The Moose celebrates that a great man's legacy is remembered.
If the Moose was a Democrat, he would be a Scoop Jackson donkey. Scoop was a hero of the young Moose. He represented a tradition that hardly exists in American politics - a domestic liberal who is tough on security.
In the aftermath of the Viet Nam war when many Democrats became blind peacenicks, Scoop upheld the Truman-JFK line of toughness toward the Soviet evil empire. At the same time, he was a labor liberal with a stellar environmental record.
Unfortunately, there are not too many Scoop types in the Democratic Party these days. One is Joe Lieberman, and incredibly some on the loony left would like to run him out of the party. (More ominously, the Lieberman discussion on some left wing web sites quickly descends into anti-Semitism - the hosts of these sites may not be responsible for comments but imagine if this took place on conservative venues).
You would think that a minority party would want to expand its ranks rather than expel those who express heterodoxal thoughts. Perhaps it is true that conservatives seek converts and liberals excommunicate heretics. If Scoop Jackson types are unwelcome in the party, the donkey may spend many more years in the roaming in the wilderness.
The Moose's own experience has been instructive over the past few years. The Moose broke with the GOP over their preference for plutocracy. It is his belief that it is impossible to build national unity for a war against terror when an Administration is committed to redistribute wealth to the most comfortable in society. However, the Moose continues to maintain his rather hawkish foreign policy and social conservative views. That position, however, is blasphemy or worse in certain quarters of the lefty universe.
In truth, it is entirely consistent to argue for progressive policies at home and for democratic internationalism abroad. That used to be a central feature of Democratic Party principles.
At the moment, the war is not going well and the anti-war forces are emboldened. However, even if the war is unpopular, the American people are unwilling to accept defeat. The Democrats' weaknesses on national security have certainly not vanished - and the National Chairman's breathtakingly ill-advised, unwise and inappropriate statement on winning in Iraq made the party's challenge to improve its image that much more difficult.
Only days before an democratic election in Iraq where people will be risking their lives to vote, the leader of the American opposition should certainly not be suggesting that victory is impossible. What kind of message does that send to Iraqi democrats and our troops? Democrats should be arguing for a success strategy in Iraq, not conceding defeat.
Can anyone imagine FDR, Truman or JFK uttering defeatist language?
The Moose concurs with Rick Perlstein's assessment that the GOP has become a corrupt throwback to the days of Tricky Dick. However, Democrats, embodied by their National Chairman, are McGovern retro. And we know who won that confrontation.
While the Democratic Party has largely turned its back on the Scoop legacy, some friends across the pond have not. A bi-partisan group of Laborites and Tories have formed the Henry Jackson Society. They describe themselves as internationalists in the tradition of Scoop and that,
"seeks to promote the following principles: that liberal democracy should be spread across the world; that as the world's most powerful democracies, the United States and the European Union -under British leadership -must shape the world more actively by intervention and example; that such leadership requires political will, a commitment to universal human rights and the maintenance of a strong military with global expeditionary reach; and that too few of our leaders in Britain and the rest of Europe today are ready to play a role in the world that matches our strength and responsibilities."
Of course, the primary "Scoop Jackson Democrat" in Great Britain is Prime Minister Tony Blair. Needless to say, Blair is reviled by the international brethren of those who excoriate Joe Lieberman in this country. Tony and Joe should be proud of their scorn.
But, it is critical not to cede the banner of democratic internationalism to the right. One should not have do join the party of plutocracy to defend progressive principles and values against the forces of international reaction.
Scoop lives! -- | 
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Tuesday, December 06, 2005
The Moose muses on the fate of Captain Corruption.
The announcement that Tom DeLay's trial on the money laundering charge is moving forward seals the fate of the former Majority Leader. He cannot take much solace in that the conspiracy charge was dropped. That is because it is becoming increasingly clear that he is being dropped by his comrades. They have enough problems on their hands without keeping him as their leader.
The popularity of the House is lower than that of some serial killers. The teary confession of Congressman Cunningham was yet another symbol of an institution that has gone awry.
