Blog entry

My patriotic post

Rick Perlstein — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:40:09 -0400

I'm inspired by Digby's re-post of some 2006 reflections on why unregulated state surveillance isn't such a great idea, and our president's warning that maitaining the ancient and honorable right of habeus corpus means terrorists might soon be walking Main Streat USA, to re-post a patriotic reminder of my own:

Fascinating AP article about the random combination of circumstances that led to a small group of civil rights lawyers getting a glimpse at the quality of the evidence the post-9/11 National Security State uses to choose its targets for warrantless eavesdropping.

Attorney Jon Eisenberg accidentally got to see a National Security Administration log of calls intercepted between an Islamic charity and its American lawyers, stamped TOP SECRET on every page. It's now stored in a bombproof safe in Washington and viewed only by prosecutors with top secret security clearances and a few select federal judges. It is also, Eisenberg says, relying upon his memory—there isn't allowed be any written record of the document's contents, and even the laptop Erenberg used to write briefs for the case is scheduled to be erased—a joke. "Believe me," Eisenberg says, with what I can only imagine to be a bemused but weary sigh, "if this appeared on the front pages of newspapers, national security would not be jeopardized."

That's not hard to believe. The government's "case" against supposed "dirty bomber" Jose Padilla has been such an embarrassment—the feds have 300,000 taped phone calls, only 21 of which refer to Padilla, and the claim is that on those 21 calls, phrases like “playing football”, “eating cheese” and “zucchini” are supposed to refer to his Dr. Evil-like plots—that the defense attorneys have decided not even to dignify them with a response, resting their case without calling a single witness.

There will come a time, decades hence, when we learn more about the tragicomic incompetents and blackguards among those who affect to be our brave anti-terrorist watchmen; you can only erase so many hard drives and so many consciences. Look what happened when FOIA requests and archival digging starting turning documents of the work of our Keystone anti-Kommunist Kops in a previous generation.

The FBI and CIA went after one enemy of America with particular gusto, as an indefatigable historian learned after years of dogged work getting his security file released. J. Edgar Hoover personally classified his case as a "Security Matter"—the designation reserved for those considered potentially violently dangerous to internal security. They were so determined to neutralize this anti-American that they persisted even after an FBI source advised that the subject "appears to be radically oriented however he does not give the impression he is a true revolutionist since he is constantly under the influence of narcotics."

The subject was, yes, John Lennon—or as the FBI called him, "Lennon formerly with the group known as the Beatles."

Read the book or watch the documentary. Lennon was working to organize a series of rock concerts to contribute to Richard Nixon's defeat in the 1972 presidential election. The FBI worked with Nixon and Strom Thurmond to get him deported, in order to stop him.

The FBI tread carefully; wrote one agent, "The source felt that if Lennon's visa is terminated it would be a strategic counter-measure. The source also noted the caution which must be taken with regard to the possible alienation of the so-called 18-year-old-vote if Lennon is expelled from the country." Though they wren't quite careful enough; the files' mistakes make them inadvertent comic masterpieces. His ally in the crusade, Jerry Rubin, showed up on "Eyewitness News" in New York. An agent helpfully wrote, "Rubin appeared to have his hair cut much short that previously shown in other photographs," and also, "ALL EXTREMISTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED DANGEROUS"—apparently even those with haircuts.

The FBI kept telling historian Jon Wiener that the reason they couldn't reveal everything in these files was because the damage to national security "reasonably expected to result from disclosure" included "foreign military retaliation."

I'm not trying to say that the Islamic charity in question, Al-Haramain, is innocuous or innocent like John Lennon; nor that the government's case is as embarrassing as in re: Jose Padilla; or that we should take Eisenberg's word about the silliness of "the Document." I'm only trying to say that the people charged with keeping us "safe" are ordinary human beings, possessed of the potential for venality, incompetence, and even evil like everyone else. And that this is why you don't afford them extraordinary powers without requiring things like judicial oversight. This used to seem obvious. It isn't now. Even to Democrats.

