yeah, that means you biden. that means you dodd. that means every democrat on the committee who doesn't have the last name "boxer" or "kerry."
if you're name is barbara boxer or if you're name is john kerry, you can hold your head high. you can know you served democracy and stood and were counted while the cowards ... well, cowered.
these are the ones who are going to lead us? when they can't even stand on their own?
i think they've confused "loser" with "leader."
after this vote and the ohio one, barbara boxer could probably run for president and raise a healthy war chest. on the ferry ride back this evening, that's all i heard: "barbara boxer" this,
"barbara boxer" that.
now i'm not saying some didn't gripe. boxer is scarying the hell out of some republicans. it's called power and she's got it.
but more importantly, she's got people talking about her "leadership," her "guts," her "strength," her "directness," her "standing tall."
i'm sure people knew of barbara boxer before this month, but she is the topic of month. if capitol hill published a hot list, boxer would be at the top because her name is everyone's lips.
it's power. people know her. she's stood out from the crowd and she's building a following.
there's an enthusiasm for her like no one in the party.
hillary clinton better find a spine quick or watch her presidential hopes in 2008 fade away.
there is so much excitement around her right now. people are watching her, people are paying attention.
and let's note john kerry because the easy thing to do (as so many of his fellow senators demonstrated) would be to just go along.
a lot of people are still hurt that he didn't demand every vote was counted. but a vote like today goes a long way in demonstrating that he can stand up.
2 people on the ferry were noting how happily surprised they were by his vote against condi rice.
kerry wasn't there for the ohio vote but other people were. that they saw boxer standing after it was over should have damn well told them it was time to start taking stands and stop being little cowards. they didn't learn the lesson.
but the common ills was saying back then something like 'today we got 1, next time maybe we'll get 2.' we got 2 today. maybe next time we can get 3?
this is how movements are started, this is how the party is rallied. by giving us something to believe in.
by not just going through the motions and being a "good sport" but by staking your ground and taking a stand.
i hope kerry and boxer are flooded with e-mails. i hope when they walk around the senate, they're rushed by groupies. i hope hillary sulks in silence. feeling like the heavy eyebrowed gal she was in high school -- "oh look a party, and . . . i'm not invited."
get used to watching from the outside, hillary, until you're ready to become the fighter you used to be.
1 vote last time, 2 this time. and it wasn't even the full vote of the senate, just the committee.
we can rally, we can make a difference.
and barbara boxer is showing real leadership.
joe biden, you start off so great, then all the sudden you're that guy i had a fling with -- 1 thrust patrick. 1 thrust and it was over. i'm lying there thinking, 'what the fuck was that?' he's all sweaty and smiley and waiting to be praised.
1 thrust biden. that's what i'm going to call you until you start learning to take a stand for more than a second.
you blew your wad in the questioning and then you were too exhausted to stand and be counted when it was time to vote.
we had 2 senators show leadership today: barbara boxer and john kerry. may they be showered with the kind of attention reserved for rock stars because those two rocked the house, er senate, today.
your efforts are noted. you showed the leadership the party has been lacking.
if the party is going to turn it around in 2006, it's going to need to show some guts, show some courage and show some leadership. 2 today.
u can see it as we added 1 today. or, if you're an optimistic fool like me, you can see it as we doubled the vote. so maybe we can hope for four leaders on the next vote.
yellow streaks seem to spread easily. is it too much hope that real leadership could spread as well?
the blog title is from tori amos. 'caught a lite sneeze.' 'boys on my right side, boys on my left side, boys in the middle and you're not here.'
let's hope boxer and kerry are infectious and that they spread their courage around. if we could have a pandemic of courage in the senate, we could take the country back. let's hope this is a sign of hope and not a sign that boxer and kerry will be the only 1s standing up all year.
