This is a diary about Questions. A diary that doesnt offer solutions. A diary that asks for a Diagnoses rather than prescribing a cure.
We've all become used to living in Bizarro world. You are unamerican if you believe the president shouldnt be able to violate the constitution and the law at will. You are amoral if you do not support the torture of innocents. You are a traitor to everything the world war two vets fought for if you do not support secret death camps run by the american military and intelligence agencies. You are a commie if you do not support a large unaccountable mercenary army. You are against the troops if you do not turn a blind eye to the Rampant corruption in iraq. You are an enemy of your country if you point note that the only requirement to get a contract in Iraq or be appointed to a position of power is being a republican.
But worse than all that is the ultimate irony. If you are a democrat who supports the Impeachment of the Republcanpresident and vice president for a list of crmes too numerous to name you are an enemy of the democratic party
More below
We've seen repeated evidence of the corruption and fear in Washington. It is apparent on both sides. Moderate republicans and even right wing republicans who dared question their party were sent packing years ago by their own party. Democrats have, with the exceptions of Dean, Dodd and Edwards for the most part, been silent. And now the game has changed.
The evidence is overwhelming. While many of us have thought for a long time that Bush and the GOP are actively attempting to destroy the United States we believed that the Democratic leadership, for all its faults, at the least was on our side. It appears we were wrong.
The leadership of the house and Senate have threatened to destory Pete Stark for speaking the truth. That has been spun as merely an objection to the words Stark used. But a pattern emerges.
Senator Dodd, one of our strongest most respected Democratic congressmen, placed a hold on the FISA bill designed by fascists to further shred the constitution. Respecting the hold of a Senator even of the other party has long been traditional in the Senate. In fact Harry Reid has specifically let the gop place hold after hold and simply let the republicans have their way whenever they did so. But in the matter of one of the strongest Democrats, a presidential candidate, on an issue the Democratic base and the american people are Strongly behind Dodd on Reid let it be known that he would ignore the Hold. The leader of the Senate, one of the most powerful leaders of the Democratic party is only willing to use his power to shut down Democrats.
And now Impeachment. The impeachment of Bush would be problematic. Impeaching Bush would put Cheney in power (assuming Bush were removed from office. Which is not necessarily the outcome of a successful impeachment) and allow the GOP a world of political possibilities. Impeaching Cheney however merely gives the party a tool to expose the rampant corruption of the GOP. In an Impeachment trial there is no "executive priviledge". There is no "national security" for Bush to hide behind. All the cards are on the table. And impeaching Cheney has Zero negative political effects. It is a win win win win for Democrats and the country.
So Pelosi and Hoyer fought it tooth and nail when they discovered that somehow another uppity Democratic presidential candidate had managed to successfully pass an impeachment resolution. And at the last minute managed to sidetrack it.
Now we are in the position of the Democratic Speaker of the House apparently threatening to Remove the democratic chairman of the Judiciary committee if he does not kill the resolution that would probably destroy what is left of the republican party, ensure Democratic rule for decades, expose massive amounts of corruption and arguably treason.
Whats going on here?
Some of us believe it is simply cowardice. That the democratic leadership is just terrified of the GOP noise machine. Others believe that Bush and company have something on the leadership obtained through the very illegal actions that will be exposed. Others argue that the democrats are living in a fantasy world where if you merely hold your powder dry for long enough the bad guys will go away. And then theres the very believable idea that since the leadership is on the payroll of the same people the GOP are this explains it all.
But it doesnt.
We are at a place in history even the founders could not concieve. Founders who foresaw and even approved of armed rebellion against the government they set up. Who foresaw attempts at theocracy, plutocracy even fascism.
We are at a point where the leadership of the democratic party is actively working to further the interests of the Republican party and undermine the constitution and along with those republicans, America itself.
I am at a loss. At times i have thought all of the above causes or combinations to be at fault. That there might be some secret plan by the Democratic leadership. Even that they merely lived in a bubble and worshipped at the feet of the DLC lobbyists, "strategists" (and thieves) who seem to wander the halls of DC like hordes of rats.
We are missing something here. We've learned that Bush was ignoring the constitution and spying on americans long before 911. That Pelosi and Reid amongst others were well aware of it. Even Reid and Pelosi arent foolish enough to believe the GOP wouldnt collect and use this illegal spying in every election to come. Knowing this you can bet they would not allow any blackmail worthy information that might embarass them to fall into the hands of the traitorous spies at the NSA.
We must figure out what is happening. This isnt simply cowardice or minor corruption. There is something very very wrong in Washington DC. Until we figure out exactly what it is we cannot stop it. We can scream and shout. We can donate and march and speak. But until we know the cause of the disease treating the symptoms is merely life support.
I would love to hear any ideas. Facts would of course be a thousand times more useful. It is time to unite and find out what is wrong with our party. What is wrong with our government. For at the moment neither serves either the Constitution, the People, nor the Party.