Democratic politicians had no sooner congratulated themselves on giving up on gun control (so as to make progress on more important issues) when a deranged college student used a 9mm pistol to kill over 30 people and wound many more. How inconvenient. But gun control is not the only reform that has been quietly buried by the Democrats.
This might be a useful time to take inventory of the list of inconvenient remedies for popular madness that the Democratic Party, in its collective wisdom, has taken off the table. It's a painful exercise, but I think the Kossacks can handle it.
- Impeachment of Bush and Cheney. This has been TOT (Taken Off the Table) because it is so messy, seems vindictive, and might lead to a competent Republican becoming president before the 2008 election.
- Asking Bush and Cheney to resign. TOT because it would not do any good and it might be viewed as undermining the Commander In Chief.
- Electronic voting reform. TOT because it's too complicated for the public to follow, and Democrats are ahead in the polls.
- Banning torture. TOT because it would demoralize America to learn the details of how we torture people.
- Closing secret prisons. TOT because it might further embarrass the US in the international community.
- Killing the wasteful and dysfunctional Cold War weapons systems. TOT because defense pork buys votes for Democrats too.
- Restoring Habeas Corpus. TOT because Republicans might fillibuster it.
- Rolling back the Bush tax cuts. TOT because it might be viewed as "raising taxes."
- Blocking an attack on Iran. TOT because AIPAC wants us to attack Iran.
- Gun control. TOT because every politician is afraid of the NRA.
Well, you might ask, what does that leave for a bold Democratic reform agenda? Maybe passing a token minimum wage increase, and making Bush promise to consider withdrawing from Iraq. At this point I would say that the madness and delusions of America are in no danger of disruption from the Democratic control of Congress.
Our country is simply nuts, and our elected representatives are powerless to restore sanity.