Meet the Press: How I See It


Howard Dean and Ken Mehlman, chairmen of the Democrat and Republican parties were guests on Tim Russert's Meet the Press. Ken is eloquent in his denial and Howard needs to work on his bullet points. The media and Republicans are harping on the fact that the Democrats do not stand for anything. In a way they have a point. Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats have scored a few belated points recently by demanding Phase 2 of the Iraq investigation and establishing a republican dominated culture of corruption but the party needs to establish platforms that definitively establish where they stand on the issues.

Since 2006 is such an important mid-term election race for the democrats and the entire nation, the dems should have a summer convention and lay out exactly where they stand on the issues. Democrats need to also press the point to all American voters that abortion, gay marriage and intelligent design have miniscule consequence on the nation as a whole and should not dictate who we put in Congress and the White House. We are letting the likes of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and James Dobson shape the debate of what is important in electing our leaders with wedge issues that don't mean a damn thing.

The GOP has been in congressional power since 1994. Since the republican coup of the White House in 2000, the country has been on a downward spiral. Republicans will say that no other President has had to deal with a 9/11. I don't think we would have had a 9/11 if Gore had rightfully assumed the presidency. So not only were we kicked in the nuts with 9/11 but Bush has screwed the nation on every single thing else he has done. I really can't think of one good thing the president has done for the nation as a whole. His only accomplishments beside sending the United States into an illegal war on false pre-tenses have been cheap illegal labor, tax cuts that benefit people who don't need them and pro-corporate legislation that has benefited pharmaceuticals, lawyers and oil companies.

I have been following politics since 1984 and have never seen such a culture of corruption and abuse of power. Senate Majority leader Bill Frist is under investigation. Tom Delay had to resign as House Minority leader because he was indicted for criminal conspiracy. Vice President Cheney's Chief of Staff, Scooter Libby was indicted on counts of obstruction of justice, perjury and making false statements. Further corruption issues remain with Ohio/Florida election fraud, no-bid contracts with Halliburton, negligence with Hurricane Katrina, lies to the nation about WMD's in Iraq, no Bin Laden, no Iraq/9-11 link, high gas prices, high unemployment, low military recruitment, rampant illegal immigration - I can keep going. A GOP Congress + a Neo-Con White House results in a nation under assault from within.

Here is my response to Tim and his guests about going into Iraq from the perspective of a regular citizen. I'm Chaz Atlas and that's how I see it.


Tim,

Post 9/11, after going into Afghanistan and not being able to bring Bin Laden to justice "Dead or Alive" as the President promised, the Bush White House instead of "staying the course" in the hunt for Usama surprisingly decided to "change the course" and instead implicate Hussein and Iraq in connection with 9/11 and also with having WMD's that could result in a mushroom cloud over American skies.

It was reasonable to think that there "could" have been a link between Iraq, 9/11, WMD's and Bin Laden but absolutely wrong to "assume" they did.

I gave Bush the benefit of the doubt that there "could" be WMD's in Iraq but reserved my support for going into that sovereign nation until the international team of weapons inspectors confirmed with indisputable evidence and confidence that weapons had indeed been found. Instead the inspectors said they had not found anything and needed more time. Bush said we could not wait and here we are.

If a 35yo guy and his friends down in Carolina could make the right decision on Iraq, it is a shame and no excuse that both Republicans and Democrats in Congress got it wrong and continue to get it wrong.

Democrats cannot run a presidential nominee in 2008 that voted or supported going into Iraq. What's the point? ANY Republican or Democrat that voted to support Bush going into Iraq should be officially classified as negligent and gullible.

I have voted for both Republicans and Democrats in presidential elections. In 2008, I think Americans could themselves a favor and nominate tickets of McCain/Powell and Gore/Clark. America would win no matter who won.

Chaz Atlas
- posted by Chaz Atlas @ Sunday, November 13, 2005