Why You shouldn't Vote Republican

Essay in The American Conservative.

It should surprise few readers that we think a vote that is seen—in America and the world at large—as a decisive “No” vote on the Bush presidency is the best outcome. We need not dwell on George W. Bush’s failed effort to jam a poorly disguised amnesty for illegal aliens through Congress or the assaults on the Constitution carried out under the pretext of fighting terrorism or his administration’s endorsement of torture. Faced on Sept. 11, 2001 with a great challenge, President Bush made little effort to understand who had attacked us and why—thus ignoring the prerequisite for crafting an effective response. He seemingly did not want to find out, and he had staffed his national-security team with people who either did not want to know or were committed to a prefabricated answer.

As a consequence, he rushed America into a war against Iraq, a war we are now losing and cannot win, one that has done far more to strengthen Islamist terrorists than anything they could possibly have done for themselves. Bush’s decision to seize Iraq will almost surely leave behind a broken state divided into warring ethnic enclaves, with hundreds of thousands killed and maimed and thousands more thirsting for revenge against the country that crossed the ocean to attack them. The invasion failed at every level: if securing Israel was part of the administration’s calculation—as the record suggests it was for several of his top aides—the result is also clear: the strengthening of Iran’s hand in the Persian Gulf, with a reach up to Israel’s northern border, and the elimination of the most powerful Arab state that might stem Iranian regional hegemony.
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Back from WFC- Fretting about the election

I might write a con report, but if so it will be after the election. Tonight after 6:30 I intend to go around (in the dark) doing literature drop to the unidentified voters in my third of my precinct.

If anyone wants to join me, let me know. I have a lot of literature.


I think phone calls are annoying to receive so I wasn't willing to do that...

I encourage anyone in Ohio to help with the poll watching. Stories about tactics to suppress voting down there are on the rise.

Notes from the Democratic State Convention: Nancy Skinner, Jim Marcinkowski, Joe Tripiano, Judges

This summer I went to the Democratic State convention here in Michigan. I got to meet and hear a lot of candidates and today, before the election, I wanted to highlight the ones who really stood out in my appraisal.

Nancy Skinner is a candidate for U.S. Congress (the House) in the 9th District of Michigan. In my notes I wrote "Amazing woman - watch her." Her web site is http://nancyskinner.mediarica.com/.

Jim Marcinkowski is a candidate for the U.S. Congress in Michigan's 8th District. http://www.vote-jim.com/

Tony Trupiano is a candidate for the U.S. Congress from Michigan's 11th district --People in Redfern, this is your man! -- Tony's a good speaker - he's worked in radio even - and dedicated to progressive democratic ideas. He's endorsed by Carl Levin, and now, by me. :) http://www.tony4congress2006.com/

I was also favorably impressed by the Attorney General Candidate we chose on the floor, Amos Williams, and of course I support Ann Arbor's candidate for Michigan state representative, Rebekah Warren.

Don't forget to Vote for Judges!

Judge Diane Hathaway came to speak to the convention. She's a good judge and a fine candidate for Michigan's Court of Appeals in the first district.

Attorney Jane Beckering, candidate for the Michigan Supreme Court, spoke to the convention as a whole and also to the Justice Caucus, which I attended. I was quite impressed by both her passion and her record. She is an articulate, intelligent speaker and we need someone like this, who respects the rule of law, in our Supreme Court. http://www.janebeckering.com/

We should also re-elect Supreme Court Justice Michael Cavenaugh.

Remember: Judges are not included if you vote for the party slate. Turn over the ballot and vote for judges!

And up in the North: Dan Scripps

Looking through my notes, I saw I missed one candidate who really impressed me. Dan Scripps is running a clean, caring long-shot campaign for State House up in Leelenau, Michigan -- and seems to have a good chance of winning!. One of the few candidates who is running a blog who actually updates it fairly regularly, Dan strikes me as an ideal public servant.

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Welcome to Livejournal, lvaughn!