The Firewall

The Republicans have built a firewall. It extends from Virginia, to Tennessee, to Missouri. It winds along the border between the northeast/midwest blue states and the southern red states. And this is the front where the war between progressive and regressive politics is being fought in the fall of 2006.

All we have to do is look at the candidates to see the stark contrasts between these two ideals.

Let’s start in Virginia:

Allen_webb

The racist privileged son of a former NFL football coach against a decorated vietman vet, former Secretary of the Navy James Webb, who has opposed the Iraq war from day one and yet watched his son go to Iraq and did nothing to stop him (although he clearly could have) because of his sense of duty, honor, and country. How is this even close?

Now let’s look at Tennessee:

Ford_corker

A wealthy real estate investor who continued to do real estate business while he was mayor of Chattanooga (raising considerable questions about his ethics) against the son of a prominent Memphis african american family, Harold Ford Jr, who, if elected, would become the first popularly elected african american Senator from the south in United States history.

Now let’s finish with Missouri:

Talent_mccaskill

A beneficiary of Abramoff and DeLay who has raised almost $20mm to date is in a dead heat with a former prosecutor and state treasurer who has raised less than $5mm to date. Why, because Claire is a tough pragmatic honest woman who mixes midwest values with progressive instincts. I’ve given all I can to Claire, but wish I could give more.

Vietman vets, african americans, and mothers against the established white country club boys club.

I sure hope we break this firewall. Because if we don’t I am going to be sick with disgust.

#Politics