Certain Arizona Democrats continue to Go Along to Get Along with the Bush agenda. Giffords and Mitchell voted to continue to fund the war in Iraq and to immunize tel-comms who broke the law at the behest of the Bush Administration, incidentally preventing discovery in those pending civil cases that could produce further evidence of criminality by this Administration.
Do you think that Tim Bee or any of the GOP wannabees in CD 5 would have voted any differently than these Democrats on these issues? Of course not – that’s the point of these GAGA Dems ‘strategy’: to deny their GOP opponents a contrast issue. But if there is no difference between the Democrats and the Republicans on these key issues, how will people see a difference between the parties when it comes time to go to the polls? They won’t – and they’ll stay home, which is the worst thing possible for the Democratic party. Apathy is good for the GOP and these Democrats are doing their best to ensure that voters will be apathetic about their ability to affect the most important issues of our time.
Why are Giffords and Mitchell goldbricking on the hardest political work facing our Party? Perhaps it’s because they don’t believe Democratic positions on these issues are the right ones, or because they feel those positions are too hard to explain to a public conditioned by fear for the past 7 years. In either case, one has to wonder if candidates who won’t fight for and vote for Democratic positions are the best representatives of for the Democratic Party in their districts. If they won’t fight for positions our Party overwhelmingly supports (withdrawal from Iraq and fighting for the rule of law with an outlaw Administration) then perhaps it is time to consider whether we need to find candidates who will take on the difficult issues without always putting their fingers in the wind first, and aping the positions of their GOP colleagues to avoid a fight.
Giffords and Mitchell are not only betraying our troops by keeping them in a pointless war of attrition that is undermining American security, and betraying our Constitution by letting this Administration violate Congressional laws and immunize their co-conspirators, they are betraying the Democratic Party by ensuring that voters won’t see a difference between the parties on the issues that matter most in November. That might work to their advantage in their own races (I personally am of the opinion that they are wrong to think that), but it will certainly not help our Party rally public opinion to make the major course correction this country so desperately needs.
Gabby Giffords’ Votes:
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 – Vote Passed (268-155, 12 Not Voting)
The House approved this $165.4 billion bill to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq through FY2008 and the beginning of FY2009.
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords voted YES
FISA Amendments Act of 2008 – Vote Passed (293-129, 13 Not Voting)
The House passed this intelligence bill that would revise U.S. surveillance laws.
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords voted YES
Harry Mitchell’s Votes:
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 – Vote Passed (268-155, 12 Not Voting)
The House approved this $165.4 billion bill to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq through FY2008 and the beginning of FY2009.
Rep. Harry Mitchell voted YES
FISA Amendments Act of 2008 – Vote Passed (293-129, 13 Not Voting)
The House passed this intelligence bill that would revise U.S. surveillance laws.
Rep. Harry Mitchell voted YES
Contrast the GAGA Dems’ votes on these issues with those of a real progressive Democrat like Rep. Grijalva. I have to wonder if Raul is regretting his early and strong support for Gabby in the 2006 primary. Without that support we might now have a real progressive in Congress voting like Grijalva on these vital issues.
Raul Grijalva’s Votes:
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 – Vote Passed (268-155, 12 Not Voting)
The House approved this $165.4 billion bill to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq through FY2008 and the beginning of FY2009.
Rep. Raul Grijalva voted NO
FISA Amendments Act of 2008 – Vote Passed (293-129, 13 Not Voting)
The House passed this intelligence bill that would revise U.S. surveillance laws.
Rep. Raul Grijalva voted NO
So which is it Gabby and Harry: is Grijalva undermining our national security with his thoroughly Democratic votes? Or are you undermining your own Party’s credibility on these vital issues by voting against your caucus and siding with the wrong-headed GOP?
And in case you think I’m letting him off the hook: No, Obama’s wrong on this issue, and playing the same short-sighted game as the GAGAs.
Discover more from Blog for Arizona
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.