A Liberal View of the News

by Mary Pitt
4/23/08

Liberals, can you read the writing on the wall? The American people are being set up again. Hillary Clinton, with the assistance of the same old political tactics and the same old political mainstream media pundits has become the Come-Back Kid! Watch her march to the White House in triumph as she and her husband retaliate for the humiliation of having left it in shame. She will persuade the super-delegates of her party to end the Obama challenge and then walk all over poor old John McCain to once again take control of the government. And, once again, we will see the famous Clinton "compromise and coalition".

But Hillary is not Bill. We must bear in mind the Republican roots of Senator Clinton. She still carries the thought processes of the Goldwater Girl of the 1960's and she easily slides into compliance with the Republican mindset. Early in the campaign, when the true Liberals were discussing the health crisis and pushing for universal single-payer health care, Ms. Clinton offered her proposal for mandatory insurance, (a Romney program), which is nothing more nor less than the same kind of insurance company rip-off as is Medicare Part D. When others were demanding withdrawal from Iraq, she was saying that we will have to stay indefinitely "in order to protect our Embassy".

Since the Reagan years Americans have been pummeled by wars, threats, and mental abuse by successive administrations until we want only to make it stop. Many voters look back on the 'nineties with nostalgia as a time of relative peace and prosperity. In that light, another Clinton presidency looks like Valhalla. However, one has to wonder whether they or Ms. Clinton even understand the extent of the damage that has been wrought by the "executive orders" and the "signing exceptions" of our current President. Nobody has asked her or Obama how they would countermand those actions and restore daylight to the machinations of the White House. Could this be corrected only by order of the president, as they were established, would they require action by Congress or would review by the Supreme Court be necessary to open the records which would expose the cronyism and payoffs by this administration?

On this, the morning after, one might suffer vertigo from watching the pundits spin! The Republicans appear elated that Clinton won Pennsylvania and are engaged in an orgy of devouring Senator Obama and his wife. They adopt the Clinton charge of "elitism" and accuse them of "being out of touch with the American people". Listening to MSNBC's Joe, Mika, and Tucker as they claim that the Obamas do not have the "common touch" is another instance of walking through the looking glass. For these privileged people to complain that a black American couple who have, through education, become sufficiently successful and articulate to become potential occupants of the White House appears beyond their comprehension. Strange that this mindset did not afflict them when Condoleezza Rice, who is truly from a wealthy family, assumed her position in the Bush administration.

There is a message connected to this event and that is that no radical improvement in our state of governance is likely. Even if Obama should win the nomination, the scurrilous charges by Senator Clinton will be adopted by the Republicans as their own spin machine propels John McCain into the leadership and the Neo-Cons continue to operate under his cover. If Senator Clinton should continue her recovery and reach the White House, it will be little better as she can be expected to deal "across the aisle" and gain a half a loaf.

Truly, these are depressing times for the Liberal Populist as the goal of a truly democratic society fade into memory with no sign of restoration. The Way We Have Always Done It wins again.

The author is a very "with-it" old lady who aspires to bring a bit of truth, justice, and common sense to a nation that has lost touch with its humanity in the search for "societal perfection".