The comments on today's article on "the Document" are fun to read, if that's your cup of tea (it very much is mine). Fun in a tragic sort of way, I mean. They show that there will always be a remnant of Americans who are willing to believe anything their government tells them, even to the point of absurdity.

NOTICE it is the ISLAMISTS that oppose our search for terrorists.....TAKE NOTICE who argues this same argument ........JUST LIKE THE ENEMY.......>

These are the people the Democrats who voted for the Bush Administration's eavesdropping bill are apparently supplicating to these days. Unless they voted for it on the merits, and believe, the experience of John Lennon notwithstanding, that the people to which they've just handed our civil liberties are actually angels.

That one was written eleven months ago, and guess what? That last paragraph: What with the recent house vote on FISA, I don't have to change a word.

Plastics!

Rick Perlstein — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:10:14 -0400

Thank you, Washington Independent:

News that shower curtains might make people sick is alerting consumers to the problem of toxins in plastics. A recent report by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice found that some curtains –- sold at major chain stores like Bed Bath & Beyond, K-mart, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart -– contain high concentrations of toxic chemicals like phthalates. These have been linked to reproductive defects and developmental problems in infants.

Parents pay attention when it comes to toxic substances and child safety. They were caught unawares by last year’s toxic toys incident -- which led Mattel to recall millions of children’s products made in China. But this summer, concerned parents might hear some good news, because Congress is working to reauthorize and reform the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission was set up in 1973 to "protect the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death" from more than 15,000 varieties of consumer products. The agency is charged with enforcing mandatory standards for products, banning and recalling products, researching potential hazards and developing voluntary standards for industry.

Over the years, the commission has grown weak. But only last year did the public begin to take notice. When the agency had to recall millions of children's toys, it was unable to pass safety rules or take action against violators, The Wall Street Journal reported. A sharp decline in resources is one reason for the agency's inadequacies. Three commissioners are supposed to run the agency, but for the last two years, there have been only two. Perhaps even worse, in the past several years, the staff has been cut by more than half, to about 400 employees....

Read the report here to learn how your shower curtain can kill you.

All In The Same Sinking Boat

Bill Scher — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:10:29 -0400

A disturbing but sadly predictable jobs report was released today by the Department of Labor: 62,000 jobs lost in June, 438,000 jobs lost during the past 6 months.

This is no limited recession. The New York Times observed that: "June’s job losses affected a range of industries, including banks, construction companies, manufacturing firms and car dealerships. Janitors and administrative workers were the hardest hit, with about 70,000 workers losing their jobs last month alone. Temp agencies lost 30,000 jobs."

Pain continues to trickle up, as those still working are also suffering under the weight of recession. NYT notes "employers are cutting hours for their full-time employees and shrinking salaries." USA Today reports, "Wages are lagging inflation as gasoline, energy and food prices surge."

But this is not a brief bump in the road, a mere cyclical dip that will be quickly forgotten. Weak job growth, flat wages and rising costs have been the hallmark of this eight-year conservative era.

Refusing to invest in modernizing our infrastructure. Suffocating the burgeoning clean energy industry, while keeping America hooked on increasingly expensive oil. Continuing a failed global trade strategy at the behest of multinational corporations. Neglecting to exercise oversight over the mortgage and financial industries. Saddling the next generation with burdensome debt.

The destructive results of these conservative policies is plain for all to see. Because the pain is felt by all.

UPDATE: Apparently it's worse than even I thought. The Onion News Network reports: "Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency"

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

Hundreds Tell Fox: "Stop The Attacks"

Isaiah J. Poole — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:52:26 -0400

"Dear FOX News, Here's a Fourth of July gift for you, from an Obama supporter and patriotic American," begins a note from Anthony in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. "This year my son and I plan to use window paints to fill our big picture window with the American flag. Please remember that all kinds of Americans, not just Republican Americans, love their country!"

We received notes like this from more than 600 of you in the first 48 hours of our call to tell Fox News to stop branding progressives as unpatriotic, and instead contribute to a respectful debate about the future direction of the country. Each of these people is sending the personnel at Fox News a flag pin that they can wear to remind them that millions of progressive Americans love and stand up for America.

