Opinions Worth Roping - Don't Fence Us In!

HEY, GET YOUR OWN PARTY!
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Hey, what the hay is going on? The political party in charge now in Washington is not my Dad’s Republican Party. The party of the “The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit” of the 1950’s was a fairly cooperative bunch with the affable Eisenhower as its leader. Not anymore. The new Rethugnican Party (with leaders like Tom “The Hammer” De Lay, who is inches away from being indicted for fraud) resembles the Corleone crime family. So, much to my dismay, some of my fellow boomers who are moderate Republicans and who have grown tired of wandering in the desert wishing to rediscover their Dad’s party, decided instead to take over the party I’ve belonged to since the sixties ¾ i.e., the Democratic Party.

Rather than fight the neo-cons and religious right for a voice in the GOP, moderate Republicans are actively trying to take over the Democratic Party in name, but not necessarily in spirit. They are looking for a place for their corporate friendly bent without the hassle of dealing with icky issues like workers rights, victim’s rights, and troublesome groups like unions, peace organizations, and women’s groups. They are used to a patriarchal “ Father Knows Best” style of politics and are uncomfortable with the more fraternal we-are-brothers-and-sisters-in -arms style of the New Deal New Society Democrats.

On C-Span I caught Al From, the CEO of the Democratic Leadership Council, call for expelling Michael Moore from the party. Michael Moore, the son and grandson of union auto- workers from Michigan, should leave? I don’t think so. Then I switch the channel, and there is Peter Beinart, the editor of The New Republic , also criticizing moveon.org for making the Democrats look soft on terror by their anti-war talk. Hello, Democrats can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can be anti-foolhardy war and pro-annihilating terrorist organizations. Add to that the entrance of anti-choice, pro-social-security-disemboweling Tim Roemer into the race for the head of the Democratic National Committee (to be chosen February 12) and it becomes obvious that women, blacks, anti-war activists and union members all should just shut up, behave and ¾ for women especially ¾ just go shopping, dearies.

That leaves progressive pragmatists like me with two choices. The first would be to marginalize these centrists & keep our party a big tent. The second would be to follow their lead and steal somebody else’s party. The closest fit would seem to be the Green Party but the name has a lot of subliminal negatives ¾ (“He turned green”… “She was green with envy”. And women know what a tricky color it is to wear). Plus here in the West it carries particular baggage conjuring up images for my rancher husband of elitist white guys trying to take away the regular guys’ jobs. This is an unfair and narrow definition of a great party, but it needs the guys from “Extreme Makeover” to work on that image.

If many of us were forced to leave (and it looks like millions of women might be getting ready to jump ship rather than return to steerage dressed in burkhas), a third choice would be to form a new party. But a new generation needs to pick up the reins on that option. This fifty something has one last fight in her. Join me. Let’s stay and fight and start by picking a pro-choice-we-hate-abortions-too-but-can-we-please-talk-about-economic-justice-and-a-safe-secure-world DNC chair, resurrect the Rainbow Coalition, and then go kick some values butt. We either keep our great working middle class party or we are all going to be sitting in that hand basket, going plum to hell. Contact your State & County leaders. Step up, not back.

Diane Kamp; a beer drinking, latte sipping, pick-up driving, book-reading, red meat loving-liberal from Big Timber, Montana

Hey, Get Your Own Party!