Point - Counterpoint

Here's where the Daily Peeve gets fun, in a CNN Crossfire kind of way. Or maybe a Sally Jeese Rafael kind of way. You make the call.

George Dubyuh is to the Democrats the political version of the Scared Straight program. Trouble is, even given this prime opportunity to win back the White House and very likely the Hill in the next few years, I'm afraid they're going to screw it up in legendary proportions. If we see Hillary Clinton as the Democratic presidental hopeful I will be convinced that this country is irreparably broken. Perhaps if the Republicans respond in kind and put up another "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" kamakazi like Dubyuh we might see the first legitimate chance for a third party candidate since Lincoln. Ironic that the country was split in half during that election too. Of course, in true American fashion, the only one who will be back will be Ralph "I'm Too Sexy For My Pacemaker" Nader.

Jesus wept. Then moved to Canada.

Anyway, I think that the Dems would have been a little more "chipper", if you will, at the State of the Union if Dubyuh would have spent those several billion dollars on Social Security Reform instead of Iraqi Political Reform. Instead they were treated to a long night of "I'm the captain of this ship, now STFU and listen to how it's going to be".

Historically, when you're in a weak and compromised position, obstructionism and guerilla tactics are the only way to keep the other party from steamrollering their agendas unchecked over you, which the Bush Administriation part deux, seems bent on doing. Yes, it's dirty pool, but ALL the rules are there for a reason, even the ones that become inconvenient.

Social Security is the third rail of politics. Touch it and die. No one can argue that the Bush Administration (at least, verson 1.0, which has largely fallen apart post election and has been replaced with 2.1) isn't the poster boys of slash and burn politics, but they remind me of that Half-Orc fighter that always seemed to hang with your D&D Party. He's big, and he's pretty formidable, but he is most certainly a few beers short of a six pack, and his first thought when faced with a problem is to charge in, sword over head. Let's face it, negotiations become pitifully simple and expedient when you've got a gun to the other guys head.

That being said, I commend this administration for wading out into the deep end, even if they've yet to learn how to swim. Social Security is broken, and pretending it isn't won't make it "all okay". For all the over-reactionism the Republicans are presently guilty of, the Democrats have spent most of their time and effort pointing out that the Republicans are over-reacting and spending almost NO time at all actually coming up with better ideas, other then "please stop hurting us".

The Democratic party is most certainly a rudderless ship without a captain.

The Republican party, on the other hand, definitely has a captain, and might even have a rudder, but the whole crew is presently below decks shovelling coal into the boilers, oblivious to the course the ship is taking except to note that it's going there at incredible speed.