Vengeance is Mine

This election has changed my priorities.

I would love to see George W. Bush led off in handcuffs after real investigations of his perfidy. But I am not willing to see an unqualified man in the White House to do it. Since I left the Democratic Party I've looked at the person running, not the letter after the name. It's not enough that we must have a Democrat in the White House.

On Iraq, I was against the war, thought it was a bad idea. So did lots of people. Unfortunately we can't go back. We're there. Is it more important to prove George Bush wrong or to have some semblance of a win? No matter what, George Bush was wrong. He will not be vindicated. Lies to get us in, impossibly poor planning by Rumsfeld, Abu Ghraib will not be forgotten. But it seems that some of us believe it's more important to have vengeance than to support our country. If Bush had listened to Joe Biden or John McCain there would be significantly fewer families, both American and Iraqi, mourning. He didn't. The question is what do we do now? Once again, I don't trust an unqualified man who puts himself first to do the right thing.

Anyone who is reading our blog loathes Bush. Don't get me started about Cheney, Rumsfeld or Gonzalez. But I won't allow my disdain for them to blind me.

Do I think John McCain will be a stellar President? No. I believe he will be more of a place holder, a caretaker and a first do no harm President and most importantly a one term President. I'm not concerned about Roe V Wade. One, because if the Democrats have the majority they better be able to block any unacceptable judges. Two, because for the most part Right Wingers don't really care about Roe V Wade except as a way to get out the vote. Do you really think they want to be responsible and accountable for voting yea or nay? It's much easier to say, "My hands are tied! It's the law." And then have it both ways.

I admire John McCain for his service to our country. He has two major bills where his name is included with the most liberal men in the Senate - McCain/Feingold and McCain/Kennedy. Senator Obama is supposed to be post-partisan, you know, bringing all sides together but there is no proof of that. McCain at least has a record of working across the aisle and of putting the country first. McCain Feingold didn't win him any love with the Republicans. But he did it anyway.

Neither would be my first choice to lead this country. Then again, when is the last time you voted for the guy who was? 1996 and 2000 for me. (In 1992 Bill Clinton was not my first choice but I got on board and am glad I did.) For most of us Bill Clinton is the only guy we've ever voted for who won.

But Vengeance is not going to be my rationale for voting this year when I hold my nose and pull the lever.