There Are Three Morals To This Story
Posted by Phoenix Woman on September 2, 2007
Here’s Christy Hardin Smith on how Specter and the GOP hosed Leahy over Southwick.
The short version: Specter conned Leahy into a delay when Leahy had the votes to kill Southwick’s nomination, then sweet-talked Feinstein (who is a sucker for flattery, especially from rich and well-connected men) into flipping to allow Southwick out of the SJC, and all the while blamed Leahy for the delay that he himself talked Leahy into providing!
Moral #1: Never trust Republicans. Ever.
Moral #2: A coherent plan for dealing with Republicans would be nice. And that plan can’t be dictated by the GOP/Media Complex, which praises the spineless and the corrupt sellouts among the Democrats as “bi-partisan”, while attacking and marginalizing the good Democrats.
Moral: #3: Don’t be afraid to be tough. They’re not. (And don’t worry when they go whining to their friends in the media. Let them. People respect tough actors.)
6 Responses to “There Are Three Morals To This Story”
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Mercury Rising 鳯女 
joel hanes said
Moral #4: Do not rely on Dianne Feinstein to do the right thing.
Phoenix Woman said
Yeah; she really seems to be Lieberman in a skirt. Unfortunately, the seat’s probably hers for as long as she wants it, as nobody else has the coin needed to mount a primary challenge. Though it would behoove CA progressives to unite behind a good candidate to step in to replace her when she finally does decide she’s had enough of advancing the corporate agenda.
joel hanes said
DiFi is 74, and was just re-elected to a new six-year term (without my vote, I’m glad to say).
Another term would be putting her into Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms territory. I doubt she’ll ever run again; it’s a rare person who has the vitality to be a Senator at age 80.
So we progressives should be getting ready for 2012, because the seat is quite likely to open then. (Assuming, of course, that the US and the world in general survive the next five years. Attacking Iran! Sweet holy jumping Jesus, that’s a stupid idea.)
In the mean time, DiFi will start thinking of her “legacy”, and this is our lever. While her ego is apparently tied more to having the esteem of other rich and powerful persons than to any legislation, if we publicly and repeatedly hang Roberts and Alito and Southwick and the FISA and the PATRIOT act and the Military Commissions Act and the endless war in Iraq around her neck, she may be induced to tack left.
Yeah, sure. And an eagle might land on my forehead right *now* …
Phoenix Woman said
I wonder if a serious dig into her financial affairs might bring up something useful: “Dear DiFi: You really don’t want us running those pics of you in the hot tub with Duke Cunningham, do you? To prevent this, please resign and back Candidate X….”
shrimplate said
Maybe bartcop has photos of her like the ones he has of Dr. Laura.
I have to go be sick now. Sorry.
Phoenix Woman said
Hell, I thought the mere thought of her bumping uglies with the Duke-stir woul be enough to cause anyone t reach for the brain bleach.