Terra Incognita: The Undiscovered Country

What Would a New Republican America Look Like?

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 02:12:50 +0800

For an all-too-brief period between the Democratic congressional victory of 2006 and Barack Obama's inauguration as President of the United States in 2009, many progressives hoped and believed that the long conservative era in contemporary American politics was over, and that the dawn of a bold new progressive era was upon us. As Democrats in Washington have shown themselves utterly lacking in the political will to carry out their own campaign promises, however, such hopes have greatly evaporated, and a conservative movement that seems to have recovered its strength much faster than most of us expected now threatens to turn back the Democratic victories of 2006 and 2008 as quickly as they were won. Not only triumphalist Republicans, but even some on the Left are openly suggesting that, if Democrats in Washington don't change their weak-kneed ways, the coming election cycles of 2010 and 2012 could conceivably end in a Republican recapture of not only Congress, but perhaps even the White House. Given such a depressing prospect, it seems worth considering what a new Republican America might look like.

To say that today's G.O.P. is no longer "your father's G.O.P." would be the understatement of the century: Today's G.O.P. is not even your slightly older sibling's G.O.P. In 2000, George W. Bush ran for president as a "compassionate conservative." Of course the Bush years turned out to be anything but compassionate, but it's hard to imagine any Republican today playing even such a quaint tidbit of lip-service as this to any form of moderation. For any Republican politician to stand before CPAC or a "tea party" convention today and describe himself or herself as a "compassionate conservative" would be only to invite boos and hisses of angry ridicule. Today's Republican Party and today's conservative movement, purely and simply, is a raging and seething engine of hate. We gained an early look into this ugly new brand of conservatism during the 2008 campaign, when vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin was openly questioning Obama's loyalty to his country and Palin's enraged followers were openly attacking Obama on the basis of his race and calling for his death. Since that time, the face of American conservatism has grown uglier almost by the day.

If I were to grasp at an historical precedent for what a new Republican America might look like, my first guess would be something like the McCarthy era, with touches of the South during the darkest days of the struggle for civil rights. I would guess that Republican leaders would be eager both to exact payback for their defeats in 2006 and 2008 and to make sure nothing like that is allowed to ever happen again. I would expect to see measures resembling those of the McCarthy era taken against progressive groups across the country, to see trumped-up charges leveled against groups such as ACORN, backed up by the full weight of a deeply politicized Justice Department and judiciary, to see crackdowns on free expression carried out in the name of national security, domestic spying programs enhanced, and blacklists written up. I would also expect to see such measures greeted with enthusiastic joy by a "tea party" grassroots eager and feeling entitled to engage in a little repression of its own. In such an atmosphere of impunity, the threats that "we're coming for you liberals" already abundant in angry comments to left-wing blog posts could quickly become a reality.

This may be only a worst-case scenario, admittedly expressed in rather extreme terms, but it's not wholly outside the realm of possibility, particularly given recent history. I've already noted the hate-filled 2008 Republican campaign, which was truly astonishing to watch, as well as the increasingly ugly "tea party" events that have taken place since the election. These events have proven to be a rich recruiting ground for white supremacist and anti-government militia groups, whose memberships have swelled since the 2008 elections as many reports have observed. Obama’s election seems to have touched a raw nerve in conservative white America, unleashing a torrent of right-wing rage unseen in this country since integration was imposed on white Southerners more than forty years ago. Conservatives are not only engaging in all manner of insane conspiracy theories regarding the election; some are now showing up at political events carrying guns. This didn’t happen when Bill Clinton was elected president in 1992, nor do I think it would be happening with such ferocity had the victorious Democrat in 2008 likewise been white. as many reports have observed. Obama’s election seems to have touched a raw nerve in conservative white America, unleashing a torrent of right-wing rage unseen in this country since integration was imposed on white Southerners more than forty years ago. Conservatives are not only engaging in all manner of insane conspiracy theories regarding the election; some are now showing up at political events carrying guns. This didn’t happen when Bill Clinton was elected president in 1992, nor do I think it would be happening with such ferocity had the victorious Democrat in 2008 likewise been white. whose memberships have swelled since the 2008 elections as many reports have observed. Obama's election seems to have touched a raw nerve in conservative white America, unleashing a torrent of right-wing rage unseen in this country since integration was imposed on angry white Southerners more than forty years ago. Conservatives are not only engaging in all manner of insane conspiracy theories regarding the election; some are now showing up at political events carrying guns. This didn't happen when Bill Clinton was elected president in 1992, nor do I think it would be happening with such ferocity had the victorious Democrat in 2008 likewise been white.

