Houston Democrats

Clearly, the fact that Republicans are shooting themselves in the foot via abuse of power and slimy pandering to the needs of corporations and big money is no assurance that we Democrats will be the beneficiaries of public disgust. All the data in fact shows we Democrats are barely "moving the needle" in attracting public support to our Party as an alternative to public corruption.
We as a Party must very publicly reexamine our own advocacy for the interests of corporations over those of individual citizens. Our officeholders at all levels are pandering to corporations with nearly the same zeal as Republicans. This is not to say Corporations are "bad" or don't have an appropriate role. The issue and problem is that we the body politic has allowed them influence over our public policy and our officeholders and candidates to the detriment our own own well-being and rights of citizenship. The Democratic Party must lead in curtailing that undue influence and show the electorate we stand for a new public model putting citizens first and demonstrating through our actions and words a new paradigm to restore citizen-democracy. This must include negotiating this vital strategy with the corporate wing of the Party, the DLC, both locally and nationally. If we do not, we perish as a meaningful alternative to Republicanism. This is a core issue even our "liberal" leadership is unwilling to bring to open discussion and debate within the Party.
The second global paradigm we Democrats must address to clearly differentiate us from Republicanism is foreign policy and the use of war as an instrument thereof. The electorate is clearly now ready also for that debate and a clear definition of where we stand as a party. The issue is how we as "Empire" comport ourselves in the community of nations. Do we tell the world that we will not compromise in defending our citizens and nation from real,tangible acts of violence against our people at home and abroad, but denounce any use of our military for the advance of our economic interests only, in the absence of physical harm to us? This is a fundamental, core value statement our citizens and the community of nations needs to hear from our party and our Democratic officeholders. Again, this is a values discussion we must have internally with the DLC who support the aggressive use of force as an instrument of foreign policy. When do the discussions begin ? How about right here in Houston between the Progressive Populist Caucus and the Houston Democratic Forum? Stan Merriman

I would probably disagree with my friend Stan on a lot of policy particulars, fine points really, such as what constitutes "aggressive" rather than "defensive" use of military force or, say, why "concessions" -- regardless of legal form -- are more important that "corporations", and so on.

But, the fact is that public disillusionment with the GOP is not paying off for our decrepit party and its not cautious, not cunning, just plain cowardly, Congressional Leadership. It is now the DCCC, not even the washed-up DLC, that is the villain in this piece.

And, I also agree with Stan that right here in River City is the place to do something about this decrepitude. Let me, specifically, suggest that one part of that is addressing matters to the appropriate office of government at issue.

Please Stan, spare us City Council Resolutions on Family Planning in Bangledesh.

We -- Democrats -- have a pretty reliable electoral majority in the City of Houston and a potential majority in the County of Harris. Yet, we have nothing to show for the former in City government, no municipal government platform, no plan to leverage a majority in the City into a majority in the County.

In truth, we reign in the City of Houston but the bond-lawyers and land-speculators rule. Oh, and they have done no more about subsidence and flooding in Houston than they have in New Orleans. We would be better off with Baratarian Pirates than any of the high net-worth pimps (bond-lawyers) and looters (land-speculators) who call all the shots at City Hall.

We have the same public/private, "Free Market", Social Darwinish hurricane planning here they had in NOLA. Our Mayor thinks it is funny that engineers do not draw, instead lawyers negotiate the "offical" flood-plain maps. No, that is a catastrophe in the making. Rita dodged us, we did not dodge her.

This party defers abjectly to the City Hall parasites, but they don't even bother to buy tables at the dinner tonight.

So, why should anybody vote Democratic?

The Democrats we elect to City office do not even care whether your vote is counted, so long as the bond lawyers will support their career aspirations and cut them some slack with the GOP in the County.

So, what do we offer voters? Sadly, it is little other than the Cringing Liberalism and the empty rhetoric of Vichy Democrats. All they do is plead, negotiate, and settle. That is what you do with private disputes in a petty court. It is not how you govern anything of large or public moment.

No wonder voters are apathetic.