Pelosi Win Not A Progressive Victory (by Stephen Zunes)

Michael Pugliese debsian at pacbell.net
Mon Nov 11 15:29:12 PST 2002


Rep. Bob Filner, a left Democrat (I remember an op-ed he wrote for In These Times a few yrs. ago http://www.house.gov/filner/biography.htm >"...While in college, Bob became active in the struggle for civil rights. In 1961, he joined the first Freedom Rides and was arrested and imprisoned for several months in Mississippi."...and could have killed by this neo-Nazi nut, Alex Curtis, a follower of Tom Metzger, http://www.google.com/search?q=Filner+alex+curtis ) is from a district near San Diego with all its military bases and retirees is,far from a progressive bastion, certainly meets the Perelman criterion of being in front of his constituents.

Not pure enough for these peace activists though! http://lists.quantumimagery.com/pipermail/sdcpj/2002-June/000103.html [SDCPJ][Fwd: Should Anti-War Activists Flirt with Bob Filner?]
>...This is a response to a report recently sent out over the Peace Resource
Center's listserve that details a meeting between members of the San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice and Congressman Bob Filner:<br> <br> People who are against the so-called &quot;War on Terror&quot; and the agenda of the Bush administration should harbor no illusions that Filner is on our side.&nbsp; Despite his wry smile, his willingness to discuss issues with activists, and his occasional appearances at events organized by progressives, this man is as important a part of the war machine as any other.&nbsp; The reason?&nbsp; He tries to give a liberal gloss to imperialism, and sweep with him anti-war activists looking to gain respectability by appealing to society's powerful.<br> <br> If he in any way implied that he is against the war at this meeting he is simply lying.&nbsp; Look at his website, particularly the main page: <a href="http://www.house.gov/filner/" eudora="autourl">http://www.house.gov/filner/</a>.&nbsp; On it he writes, &quot;In the face of our national crisis, there is nothing more important than standing together and speaking with one voice. I join every American in supporting the President's efforts to defeat terrorism, once and for all...In times like these, there are no Democrats or Republicans. There are only Americans.&quot;&nbsp; The overwhelming message here is that there is only one agenda that we can pursue: the Bush Agenda.&nbsp; Fall in line.&nbsp; You thought Clinton obliterated any remaining distinction between Democrats and Republicans.&nbsp; <br> <br> Even his statements regarding the protection of civil liberties are completely toothless because if Ashcroft et al move to destroy them, then we must fall in behind them.&nbsp; He takes real concerns of people like us, says that he feels our pain, and then scuttles them.&nbsp; This is the kind of brazen opportunism that we should be on our guard against.<br> <br> Filner, like every other politician, knows the truth about this war.&nbsp; It is not a war against terrorism.&nbsp; This is not about keeping the world safe from Osama bin Laden.&nbsp; This is a war to consolidate the power of American Imperialism on every corner of the globe.&nbsp; It is a war to destroy insurgent (and often progressive) movements that challenge US corporate and economic power.&nbsp; It is a war to ensure the US's overwhelming superiority to rising global powers in Europe and Asia by capturing and controlling the oil resources they depend on.&nbsp; It is a war to ensure the dominance of American industry and to safeguard corporate profits in unstable areas.<br> <br> As part of the machine, Filner cannot distance himself too far from these objectives.&nbsp; The twisted logic of world imperialism compels him, however liberal his instincts, to support the most violent and oppressive policies.&nbsp; We should not commend him for pressuring Bush to provide humanitarian aid to Afghans whose lives were destroyed by the war that he champions.<br> <br> This is not to say, as our movement grows and liberals start to try to suck up to us, that we may not be able to use Filner in the future to build our events bigger.&nbsp; The trick is not to be a sucker.&nbsp; Never sacrifice your politics simply to have him involved.&nbsp; Never forget that he is a scumbag opportunist.&nbsp; Far better that we use him to promote our agenda than he use us to promote his.<br> <br> Everything in the report indicates that Filner does not take us seriously at all.&nbsp; He throws a bone to the pro-Palestine demonstrations, and then recommends that we go stick our heads in the sand.&nbsp; I feel your pain, yaddie, yaddie, fill out these forms and then go take a long walk off a short plank.<br> <br> This is not an ally.&nbsp; This is the smiling face of our enemy.<br> <br> Chuck Stemke<br> International Socialist Organization<br>

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0925-10.htm
>...Ari & I
White House Press Briefing with Ari Fleischer: Wednesday, September 25, 2002 12:30 PM by Russell Mokhiber

Mokhiber: Ari, yesterday on C-Span http://commondreams.org/headlines02/0925-09.htm , Congressman (Bob) Filner and Congress (Joe) Wilson got into it on the war in Iraq. Congressman Filner said that Saddam Hussein, during the Iran/Iraq war, obtained biological and chemical weapons technology from the United States. Congressman Wilson then accused Filner of hating America and being viscerally anti-American. I'm wondering if you believe that people who oppose this war are in any sense anti-American or hate America.

Another example of Democratic Party leadership being more to the Left than in Sam Rayburn's day is Jackie Goldberg in the Ca. legislature. She was a leader in the Berkeley FSM.

That said, after every election cycle, I get more and more de-convinced of the Harrington/Shactman "realignment" thesis. AND, with the Ed McGaa GPUSA run and noises I heard that East Bay 9th CD Greens were going to run against Barbara Lee (!!!) incredulous at too many Greens inability to think strategically. Harumph. Michael Pugliese



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