(10 am – promoted by ek hornbeck)
Give me Liberty, or give me Death!
I have not yet begun to fight!
Impeachment is off the table.
Anti-Impeachers argued that impeaching would get in the way of governing.
They argued that “we didn’t have the votes.”
They argued that “it would be seen as political” (Gee we wouldn’t want to be “political”)
And they told us: just wait. The Democrats will be investigating. The Democrats will be ending the war. The Democrats will be passing legislation. The Democrats will be governing.
If fact, what has happened is that the appeasement tactics toward the Bush Administration regarding impeachment, instead of freeing up Democrats to govern, have morphed into standard operating procedure for Democrats.
Talk big in the build-up to the election about putting a stop to the Bush Administration. Convince independents to believe you and vote for you while holding their noses because they don’t trust you. Then, after the election fail to deliver.
Now that methodology holds for legislation. Promise not to give the President a blank check. Talk tough and publicize it. Then, when it actually comes time to deliver: capitulate and give President Bush everything he wants to prolong the war, with no strings attached. Repeat as needed. (Some even contend that Dems are losing on purpose because they want an angry electorate)
It’s my opinion that the Democrats have had to capitulate to the Bush administration because they have, from the very outset, given up one of their most effective tools: using the rule of law to put Republicans on the defensive for their misdeeds by drafting articles of impeachment.
The Republicans have been given a free pass. The Democrats could’ve used their powers to put Republicans on the ropes, put them on the defensive, and forced them to compromise. (Real compromise, not the fakey kind we have now.)
Instead, Republicans are feeling emboldened in their role of not just obstruction, but in their very successful role of continuing to prosecute foreign wars and occupations, seeming without end.
The Democrats are lacking fight. They signaled as much on day one (and even before day 1) by declaring that impeachment was off the table. They’ve compounded the problem by their tough talk and promises that have no follow-through. This has led to the Democrats being seen as capitulators.
This sent a clear message to George Bush, Dick Cheney and the Republicans: the Democrats are afraid to fight them.
It pains me to write this diary. Because like many of you, I had great hope that the Democrats would fight for what’s right. Instead, they have chosen to confuse the current anti-Republican mood in the country for a declaration that Democrats can do no wrong.
The Democrats are resting on the laurels of their 2006 electoral victory when they should be out fighting for the American people and proving to the people that voted for them that they are up for a fight – win or lose – to right the country, save the constitution and stop the evil being perpetrated by what I’m afraid we can only now call a war government.
Yes, we need fewer Republicans. Yes we need to re-defeat them in the coming elections.
But we also need better Democrats. We have some. We need more. Not more appeasement Democrats. More fighting Democrats.
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Too many of the current batch are simply more interested in re-election – and will do anyting to achive it, instead of doing what’s right for the country.
The Democratic Congressional leadership aren’t resting on the laurels so much as sinking in their corporate, festering mire of war and greed.
If, and I mean if they win in 2008 and still hold the majority and if they win the White House, what will be their excuse then? Bill Clinton had a majority in both houses for his first 2 years in office.
In the first 2 years, we’d better see us out of Iraq, the Constitution restored, single-payer, universal health care coverage, and serious addressing of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. But, I expect, we’ll see more resting on their corporate laurels.
Dingell will still be there fighting any move against addressing climate change. Murtha will still be there trying to pump up the
DefenseWar department’s budget. Hoyer will still be there pushing for pork.Meanwhile, I expect the Bush years to be swept under the carpet to “heal” the nation so we can move forward with hope and reach for the stars or whatever…
More Democrats won’t get the job done just simply by having more numbers.
with very few exceptions.
He said, before being hanged,
The quote you have is, I believe, Admiral Farragut.
it could have made a real difference. From what we have learned of our Dems, it probably wouldn’t worked, but it would have set an entirely different tone.
But as it turns out, no matter what would have happened we would have been stuck with Congressional leaders even more naive than we were. They actually thought the Republicans would work with them to end the war!
It is simply amazing to me that they STILL have not realized that this is not business as usual, that they are up against some truly BAD people. And it still goes on, especially in the Senate…as if collegiality is the most important thing….just disgusting.
And the worst part is (politically)…another generation has just watched their government fail and lost faith in the entire process.
to pull off an impeachment?
Giggling.
I am with you on the re-election bit, we got jokers stuck in a perpetual campaign cycle who are forgetting how to govern.
But seriously, even today Perino there will be no DOJ action will be taken on contempt citations for Rove and Bolton in contempt of Congress.
And what are the Democrats gonna do?
Nuthin’.
Maybe a strongly worded letter.
And you want them to pull off an impeachment?
And Bush in the Gang gets again! Why waste time trying to win impeachment when you are fielding the Washington Generals to their Globetrotters? I was just hoping for a basket or two from these losers.
And Cheney and Bush sit in the White House, laughing, laughing like pugs. What are you gonna do?? They are pugs.
And this Congress won’t do shit either because they are using the foil of the corrupt and defunct Bush Administration to get themselves elected in 2008.
I was never against impeachment, I just knew it was never going to happen. And it won’t.
Hell, we’re lucky these Democrats didn’t repeal the Death Tax.
::Crickets::
apply to the subject at hand and address what should be the character of government officials.
http://www.thenation.com/blogs…
I came to the same conclusion back in October, The Democrats Political Gambit
After considerable thought, the ONLY way “we the people” can influence/force Pelosi and Reid to change course in their plan to grab more power, is in the polls. We must stop supporting the Democrats “big 6” candidates. So far this has led Pelosi to take unprecedented steps discriminate against Democrats that are not towing the party line.
Because Dennis Kucinich is rocking the boat (HR 799 aka HRes 333), all of a sudden he finds himself being ostracized from party functions.
We must get serious and stop complaining about being ineffective. If we want to make a change, this is what we must do: We must tell people to vote for and support the only true impeachment candidate, Dennis Kucinich. Because the situation is too dire, and the problems are too great, that we do not have time for political BULLSHIT.
The time has come to “move with a purpose” and change the world. If we continue to drive polls like this and this, Pelosi and Reid may eventually abandon their 2008 political strategy.
term limits…..Whatever deal Nancy Pelosi made, she will be able to throw up her hands and sigh, “the people have spoken” when people get pissed enough to call for impeachment