Quote of the Week
Katrina vanden Heuvel
The Nation: July 27, 2009
'The danger is that promoting the view that these conservative Democrats are
somehow at the center of our politics plays into the hands of those who
would like to marginalize progressives as far outside of the mainstream.
(And I have no doubt K Street is advising Republicans to onstantly refer to
their Democratic allies as "moderate" and "centrist".) It also misrepresents
what most Americans want from the government in these times.
'As Drew Westen, professor of psychology at Emory University, founder of
Westen Strategies, and author of the invaluable The Political Brain, told
me: "The average American, according to all available data, has largely
moved slightly left of where it was in the Reagan years, and with changing
demographics, it will be far left of Reagan and Bush in twenty years. So to
call Democrats who are substantially right of the center of the electorate
(let alone of their party), like Heath Shuler, 'moderates,' is both to
misrepresent the center of political gravity in the general electorate and
in the Democratic Party."
'How we tell the story of this battle for health care reform matters and
will impact whether the battle is won or lost. So-called "centrists" are far
from the center of this debate. They are, in fact, out of touch and out of
the mainstream -- like the rest of their conservative brethren.'
***
From: zhelp@zcommunications.org
The Egyptian River Flows Through Washington
By Saul Landau
Landau's ZSpace: July 30, 2009
During mid July, the Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Judge Sonia
Sotomayor's qualifications for the Supreme Court. The Solon's oratory
focused on themes of some fictional world, not one threatened by global
warming and diving economies. Scientists regularly predict dire consequences
if current production and consumption practices continue, but southern
Republicans emphasized the country's "fundamental" issues: the rights to own
guns and numchuks, plus the sins of abortion, affirmative action and
liberal-activist judges who allow "foreign law" to stain our judicial
system.
Simultaneously, news of record June foreclosures and higher unemployment
competed with stories of three self-righteous, high-level, elected
Christians who practiced the very sins against which they had preached.
Why was this news -- again? Marital infidelity -- the usual sexual hanky
panky -- led reporters to "discover" dozens of Members of both Houses
belonged to or lived inside a "Christian" cult house on Capitol Hill. South
Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, Nevada Senator John Ensign and former
Mississippi Congressman Chip Pickering partook of the spiritual guidance of
fellow legislative residents and dramatic preachers at this religious prayer
center. The emerging details should cause the public to question the
sanity -- or inanity -- of part of its governing class.
The sexual sinners fell from their self-constructed state of grace into the
garbage or gossip pile. Their actions and words symbolized the banality of
politics in the era of imperial denial. They dallied with "other" women;
then engaged in burlesque cover ups of their indiscretions. Having given
hypocrisy a bad name -- again -- the sinners then implicated The Fellowship,
the secret sect that housed these A-type religious narcissists.
Before getting elected governor, Sanford had served three terms in the House
(1995 to 2001) and linked himself to the C Street Bible study group. A
mysterious foundation, The Fellowship, runs the place and also sponsors the
yearly National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, formally owned by Youth With
A Mission and valued at $1.8 million. (WORLD Magazine June 26, 2009)
The legislators followed the unusual Christian doctrine of Pastor Doug Coe,
whose son David guided John Ensign through the cover-up of his affair. Doug
told reporter Jeff Sharlet the meaning of being "chosen for leadership like
King David was -- or Mark Sanford." For example: "Let's say I hear you raped
three little girls." This question would be asked of a young man who'd put
himself, body and soul, under the Family's authority. "What would I think of
you?"
Like most people, the man guessed Coe would think he was a monster. "No,"
answered Coe, "Because," wrote Sharlet, "as a member of the Family, he's
among what Family leaders refer to as the 'new chosen'." Pastor Doug,
David's father, leaked an even more important secret. The Supreme One had
revealed to him in the 1960s, that He had chosen selected individuals to
live in the C Street house. Doug Coe led The Family fellowship going back to
the mid '60s. "I knew Coe when I was part of The Family. He explained what
it means to be a chosen politician. (Salon.com, July 22, 2009. In 2002, Jeff
Sharlet lived in The Family's house.)
These chosen ones, albeit mere mortals - for those who haven't slept with
them -- might not have discerned their Divine mission, based on their higher
spiritual values. So, Coe and his preacher sons, having determined their
elite status in private conversations with God, began to coach the powerful
in the proper methods of running the country -- and maybe the world. At any
given time, eight members of the Senate and House have resided at the C
Street Center where they sleep, pray, and eat for a mere $600 a month. (Does
this indicate that the residents are also cheapskates?) Other Members
visited regularly to pray and seek spiritual guidance.
Coe's -- a modern Elmer Gantry? -- mysterious Bible study residence had
Christian politicians praying, extolling fundamental principles and the Ten
Commandments and then screwing around; after which they discussed their
extramarital affairs.
