The next month presents democrats an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in one or both of these areas. To accomplish this, I expect a leader to organize democrats in both the House and the Senate, to move on one or both of these issues. For existing Senators this is easy, they need only to block any bill that contains funding for the Iraq occupation (war) that does not contain a time line for withdrawal of the troops, with all troops removed within a set time period 9 -10 years from now or less, I do not care. Do any of the Senators running for president have the capability to organize such a filibuster and keep that filibuster going with at least 41 Senators supporting them. Who cares what the president will sign. Yes, I would approve a shorter time period, but I say any time line is better than none.
Can anyone who is not in the Senate make the point so forcefully that US troops need be withdrawn immediately such that the Congress is put in a position that they must accept a time line. For Edwards, Richardson, and Kucinich this means who will dedicate their campaign to forcing Congress through public opinion to get out of Iraq.
The President is the one who has the veto power. The Senate has the filibuster power. Speaker Pelosi has the agenda power. Who has the leadership capability? Candidates should be aware that I will first throw my support to the candidate who has true leadership capability.
I do not expect much. I expect even less from the impeachment front. In this critical time when spending bills are passed there is an opportunity to focus the House on impeachment. Who will lead this focus? Who will say Democrats we have not exercised enough oversight to pass a budget. Who is willing to pass a bill funding Justice, without knowing what happened to the attorneys. Who is willing to consider an underfunded census bureau. Who is willing to fund Commerce when the Commerce department has failed so miserably at providing standards for more accurate vote counting. Who is willing to fund the State department when the State department has done so miserably getting foreign countries to help us in the War on Terror. When President Bush has done such a miserable job managing the executive branch, shouldn't he be impeached. Issue after issue, whether it is New Orleans, the occupation of Iraq, or the War against Terror, President Bush has done miserably and in many cases broken the laws of the country. Evidence of broken laws is located in the signing statements alone. So where is the oversight? Where are the investigations? Who is holding the President accountable? If the Congress cannot do its job because the executive branch lies and blocks the Congress, then the Congress should withhold funding and start investigations into the President. Who amongst the democrats has the leadership ability to make this happen.
What I know is Kucinich is ignored; Hillary and Obama are like chickens; Edwards loves the populist call, but cannot bring himself to truly campaign on the issue; Richardson is a governor who has problems articulating; Biden and Dodd claim experience but as the old Wendy's commercial made clear have no beef. As to Gravel, well he is in a pit and the more he digs the deeper he gets. If Pelosi had courage, she might stand a chance, but at the rate she is going she needs more than a few medals from the Wizard of Oz.
What can I say, the Democrats have opportunity after opportunity to demonstrate leadership and they continually blow it. If I could kick their collective ass, I would.
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