Other Columns by Doug Patton
Doug Patton Bio

Printer-Friendly Version

As an informed American, you probably believe that Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine delivered the Democrat response to George Bush's State of the Union speech. Nothing could be further from the truth. Kaine's televised reply was smoke and mirrors designed to delude the public into believing that the Democratic Party is a reasonable organization committed to mainstream American values. The real Democrat response came before and during the president's constitutionally mandated address to Congress and the nation, and that response reflects a hate of the union more than a state of the union.

Before the speech, a group of congressional misfits calling themselves "The Progressive Caucus" staged their own "Alternative State of the Union." Its stated agenda reflects the same tired socialist policies that have characterized leftist ideology for decades, and its participants are the looniest elected officials the left apparently has to offer. From Maxine Waters to Dennis Kucinich to Lynn Woolsey to Jim McDermott, this group of House members reflects the far left fringe of American politics. Still, nearly one third of Dems in the House of Representatives -- 62 of them -- are now members of this group.

Among the Progressive Caucus' stated priorities: a speedy withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq; universal health care coverage; public financing of political campaigns; earned amnesty for illegal immigrants; debt relief for countries struggling with poverty or disease; a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

In other words, socialize medicine, hug a tree and trust our sworn enemies to do the right thing.

Anyone who thinks this crowd doesn't represent the Michael Moore crazy wing of the party is gazing at the political landscape from the Hugo Chavez/Fidel Castro end of the spectrum. Even the left-leaning mainstream media ignored their little gathering. The only outlets that deemed the event worthy of coverage were Air America (the Al Franken/Janeane Garofalo radio network with six stations and almost as many listeners) and a few Pacifica public radio stations.

Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor and publisher of "The Nation," made a frightening but true statement.

"If Democrats retake the House, ten members of the Progressive Caucus would be become chairmen of committees," vanden Heuvel told the assembled faithful.

When Cindy Sheehan showed up to add her enlightened view of foreign policy to the milieu, Lynn Woolsey gave her a ticket to the president's speech, which led to poor deluded Cindy being arrested for protesting the war from the gallery by displaying a T-shirt with the current American troop body count.

Democrat reaction in the hall during the speech was nearly as bad. As the president outlined his concerns for the future of the nation, some of their response was just plain boorish.

When the president spoke proudly of his two Supreme Court appointees, Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito, Democrats exhibited rude silence.

>> Continued -- Page 1 2