The disgraced pols lied and covered up their affairs while continuing to
preach traditional family values for everyone else; especially Bill Clinton.
"I did not have sex with that woman," Clinton swore, referring to Monica
Lewinsky. He didn't finish the thought. "All I did was stick my dick in her
mouth."
Sanford and Ensign weren't only "playing around." They had sex with "those
women," or else they might have repeated Clinton's quaint denial. Indeed,
months before the affairs became news, they confessed infidelity to C Street
House buddies. The devout comrades tried to help the lusty hypocrites to
"resolve their extramarital relationships." In group counseling, following
proper Christian ways, the sinners could repent in biblical fashion: lying,
bribing and finessing. Some would say the dalliers thought they had gotten
"lucky," but instead got hoisted -- not literally, unfortunately -- on their
own petards.
Ensign boinked his aide, Cynthia Hampton, until it reached the point where
lust got out of hand -- or wherever -- and cult members interceded. Doug
Hampton, Cynthia's husband and also an Ensign aide, confronted the
Christians at the C Street House. Given the possibility of major scandal --
which God strongly disapproves of, but cannot for some reason control as He
does the weather -- Fellowship leader Coe's sons, David and Tim, joined C
Street roommate Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) to confront Ensign. They
"resolved" the affair by convincing him to send a Dear Jane letter to
Cynthia.
Tim Coe drove Ensign to FedEx with the letter, which also promised Ensign's
wealthy parents would pay $96,000 in "shut your mouth honey" money to the
Hampton family -- anything to keep a family together. After sending the
letter, Ensign clearly felt horny, called his sweetheart and told her to
disregard the content of the letter she would receive.
Sanford's middle age lust also led him to the woman of his hot dreams. An
Argentine siren lured him south to engage his libido. As he trysted with the
dark-eyed se?ta, he also tried to cover up his dangerous liaison with an
Appalachian-trail hike lie.
Until the "news" broke, he and Ensign were reputedly Republican
front-runners for the 2012 presidential race. What a tragedy for the Nation
and disappointment for the Supreme Being that they blew their chances for
gaining the highest office, just because the public learned they failed to
practice what they preached. What disgrace for The Fellowship to have its
members burned by the light of sensational publicity.
Another powerful C House resident for seven years, Senator Jim DeMint,
Sanford's fellow South Carolinian, quoted God: "'We are salt and light.'"
DeMint meant "there are people of faith who have been sprinkled in
Washington, D.C." Among these scattered flakes DeMint counts the Health
Insurance lobby that contributed $3 million to his campaign coffers over the
past four years. For DeMint, this kind of private sector influence
represents God's will. Obama, on the other hand, by offering
government-backed health care, has engaged in socialistic sin, the Devil's
domain. C Street House members know the secret eleventh commandment in which
God blessed private enterprise and outlawed sinful government run programs.
Faith -- and millions of dollars -- drove pious Solons to deliver God's
message at the Sotomayor hearings: own guns and numchucks, deny global
warming, rail against abortion, affirmative action, foreign law and
(liberal) activist judges. Group members Coburn and Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN)
shared not only values but millions of dollars contributed to their coffers
by gun lobbyists and anti-regulators from other industries: God's agents.
In a time of economic and environmental crises, the fundamentalist hold on
some of the powerful appears as dark comedy. Right wing preachers Pat
Robertson and Jerry Falwell once explained how God punished New Orleans --
modern Sodom -- with Hurricane Katrina for allowing homosexuals to practice
immoral behavior.
Some Democrats also belong to this cult. Coincidentally, powerful lobbies
have also purchased their allegiance (or faith), making it difficult to pass
the health bill. One surprise Democrat also flirted with The Family. Hillary
Clinton called Coe, "a genuinely loving spiritual mentor . . . a source of
strength and friendship." In her autobiography, Clinton was in the midst of
fighting off right wing Republicans' demands for Whitewater investigations
and impeachment hearings. She nevertheless prayed with members of that "vast
right-wing conspiracy."
Doug Coe accompanied Mrs. Clinton as a member of the U.S. delegation that
attended Mother Theresa's state funeral in Calcutta in 1997. Mother Theresa
spoke to Coe's National Prayer Breakfast meeting in Washington in 1994.
Thus far, no leading Democrat has demanded that some fellow legislators
remove their heads from their nether crevices, forget numchuk ownership and
face the imminent dangers to the country and planet. Or must we wait for
Him -- or Her?
Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD
( roundworldproductions@gmail.com This e-mail address is protected from
spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).
From: Z Net - The Spirit Of Resistance Lives
http://www.zcommunications.org/zspace/commentaries/3938
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