No Surrender

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: No Surrender

After two days of listening to this "mandate" and "political capital" nonsense, it is clear to me that Bush intends to try and run us over with his agenda. And I intend to keep fighting it.

We are the 49% of voters who do not want Bush in office, and we should not allow ourselves to be bullied into accepting the theories of a powerful mandate, political capital, or cultural shift. We must continue fighting.

Krugman agrees:
President Bush isn't a conservative. He's a radical - the leader of a coalition that deeply dislikes America as it is. Part of that coalition wants to tear down the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt, eviscerating Social Security and, eventually, Medicare. Another part wants to break down the barriers between church and state. And thanks to a heavy turnout by evangelical Christians, Mr. Bush has four more years to advance that radical agenda.

Democrats are now, understandably, engaged in self-examination. But while it's O.K. to think things over, those who abhor the direction Mr. Bush is taking the country must maintain their intensity; they must not succumb to defeatism.