Robert Kuttner of the American Prospect writes
a warning to President Bush. He suggests that the Democrats, overwhelmingly anti-war but politely restrained until election day, will now somehow let loose with Vietnam-like fervor. I doubt it.

The problem this year is that the left buried its ideology in a trunk so that nobody could see the terrible liberal things they really believed in, such as equal access to marriage rights, universal access to healthcare, and safe access to abortion.

95 percent of the delegates at the DNC opposed the war in Iraq. So they nominated a Senator who voted for the war. 75 percent of the delegates at the DNC support marriage rights for gays and lesbians. So they nominated a Senator who opposes marriage rights for gays and lesbians.

Iowans were terrified of nominating Dean because they felt he was too radical, and therefore unelectable. But don't forget the excitement and energy that Dean brought to the race. Why can't Democrats understand that what excites them will excite the American people too?

No, we may not have won the election with Dean this year, but we would have faught hard and stayed true to our convictions. And our issues would have been given a national voice: we proudly support real change in education, health care, and civil rights. We don't want your corporate-run government sitting around with our bosses in secret meetings and arguing over the best way to screw us. We reject bloody, imperialist wars with no goal and no exit plan.

Dean could have gone to South Carolina and said, "Do you know why your state is consistently ranked dead last on education charts? It's not because gays are teaching in your public schools." He could have held study sessions on the flaws in No Child Left Behind and the moral decadence of not funding it.

We could have led movements to legalize same-sex marriage, provide a living wage for all Americans, embrace universal health care as a fundamental right. We didn't do any of that.

I suggest that it's John Kerry's fault--- more that George Bush's--- that we now have 11 states with constitutional amendments outlawing same-sex marriage. The left took a vacation in Pennsylvania, voter registration forms in hand, and we woke up in the morning with a world a little less tolerant and a little less hopeful, with no power to change it.

So I ask you, Democrats: ready to stop lying?

Mike Phillips, a friend and the former President of the NYU College Democrats has a fabulous piece on the recent frenzy of bias accusations in media and academia.

In other news: tonight the fabulous NYU Drama Department (where I am a student) hosted the inaugural event of its series "DramaTalk." It will bring in successful theater artists to discuss their careers--- but without the harsh glare of Bravo cameras and the perpetual drool of James Lipton's mouth.

Tonight belonged to Michael Mayer, a graduate of NYU and a director whose recent Broadway credits include 'night, Mother, After the Fall, Thoroughly Modern Millie, A View From the Bridge. He also just saw the release of his first movie, A Home at the End of the Word.

Though a little too caught up in the glaring light of Corporate Broadway (the venues where his work has been staged are telling: the AOL Time Warner Center, the American Airlines Theater) and a bit stale in his political analysis ("I've never felt as 'Jew in Austria' as I do this week"), he had some good points about working with actors and always finding new aspects of life to convey.

Most important thing he said: when you create, really show up.

Well, they finally published This Week's Frank Rich Column . One of his very best, although I say that every week. It's another analysis of the Blue/Red divide, except this one is actually insightful and inspiring.

I asked my Israeli boyfriend Daniel how Arafat's death will effect things over there. He says it could go either way. I agree with President Bush (oh my, did I just say that?) when he says: "The vision is of two states, a Palestinian state and Israel living side by side, and I think we've got a chance to do that, and I look forward to being involved in that process."

Except I'd change, "we've got a chance to do that," to "there is absolutely no way such a thing will happen in my lifetime," and I'd change "I look forward to being involved in that process" to "my administration has no interest in fostering peace in the middle east, unless it's a byproduct of the U.S.' imperialistic triumphs over helpless civilians."

And: the polar bears are almost extinct.

The Vegetable That Makes Me Cry (Literally.)

You all must check out this week's Onion, which features, among other things, the headline: Nation's Poor Win Election for Nation's Rich.

Just the way we do business 'round here.

Something Just Broke.

The White House has just leaked that Alberto Gonzales, the President's chief lawyer, will succeed Ashcroft as Attorney General.

Yes, the "torture memo" guy.

Fraught. And Fraughter.

Common Dreams published a great piece by Howard Zinn called The Optimism of Uncertainty. This is a good time for some brilliant reactionary left historians.

Also, a group calling itself Patriotic Americans Boycotting Anti-American Hollywood. At first, I thought it was faux-earnest, along the lines of Billionaires for Bush, but a closer look suggests that they're dead serious.

In other news: New York is way too cold.

Generally Speaking.

"The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved," writes soon-to-be former Attorney General John Ashcroft, in his resignation letter to President Bush.

Come again?

Ashcroft, perhaps the least competent Attorney General in modern history, leaves the post having accomplished not a single victory in his war on terror (though he's gotten a few in his war on civil liberties.) Anyone who believes the world is any safer now than it was on 9/10/01 should not have a job in Washington.

F-Day.

The attack on Fallujah has begun. U.S. troops invaded a hospital and "secured it in under an hour." Ominous wording, if you ask me.

I just got back from a paper sale with the ISO. We like to engage people in an open and sincere way, and sometimes it translates into sales and contacts; most of the time it doesn't. But I'm always amazed by the number of people who agree with our politics and support our efforts but cannot scrounge up a dollar for a newspaper or sign a contact sheet.

Is it just me?

Deus Ex Suffragium Machina.

Here's a more accurate map of the nation's ideology. Not so much Blue and Red. But lots of Purple.

More depressing news: the election may have been stolen again. They were discussing this on Air America the night after the election, but I refused to get worked up about it until a sufficient amount of time had passed and an adequate amount of evidence had piled up. We may never know for sure what happened inside our voting machines, but these questions should be asked.

It's Not Easy Being Blue.

Michael Kinsley, editorial and opinion editor of the L.A. Times, has a thoughtful analysis of our current polarized situation.

Would you like to hear mine? Didn't think so.

A Day's Work

Tonight, instead of writing the essay on The Merchant of Venice that should have been done yesterday, I went to a meeting at Columbia called "How Did Bush Win (And What Do We Do Now?)" It was hosted by the International Socialist Organization.

There were some good points made, and anyone interested in exploring the question should visit The Socialist Worker for some insights. In this election, the ISO endorsed Ralph Nader for President. They believe that the urgent problems facing the U.S. could not be solved by what they see as the corrupt, decadent Democratic Party and its "Bush Lite" platform. I'm not so sure, and therefore am frankly relieved to be done with an election in which I was ambivalent about both leftist candidates.

Some sadder news: Frank Rich's column will not appear in tomorrow's Arts & Leisure section. Just when we need him most, the so-called "Ann Coulter of the Left" takes a little vacation.

Jeers to that.