It is not surprising that the peace and justice “movement” “community” or whatever the self-appointed spokespersons of all things pure and “anti-war” wish to call themselves this week immediately abandoned Keith Ellison when he made his vote in favor of the Democratic sponsored House bill to fund the war while setting certain restrictions on the war’s conduct including a timetable for withdrawal.
For this abandonment, Ellison is partly to blame. He foolishly made promises that he would not keep, and some in the anti-war movement understandably feel that Keith out and out snookered them to get elected.
It was never my personal expectation that Ellison would not “play politics” in Congress. I voted for him in part because he can make the distinction between conviction, strategy, and tactics. I have always expected that he would do some things that would irritate, if not down right gall, me. I also have put some faith in him to do what he thinks is effective when considering his convictions (genuinely leftist), a strategic goal (end the war) and the tactics to achieve that goal.
At least he made a statement about his vote that was clear. Not even St. Paul (Wellstone) could always manage that when he “sold out.”
Local peace activist Charley Underwood took it upon his great paternalistic self to “apologize” for Ellison’s vote while claiming that the peace community provided “the very backbone of his campaign,” which is news to those active on other important issues who are war opponents but not part of the peace vigil club. Underwood further condescends to claim that Ellison, a man of formidable intellectual ability, was “duped” in making this vote.
Geez, give the man some credit, Charley. He knew perfectly well what he was doing. Disagree with him, judge him harshly, but don’t act like he’s a kid led into trouble by his disreputable friends.
On the other hand, please don’t go the route of Michael Cavlan, who quotes chants from an anti-war rally to prove his point that Ellison “sold out” and yet tells us unsophisticated yobs that “protests are a waste of time.” Cavlan is an impassioned defender of Dean Zimmermann, who literally “sold out” to a Republican developer but did so apparently with the best of intentions and lefty street cred for being in the right places at the right times.
We will see where Keith Ellison stands soon enough, but this self-righteous blather and foam about his vote is pointless if our goal is peace and justice. If our goal is to determine who is the most pure of heart, then, by all means, let’s continue this conversation. . .
. . . while right-wing ideologues get to hold quasi-religious investitures when they are appointed to powerful positions by our simian king. KSTP has extensive coverage available on Rachel Paulose’s recent “coronation” as the local U.S. attorney at the St. Thomas Law School. Of particular interest is the full interview with Paulose, who in it drips of smug privilege and emerges as a point person in the religious right’s continuing assault on all facets of government. A little web surfing confirms her fundamentalist politics–she’s a favorite of Powerline blogger Scott Johnson who brags of his membership in the Claremont Institute; she’s a member of the Federalist Society, and she’s on a mission from God. Yet, the “left” can’t be bothered.
This war should never have happened–those who protested the war before its start in 2003 were right on every single point that we made in the run up to the war.
And we are still right.
That includes Keith Ellison, and while his vote is troubling, it is not the end of the story. The next year will be a time of epic legislative struggle; Ellison will have ample opportunity to demonstrate his true convictions or a true propensity to sell out.
Equally troubling is the willingness of certain local peace activists to ignore the the religious right’s bid to take over civil society while publicly chastising Ellison and declaring their moral superiority, using a single house vote to pass final judgment on their anti-war ally and declare him lost from the flock.
To them I say–to paraphrase Margo Channing–fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride. Hold Ellison accountable, but don’t throw him under the green bus because we hit a speed bump.
–Loosestrife
Original post by Loosestrife
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