Sheehan vs. Goliath

Sheehan vs. Goliath

There are a lot of questions popping up with regard to the campaign for California’s 8th congressional district. Maybe the biggest question is: does loyalty to the Democratic Party and its candidates mean overlooking one’s fundamental values? Are progressives willing to vote against their fundamental beliefs just because they feel they must vote democratic? Is San Francisco really a progressive city or another machine which sugar coats itself as a liberal, progressive city while playing the same old power and money games? San Francisco politicians are masters at public progressiveness while they continue the old political tradition of feathering their nests and those of their friends. It’s Cadillac liberalism at its best.

San Franciscans overwhelmingly say they are against the war in Iraq. Their congressperson, Nancy Pelosi, has delivered all the funding Bush has requested to continue this illegal and immoral war. San Franciscans overwhelming say they are against torture. Their congressperson, Nancy Pelosi, was apparently briefed in private on the nature of torturous interrogations done by the Bush administration but said and did nothing. San Franciscans are overwhelmingly in favor of impeachment of George W. Bush. Their congressperson, Nancy Pelosi, says that she herself has decided to take impeachment “off the table” and has refused to permit impeachment hearings even with full evidence available that Bush lied and deceived in order to lead our nation into a war that has cost thousand of American lives, billions of American dollars and the dislocation and loss of life of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives. She also spearheaded the politically unpopular $700 billion Wall Street bailout bill. Yet, given these serious differences between Nancy Pelosi and the citizens of San Francisco, she appears to be headed for reelection.

She has an opponent, Cindy Sheehan, whose son died in Iraq and who has taken up a leading role to confront George Bush and the whole war machine. You might say that she made Bush out to be a coward when he failed to meet her face to face when she went and camped out near his Texas ranch. She has supported efforts to impeach George Bush. She advocates national health care. She has one of the most progressive sets of policies for curing the social ills that beset our nation.

True, Sheehan does not have the money, clout and power of Nancy Pelosi. But have we as a people become so cynical that nothing really matters but money, clout and power? Americans have religiously reelected their incumbent congress people over the decades. For this reason, congress was controlled by a rabidly racist southern coalition of Democratic leaders who kept progressive civil rights laws “off the table” for over 100 years after the civil war. They were evil and rigidly racist but people elected them over and over – decade after decade. Nothing changed. Nothing changes when the spirit is cynical and self serving. But in the end this may lead to destruction. Eventually, the American people will have to look into the mirror and say, “we let this happen to ourselves because of our selfish and cynical beliefs.” It will not be a pleasant experience.

If the people worship power over the truth and what is right, the people are doomed to suffer the consequences. If people are only about money, power and willing to send our young people off to an illegal and immoral war, then their soul is dead. San Francisco has a chance to speak power to the world by telling it that Nancy Pelosi should have stood up to George Bush. Nancy Pelosi should have stopped George Bush and his shenanigans through the use of her office and position. She has failed the people in many, many ways. We need to send another Mr. Smith to Washington. We need a Mr. Smith in the form of Cindy Sheehan.