The 2007 Joe Lieberman’s Boggy Cecum Award

Mukasey Confirmed

by emptywheel

From which we can take the following lessons:

It’s unclear that our political system has the fortitude to save itself anymore.

Rather than continue the quote with the additional lessons, let’s just stop right there and think about that.

It’s unclear that our political system has the fortitude to save itself anymore.

Anyone familiar with TheNextHurrah knows well that emptywheel, while sometimes explicitly conjectural, is neither hyperbolic nor shrill in her musings, but rather has an almost prophetic command of facts.

Our system of laws, due processes, and checks and balances is now nearly hopelessly corrupt.  The main counterweight to the depraved Republicans and Unitary Executive was once thought to be the Democrats.  Prior to 2006, lodging complaints against the Democrats for inaction elicited a hail of arrows in counterattack.  

The Democrats aren’t in the majority.

They don’t control legislation.

Democrats don’t have subpoena power.

They can’t risk a filibuster.

Now we know that that “majority” argument is pure hogwash.  That hypothesis has been disproved beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Democrats have now been unmasked as the opposition poseurs that many suspected them to be.  Now that they have controlled majorities in both houses, they have openly exposed themselves as Bush enablers, not opposition leaders.  Like Joe Lieberman, they are fakes, phonies, and liars.  The Democratic party is thoroughly “Lieberman-ized.”  And if Joe Lieberman represents the rotting corpse of the body politic, then Diane Feinstein surely plays the role of his boggy cecum, Chuck Schumer his greasy rectum, and Nancy Pelosi his sputtering anus.  With every succeeding act or omission, they illuminate our Constitution with their legislative skidmarks that we instantly recognize as George Bush’s finger-painting, a true work of shit, that even Rudy Giuliani would have once declared an obscenity unfit for public viewing.

Now, it appears our only recourse for obtaining lawful government is through a stacked, corrupted, and politicized judicial system, where the most important tools for making a case are instantly vaporized by simply not investigating or enforcing subpoenas, having critical evidence declared a state secret, or simply declaring that grossly illegal behavior is no longer criminal.  Thank you, Diane Feinstein, I formally nominate you for the 2007 Joe Lieberman’s Boggy Cecum Award.

So, what can YOU do about it?  Here is an example of what I would definitely NOT do:

It is long past time to lead with actions and not high minded and empty rhetoric.  The time for action is now.  For today’s and tomorrow’s (or even next year’s) leaders, this is your audition.  So far, I’d give a grade of D or if I was feeling generous a D+.  And you pretty much have my vote anyway.

DON’T GIVE THEM YOUR VOTE FOR FREE.  THIS IS AN AUDITION.  IF THEY PATENTLY SUCK (WHICH THEY DO) DO NOT HIRE THEM FOR THE JOB!

Why even have the audition if the outcome is pre-ordained?  This makes no sense whatsoever.

Pelosi is up for re-election in 2008.  She can’t tap dance for shit, and the only achievement on her resume is the Sputtering Anus nomination (mine, ; D). Thank god for primary challengers, but even if Nancy wins the primary, I’d rather vote Republican, and here’s why.

First, never reward betrayal.  Rewarding betrayal never elicits cooperation.  It only puts scumbag back-stabbers on your payroll.  Democrats need a time-out to reconsider the merits of cooperation.  Putting Democratic Congressionals into the minority will hurt them badly and memorably.  Although I can’t act directly on Feinstein for years, maybe I can help put her into the minority, where her conflicts of interest will be less powerful and damaging to the Democratic party and the Constitution.  Disable her and let her decay with age into oblivion.  

Second, reward the cooperators.  They should definitely be on your payroll.  We need more Feingolds.

Again, here are basic rules for building cooperative behavior:

1. Never be the first to defect.

2. If someone else defects, punish them at the first opportunity.  (You have some latitude in determining what constitutes a “defection,” to avoid instigating tit-for-tat death spirals based on errors, but otherwise, failing to punish will essentially reward defections, and cooperative structure will break down.)

3. After you mete out punishment, forget about it.  Start anew.

Some will argue that they are still afraid of Republicans.  What if this strategy allows Republicans to re-take one or both Houses?  What about the Supreme Court?  Let’s make sure we get a reliable Democratic President to act as a firewall on the Supreme Court.  Otherwise, Republicans don’t scare me much more than Democrats anymore.  Besides, you know that Republicans will indeed act as a check on the newly minted Democratic Unitary Executive, which should have salutary effects on checks and balances in general.  Heck, with a Democrat in the Oval Office, a Republican Congress might even have the gumption to repeal some of the worst abuses allowed by previous Congresses.  Imagine that.

The Bottom Line:  It’s not worth controlling Congress with the second worst Congress ever, one that is actively seeking to frustrate your will.  Don’t vote for them, fuck them!  Vote against Democratic defectors; Vote for all cooperators (Democrat or Republican); vote for a Democratic President.  Don’t rely on Congress to fix things.  They will not.  Rely on yourself.