But, most smart GOPers are not really worried about the Texas prosecution of DeLay. What does concern them is what federal investigators in the Abramoff case have up their sleeve. The Moose has been observing the Abramoff matter for the past ten years. It all began with right- wing four-star junkets to the Marianas to view the pleasures of sweat shops. It morphed into the Indian gaming scandal. And it involves not just Republican members of Congress and even some Democrats, but a good part of the conservative establishment.
But Captain Corruption has not been abandoned by everyone. Yesterday, the Veep came to his aid. The New York Times,
"The political stakes were underscored with the arrival in Houston on Monday afternoon of Vice President Dick Cheney, who appeared with Mr. DeLay at a previously scheduled political fund-raiser. The event was closed to reporters. Several hundred protesters jeered outside the fund-raiser, held at the Westin Oaks in the Galleria shopping mall."
This is moment that is truly rich with irony. The hugely unpopular Veep raising money and the spirits of the truly unpopular ex-Majority Leader. This Lonely Hearts Club is a tribute to the notion that misery loves company.
Soon, the Vice President may become the chief bail bondsman of the Administration. -- | Email
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Monday, December 05, 2005
The Moose makes an observation about a Director's comment.
Much is being made about Steven Speilberg's new movie "Munich" concerning the Israeli retaliation against the Palestinian terrorist slaughter of athletes at the 1972 Olympic games. The movie receives the cover treatment in Time magazine.
Of course, it is impossible to comment on a movie that one has not seen. According to reports by those who have viewed it, the movie addresses the moral dilemmas concerning revenge and retaliation. Surely we should wrestle with these questions - however there is also the issue of justice. If we succumb to evil, we do not serve humanity.
Again, the Moose will wait until he sees the movie to cast judgment. However, this comment by Mr. Speilberg in the Washington Post gives the Moose pause,
"Director Steven Spielberg says his new film "Munich," the story of Israel's revenge for the killing of its athletes by Palestinian guerrillas at the 1972 Olympics, is "a prayer for peace," Time magazine reports. "Somewhere inside all this intransigence there has to be a prayer for peace," Spielberg said, "because the biggest enemy is not the Palestinians or the Israelis. The biggest enemy in the region is intransigence."
No, the enemy of peace is not "intransigence" by "both sides." Over the past years, Israel has made concession after concession with the response of continued Palestinian terror. Israel recently unilaterally withdrew from Gaza and this is the latest from Israel,
"Four people were killed and 66 were wounded - three seriously - in an explosion that rocked the entrance to the Hasharon shopping mall on Herzl Street in Netanya at 11:25 a.m. Monday morning. Another person died on the operating table at Laniado Hospital in Kfar Saba.
"The Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the attack in a phone call to Palestinian journalists, identifying the bomber as Lutfi Amin Abu Salem, a resident of the northern West Bank village of Kafr Rai, located between the towns of Jenin and Tulkarm."
No, the enemy is not "intransigence" ,but rather visceral hatred generated by Jihadist extremism. To this day, unbridled hatred of Israelis is taught in Palestinian schools. Sharon has taken genuine physical and political risks for peace. It is time that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas actually cracks down on extremists in his midst.
In the meantime, we should be spared the "pox on both of your houses" pronouncements from Hollywood. "Munich" does not just refer to a terrorist event in 1972, but it also represents appeasement with evil in the 1930's. -- | Email
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The Moose Intelligence Service once again bagged a memo from a high Administration official.
To: Wormwood
FR: K.R.
My dear servant, it has not been easy to focus on my devious objective with that pesky prosecutor still on my tail! For now, my counselor has saved me from indictment, but I remain in jeopardy. I am indebted to you for successfully implementing "Operation Finger Scooter." And your suggestion to provide unlimited access to Woodward was brilliant. He remained on message discounting the scandal until his role was revealed. Can he still be useful?
As a result of our efforts, this has become the immaculate leak. Rather than get indicted, I may get a Pulitzer!
