Fog City Journal Comment of the Year:
A ‘D’ After Pelosi’s Name Does Not a Democrat Make

Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Photo by Luke Thomas

Editor’s Note: We just received this comment from NeoConvict which has earned FCJ’s prestigious Comment of the Year award and deserving of a its own separate post.

November 1, 2008

As Speaker of the House, Rep. Pelosi is the third most powerful person in our government. She controls what bills get brought before Congress. She sets the agenda. So don’t believe any of that nonsense about the Dems not being able to get anything done because they only have a razor-thin majority (note–the majority would be a lot bigger if the *Democrats* hadn’t quashed all the congressional challenges, without any investigation, in 2006). Here’s the truth: Pelosi could, and should, have stopped all war funding. She could have let the investigations commence into Bush administration misdeeds. She could have put impeachment ON the table where it belongs, even if only as leverage to advance Democratic agenda. She could have stopped Bush and the Neocons in their greedy, oil-drenched tracks.

Instead she did exactly the opposite. She has promoted and enabled every single Bush initiative, and as a result, our country teeters on the brink of financial chaos. Had she done her constitutionally mandated job and begun impeachment proceedings (for any one of hundreds of Bush high crimes and misdemeanors, not the least of which is lying the nation into war), she could have prevented this crisis. She has personally stifled and quashed many investigations and has allowed Bush officials to ignore congressional subpoenas in the ones that did proceed, rendering Congress toothless. Worst of all, she has given away much of Congress’ constitutional power of oversight. The recent so-called bailout bill gives the president dictatorial power to spend hundreds of billions with zero checks and balances. Bush could arrest Congress tomorrow and no one could do anything about it. Seriously.

Now you may well wonder why Pelosi would allow this. The way I see it, there are two possible answers. She’s either a blithering moron; or she’s in Bush/Cheney’s pocket. Either way, that makes her unfit for office and worse, a fake Democrat. So while she *talks* a good game, pay attention to her *actions.* Her grandstanding speech on the House floor blaming the Republicans for the financial crisis–while she herself was pushing a phony “bailout” bill that not only exacerbated the problem but made things even worse–was hypocrisy at its worst. Get a mirror, Madame Speaker. It is YOU who is to blame.

Running against Nancy Pelosi as an Independent is Cindy Sheehan. Sheehan is tough as nails and refuses to bow down before the big oil agenda. As Pelosi sadly demonstrates, just because someone has an (D) after their name doesn’t make them a Dem. Sheehan may not be the best public speaker but she is right on all the issues and she is competent, passionate and will fight for the rights of her constituents and Americans–and not assiduously ignore us like Ms. Pelosi does time and again (while constantly making excuses and blaming Republicans).

Candidate for the 8th congressional district, Cindy Sheehan.
Photo by Luke Thomas

Which brings me to my last note–a personal experience. This year I worked on the Clint Curtis for Congress (D) campaign down in Florida. Early this year, Curtis, a progressive democrat, spoke to a representative of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee about campaign funding. The representative asked Curtis if he would fall in line with Pelosi–do what she says and vote as she dictates. Curtis was stunned, and told the rep no, he would vote along with his constituents’ wishes–you know, the way representative government is *supposed* to work. Wrong answer. The DCCC kicked Curtis to the curb and recruited a pro-Bush millionaire bluedog corporatist Dem to run against the Republican incumbent. Curtis was defeated handily in the primary, out-fundraised by 14 to 1.

So think twice before voting for Rep. Pelosi simply because there’s a (D) after her name. For Pelosi IS the problem. I urge you to support Cindy Sheehan for Congress.

“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” — Einstein

Luke Thomas

Luke Thomas is a former software developer and computer consultant who proudly hails from London, England. In 2001, Thomas took a yearlong sabbatical to travel and develop a photographic portfolio. Upon his return to the US, Thomas studied photojournalism to pursue a career in journalism. In 2004, Thomas worked for several neighborhood newspapers in San Francisco before accepting a partnership agreement with the SanFranciscoSentinel.com, a news website formerly covering local, state and national politics. In September 2006, Thomas launched FogCityJournal.com. The BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, New York Times, Der Spiegel, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, 7x7, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the San Francisco Weekly, among other publications and news outlets, have published his work. Thomas is a member of the Freelance Unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 39521 and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.

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