Here's a sample of the messages you're sending with those pins:

"Dear Fox News, You might believe that you are the only Americans who see the value in freedoms, but you would be wrong. The patriots who founded this Nation came from a variety of backgrounds and held a variety of beliefs. Some were progressives, just like me. My grandfathers who fought in the War of 1812, and the Civil War, and my father who served in the Navy in WWII, all believed that they were patriots, and defended our Nation to allow the liberties you criticize, and in fact abuse! I love my country, and I honor our flag, not just this week, but every week. You do not own patriotism. It seems you do not even know what it is! End your criticism of those who disagree with you as being 'unpatriotic'. Dissent is at the very heart of our First Amendment. None of us can pick and choose which liberties we would like to honor!"
—David D., Berwyn, Pa.

"My father flew 55 missions over the European theater in World War II and in 1949 died flying for the Air National Guard. My daughter is a Lt. Commander in the Navy Reserve. I love this country and would not want to live anywhere else. I fly the flag as often as I can. I am against our intervention in Iraq. I am for hunting down Al Qaida. I am also for caring for our infrastructure (roads, etc.), providing the best educational system in the world, making health care available to every one and finding and supporting alternative energy. Please don't call me unpatriotic because I am a liberal. I love this country and want it to be better in every way."
—Ann S., Fredericksburg, Texas.

"America right or wrong does not make a patriot. Patriotism is related to protecting our country by upholding the rights of the Constitution and above all being honest in all our endeavors."
—Maria, Randolph, Vt.

"Dear Fox News, I am the most patriotic of patriotic Americans. I actually became a citizen for the sole reason of being able to vote, in my opinion, one of the highest expressions of patriotism. I understand the true meaning of patriotism which is supporting your country by loving her enough to cheer her on when she is right and letting her know when she is on the wrong track so that it can be corrected. I support our troops without question and would put my life on the line for this country I have adopted. Finally, I love my country. I love my flag. I'm a patriotic progressive American. Please accept this 4th of July gift, and end the attacks on patriotic Americans!"
—Wendy M., San Rafael Calif.

"How dare you say that I am not patriotic just because my political and social beliefs are different from your own! How dare you tell me that I am not patriotic when I know, sing and revere our national anthem; when I proudly display our flag, year around; when I say what I think, even though others may disagree or may not want to hear it. This is a DEMOCRACY and to denigrate others who are forthright in their disagreement is to denigrate ALL OF US!! Shame on you!"
—Marjorie C., Sebastopol, Calif.

"I appreciate our multicultural past. I support real benefits and help for our returning soldiers. I am against Halliburton's money gouging tactics taking real money from our troops. I will display my American flag proudly and boldly this Fourth."
—Robert M., Columbus, Ohio

"Americans are currently engaged in a national debate on how to forge a new direction for our nation after eight years of bitter divisiveness and the unending list of failed policies of the Bush administration. Sadly, Fox News is not a part of that debate, but instead is bent on defending the status quo and making rabid-dog attacks on patriotic Americans and their hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow. Your brand of journalism (Ha!) is better suited to China or Russia, where honest and open debate is not tolerated, and espousing the party line is the only news tolerated."
—Bill W., Palm Bay, Fla.

"As a veteran of World War II—in the combat engineers in Germany—I resent slurs about the patriotism of people who disagree with you."
— Harry F., Roslyn Heights N.Y.

"As a Vietnam era Army veteran, I want you all to know that patriotic Americans do not all believe as you all do. Lapel pins and bumper stickers and your noise on TV do not define patriotism; working toward a better future for all Americans in a tolerant and inclusive society and respecting the Constitution do define patriotism."
— Matthew K., Tempe, Ariz.

"As an Army Reserve veteran, I find your remarks unpatriotic because they intend to divide the country for partisan purposes."
—Jerry S., Washington, D.C.

"One does not have to hate those one disagrees with; one does not have to lie about them either. And certainly, people who love their country and believe in its principles cannot betray it by indulging in cheap, hateful and lying innuendoes. I am a loyal American who is appalled by some of the tactics you all engage in. This flag is an emblem of the country we share; it is not an idol, but it should be respected by the best we are, not the shoddiest."
—Betty L., St. Paul, Minn.

