Huffington and Ivins turn their backs on Democratic leadership
......and rightly so.

Both Huffington and Ivins hit on the same theme in recent columns: copying failed and cruel neo-con policies leads to two primary outcomes- lost elections for Democrats, and monstrously bad policy for Americans and fellow citizens of the world.

Huffington makes the point about the Democrats, and liberals in general, losing the national security debate. Constantly accused of being defeatist, pacificistic, or weak on defense, Democrats have intellectually caved to the pressure, and adopted the neo-con strategy of sending the military everywhere and anywhere, whether it's a good idea or not. Instead of trying, however difficult it may be, to be "smart" on defense, Democrats have torn a page out of the neo-con playbook, and are just being "stupid" on defense.

Here's a question to pose the next time you, a patriotic liberal, are accused of being weak on defense: If most of our intelligence and military forces weren't being tied up fighting a guerilla war in Iraq, do you think Bin Laden and al-queda would still be in operation? Anyone with a remaining shred of logic in their minds would start to wonder just what the answer to that question would be?

An even better question is: Knowing that al-queda's primary goal is the overthrow of secular arab dictators, did we end up doing al-queda's dirty work in Iraq, now that an Islamic theocracy is likely to come to power? The same logic-retaining individual might start to go a bit pale at that one.......

Ivins does not support Hillary Clinton. or should I call her Hillary W. Bush-Clinton? Hillary continues with the bankrupt strategy of running to the right when election time comes. Here's a tip: this only works if you have the political savvy and amazing charisma of Bill Clinton.  No one else can sell this bill of goods to the American people. John Kerry tried, and failed. Instead, try forcefully and smartly advocating a new domestic and foreign agenda that puts people first, and restores our leadership in the world? Ivins quotes compelling statistics that show that people are against the Iraq war, in favor of universal healthcare, and deeply concerned about the environment. Work with that. Ripping off the W regimes platform of class-warfare at home, and unjustified wars abroad is not only a guaranteed failure at the ballot box, it is also immoral.