I'm a firm believer in small statements if big ones are unavailable. For me, Bush's upcoming State of the Union Address is an opportunity. If he can't be seized and dragged to a waiting flight to the Hague, then how about some fart noises? Some untraceable hissing?
I can't bring myself to watch another Kremlinesque farce, with craven Congresspeople leaping to their feet, multiple standing ovations before the dope has even opened his mouth, and the pack thrusting their hands (and mugs) forward to be patted and kissed.
I know that "respect for the office" trumps political pettiness, but this is a man who has shown amazing contempt for the other two branches of government. At what point do they get to return that institutional disrespect?
What should we petition our representatives and senators to do, especially if they are of the Democratic persuasion? I've got a few suggestions after the jump...
On a pragmatic level, we know he's not going to say anything we haven't all heard before—it's an hour of wasted time. Each member could bring a newspaper or magazine. They might read something of interest. What a camera shot of all those turning pages, and a sound like rustling leaves!
Or, order out for pizza. LOTS of pizza. If it arrives half-way through, imagine the electorate's thrill as they try to see which reps get what: "I would have thought Barbara Boxer would have been a Veggie Delite, but no—she went for the Hawaiian Luau!" "Look at Jerry Nadler and Denny Hastert jostling for the Meat Lover Supreme!" This would combine both bread AND a circus. If we can't have good government, at least we'll be entertained.
If this lacks decorum, how about the austere refusal to stand? Refusal to clap? Turn your chair around and face the back? Why can nothing interrupt our façade of normality, when nothing is normal?
We have a President who spits in our face, in Congress' face, in the Courts' face. His contempt is complete and aggressive. He is, in his mind, above the law and—especially—above us. At what point in the destruction of our nation can we abandon protocol and behave honestly?