Tom Daschle: A Republican in Sheep's Clothing

"I believe it is important for America to speak with one voice."

Those are the words of Democrat Tom Daschle, the Senate Majority Leader, who recently decided to pull a complete about-face, and support President Bush's plan to wage war on Iraq. There are many phrases I could use to describe Daschle right now: "sellout", "scoundrel", "two-faced liar". But I think the best description for our so-called top democrat is "incompetent", a term which not only cuts at his complete about-face but also reminds us how easy it was for him to abandon the millions of anti-war Americans who were counting on him to hold his ground.

He was our hope. Surely, Daschle would continue to work at creating moments in Senate sessions where our voices could be heard. Surely, he wouldn't jump on the other side's bandwagon just to increase his own popularity. Would he?

Of course he would. He's spineless. He saw the carefree, happy little war party the conservative dregs of Senate were having across the line, and decided to head over for a drink or two. You know, no big deal. Just going the popular route for a bit. He'll come back over and work for us later.

Well, I hope it was worth it, Daschle. Because if the American people have any sort of decency, guts and good memory, you're not going to be allowed to come back over to this side without feeling the door hit your ass on the way out of your Senate position.

And mark my words, Daschle will try to cross back over to the anti-war side again. He'll pretend that he's winning the little battles to keep America's sons and daughters from heading into war. He'll shrug off this little incident as something he did to keep America from going sour on their forever-arguing representatives in government.

But here's some news for Daschle: Senate members aren't supposed to be a pleasant, agreeable bunch. We didn't elect the Brady Bunch, nor would we ever want to. We elected proven debaters and arguers. We elected stubborn, infuriating and undiscouraged old goats who don't want anyone telling them or their constituents what to think. That's what a Senator should strive for.

That's what Daschle, a dunce in the making who has finally revealed his foolish pointy hat, did not strive for.

But Daschle will continue to play both sides. He'll take the credit if America doesn't invade Iraq, saying that it's what he wanted and was fighting for "behind the scenes" all along. But I don't believe it will work. No matter how uncaring or uninformed your average American may be, I don't believe a lack of war would erase the fact that Daschle laid down and played dead when the largest and fiercest battle was ongoing.

Actually, here's an example of Daschle trying to come back over already:

"If we are going to make America and the world safer, much more work needs to be done before the use of force authorized in this document is used."

Well, gee whiz, Mr. Daschle. You push to give our president (who said he would show proof of Iraq's threat, but has yet to do any such thing) complete and total authority to bomb a country (that has yet to pose any actual, proven threat to us) into oblivion, and then you start fighting his ability to use the power? Essentially, you handed a serial killer a gun and told him to play nice.

How incredibly . . . oh, what's that word I used before . . . ah, yes. How incredibly incompetent of you.

The resolution to give the president full power to invade Iraq was passed early Friday morning by the Senate, after being passed by the House late on Thursday evening.

For those of you who agree that the approval of this "Get one war free" card for Bush is absurd– especially when it's only being used to make Americans forget about the hideous economy, education cuts, thievery of social security, and armfuls of environmental meetings and agreements our president ignored and refused– I leave you with a gift. It's a list of all the House and Senate members who voted against the resolution.

Now you know who to vote for. Vote on.

Senate

-Boxer, D-Calif
-Graham, D-Fla.
-Akaka, D-Hawaii
-Inouye, D-Hawaii
-Durbin, D-Ill.
-Kennedy, D-Mass.
-Levin, D-Mich.
-Mikulski, D-Md.
-Sarbanes, D-Md.
-Stabenow, D-Mich.
-Dayton, D-Minn.
-Wellstone, D-Minn.
-Corzine, D-N.J.
-Bingaman, D-N.M.
-Conrad, D-N.D.
-Wyden, D-Ore.
-Chafee, R-R.I.
-Reed, D-R.I.
-Jeffords, I-Vt.
-Leahy, D-Vt.
-Murray, D-Wash.
-Byrd, D-W.Va.
-Feingold, D-Wis

