When I think of an ideal Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, the commander of U.S. troops in Iraq during the Abu Ghraib scandal doesn’t immediately leap to mind. But it looks like that is who DSCC Chairwoman Patty Murray has recruited to run for the open Senate seat in Texas. In fairness to Ricardo Sanchez, he acknowledges that the scandal effectively ended his military career even though a Pentagon investigation cleared him of wrongdoing. He hasn’t officially announced that he’s a candidate but he did have something to say about his politics:
“I would describe myself as during my military career as supporting the president and the Constitution,” Sanchez said. “After the military, I decided that socially, I’m a progressive, a fiscal conservative and a strong supporter, obviously, of national defense.”
Sanchez is certainly an intriguing recruit. I can’t say that his record in Iraq gives me any reason to want to support his candidacy, but I suppose I should look at that record more closely. As a general (sic) matter, I don’t like former military officers as politicians, regardless of what party they choose to align themselves with. But that’s not set in stone. Sanchez strikes me as someone who could (if he has any retail political skills) wage a competitive race and possibly even win the seat in Texas. That would be very helpful in preventing a takeover of the U.S. Senate by the Republicans.
This is still not something I expected to read in the newspaper when I woke up this morning.
Eeeps. I thought you were talking about the CNN host anchor guy for a minute.
Ricardo Sanchez? You’ve gotta be kidding me. The jury is still out as to whether he was grossly incompetent or merely tragically unqualified. Same goes for whether he or Jerry Bremer deserves more blame for the cock-up that was Iraq 2003-2004. Either way, Abu Graib was just the cherry on top of a gigantic shit sundae.
This is worth reading.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/01/the-last-stand-of-ricardo-sanchez/8334/
“Cleared of wrongdoing” by the military is not the same as “having no responsibility”. Are there really no TX Dems who don’t need to be exonerated and rehabilitated for the crimes that happened on their watch? Does America really need yet another example of those with the worst records rising to the top?
It gets harder to be a Democrat every day.
One out of two ain’t bad. Certainly good enough to be a modern democrat.
Another DINO candidate. Patty Murray is following in Rahm Emanuel’s shoes.
I have my doubts about Sanchez but do you really think that a Sherrod Brown type Democrat can win in Texas?
That’s a fair question. I guess my answer is,”We won’t know until we try.” Texas is probably too big for effective primarys, so we are stuck with anointed candidates. This also seems to be a national trend.
It would be a good idea to empower Latinos to run for important offices in Texas. Sanchez might not be the best candidate but I’m not going to hold performance in Iraq against him. Anyone would have failed given that shit sandwich.
I also am not going to hold it against anyone who says they would be a fiscal conservative in Texas. When did we start running from that? Progressives would actual pay for the programs they support. I consider myself to both an economic and social progressive as well as a fiscal conservative. Just not in the republican vein.
The bottom line is that we need to push Latinos for key offices in areas that are increasingly Hispanic.
with all the Latinos in Texas, and THIS is the best the Democratic Party can do?
HUH?