But, enough about my plight - important business is at hand. Our political plight is precarious. Our dear leader's poll numbers remain anemic. The only Bush that is doing well these days is Reggie (a bit of pigskin levity). That is why your efforts within the enemy camp remain so critical.
Rather than a focus on our profound incompetence, you must continue to urge our adversary to advocate withdrawal. I note that you successfully orchestrated the opposition's leader's call for immediate withdrawal on the day of our leader's speech on the war. I couldn't have written the script better - I will deviously portray that we are calling for resolve while our adversary advocates retreat.
Now, dear Wormwood, I have another task for you. You must embolden the lefty bloggers and activists to attack the sane voices in our adversary's camp. If the opponent argues that success in Iraq is critical - and holds us to that standard - we are indeed vulnerable. Indeed, it is fortunate that our adversary does not attack us as weak on Iran and instead fashions themselves as peacenicks on Iraq. As I have taught you, only hawks and not doves win elections. The only anomaly to that axiom is the 1964 election, and Goldwater was viewed as a flake.
So, encourage the left to smite all who oppose the withdrawal now option. Tell them to call those who reject retreat right wing renegades and even pawns of yours truly! We must embolden the extreme and weaken the center.
On another front - you must prepare for the separation of our leader from the House of Representatives - "Operation Jettison Abramoff." . Our operatives at Justice report that the Abramoff matter may soon reach critical mass. The Cunningham departure may be the precursor to a series of tearful retirements. The tentacles of Abramoff touch many in our party (and even comes to my doorstep) and you must create the distance between our leader and these malefactors. Not that malefactors are bad, of course!
Dear servant, I realize that these have been bleak days for our cause. I am convinced, however, that we will ultimately be saved by our adversary's foibles. The paradox of the moment is that you must encourage their blind rage against our dear leader. Rage will destroy their reason.
Do not despair - my will shall trump reality! -- | Email
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Saturday, December 03, 2005
The Moose expresses his appreciation to a donkey who came to his defense.
All mammals should be as fortunate to have a colleague who is as honorable, decent and loyal as the New Donkey. The Moose is extremely grateful for this.
The New Donkey is a mensch. -- | Email
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Friday, December 02, 2005
The Moose suggests that Democrats assemble the big tent.
Before you send the Moose a nasty missive, this mammal is not recommending that the Democrats give up their pro-choice principles. Thoughtful pro-choicers recognize that while they do not believe that abortion should be criminalized, it is not a social good. Even if you do not consider a fetus or fertilized embryo the moral equivalent of a person, it is a form of life. That is a scientific fact. Therefore, every abortion is a tragedy. That is why Bill Clinton spoke in terms of making abortion "safe, legal and rare."
Many in the Republican Party have long realized that they have their own abortion vulnerability. It is not easy holding together a coalition of pro-choice suburbanites, corporatists and bible thumping fundamentalists. From his experience, the Moose believes that many otherwise pro-choice or abortion neutral GOP office-holders "bought" a package that included a pro-life position simply out of political expediency. They do not wake up each morning with a passion to save a fetus but rather to permanently eliminate the estate tax. The worse thing that could befall the GOP would be if the Court actually overturned Roe - a civil war in the party would then become inevitable.
There will a increasing temptation to make the Alito nomination primarily about abortion - that is a dangerous strategy. While making abortion illegal is a non-starter, there is also majority support for some restrictions on abortion. If Democrats are seen as the abortion on the demand with no restrictions party, they will risk losing traditionalist middle class voters.
Democrats must demonstrate some subtlety on this issue. On the one hand it must reach out to suburban Republican who would object to overturning Roe. On the other hand, the party must reach out to traditionalist voters with their support for Bob Casey, the son of the Governor that advanced the most significant abortion restriction law. This may seem impossible, but it requires a deftness by a party that has usually been deaf to these socially conservative voters.
Democrats should not cede the "culture of life" issue to the Republicans. After all, abortion rates dropped during the Clinton years. And the great contradiction for most Republican pro-lifers is that they seek to weaken the safety net while claiming to be pro-life. In contrast, the "seamless garment" school of the pro-life community promotes strong programs for maternal health and medical care for the child after birth.
