The Democrats are poised to take over the majority in the House and Senate, but these are not the Democrats of FDR or JFK. Most Democrats in Congress are far more liberal than they were in past years. Henry "Scoop" Jackson and Zell Miller, a couple of well-respected conservative Democratic senators, would never be able to get the support of their party brokers if they were running today. Joe Lieberman, an 18-year veteran in the Senate with a 90 percent liberal voting record, was sent packing because his position on the Iraq war was not acceptable to the far left.
There are many more indications of how far to the left the Democrats have gone. Moveon.org started a campaign to get rid of Rep. Stenny Hoyer because he voted for bankruptcy reform. A poll taken by "progressive" talk radio host Ed Schultz showed that 69 percent of the voters thought our government was responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks. Billionaire George Soros funds numerous fringe groups that most Americans find offensive.
Thousands of liberal college professors preach anti-American, far-left rhetoric to impressionable, young students. Leftist groups on campus shout down and sometimes physically attack conservative speakers.
Democratic senators have grilled, demonized and filibustered many well-qualified Bush-appointed judges. They would prefer judges such as the Carter-appointed Anne Diggs-Taylor who is consumed by liberalism, political correctness and affirmative action. Diggs-Taylor is the judge who ruled that the NSA surveillance program is unconstitutional because it violates the free speech and privacy rights of terrorists.
Three-quarters of the House Democrats stood with ACLU in voting for kinder and gentler treatment for al-Qaida detainees. In the Senate, the Democrats were united in opposing any form of coerced interrogation that might be useful in obtaining information to thwart future attacks. Ted Kennedy had a poster with a list of unacceptable interrogation techniques, including barking dogs. As Ann Coulter would say, "We wouldn't want to frighten their precious darlings." Many liberals have a hard time even using the word terrorist, unless they are referring to Tim McVeigh.
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Many Democrats say they want tighter border security, but they don't like the Minutemen and don't want a fence. Of the 19 senators who voted against the 700-mile fence (Kennedy refused to vote), liberal Lincoln Chafee was the only Republican. There are indications that if Democrats become the majority in Congress, the fence may not be funded and amnesty will become a top priority.
Probably the most warped view from the left is that leaking sensitive national security secrets to newspapers is patriotic rather than treasonous.
Hann lives in Fargo.
