Long Ago and Far Away

Are you old enough to remember what the Democratic Party used to be? My parents were mostly non-political. My earliest memory of my father's political preference was listening to him rant and rave against Harry Truman and his "crackpot" ideas about "socialized medicine." He voted for Eisenhower, of course. Sorry, Daddy, but you were wrong. I don't think my mother ever voted. So I became a confirmed Democrat by choice, not because it was a family tradition.

I came of political age while John F. Kennedy was running for President and, although I was not yet old enough to vote for him, I campaigned for him tirelessly, manning booths and playing in the traffic, going up to stopped cars and asking if I could put a bumper sticker on them.

There was no question about what the Democratic Party stood for in those days. They were good at articulating their concern for the "common man" and defended their beliefs, loudly and often. There was none of this wishy-washy crap we're witnessing today. No Blue-Dog Democrats to speak of back then, but plenty of Yellow-Dogs.

Now, we find a bunch of cowardly wusses, dithering around, trying not to lose the big buck$ they get from big busine$$, while at the same time trying to claim to be the same party they used to be, looking out for the "little guy." Their actions belie their claims, when they pull stupid stunts like putting off the vote on Bush's tax cuts.

They have a golden opportunity to shine the light of truth on the Republican Party, by bringing the bill up to a vote containing only the middle-class tax cuts, and letting the Republican Party vote "No," as has become their custom in the past years. This could be very damning for the Republicans, and could make a lot of difference for the Democrats in the coming election.

Apparently, the Democrats have become gutless wonders. This is just the latest in a long line of bills that should have passed easily, but had to be watered down.

Don't get me wrong. I'm still a Democrat. I always will be. I believe if you want to change something, you have to get in the middle of the fray and fight for it. You don't abandon the whole just because you are disappointed in the few.

So, I'll keep on trying to remind present day Democrats what their party used to stand for, and hope enough people are still around who remember. And, maybe the party will find its way back.

Stay tuned.