House

-Hilliard, D-Ala.
-Pastor, D-Ariz.
-Snyder, D-Ark.
-Baca, D-Calif.
-Becerra, D-Calif.
-Capps, D-Calif.
-Condit, D-Calif.
-David, D-Calif.
-Eshoo, D-Calif.
-Farr, D-Calif.
-Filner, D-Calif.
-Honda, D-Calif.
-Lee, D-Calif.
-Lofgren, D-Calif.
-Matsui, D-Calif.
-Millender-McDonald, D-Calif.
-George Miller, D-Calif.
-Napolitano, D-Calif.
-Pelosi, D-Calif.
-Roybal-Allard, D-Calif.
-Sanchez, D-Calif.
-Solis, D-Calif.
-Stark, D-Calif.
-Thompson, D-Calif.
-Waters, D-Calif.
-Watson, D-Calif.
-Woolsey, D-Calif.
-DeGette, D-Colo.
-Udall, D-Colo.
-DeLauro, D-Conn.
-Larson, D-Conn.
-Maloney, D-Conn.
-Brown, D-Fla.
-Hastings, D-Fla.
-Meek, D-Fla.
-Lewis, D-Ga.
-McKinney, D-Ga.
-Abercrombie, D-Hawaii
-Costello, D-Ill.
-Davis, D-Ill.
-Evans, D-Ill.
-Gutierrez, D-Ill.
-Jackson, D-Ill.
-Lipinski, D-Ill.
-Rush, D-Ill.
-Schakowsky, D-Ill.
-Carson, D-Ind.
-Visclosky, D-Ind.
-Hostettler, R-Ind.
-Leach, R-Iowa
-Allen, D-Maine
-Baldacci, D-Maine
-Cardin, D-Md.
-Cummings, D-Md.
-Morella, R-Md.
-Capuano, D-Mass.
-Delahunt, D-Mass.
-Frank, D-Mass.
-McGovern, D-Mass.
-Neal, D-Mass.
-Olver, D-Mass.
-Tierney, D-Mass.
-Bonior, D-Mich.
-Conyers, D-Mich.
-Dingell, D-Mich.
-Kildee, D-Mich.
-Kilpatrick, D-Mich.
-Levin, D-Mich.
-Rivers, D-Mich.
-Stupak, D-Mich.
-McCollum, D-Minn.
-Oberstar, D-Minn.
-Sabo, D-Minn.
-Thompson, D-Miss.
-Clay, D-Mo.
-McCarthy, D-Mo.
-Holt, D-N.J.
-Menendez, D-N.J.
-Pallone, D-N.J.
-Payne, D-N.J.
-Udall, D-N.Mex.
-Hinchey, D-N.Y.
-LaFalce, D-N.Y.
-Meeks, D-N.Y.
-Nadler, D-N.Y.
-Owens, D-N.Y.
-Rangel, D-N.Y.
-Serrano, D-N.Y.
-Slaughter, D-N.Y.
-Towns, D-N.Y.
-Velazquez, D-N.Y.
-Houghton, R-N.Y.
-Clayton, D-N.C.
-Price, D-N.C.
-Brown, D-Ohio
-Jones, D-Ohio
-Kaptur, D-Ohio
-Kucinich, D-Ohio
-Sawyer, D-Ohio
-Strickland, D-Ohio
-Blumenauer, D-Ore.
-DeFazio, D-Ore.
-Hooley, D-Ore.
-Wu, D-Ore.
-Brady, D-Pa.
-Coyne, D-Pa.
-Doyle, D-Pa.
-Fattah, D-Pa.
-Langevin, D-R.I.
-Clyburn, D-S.C.
-Duncan, R-Tenn.
-Doggett, D-Texas
-Gonzalez, D-Texas
-Hinojosa, D-Texas
-Jackson-Lee, D-Texas
-E.B. Johnson, D-Texas
-Reyes, D-Texas
-Rodriguez, D-Texas
-Paul, R-Texas
-Sanders, I-Vt.
-Moran, D-Va.
-Scott, D-Va.
-Baird, D-Wash.
-Inslee, D-Wash.
-Larsen, D-Wash.
-McDermott, D-Wash.
-Mollohan, D-W. Va.
-Rahall, D-W. Va.
-Baldwin, D-Wis..
-Barrett, D-Wis.
-Kleczka, D-Wis.
-Obey, D-Wis.