In 2000, I knew we were headed for a bad period as Americans, simply because of the anti-choice, war-mongering and far-right politics of Bush and his ilk. I never thought I'd see a time, as an American, that I would be so disgusted with my leadership: from Abu Ghraib and secret rendition/torture chambers; to invasion of my civil liberties online, on the phone and through the PATRIOT Act; to our country engaging in a war of choice based on lies and deceit, to the demise of hundreds of thousands of people, unnecessarily.
Sure, we see today a different face, but it is not over by any means...the folks who are out will be back.
What I learned is that they are among us. They being an insidious, corrupt and wrong-minded group of people who do not have compassion and will not take responsibility for their selfish and cynical actions in their pursuit of a racist, misogynistic and morally corrupt agenda.
Sure, a lot of people lost their jobs yesterday, but they are far from going away. For 30 years, they've engaged in building a machine that runs too well. They are here, and they will be back.
Case in point? Iran/Contra/Central America: Negroponte, Pointdexter, Gates, North...these men not only have jobs, but some are actually making policy and are closely tied to the Administration. You think that little Ricky Santorum is going to go away? Or Tom DeLay (well, if we're lucky, he will)? No, these guys are going to infiltrate the system again, and will resurface. Only they will do so in the apparatus that they created during their tenure. It is there.
My sincere hope is that the Democrats take "The Godfather" approach...and soon. We need to cut off the machine, starve it of fuel, destroy the gears and strip it of its effectiveness...today. Now. Right now.
I want to see litigation, I want to see people in jail. I want these assholes off the street, where they can't affect my children, or me. I know that is asking a lot, but I hope that all the talks of bipartisanship coming from the other side are not heeded. They got their chance to be bipartisan, they chose not to be. Now, they need to get what's been coming to them.
Remember Katrina. Remember Iraq. Remember 9/11. Take back our country, dear Democrats, and destroy the conservative machine. Crush it. Make laws that overturn the backwards steps we've taken over the last six years. Be strong, be assertive and do so with ethics, dignity and resolve.
When Bush starts to exercise his right to veto, which he will do with reckless abandon now, expose him for what he is. This country has been run by and for extremists for too long.
Bring back science, bring back reason, bring back the pride to be an American that has been wrenched from us.
Congratulations on your victory, but this fight has only just begun. The losers are still there. Some who should have lost are still there. The machine is still there. Working behind the scenes...lurking...waiting. Do not let them come back. Fumigate this motherfucker. It isn't over.