If the dang surge is going so swell, why all the fear about Petraeus testifying in public???

The Dem Congressional leadership is on vacation. We know how important that is, since they caved on the the wiretapping issue so that they could get out of town.

The Dems don't give a god damn what Petraeus has to say. In fact, they should be relieved that he isn't the one telling the story because he appears to be far more credible than the WH's political mouthpieces. They want the president's talking heads to present a glowing progress reports (a) as a means of protecting their own impotence on the issue in, presently and in the past, and (b) as a means of having more ammunition against war supporters in '08.

They think that more and more statements about how well things are going, set against the fact that everyone knows it ain't true, will help them next year. It's cynical and cowardly. They don't have the nuts to end the war because they don't want to be painted as pussies. Instead they let it continue on and try to paint it as Bush's problem, and thus the problem of everyone who supports the war.

Hey guys this isn't the Nader rally. That's somewhere else.

Huh? Commenting on the terrible job Democrats are doing in the face of a concerted effort by the Administration to mislead the country is somehow equated with being a supporter of Ralph Nader??

You think the Democratic party is handling this PR campaign appropriately? Or do you think PR campaigns are beneath the Democrats?

And thanks for the troll rating--It's my first one.

My lucky day!

Are the Dems not commenting? or is the media still not printing their comments?

Um, fellas? I'm the one who troll rated you. Ripping Dems for not ending the war, for not cutting off funding makes as much sense as ripping passengers on the jet George Bush has hijacked for
not cutting off fuel to the engines. Even if they could it sure wouldn't make for a landing anybody'd be happy with.

Dems are the only game in town right now for sane people. What say we try to give them the tools (the votes) they need to get us out of Iraq, land the plane instead of bitching?

delete dupe post.

For the record, I WAS ripping the Dems for failing to end the war, and for failing to take any meaningful action toward givig this country back to the people, and away from the Bush Crime Family. They've simply decided that they'll let Bush run out the clock and let his supporters hang on and drown themselves. They are taking for granted that the public will be repulsed LESS by them in '08 than the GOPers. It's a more passive-aggressive Rovian strategy. Instead of actively driving apart the GOP by appealing to the public, they are just betting on being able to tread water longer.

I think Harry Reid just did and Emanuel responded yesterday. In any event most senators and house reps are back in their districts where you can arrange meetings with them and tell them what you want to say to their faces.

Call their offices and insist on a meeting. Get the name of the person you're talking to. Don't take no for an answer, be polite but insistent. If she says she'll call back ask when you can expect that call. If she doesn't call back you call her back. Again be polite but insistent.

Put together a group of 4 to 6 people who will go with you. Six is about the max your average congressional office can handle. Download newspaper articles, preferably from mainstream/rigthtwing rags they trust, the more local the better, that show just how badly the war is going. They can't duck wire service stories printed in papers that endorsed them. Everybody should have a separate piece to say, there's enough disastrous tales to tell, overlap is an unnecessary waste of time. Your most effective advocates will be Iraq war vets who have learned the hard way, relatives of Iraq war soldiers, Vietnam vets, etc.

Dress nice, again be polite but insistent. If you can't get in for a meeting, check their website. This is the season for picnics, townhalls, Labor Day he or she will be somewhere meeting and greeting. Show up, again dress nicely, pretend you're a goddam Republican if you have to but get in that receiving line or just approach him with a big smile on your face like you're gonna thank him for that earmark, shake his hand, look him straight in the eye and tell him "you've got to get us out of Iraq. Occupying that country isn't the solution to the problem, it IS the problem." Enough people do that during this recess and Repubs will give us that vetoproof majority.

If your rep or senators are doing the right thing then in the next district over there's a wingnut that needs educating. Call the local county Dem party over there and see if they need any help doing the above.

This is how we end this war. Dems can't convince Repubs. They don't listen to them, they're the opposing team. We are the refs, the paying public and the owners up in the skyboxes rolled into one. Put the fear of the electorate into them and they will respond.

It also has a troll rating. I used it. This isn't Kos, you don't lose anything by being troll rated
here. Get over it.

If you believe that, then I'm sure you expect him to rig something like this just before the election so that Bush can raise the terror threat to Red, close all government offices except for "essential" operations, declare marshal law and postpone the election indefinitely. That would make this whole conversation, website and Democratic primary (and the Repug) process irrelevant, so why bother.

Even paranoids have real enemies, but please.