Since the Democrats arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina for their National Convention, the word on the street is that crow has been the most often served on the menu.
And, for all that you may have thought that Sen. John Kerry was so "yesterday's news," his influence on the Democrats must be far greater than one might think. There seems to be a whole lot of being "for it, before I was against it" going around.
For example, remember when Mayor Cory Booker said Obama's vicious attacks on Mitt Romney were "nauseating" – until he was taken to the Oval Office woodshed for a sudden change of mind.
And, just last Sunday Gov. Martin O'Malley admitted to CBS News that, "No, we're not better off" than we were four years ago – until his memory was "refreshed" by the likes of David Axelrod.
But, the big switcheroo came today after the embarrassing explosion of criticism the Democrats received for striping a reference to God and Pro-Israel statements from the official party platform released late Monday night.
On hurriedly arranged floor action, amendments to reinstate the prior language were offered. Convention Chairman Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles, awkwardly called for a voice vote three separate times before finally gaveling the motion passed. Watch the proceedings on the video link below and see that the delegate hall erupted in "boos and howls" – further evidence of where the soul of the Democrat Party is these days, and that the platform deletions were no accident.
Obama even got in on the Israel policy reversal action and ate a plate full of crow, too. Well into Wednesday afternoon Democrat officials were defending the revised platform as reflecting Obama's policy positions including the Administration's established unwillingness to support Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. But, after the firestorm erupted in Charlotte, the President personally intervened and changed course.
Which leaves one to wonder, should Obama win a second term, which position he would take – the one he had yesterday, or today's version, or some other option? As he told Russian President Medvedev, he looked forward to the "flexibility" he'd have after the election.
Booker and O'Malley undoubtedly gave honest and candid answers, but in the party that supposedly champions diversity there apparently isn't room for anyone to stray from the company line. Both men caved and immediately reversed course to get in line with the Obama campaign.
Some would call that "campaign discipline" – others would recognize Chicago-style bare-knuckled intimidation.
The Convention Platform Committee is loaded with Obama campaign staff, surrogates, and supporters including the Platform Chairman Ted Strickland, former Governor and Congressman from Ohio. It was no accident, no over-sight that God and Israel got tossed aside in the original platform draft.
It is tempting to just snicker at the fumbling and ineptness of the Democrats and let these events pass by relatively unnoticed. But, there are a bigger issues here; issues of trust, of honesty, and principle.
What are we and our great ally, Israel, to believe? Is even God to be casually picked up or cast aside with just a whim for political purposes? What will this President and this Party say and do just to get elected? More importantly, what will they do if given another term? I hope America doesn't have to find out.
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