With her exhortations to those hate-filled "real Americans" who attended her rallies in 2008, Sarah Palin knew exactly what she was doing, and bears as much guilt as anyone for their ugly outcome. Palin is as vicious a hatemonger as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter, or any other media figure on the far right, the only difference being that Palin aspires to national office and just might achieve it given the current mood of much of the country. Should this woefully come to pass, Palin would join such official Republican luminaries as Michele Bachmann, Jim DeMint, Jim Inhofe, Virginia Foxx, and others who have turned the Republican Party into something even Ronald Reagan might have trouble recognizing, not to mention Dwight Eisenhower or Barry Goldwater: conservatives, for whom I would never have voted, but who at least seem to have maintained some hold on reality. It's hard to imagine what Ike would have to say to a "tea party" convention.

Liz Cheney's recent McCarthyite attack on seven Justice Department lawyers for carrying out their assigned task of defending terror suspects detained at Guantanamo bodes equally ill for what we can expect if Republicans succeed in recapturing power in Washington. For simply doing their jobs, providing the defense representation to which anyone accused of wrongdoing is entitled under U.S. and international law (even Nazi war criminals tried at Nuremberg had defense attorneys), Cheney and her group, "Keep America Safe," have branded these lawyers terrorist sympathizers, questioned their loyalty to the United States, and publicly blacklisted them on their website, while Cheney's allies in right-wing media branded the Obama Justice Department "the Department of Jihad" (see TPM, HuffPo, Salon). Liz Cheney is obviously as vicious and vile a piece of work as her infamous father, if not worse, and would be almost certain to play a role in any future Republican administration.

Democrats and progressives truly have cause for concern at the grim prospect of Republican victories in the coming election cycles of 2010 and 2012, and the whole country - with the exception of its far-right lunatic fringe - will soon have cause for concern if this grim prospect comes to fruition. Should such a nightmare come to life, Democrats in Washington will have only themselves to blame for their failure to deliver on the mandate and the opportunity handed them in 2006 and 2008. We cannot blame Republicans who, after all, are only doing what Republicans do. It's time for Democrats in Washington to get off their lazy and timid rear-parts and start doing what Democratic voters elected them to do, so that Democratic voters will have a reason to elect them again, and again, and again. For the sake of every sane and civilized one of us, today's Republican Party cannot ever be allowed to hold the reins of power.

MoveOn Raises Massive Funds to Fight Lieberman on Health Care Reform

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:48:56 +0800

Progressive political action group MoveOn is raising massive funds to run ads against conservative independent senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut for his opposition to health care reform. From an initial goal of $400,000 on Dec. 15, MoveOn has at time of this writing raised more than $900,000 toward a new goal of one million dollars, and the contributions keep rolling in. Says MoveOn:

"First, Joe Lieberman helped President Bush invade Iraq. Then he endorsed John McCain and attacked Barack Obama at the Republican National Convention. Now he's single-handedly gutting health care reform. It's time to hold him accountable. Senator Lieberman must go.... So we're going to make sure every voter in Connecticut knows what he's doing. And then, when he comes up for re-election, we'll make sure we send him home for good. Can you chip in to make Joe pay? "

Although Lieberman won't be up for re-election until 2012, it's never too early to start working toward getting rid of him once and for all. Recent polls in Connecticut have consistently shown low approval and high disapproval ratings for Lieberman, and indicate that if the election were held today he would likely lose.

In the meantime, Harry Reid and other Senate Democrats can and should be pressed to strip Lieberman of his seniority, his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee, and his other committee memberships for his opposition to health care reform. Polls on health care reform indicate that a majority in Connecticut and across America want robust reform including a public option now. A recent Research 2000 poll commissioned by Daily Kos found that 68 percent of likely voters in Connecticut support a public option, while only 21 percent oppose. National polls likewise show that a clear majority support the public option (Boston Globe, Reuters, Washington Post). Lieberman clearly has his own agenda, however, serving not only his own obvious arrogance and vindictiveness but also the for-profit health and insurance industries that have given him millions of dollars in campaign contributions while residents of his state have suffered due to lack of health insurance (See also Rachel Maddow, Salon).

MoveOn's gallant and stunningly successful fundraising efforts against Lieberman on behalf of health care reform deserve the support of progressives everywhere. Donate now.