In the past year, Senator Clinton has renewed the call of reducing abortions while maintaining the legal right. And an effort is underway on Capitol Hill to advance this effort. Congressman Tim Ryan has been working on proposals that would reduce abortions by supporting government services to pregnant women. The Washington Times reported ,
"Democrats in Congress are preparing a bill they say will reduce U.S. abortions by 95 percent over 10 years by preventing "unwanted pregnancies" and providing "social support" for pregnant women...
"I would worry if I were the Republican leadership, because we are going to provide the true, long-term solution to reducing the number of abortions," said Rep. Tim Ryan, a pro-life Democrat from Ohio."
Some serious thinking is underway on the left on the issue of abortion. The latest example is Garance Franke-Ruta piece on repeat abortions in the New Republic. She writes,
"Yet the reluctance of liberals and pro-choice advocates to shine a spotlight on the troubling repeat-abortion phenomenon has obscured a growing public health issue. Studies suggest that women having repeat abortions as compared with those having first-time abortions are more likely to be minorities, poor, and victims of sexual abuse--in short, among society's most vulnerable. Liberals have always sought to aid the neediest, but their fear of undermining abortion rights has paralyzed them when it comes to helping women at risk of repeat abortion. The sad fact is that, three decades after legalization, abortion is no longer mainly a tool women use to shape their own destinies, but rather a symptom of larger social problems that ought to be addressed by policymakers. Realizing this may just mean accepting that there's some credibility to conservative views on abortion."
The key to win back many socially conservative/economically progressive voters is for the Democrats to concretely demonstrate that they respect their views and values. Whatever the fate of the Bush Administration, scandals alone will not convince these voters to return to the Democratic column. And Republicans will attempt to exploit the hot button social issues to deflect attention from their multiple woes.
As the Moose constantly urges, the donkey must play against type and surprise. Democrats should not abandon the cause of the "Culture of Life" to the elephant - open the big tent. -- | Email
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Thursday, December 01, 2005
The Moose continues to wonder what Rummy has on W?
The President's Iraq speech was lacking credibility because of a presence in the audience. The Moose is referring to the Secretary of Defense.
The speech was an attempt to address the concerns of the critics that the Administration lacked a plan for success. The President made some headway by outlining a more specific outline for a transition to Iraqi control over security. In fact, his plan reflected some of the proposals that have been offered by Democrats, among others. The President even hinted that, God forbid, his Administration might have committed some errors in the occupation.
However, an opportunity was lost when the President failed to make it an accountability moment by changing personnel. It appears that this Administration only applies standards to elementary school students and welfare mothers. Otherwise, the President leaves no incompetent Secretary of Defense behind.
From the very beginning, Rummy refused to permit an increase in troop levels, failed to provide adequate armor for the soldiers and was negligent in changing course when the plan wasn't working. Yet, he is the one who is suppose to implement the "plan for victory" - a reason to be somewhat skeptical.
If the President missed an opportunity, Democrats fell into a trap. While W. was talking about victory, the leader of the House Democrats is embracing a plan that is tantamount to acknowledging defeat. By embracing the Murtha proposal for a precipitous pull out, Congresswoman Pelosi did a favor for the GOP. Sometimes the Moose wonders whether Karl Rove controls both parties. Despite the public's increasing doubts about this war, Americans will not likely support a party that guarantees a massive defeat for American foreign policy.
Fortunately, the #2 House Democrat does not share the views of the #1. Steny Hoyer issued this statement,
"I believe that a precipitous withdrawal of American forces in Iraq could lead to disaster, spawning a civil war, fostering a haven for terrorists and damaging our nation's security and credibility."
On the good news front, Mooseketeers can take some solace in that the Coalition of Adults is forming in Israel. Former Labor leader Simon Peres announced that he joining Prime Minister Sharon in his new centrist party. Somewhere, statesmen can put the national interest before narrow petty partisan interests.
The Moose is deeply envious. -- | Email
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