At Least the Choice Is Clear

Tonight Joe Lieberman, who still considers himself a Democrat (out of self-preservation; he could never win his Senate seat again in Connecticut if he truly left the party), is urging Democrats to cross over and vote for John McCain.

Huh?

With the selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate, John McCain signals a commitment to social conservativism, regardless of the independent maverick picture he wants to paint. And in spite of what he says, it it indicates he is more interested in catering to the religious right and trying to win an election than in committing to doing what is right for the country regardless of politics.

The reality is, picking Sarah Palin is like picking George Bush. W, not the more moderate H.W. Listen to her stand on the issues, what she believes in, and she sounds at times like she is plagarizing the current president.

The choice is clear. If John McCain wins the White House, the war in Iraq will continue indefinately, and the Supreme Court will be loaded with activist judges who will pursue a personal agenda over an objective interpretation of the Constitution. We are guaranteed that rights will continue to be diminished, including that of a woman to choose what to do with her body.

And, meanwhile, little real action will be taken to help solve the most immediate problems our country faces. Yes, abortion is an issue, but Barack Obama is more interested in finding common ground. We can all agree that the best scenario would be a world where there are no unwanted pregnancies, no unwanted children, and abortions are rare.

In fact, what Barack Obama wants to do is to extend that to a culture that values and cares for every life, regardless of age or circumstance. Why encourage the birth of an unborn child if the support stops at birth? How much better to help parents of all babies learn to be nurturing parents, provide the opportunity for them to give the child a safe environment with the guarantee of a decent education that can help him become a productive member of society as an adult. Republicans used to be all about helping people become independent and off government welfare.

We must become better stewards of our earth. Part of that is being cautious with the existing ecosystems, and sensitive to the way we deplete resources, as well as what we put back into the earth and atmosphere. Finding alternative energy and fuel sources that don't damage our earth can help reverse the effects of global warming, all too real a threat to our planet. (see Al Gore and his Nobel Prize.)

John McCain picked a running mate who not only believes in drilling for oil, but aggressively in the most protected areas of her own state of Alaska, where even most pro-drilling fans think should be left alone. Republicans used to be about conservation. (see Teddy Roosevelt)

John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin signals a commitment to further blur the lines between church and state, regardless of the constitution, or even the rights of the individual states. The Republicans used to be against federal interference in state activity. (see Ronald Reagan)

John McCain wants to extend the war in Iraq indefinately, and fund it indefinately, regardless of the impact on the domestic economy. He is also in favor of a tax cut to the wealthy and corporations. Republicans used to be for fiscal responsibility, and for keeping big business out of the business of the country. (see Teddy Roosevelt again and Barry Goldwater)

How a Democrat can stand and say that voting for a candidate whose administration is indebted to a small, powerful corner of the Republican party, and declare him a man for the people, is puzzling, at best, to me. Especially when it is someone as intelligent and caring as Joe Liebermann.

If John McCain had selected someone else such as Olympia Snowe, Mitt Romney, or another experienced, less conservative running mate, that would be a clear signal that he wants to aggressively change the culture of Washington.

It looks to me like John McCain has given up, given in, and resigned himself to playing the Karl Rove game.

Sorry, Joe. You might attract a few pro-life Democrats, but this time around it's going to be a tough sell to moderates and liberals.