Reform The DNC!

Mark Benjamin posts some interesting observations about the protests outside today's DNC rules committee meeting at Salon's War Room. (If you haven't been paying attention, the RC is meeting to figure out what to do about Florida and Michigan.)

Apparently, contrary to what the cable news is telling us, Hillary is not what most of the protests are about.

"We are here because we want every vote counted," said Wesley Taylor, who traveled by bus from Coral Springs, Florida to air his bad feelings. Taylor, who voted for John Edwards in the primary, served 14 years in the Army, including service in Bosnia. "I didn’t fight not to have my vote counted," he said.

"It is not democracy," complained Debbie Kubiak, 52, who traveled from Buffalo, N.Y. "It is worse than what they did back in 2000."

This sad state of affairs is nothing more nor less than our beloved DLC/DNC conducting business as usual. That Hillary represents this part of the Democratic party is why I can't support her. (Which is NHNT.)

They just don't get how dysfunctional the system has become. They talk about being "reality-based" to score cheap points off the ridiculous wing of the Republican party, but have no idea how much of their own realities they're blind to. As the 12-steppers like to say, denial is a great deal more than a river in Egypt.

The American political system no longer works. That's a huge statement. With the right company and setting, I can see talking about it on the front porch into the wee hours without ever getting beyond the meaning of "works." For now, I'm stating it as a given.

Hillary has no idea. She and her DLC/DNC pals believe in the system and believe that it can be repaired with a tweak here and a tweak there. And today's protests outside the rules committee meeting is an excellent example of what their finest efforts have wrought.

If we're ever going to create a progressive government that actually reflects the values we've been taught America was founded on, we've got to reform our party to reflect those same values. Beginning with dumping all of the present party leadership who place retaining their power above solving the problems of the day.

This is one of the reasons why I love Paul Rosenberg at Open Left and OL's Bush Dog Project. If you're not familiar with the Project, here's a good place to start: Matt Stoller's "What is a Blue Dog Democrat? And if you're not familiar with Paul's writing, here's the perfect place to start: There Is No 'They' Here

Enjoy!
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