"As an immigrant to this country, I was appalled at the Swift Boat attacks against John Kerry in the last election. I do not believe these are the actions of patriotic people. Patriotism to me is love of country and respect for its citizens."
—Rosemary G., Foster City, Calif.

"Criticism of the Bush administration is an act of love of this country and its constitution, and not a sign of unpatriotism. In contrast to Fox News, I love this country and rejoice in the First Amendment."
—Millie Fortier, San Francisco, Calif.

"Dear fellow Americans, Do you ever scold your kids when they do something wrong? THAT'S what REAL Americans do when America does something wrong, WE try to make America better! Progressive Americans are America's hope for a better tomorrow and a better America. Conservatives want to go back to the 1950s when only white males had power and opportunity. STOP the attacks on patriotic Americans!"
— David P., Austin Texas

Dear Fox "News" - I respect and love the American dream, the Constitution of the United States, the members of the Armed Forces and all those who care about people different from themselves. The American way is compassionate, informed, and in the public interest. Enjoy this symbol of patriotism from a progressive American!"
—Virginia W., Lincoln, Neb.

"Democracy is messy by definition and it appears you use this to misrepresent political views that differ with your own as being unpatriotic. None of the parties have a monopoly on patriotism and to claim that progressives don't love this great, but imperfect country is laughably absurd."
—Terry B., Oceanside, Calif.

"Dear Fox News, Please join me in celebrating the American principle that people of differing political viewpoints can respect each other as fellow patriots. I hold "liberal" viewpoints and am also patriotic. I support policies that make our country strong and secure. I differ from your commentators in how we can best achieve that goal. Please stop impugning my patriotism simply because I disagree with you."
—Andrew S., Jamaica Plain, Mass.

"Patriotism does NOT belong to one party or ideology and I urge you to cease your incessant attacks. Please accept our 4th of July gift in hopes we can all come together & recognize that we are all true patriots under the same grand flag & constitution that celebrates our unity even among diversity. God bless America!"
—Patricia D., Little Neck, N.Y.

"My family came to this country in 1683 and have been part of building it and defending it ever since. We came for religious and political freedom—we were progressives then and we are now. I love my flag and the nation its stands for and I respect your right to your views, with this gift I ask you to respect mine and those of people like me. That is what patriotism is all about in this country. Stop attacking the patriotism of your fellow Americans; it's un-American."
—Mark L., East Rockaway, N.Y.

McContainers

Rick Perlstein — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:13:59 -0400

Contest: caption this photograph...

Here's my entry: In a bid for Midwestern voters devastated by runaway manufacturing jobs, John McCain and Joe Lieberman pose with shipping containers in Third World country seeking free trade deal.

To Win, Presidential Candidates Move ... Left

Bill Scher — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:09:51 -0400

The punditocracy won't tell you, but Barack Obama and John McCain are moving to the Left.

Take Iraq. Sensing that voters did not react kindly to McCain's December remarks expressing comfort with U.S. troops remaining in Iraq for 100 years, he predicted in May that if he was president, "By January 2013, America has welcomed home most of the servicemen and women who have sacrificed terribly so that America might be secure in her freedom." He also changed his slogan to highlight "Peace," and released a TV ad in which he pronounced, "I hate war."

On the environment, McCain's website is covered with support for "green" energy. His campaign even attacks Obama for supporting "the energy bill promoted by President Bush and Vice President Cheney."

And on immigration, during the primary McCain said he would not vote for his own legislation providing a pathway to citizenship for those who immigrated illegally, to win votes from anti-immigrant conservatives. But now, he's embracing his pro-immigrant legislation again, calling it "my top priority yesterday, today and tomorrow."

Whereas Obama spent the first month of the general election campaign reiterating support for public investment in universal health care, renewable energy and other modernization of infrastructure, comparing his vision to major public works projects from progressive Presidents Jefferson, Lincoln and both Roosevelts.

