forgotten man as he dares to speak the truth as we see it. My only advice to the man is this; GIVE 'EM HELL, HOWARD! WE'RE WITH YOU!

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