It's Time to Open the Gates of Hell on Joe Lieberman

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:40:25 +0800

Joe Lieberman's time has come.

If Lieberman joins Senate Republicans in opposing health care reform, he should be immediately stripped of his seniority, his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee, and his other committee memberships. If he threatens to leave the Democratic Caucus and join the GOP, call his bluff, and if he chooses to leave, let him go. It means nothing to have Lieberman's name on a list as Senate Democrat #60 if he is only going to oppose his fellow Democrats and defy his own constituents on every important issue. Health care advocates should contact their Democratic senators now and demand action against Lieberman, and advocacy groups should begin running ads against him in his home state of Connecticut, highlighting the millions of dollars in campaign contributions he has received from the for-profit health and insurance industries while residents of his state have suffered due to lack of health insurance.

While he is not up for re-election until 2012, recent polls in Connecticut have consistently shown low approval and high disapproval ratings for Lieberman, and indicate that if the election were held today he would likely lose. Polls on health care reform meanwhile show that a majority in Connecticut and across America want robust reform including a public option now. A recent Research 2000 poll commissioned by Daily Kos found that 68 percent of likely voters in Connecticut support a public option, while only 21 percent oppose. National polls likewise show that a clear majority support the public option (Boston Globe, Reuters, Washington Post).

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow discussed Lieberman's reasons for defying his constituents and fellow Democrats this week on her show, including not only Lieberman's millions in contributions from the health and insurance industries but also his wife's work for a health care lobbying firm whose clients benefitted from Lieberman's legislation (see also Salon).

Time and time again we have heard from Democrats in Washington: "Joe is with us on everything but the war.... Joe's a good guy.... Good old Joe...." Clearly, good old Joe is with no one but himself and his friends in the health and insurance industries. The fact that Lieberman was willing to tell outright lies about the public option to explain his actions shows the depths of self-serving opportunism to which he has sunk.

Democrats must stop rewarding Lieberman for his treachery, must stop making excuses for him, and must make it clear to him that there will be a high price to pay for standing in the way of health care reform.

Let's Make New York-23 Special Election a Big Win for Democrats

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:07:21 +0800

Watching the 2010 US midterm election season open from my vantage-point far across the Pacific in China, I can barely contain my glee at the latest news from New York's 23rd congressional district as its Nov. 3 special election approaches. Due to the growing rift between the GOP establishment and its frothing-at-the-mouth conservative base, Democrat Bill Owens (pictured here, see campaign website) appears increasingly likely to capture what until now has been considered a safe Republican seat. With strong support from the right-wingnut faction of the Republican Party - including endorsements from leading wingnuts such as Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, and Michele Bachmann - Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman has drawn enough conservative support away from moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava to give the Democrat a clear lead in both poll numbers and fundraising.

Despite endorsements and support from establishment Republicans like Newt Gingrich, Scozzafava has fallen to second place in two recent polls, the most recent showing her carrying 30% of likely voters to Owens' 35% and Hoffman's 23% (see CQ Politics, Daily Kos). Meanwhile, campaign fundraising figures released Oct. 22 show that Owens raised more than his two rivals combined between July 1 and Oct. 14: Fundraising totals for the three are $502,197 for Owens, $233,583 for Scozzafava, and $205,139 for Hoffman (see Swing State Project, NY Daily News). This is not not good news for the GOP, but of course it is wonderful news for Democrats. A conservative-leaning Democrat and therefore not an especially exciting candidate for progressives in and of himself, Owens' surge nonetheless represents an opportunity for Democrats across the United States and abroad to take one more seat in Congress away from the Republicans and grab some early momentum as we head into 2010.

It would also be a lot of fun meanwhile to watch the GOP slide into even deeper disarray. I for one relish the prospect of the NY-23 special election signalling all-out war nationwide between a pragmatic but impotent GOP establishment led by Gingrich and a tea-party faction led by the likes of Limbaugh, Palin, Beck, and Bachmann. Boy howdy, what a show! Should wingnuts turn against the Republican establishment and split the conservative vote nationwide, what looked like a less-than-promising midterm election year for Democrats could turn into a far better year than any expected.