On Iraq, Obama continues to argue for the same position he held throughout the primary: a gradual withdrawal of combat troops over 16 months and a total rejection of permanent military bases. (Attempts from conservative commentators to say he has shifted his position are false. They point to Obama foreign policy adviser's recent comment about the 16-month timetable, "That’s not a deadline. That’s a timetable." Such flexibility is not new. It was stated during the primaries on CBS' 60 Minutes, not exactly a low-profile platform. Obama was asked if he would "pull out according to that time table, regardless of the situation?" Obama responded, "No, I always reserve as commander in chief, the right to assess the situation.")

You may or may not be skeptical of the nuance. That's a matter of opinion. What's a matter of fact is Obama is running on the same position, opposing the policy of permanent occupation, as before.

Other issues where Obama is accused of moving rightward after the primaries -- such as gun rights, death penalty, faith-based initiatives, NAFTA and FISA -- he also has mainly reiterated previously held positions. With the exception of FISA, there's no movement.

He previously argued for different gun laws in different states and cities (a position Howard Dean advanced in his 2004 presidential run.) He writes in "Audacity of Hope" of support for "carefully tailored" faith-based initiatives and the death penalty for "beyond the pale" crimes including "the rape and murder of a child." His tone on NAFTA may have changed slightly, but his position of reform, not repeal, is the same.

Some of those positions wouldn't necessarily be considered liberal. But Obama never claimed to hold liberal positions on everything.

Even taking those positions into account, it's not plausible to argue Obama is trying to win by moving rightward when his campaign continues to be based on supporting a revitalized government role in creating jobs, fighting poverty, providing health coverage, generating clean energy, recruiting teachers, making college affordable and protecting retirement security -- not to mention revamping global diplomacy and rejecting permanent occupation of Iraq.

Former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson disingenuously argues today in the W. Post that Obama has made a "head-snapping shift to the center [because America] remains a center-right country. And so Obama has shifted, trimmed or retreated on nearly every issue that won him the nomination."

That is factually wrong in every possible way.

In the aftermath of eight years of conservative failure led by Gerson's old boss, the distance between the average "liberal" voter and "moderate" voter has shrunk, and the distance between the average "moderate" voter and "conservative" voter is a gulf.

America has proven not to be the center-right country of Karl Rove's fantasies, but a country with a Progressive Majority.

Offering a clean break from failed conservatism is what is serving Obama so well, as he leads McCain in every poll.

Obama does not have to jettison to core planks of his platform to appeal to those moderate independent voters who did not participate in the primaries.

While McCain continues to have huge difficulty crafting positions that can appeal to both moderates and conservatives, forcing him to incoherently move Left and Right simultaneously. Still he recognizes that he cannot win simply by appealing to the conservative base. His rhetoric in some key areas has to move leftward for his political survival.

On the fundamental issues of any presidential election -- the role of our government and direction of our foreign policy -- it is the political center that moved to the left. The candidates are merely reacting accordingly.

Uprising Against Oil & Gas Drilling Intensifies In the West

David Sirota — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:24:38 -0400

ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis archway, which I visited yesterday, may bill itself as the gateway to the West, but the real gateway this election to the West for Democrats could be through oil and gas politics.

A few weeks back, I wrote a New York Times magazine story on the prairie populist backlash to unbridled oil and gas drilling in key swing regions of the Rocky Mountain West that could be decisive in the upcoming presidential and congressional elections. This is a big theme in my book, THE UPRISING.

Today, Democracy Now! has something of a follow-up report, looking more deeply at just how much drilling is going on. Goodman's report coincides with the raucous fight in Colorado to tighten rules regulating oil and gas drilling.

Goodman is a great journalist, and though her show is often ignored in the blogosphere, it is an essential part of the growing progressive media infrastructure (and I differentiate the progressive media infrastructure from the partisan media noise machine). She was kind enough to have me on her show a few weeks back - and this report on the politics of oil and gas is terrific.

Check out Goodman's report - it offers more examples of local conservative constituencies fighting back against the national Republican Party's efforts to turn the Rocky Mountain region into an energy colony. If Democrats stand tall against the right's "drill at all cost" mantra, they could indeed win over a wide swath of independent and GOP voters who know the gas price profiteering crisis we face has nothing to do with a crude oil supply shortage - and that the "drill" mantra is a slogan to help pad oil industry profits.

