Clinton and Obama Ignore the Southwick Dogwhistle

First, a note to our stupid Senators: Movement Conservatives hate liberals and everything liberals stand for. There is no middle ground to be found with Movement Conservatives. A compromise-minded Senator can only temper the speed at which Movement Conservatives fight to turn back the clock to before the 20th Century. Back to before unions, before civil rights legislation, before the women's rights movement, before international cooperation, a time of monopolies, child labor, wage slavery. The bad old days. They want it back.

They call the struggle to get it back a "culture war." They are fighting it in a very real way. They curse and damn the culture of liberals including nearly all intellectualism. In this war there are coded symbols designed to only be noticed by friendly troops. Dog-whistles.

Why would California Governor Ronald Reagan announce his candidacy for the White House in 1980 from a tiny town in Mississippi? Well, it was the same little town where three civil rights workers were murdered in one of the 1960s' ugliest cases of racist violence.

A Californian saying he supported 'states rights' in that town was a ringing declaration of his support for resistance to black advances... this was clearly understood by white Southern voters. "States' rights" = dog whistle politics.

In this war, they also fight to establish legal precedents that nullify a century of progress. They fight to remake the courts into places that protect big business sued for poisoning people against the complaints of the poisoned people.

Another battle in the war movement conservatives have waged to radically remake the federal judiciary into the court of 1888 was won last week and it happened because of the acquiescence of the Senate Majority Leader and the rank cowardice of both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Dixie Dianne’s betrayal, her decision to send Judge Southwick out of Judiciary Committee and give him and up or down vote on the full floor provided the Democratic frontrunners in the Presidential contest an opportunity to prove their progressive guts on court issues or reveal their politically expedient treachery.

If the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee or the Majority Leader had green lighted a filibuster, it would have happened. As titular heads of the party, Hillary and Barack had the power to force a filibuster.

They could have put up an aggressive fight and made several lengthy statements on the floor and to the media that make it clear that their opposition was not merely for show; and their active and visible participation in floor strategy that kills this nomination would be leadership even if "Leader" Harry Reid craps out.

Of course Reid crapped out. And no, Hillary and Obama did not fight. They issued obligatory statements of opposition on their respective websites but neither made much effort. Even former Senate Judiciary Chairman Joe Biden, who killed the Supreme Court nomination of Robert Bork, took a pass.

No matter what test of progressive political fortitude is given on judiciary matters, Hillary and Obama will fail it with flying colors. Hillary and Obama made a big statement last week about what they really stand for: getting elected President and acquiescing to white supremacy.