In addition to Owens' campaign website, support may be directed his way via Act Blue and/or via the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

US Ambassador Visits Shanghai Expo Site, Says Obama Excited About China Trip

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:57:57 +0800

SHANGHAI, CHINA-US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman visited the USA Pavilion under construction at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai this week, and said that President Barack Obama is "very excited" about his upcoming trip to China. Huntsman's visit Oct. 14, his first to Shanghai since his ambassadorial appointment by Obama in August, comes just one month away from the president's first Asian tour, which will include stops in Shanghai and Beijing. The president's excitement at his visit will be more than evenly matched by that both of the Chinese people and of Americans living and working in China.

Huntsman visited the World Expo site for a "topping-off" ceremony marking completion of major structural work on the USA Pavilion following an aggressive 89-day building effort. At the ceremony Huntsman and Shanghai Expo Bureau director general Hong Hao signed their names in Chinese characters on the final steel beam to be put into place on the pavilion structure. Long delayed due to funding difficulties, the USA Pavilion is now among the first dozen national pavilions to have finished major structural work. When completed, the 5600-square-meter pavilion will be among the largest at the expo site. With an estimated budget of $61 million - more than $40 million of which has already been raised from private sponsors - it is certain also to be among the most expensive.

The US ambassador told reporters that the rapid progress on the construction of the USA pavilion was due to the "outstanding and patient" collaboration among the Shanghai government, the expo bureau, and the non-profit USA Pavilion team as well as support from the US government and sponsor companies, according to Shanghai Daily. "Our national pavilion will showcase American business and technology, as well as culture and values, to foster stronger friendship between the American and Chinese peoples as it also demonstrates America's commitment to a forward-looking, positive relationship with China," Huntsman quoted aptly from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Like other national pavilions at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, the USA Pavilion will provide jobs not only for local Chinese staff but also for US citizens residing in Shanghai (the number of which has grown of late owing to unemployment in the US). Together with President Obama's visit next month and the World Expo beginning in May, the coming months look to be exciting and promising ones for Americans in China. Despite recent trade disagreements between the US and China, Obama remains popular here, and is certain to receive a welcome from the Chinese people that will put smiles on the faces of expats. In Shanghai already, Chinese young people can be seen sporting Obama t-shirts, street vendors sell pirate DVD editions of Obama's speeches and pirate print editions of his books, and universities are planning special lectures coinciding with Obama's visit.

Obama will visit Shanghai and Beijing Nov. 15-18 during a four-nation tour that will also take him to Japan and South Korea in addition to his appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Singapore. While in China he will meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao on issues including trade, energy, climate change, and security. There is no word as yet whether the president's Shanghai stop will include a look at the USA Pavilion site.

Photo: US Consulate General, Shanghai (See also Expo 2010)

Shanghai: A Bowl of Delicious Gruel, and a Rock Band Made of Budweiser Cans

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:36:57 +0800

GRUEL: 1) A thin porridge. 2) Chiefly British: Punishment [from to get one's gruel, to accept punishment]. 3) Something that lacks substance or significance ["The argument was thin gruel"]. -- Merriam-Webster Dictionary

(click on photo for larger image)

Near Zhongshan Park today I happened upon this lovely little food stand offering steaming hot bowls of Delicious Gruel. This was my first time ever seeing the words "delicious" and "gruel" used together, the latter being something English-speakers would generally associate with some dank, dark, Dickensian setting such as an orphanage or workhouse of the Victorian era. In such a context one might expect to see "loathsome, watery gruel" or "foul, oily gruel" or "horrid gruel full of worms and maggots"; never "delicious gruel."

Delicious Gruel it is, however, that the two young Shanghainese ladies pictured above are about to enjoy. Bon appetit, ladies!

(Mmmm.... Gruel....)

(click on photo for larger image)

...And here at the Bud Music Kingdom in Xujiahui is a rock & roll band made entirely of Budweiser cans. 'Cuz after a steaming hot bowl of Delicious Gruel there's nothing like an ice-cold Bud and some good old, down-home Shanghai rock & roll.

(photos courtesy of my Nokia cell-phone camera)

Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 22:17:53 +0800

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has unexpectedly awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to US President Barack Obama. While many of Obama's supporters would have seen him as an excellent potential candidate for the prize, few would have predicted that he would win it prize so early in his presidency. Obama's right-wing opponents, on the other hand, will be as displeased today about his award as they were pleased only a week ago when his hometown of Chicago lost its bid to host the 2016 Olympics. The Nobel Committee announced its surprise decision Oct. 9 as follows:

"The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

"Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.

"Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.

"For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges'."

