Burnt Orange Report

Have no fear, Nate is here

By Nathan Nance

Guest post from Nate Nance

I just wrote a comment in Jim's post on redistricting in California. The basic gist was that we're the minority party. We have no power under the Republicans in Congress. What are we so afraid of?

The idea that somehow we can have some impact if we're nicer to the GOP, or if we have candidates that they can't possibly object to or if we reach out in a bipartisan manner, I think all of that is just pointless. We're the minority party, we should understand an accept it. But we don't have to kowtow to the Republicans because of it. Americans like an underdog story, that's us. We need partisanship.

I'm using kind of an interesting model for this idea. I'm using the Republicans themselves. The Newt Gingrich Revolution in 1993 should be our game plan on this. The GOP was in the minority, did they beg to be let into conference committees? No. They attacked attacked attacked. Relentlessly. We might decry it, but it is effective.

Kevin Drum has a post on this very thing where he references Bill Kristol from 1993:

Bill Kristol’s famous strategy memos [urged] Republicans to reject any and all health care proposals from the White House “sight unseen.”....Kristol penned these memos as head of the Project for a Republican Majority, launched in November 1993 to “frame a new Republicanism by challenging not just the particulars of big-government policies, but their very premises and purposes.”

Kristol warned of the political and ideological repercussions of a successfully passed health care bill — it would revive the Democrats’ reputation as “the generous protector of middle-class interests” and “relegitimize middle-class dependence for ‘security’ on government spending and regulation” — but he also promised that a successful and total defeat of Clinton’s plan, if handled in the correct way by the Republicans, would mark “a watershed in the resurgence of a newly bold and principled Republican politics.”

We've got to be willing to embrace crazy, bold new ideas. The old ones don't work. People can scream all they want that we'll lose elections, but I've got news for them. We're losing elections now. We are at the point that we can say or do anything and we can't go much lower. Somewhere out there is someone with a bright idea we can embrace that will make us win, though.

Whether it is non-partisan redistricting schemes or universal health care or whatever, we can't be the old party on this. Things have got to change in a big way or nothing is going to change. I don't know about you, but I would rather have a discussion about how to keep power 4 years from now. That's going to take a big change and the first step has to start right here, right now.

This is a guest post from Nathan Nance. Nate is a sports/news clerk at the Waco Tribune-Herald and writer editor of Common Sense a Texas-based Democratic Web log. He can be reached at nate_nance@yahoo.com.

Slam Coulter for Her Anti-American Hatred

By Andrew Dobbs

You know, I was just about to go to bed, finally get some much needed rest when I had to peruse the blogs and I ended up seeing this:

In a column posted on the conservative Heritage Foundation's Web site, Fox News contributor and White House ally Ann Coulter unleashed an attack on Cleland's service to his country, claiming that the triple amputee/decorated war hero displayed "no bravery" in Vietnam. The politically motivated assault came after Cleland appeared at events critical of the Administration, once again showing the conservatives pattern of impugning the patriotism of those who question their policy. It comes just after President Bush himself nominated Cleland to the Export-Import Bank and after Bush called Cleland "a good Democratic senator out of Georgia." (...)

SAYING AN AMPUTEE VET 'DIDN'T GIVE LIMBS FOR HIS COUNTRY': Coulter wrote, "Cleland didn't give his limbs for his country or leave them on the battlefield" because she says he lost his limbs in a "routine, noncombat mission where he was about to drink beer with his friends." But as the 8/1/99 Esquire Magazine notes, Cleland lost two legs and an arm in Vietnam when a grenade accidentally detonated after he and another soldier jumped off a helicopter in a combat zone.

SAYING A SILVER STAR WINNER IS NOT A "WAR HERO": Coulter said people "should stop allowing [Cleland to be] portrayed as a war hero" – despite the fact that, in a separate incident four days before he lost three limbs, Cleland won a Silver Star - one of the highest honors for combat courage the U.S. military gives out. The congressional citation which came with the medal specifically said that during a "heavy enemy rocket and mortar attack Captain Cleland, disregarding his own safety, exposed himself to the rocket barrage as he left his covered position to administer first aid to his wounded comrades. He then assisted in moving the injured personnel to covered positions." The citation concluded, "Cleland's gallant action is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service, and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army."

