ABJB

The "Take Back America" conference is in full swing (see "Quote of the Day" just below this post). Susie Madrak (Suburban Guerrilla) is there blogging, and provides this report:

"She [Arianna Huffington] said Democrats need to start going after them [the Republicans] now instead of hedging [on the issue of Iraq], and used Hillary Clinton as a prime example.

"She read a transcript from one of the Sunday talk shows, where the Bobblehead asked Hillary about an exit strategy from Iraq. Hillary responded with some convoluted blather about how she didn’t 'feel comfortable' doing that.

"'If she doesn’t feel comfortable, then point us to someone who is,' she said. The crowd rose to its feet, screaming and applauding."

Unfortunately, rising to your feet and screaming and applauding at a conference won't do it. The people at this conference are for the most part "good people", people who want to see progressive change in America - improved health care, diminished power of corporations, less corruption in politics, more emphasis on human needs and less on war spending, etc., etc. But, probably without exception, every person at the conference was part of the "ABB" (Anybody But Bush) bandwagon in 2004 (actually, that's probably not true; some of them were no doubt actually for John Kerry). And, when push comes to shove and 2008 brings us Jeb Bush vs. Joe Biden (or some other right-wing Democrat), the "screaming and applauding" at the Take Back America conference will give way to cries of "ABJB". And American politics will continue to move inexorably to the right until progressives like the ones at this conference realize that they have to break with the Democrats and move in an independent direction.

Update: As an example of what Huffington is talking about, I just got a mailing from my Congressperson, Mike Honda. Honda has in the past "opposed" the war in Iraq, and is generally considered a progressive, although in the most recent vote to allocate $81 billion more, he was not among the 43 Representatives voting "no". Anyway, here's how Honda starts his letter to constituents:

"This Memorial Day, we should all take a moment to honor the brave men and women who make up our nation's armed forces, many of whom remain engaged in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom and in other efforts to expand freedom around the world."

And you simply cannot oppose the war, or even call for an "exit strategy", if you seriously think that American soldiers are busy "expanding freedom around the world". And even "progressive" Democrats like Honda don't see that, because they refuse to confront the reality of the role America plays in the world, and what "imperialism" is all about.

Update: Howard Dean didn't mention the word "Iraq" in his speech to the conference. Neither did John Edwards.

(Note: more on "Democrats on Iraq" in a post above this one)