The Nobel Committee's stunning decision is certain to throw Obama's right-wing opponents at home into quivering fits of self-righteous rage. They'll tie themselves in knots trying to put a negative spin on Obama's award, probably with something along the lines of it being a politically-motivated faux award from a bunch of "European socialists" to one of their own Godless ilk, or even an "affirmative action" award. They'll also read the committee's comments on the "more constructive role" America is now playing on the world stage as a slap in the face to their own previous Republican administration, perhaps suggesting that Obama won the award simply for not being George W. Bush. Right-wing Republican dead-enders will be full of nothing but hate, both for Nobel laureate Barack Obama and for the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

All I have to say is: Congratulations, Mr. President.

Obama China Visit to Include Beijing, Shanghai

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 10:07:28 +0800

Details on US President Barack Obama's upcoming Asian tour released in a White House press briefing Oct. 7 indicate that the president's anticipated China visit will include stops Nov. 15-18 in both Beijing and Shanghai. While in China, according to the briefing, Obama will hold his third bilateral meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao (pictured here with Obama) to discuss ways of addressing challenges and expanding cooperation on key regional and global issues including security, nuclear nonproliferation, energy, and climate change. While no further details on the president's China visit were released, his Shanghai stop could include an inspection of the $61 million US pavilion currently under construction for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.

President Obama's Asian tour coincides with his participation in the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit Nov. 13-15 in Singapore. Following his departure from Washington Nov. 11 according to the briefing, the president will visit Japan Nov. 12 and 13, meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama before traveling on to Singapore for the APEC summit. Following the summit, Obama will travel on to China; then to Seoul, South Korea, where his visit Nov. 18-19 will include meetings both with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and with US service members before returning home to Washington. There is no word in the briefing as to whether the president plans any public events during his tour or if he will be accompanied by his family.

Obama's meeting with Hu Jintao during his China visit will be his third since taking office, the two having previously met in London in April and in New York in September. China Daily reports today that the Chinese president will likely urge his US counterpart to abandon what China considers acts of trade protectionism such as Obama's recent approval of a 35% import tariff on tires from China. The US president, meanwhile, is likely to press his Chinese counterpart on reaching a bilateral climate change agreement. The North Korean nuclear issue is also likely to be an important topic of discussion with Hu as well as with leaders in Japan and South Korea.

(See also: Reuters, BBC)

Obama Names Shanghai Attorney for Ambassadorship

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 14:16:00 +0800

President of the United States Barack Obama has nominated Shanghai-based attorney David Huebner to serve as the next US ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. Mr. Huebner is a partner in the Shanghai office of US law firm Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, where he specializes in international arbitration and mediation as head of the firm's China Practice and International Disputes Practice. A graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School, he has taught at the University of Southern California's Gould School of Law and lectured both at Qinghua University and at East China University of Politics and Law on international dispute resolution and intellectual property issues. An accomplished legal scholar, Mr. Huebner has published and spoken widely in the US, Asia, and Europe on international dispute resolution topics, and has been named on numerous best practitioners lists, including IP Almanac (Best Lawyers), Super Lawyers, and Best Lawyers in America. He has also chaired the California Law Revision Commission, served as president of the Los Angeles Quality and Productivity Commission, and served in Tokyo as special assistant to the Honorable Koji Kakizawa, member of the lower house of the Japanese Diet and former Foreign Minister of Japan. President Obama's first openly gay ambassadorial nominee, Mr. Huebner is also the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's general counsel and has previously served on the group's board. If confirmed by the US Senate, Mr. Huebner will bring a wealth of global experience and legal scholarship to his new post as US ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa.

Obama's Speech at the UN General Assembly: One for the History Books

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 13:21:38 +0800

As an American living and working abroad I watched President Obama's speech at the United Nations General Assembly with great pride and more than a little relief:

Pride, following the shame of our previous administration's arrogant unilateralism; and relief, that our previous administration wasn't followed by another just like it or worse. All too well as an American abroad I recall the embarrassment of being represented on the world stage by a tactless, insensitive president who seemed to possess little more than a child's understanding of the world.

President Obama's speech at the UN General Assembly, on the other hand, was that of a true statesman and a world leader of the highest caliber, with no apologies and no excuses. I think it was among the best speeches of his career thus far.

Any criticism of it by his political opponents in the United States amounts to nothing but sour grapes and a sad attempt to deny their own disastrous failure of the past eight years.

(Letters, New York Times, Sept. 25, 2009)