SAYING CLELAND WAS "LUCKY" TO HAVE LIMBS BLOWN OFF: Coulter said, "Luckily for Cleland…he happened to [lose his limbs] while in Vietnam" and said that had he been injured "at Fort Dix rather than in Vietnam, he would never have been a U.S. Senator." Of course, Cleland probably would not have been dealing with live grenades and enemy fire in the save haven of Ft. Dix.

I can't remember being so angry at anything in a long time. A man is awarded medals for his bravery in combat and during that fight- a fight no one wanted a part of but that thousands of brave men fought because they loved their country- he lost three of his limbs. And then some empty headed, evil minded, slut of a Republican like Ann Coulter has the gall to say that he was lucky, that he is not a hero, that he has shown no bravery. Well Ann Coulter can kiss my ass. It's time to demand some action.

You can contact Ann Coulter directly here, be sure to use small words- she isn't the brightest light in the box. Furthermore, be sure that you don't say anything patriotic- someone who hates America so much that they would sneer at a man that gave up his mobility, his limbs and nearly his life for this country might get upset.

You can email Fox News here and tell them how you feel about them putting someone like Ann Coulter on the air.

The thing is, we can't do anything too bad to her. She can say all of the anti-American, anti-soldier, hateful, malicious and untrue statements she wants to and there is little to nothing we can do about it. She has that right because thousands of Americans have given their lives for those rights and have answered the call to service with honor and dignity, not cowardice and conniving. Max Cleland is a great man, an honorable man of dignity- Ann Coulter owes him and all our veterans a huge apology for the vitriolic hatred she spews so she can be on TV more. Shame on her.

Alright Texas Dems, A call to Action!

By Byron LaMasters

I'll be in Austin this Saturday, will you? If any BOR readers or fellow bloggers will be in Austin for the rally, let me know! Most cities have buses taking people to the rally, so check with your local county party. I volunteered to phone bank for the Dallas County Democratic Party last night to help fill up some buses (more info here for you Dallasites out there).

Redistrcting Stops Here

By Andrew Dobbs

Hey kids, I know that I usually stick to Howard B. Dean stuff, but I figured I'd better weigh in on Tom DeLay's apparant allergy to representing the people of Texas. Move On is sending its members in Texas an email with the names and numbers of prominent Texas officials that could nail "The Hammer" on Redistricting. The end is near and any map passed, it doesn't matter if it makes all 32 districts solid Democrat (what an ugly map that would be...) because the conference committee will be stocked with DeLay's spineless ass-kissers and will end up kicking every white Democrat in Texas out of office. Call these people, have everyone you know who thinks that the crazy notion that cheating is wrong call these people. These calls works- they keep track of them and Senators listen to them. Here ya go:

Sen. Kenneth Armbrister D-Victoria
(512) 463-0118 (Capitol)
(361) 572-8061 (District)

Sen. Kip Averitt R-Waco
(512) 463-0122 (Capitol)
(254) 772-6225 (District)
(817) 326-1161 (District)

Sen. Robert Duncan R-Lubbock
(512) 463-0128 (Capitol)
(800) 322-9538 (Capitol-Toll Free)
(806) 762-1122 (District)
(915) 481-0028 (District)

Sen. Eddie Lucio D- Brownsville
(512) 463-0127 (Capitol)
(956) 548-0227 (District)
(956) 968-9927 (District)

Sen. Frank Madla D- San Antonio
(512) 463-0119 (Capitol)
(210) 927-9464 (District)

Sen. Bill Ratliff R-Mount Pleasant
(512) 463-0101 (Capitol)
(903) 572-1887 (District)

If we don't win, Texas loses. To the phones!

Doggett cosponsoring resolution in WMD investigation; MoveOn wants you to help!

By Jim Dallas

Hello Burnt readers.

Austin's congressman, Lloyd Doggett (D-Travis County) has signed on as a cosponsor of Rep. Henry Waxman's (D-Calif.) resolution calling for independent investigations of Bush administration claims about Iraqi WMDs and other (potentially bogus) justifications for invading Iraq.

Please help by getting your congresscritters aboard... here.

Thank you,

Jim.