We're past the party convention. From this point on the real revolutionary war begins. This is not the time to be stumbling out of the gate.

The buck stops ... where?

The moral high ground supposedly lies with the citizens which by extension forms the basis for political parties and philosophies. The moral high ground of the electorate itself - not the parties - is where the buck really stops.

So how is it that Mr. Pelz is cheerleading while  a state party wants to be perceived as passing the buck - for what, a means of avoidance of discussing that which supposedly divides us?

Come on ... I wasn't happy pushing what many considered divisive discussion but it was never so uncomfortable as to suggest the buck-passing strategy I'm seeing out of this convention.

Does this mean that Washington Democrats are wont to say "don't look at us, we didn't do it. We didn't break it and we don't own it!" ??

 ... therefore declaring that ending the troop deployment in a bogus war and stopping the killing is not the Democratic Party's problem to solve? I do not for one minute believe that Mr. Pelz' intent was to say that. However, whatever the party thinks it's doing, this one will do more harm them merely miss the mark.

Would Mr. Pelz or any delegate spout such a slogan so right smartly if in the audience someone had a loved one in a room at Walter Reed Hospital minus a limb?

Is the state Democratic Party willing to disavow any right to ownership of a nation's agenda and concede that right with disingenuous cowardice to a corrupt Republican president and party, not to mention a state puppet of the national Republican party with it's House and Senate marionette candidates?

Does this party want to concede the right to the agenda of an election to Republican politicians and stampeding broadcasters who use words like "dying for a noble cause" in a dissing and throw-away manner?

Republican and contemorary conservative figures whose words and actions arouse astonishment even among the troops themselves as well as among current veterans - men and women who served in the past while the loudest contemporary voices did not and in some instances avoided service?

How will Democratic candidates in districts where large numbers of military families reside talk around the idea that disavowing the war itself in such a political grandstand play is only one step away from disavowing the troops and their heroic act?

"Not our war?"

Not on my watch! You won't say such a stupid thing  without a fight!

Mr. Bush has already forfeited the moral high ground - and with the help of the Republican party has tossed it carelessly into filth.

That's where they've got it and apparently intend to keep it (go read the State Rep website and McGavick's as well. You'll see the same attitudinal nonsense that hasn't changed since the Rossi campaign started.)

Are you now telling me that this opposition party is reluctant to take it away from them? Apparently is afraid of taking ownership  or perhaps - perish the thought - doesn't have a clue as to how to reclaim and restore a moral high ground?  

In reality the moral high ground is not something forfeited or tossed around like a hot potato between rival parties. It always resides with the actual electorate ...  well, at least to the non-apathetic minority of the electorate - and I assume that's all of us here and elsewhere who are willing to stay involved and continue to seek answers and ways to restore "noble" to a national way of life and political process.

Mr. Bush and our republican-dominated leadership are in crises in practically every state in the union. Their public utterances only make things worse image-wise - as was demonstrated last month by Washington State Republicans.

But don't worry Mr. McGavick!

What better way to dilute negative attention to your party's weaknesses and flaws than to foolishly pronounce a slogan of "pass the buck" rather than promote positive restorative solutions - even if those solutions require a courage beyond national jingoism that insists that the military family (a minority population in this country) continue cashing checks both parties now are writing?

Which politicians and parties can clean themselves up from the politically foul fungus staining our American Dream?

Not the elected Republicans, not the Republican evangelicals, none of the pandering 2008 Republican wannabe successors to this discredited president

... and not an opposition party with its own White House-aspiring candidates pretending that they have more important things on their mind than a declared war in which deliberate and murderous violence happens at the behest of our government and presumably on behalf of our common welfare.

The picture in the fawning congratulatory blogs covering the state convention looked to me like a coronation picture for Senator Cantwell this weekend.

So be it then - my primary and general voting intentions have already been made public. Cantwell advocates can count on me to do my part to make sure a "D" is behind the Senate winner in November.

Now all of you who are still terrified of McGavick, Tebelius and other State and National Republicans need to calm down, let your powder dry out and form up with the rest of us.

Time is wasting and there is never a poor time to fire shots heard round the state.

This will be a struggle of words and concepts.

Your generals ... your combat generals if you will, are not those who posed for the picture with our Senator. They have too much need to politically CYA to really get out there and lead the charges.

The fight is in each of our communities all over the state. As bloggers, our weapon is publicity in all its forms: blogs, LTE's, public speaking, meetings and private conversations.

Apologetics is not going to get the job done and the less we have to apologize for the better off we'll be. Besides, apologetics should not really  be in our arsenal. Focusing on Republican governance is not something for which Democrats need apologize.

So don't let's start this thing out with the  whimper that "We didn't start the fire." Some of us Democrats helped light that damn fire.

If you convention-types want to stay with the rear -guard around the camp fires and preen your political savvy in endless parades of tacky - I mean tactical political logic - be my guest.

Stay in the rear guard.

Keep your heads down so you don't get hurt.

As pundits unwilling to be combatants, don't create meaningless distractions and plots. Don't try to sell snake oil while bodies are colliding. (You might get hit by heavyweights flying off the top ropes)

But you can help us keep the arsenal full with useful and legitimate talking points, new ideas and flat out cheerleading.

But don't try to be cute about this. Nothing uglier than a pundit in leotards trying to strap on a six-gun for a duel in the street.

If you insist on keeping us distracted by doofus strategies, you may have to pardon me if I'm tempted to take the Demo sticker out of my window, pick up my musket and three-cornered hat and join   those who'll ignore you out of necessity.

They are those refusing to cut and run from the real revolution.

We have seen the enemy and they are not us.

© Arthur Ruger 2006