Olbermann on betrayal by... well, just about everyone, really

I realised a long time ago that "the left" in America was far from "the left" I knew back in Britain and Europe. Far to the right, that is.

In comparison with "Old Europe", America has two right-wing parties - The Democratic (right-wing) Party and the Republican (extreme right-wing) Party. America has no left-wing parties. Unless you count poor old Ralph Nader and the Greens, that is. But the Liberals and Progressives hate Ralph almost as much as they hate Bush, so there you go. Right and Righter.

Over the last six years, though, my attitude to the Democrats has softened (basically because I loathe Bush, and they're his only opposition!), and I've supported them (from afar), rooted for them, stayed up late to watch them win, spent an inordinate amount of time reading about them on Daily Kos and generally felt a considerable amount of empathy with them.

Really, I shouldn't have bothered. How silly of me to think that the Democratic Party might actually grow a spine, let alone a pair of balls! How silly of me to hope that a party I can plainly see is far, far to the right of anything I'd ever vote for, would actually have the courage to Do The Right Thing for a change!

Despite the fact that 70% of Americans (and about 110% of the rest of the world) want the War On Iraq to end tomorrow (if not sooner), and that the Dems were voted their majorities in the House and Senate for the express purpose of getting the bums out and stopping the war, they still can't do it. They're still so terrified of being branded as "against the troops" or "soft on terror" that they've folded, caved in, and are about to hand Bush all his demands on a plate. Until the mythical month of September rolls around, of course! Then they'll get him! Yeah right.

How completely pathetic, and how entirely predictable. How can they not see that it doesn't matter that you don't have the votes to override a veto right now - you just keep on sending the original Bill back to him again, and again, and again - all the time pushing the point that it's Bush and the Republicans that are refusing to fund the troops, and that it's Bush and the Republicans who are refusing to listen to the voice of the American people (and the rest of the world) and stop this bloody war.

The progressives in America are mad as hell about this complete capitulation by the Dems - and you'd better believe they won't forgive in a hurry. Not this time. Right now the only two Democratic candidates they're willing to support are Senator Dodd and Senator Edwards (and Russ Feingold of course - wish he was standing!) - because they're the only ones who've spoken out against this new Iraq Funding Bill. Antiwar Groups Press Democrats to Vote Against Iraq Bill.

America, you are so screwed. Better get on the streets and start raising hell, because if you don't - well - IMO you're going to lose the few freedoms you have left. And this phony war is going to continue until at least 2008 - if not beyond.

In today's Special Comment, Keith spoke about betrayal. Betrayal of the American people and the troops by Bush AND by the Democratic Party. Here he is:



Wow.

I know, I know, my man Keith often makes me go "wow" (and other things, besides!) but once again he's completely outdone himself.

Some choice quotes from the transcript - available in it entirety at The entire government has failed us on Iraq:

Few men or women elected in our history - whether executive or legislative, state or national - have been sent into office with a mandate more obvious, nor instructions more clear:

Get us out of Iraq.

<snip>

You, the men and women elected with the simplest of directions - Stop The War - have traded your strength, your bargaining position, and the uniform support of those who elected you... for a handful of magic beans.

<snip>

How shameful it would be to watch an adult... hold his breath, and threaten to continue to do so, until he turned blue.

But how horrifying it is… to watch a President hold his breath and threaten to continue to do so, until innocent and patriotic Americans in harm’s way, are bled white.

You lead this country, sir?

You claim to defend it?

And yet when faced with the prospect of someone calling you on your stubbornness - your stubbornness which has cost 3,431 Americans their lives and thousands more their limbs - you, Mr. Bush, imply that if the Democrats don’t give you the money and give it to you entirely on your terms, the troops in Iraq will be stranded, or forced to serve longer, or have to throw bullets at the enemy with their bare hands.

How transcendentally, how historically, pathetic.

A while ago Keith was asked whether or not he thought his opinion was partisan, and biased against the Republicans. "No," he said [I'm paraphrasing here folks] "I see myself as an American first and foremost, and if the Dems screw up, I'll be at the front of the line, giving them an equally hard time."

Which I guess is what we saw tonight. Good on you, Keith.

And here's Jon Stewart's Daily Show take on it. I particularly like:

When the disembodied voice on C-Span calls you pussies, you're probably pussies...

Technorati tags: Olbermann, Special Comment, Countdown, betrayal, Bush, Republicans, Democrats, Democratic, capitulation, Iraq Spending Bill, Iraq Funding Bill, Jon Stewart, Daily Show, war, Iraq, terror, troops, Dodd, Edwards, Feingold, YouTube, WebWeaver's World, webweaver.