You can argue with your friends in a way you can't argue with your enemies. You shouldn't be scared to talk politics with buddies -- these are folks you know, who will listen to you and respect you even when you don't agree. You can be honest...and still be pals at the end. And if the tensions run too hot, you can always cool down again by sharing a drink.
We need to act the same with our "friends" in Congress...and in the Presidential race. There are those who tell you not to question your party's leadership, not to challenge allies in Congress for fear you'll alienate them, or not to push on those you just helped elected...or may want to help elect.
That's absurd. You help elect candidates precisely so they will trust you, listen to you respectfully, and give you the benefit of the doubt even when you disagree. The Bush Dogs project is OpenLeft's way of doing that. And Drinking Liberally has submitted a question to the Huffington Post Presidential Mashup in the same spirit.
It's a challenge to the supposedly "anti-war" candidates...because if we don't challenge them now, when will we? Moreover, it asks them to challenge members of their own party to act up in Congress to end the war...because if the presumptive leaders of the party don't push them, who will?
Disagreements, challenges, even confrontations don't destroy alliances or friendships -- our bonds are stronger than that. Our friendships should create a strong framework for these arguments.
As with so many things, it would be easier if we were all sharing a beer at the time.
P.S. This has nothing to do with the above topic, but it's too wonderful not to mention. Our Idaho Falls chapter of Drinking Liberally has started making the following stickers to put on men's restroom doors:
The ingenuity of our members astounds even us sometimes.
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