Democracy Loses…Again
by DoubleSpeak contributor Philip Elwood

de·moc·ra·cy (d-mkr-s)

1. Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.
2. A political or social unit that has such a government.
3. The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.
4. Majority rule.
5. The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.

One of my primary complaints about the current state of politics is that most of our elected officials would rather betray the founding principles of this country than read them. The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights have all been ignored. Senators stand in the Senate well, while House members insert their voting cards to pass crazy legislation that would make our founding fathers roll over in their graves. But the definition of “democracy,” I assumed, they all at least knew.

Not Joe Lieberman. There are five articulations of the definition above. Joe missed them all. Government by the people indicates that the ultimate arbiter who governs belongs to the people; those folks said no to Joe. A political unit that has such a government is referring to the party within the structure; they said no to Joe. Next, The common people, considered as the primary source of political power; Joe’s disdain for this apparent from his non-concession-concession speech, in which he indicated that even though his party did not chose him to run, he knew better than them and would fight on. So apparently, it is Joe’s ego that is the greatest social power, not the common people. The forth articulation, Majority rule. 52-48. I think that number says enough. And finally, the principles of social equality and respect for the individual. It would appear that Mr. Lieberman neither respects social equality nor the individuals within the communities he represents; the Democratic Party, the State of Connecticut, his colleagues in the Senate, or the voting population of the country. Joe has simply lost his class.

One final note, Cynthia McKinney is crazy. But, at least she has the decency to concede her loss. Lieberman doesn’t. What do you do when a Representative who hit a cop in the U.S. Capitol has more class than you do? Keep fighting or move on? I’d say, move on Joe, it’s Ned’s turn.