This is an ongoing series from the national tour for THE UPRISING. You can order The Uprising at Amazon.com or through your local independent bookstore.

And now...the rest of the story

Rick Perlstein — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:55:23 -0400

Here's the rest of my answer to my friend who asked me to explain why conservatives are in disarray. Nothing that will be new to longtime readers, who—newbies, too!—are invited to contribute their own reflection in the comments:

1) There has been, by conservatives own self-definition, a "modern conservative movement" at least since the Goldwater campaign of 1964. Ever since, they been explicit and sedulous about their goal: first control the Republican Party, then control the government. In 2001, with Republican control of the presidency, congress, and the federal courts--and conservative control of the Republican Party--for the first time since the inauguration of the movement, for the first time, and on their own terms, conservatives had a chance to govern. They governed, too, with exceptional popular wind in their sails (at least since 9/11/01), and with the benefit of an extraordinary infrastructure that let them staff the federal government from top to bottom with personnel steeped in the ideas and habits of an extraordinarily self-conscious "conservative movement." This single blunt fact cannot be overstated: here was the first chance in the modern era conservatives have had to prove themselves. And they failed. Imagine if somehow Leon Trotsky had survived and was restored to the leadership of the Kremlin, after generations of "Trotskyists" had built an entire culture around the notion that if only they were in the Kremlin, the revolution would have succeeded. But their reign proved to be shit from start to finish. The psychic wounds would be profound. The disarray, mutual recrimination, confusion, anger, are only to be expected.

2) Consider P.J. O'Rourke's famous joke: "conservatives say government doesn't work, and then they get elected to prove it." Conservatives make much of their movement's plurality, their intellectual divisions. But all the while they united around Ronald Reagan's nostrum from his 1981 inaugural address, "government isn't the solution to our problems, government is the problem." The point is obvious, and frequently stated: people who despise government have trouble governing. But when you look at the question of disarray, the question goes deeper. How to reform "conservatism"? Certain "reformers"--Douthait and Salam, Brooks--say, Stop despising government. But if that's the reform, again, disarray, mutual recrimination, confusion, anger, are only to be expected: it forces an identity crisis. You can't simply turn on a dime against something that was supposed to be a core principle and not suffer wounds.

3) A culture of bad faith and cheap grace. I presume you saw my review of Edwards' book:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/01/AR200805...

Note how Edwards seems to have comforted himself all these years with a "fact" that is simply untrue: that the line-item veto--and, by implication, the imperial presidency itself--was something liberal Democrats, not conservatives, supported. Nearly every conservative has some version of this--some way of saying that if self-identified conservatives fail or fall short, it's because they're not "really" conservative. But the standards of what is a "conservative" are subjective, shifting, self-contradictory, and always self-serving. A conservative will always give himself the out of saying "conservatism has never been tried." The culture feeds off its own refusals of personal intellectual responsibility.

Bills Come Due

Rick Perlstein — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:30:53 -0400

A friend recently asked me to summarize why conservatives seem to be in such disarray these days. I listed four reasons, in separate paragraphs; "BIlls come due," was how I began the fourth:

Much of what conservatives do in power--or, if not in power, much of the way conservatives use minority power to obstruct--involves starving public goods in a way that feels good in the present (low taxes!) with consequences only apparent in the future. To take a blunt example, the waste-water infrastructure built during America's great postwar era of public investment was designed to last fifty years. Tax-cut mania coincided with the precise moment that those fifty years are up. So America is falling apart. Why conservative disarray? I imagine that on some level conservatives grasp these consequences.

Never forget the D-minus, as I always remind loyal readers. Now (h/t Atrios) the mainstream media is starting to get the picture. Best quote: "Everybody is drinking somebody else's waste water." Best seven-word rebuke of the threadbare ideology of pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps conservatism I've ever heard.

The Pumafinks, Part 2: The Movie

Rick Perlstein — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:26:54 -0400

Do these guys look like Democrats to you?