Well, who knew?

Here we are at the Salon, talking about impeachment of the Squatter In Chief.

And we're talking about it a whole lot sooner than I expected. All of the posts here are in agreement that this is a naked and brazen violation of the Constitution of the United States as well as federal law. The Plame leak case is, to my mind clearly a violation of federal law, but it's a rather more difficult case to prove. This one is not. Not only are the facts clear and undisputed, but the president has admitted to doing it, and defiantly said he will continue to do it "as long as there's a threat to Americans." Now that's arrogance! Total unblinking bravado. Takes real stones to openly trash the rule of law, the Constitution, Congress, and the courts and defy those bodies to punish him. In this, President Bush has shown that he believes he is above the law. Of course he's delusional.

I take note that Sen. Arlen Specter will hold hearings this coming year, and that even some of the most conservative Republicans are saying that Bush broke the law and ought to be held accountable. I also note that senators like Rick Santorum and John Cornyn seem to have become cheerleaders for the president.

So the question of political will isn't an easy one to answer. But when you see people like this saying Bush was right to do what he did, you have to think the Democrats are right when they talk about a "culture of corruption". Also, I find it interesting that Bruce Fein is saying the Bush ought to be held accountable, since it's his wing of the Republican party that is responsible for the rhetoric and philosophy that brings about these abuses to begin with. Did he actually believe a worldview like this could be held in responsible hands? These are the nutbags that you used to come across every now and again and you'd hear their insane perspective, and you'd walk away thinking, "Man I'm glad people like THAT aren't running things." Well now they are.

What are we going to do about this?

Maybe I'm reading too much of this stuff. I only know that there are some really strange people who seem to think there's a "war" on Christmas started by people who don't agree with the Christian myth around the holiday, which seems to be a melding of pagan and early church customs. That might be disturbing to really fundamentalist Christians, but that's history.

One thing I try to do is be objective and start from what is actually going on. What is actually going on is a few very strange people seem put out with the idea that not everyone sees Christmas the way they do and are hell-bent to make sure we all "see the light", even if they have to create a firestorm to do it. That strategy fits with the current strategy of trying to "moralize" and "christianize" us so-called "liberal savages". Wil Wheaton's essay drives this home for all to see and rather vividly depicts how it plays out: in our family life across this country. Most telling was the description of what seems to happen as intelligent people embrace dogma without question. Something delightful and warm and human seems to go out of them. I watched this many times with people's conversions to religion. The joy and aliveness seemed to leave only to be replaced by this angry, unapproachable beast who seemed ready to explode into madness and hysteria if you didn't say the right things.

I try always to seek the truth, or get as close to it as possible. That seems to keep me sane especially during times like this. Thanks, Wil for your hilarious and poignant piece. Good Wishes to you this holiday.

This is a hopeful sign.

MS is as red as red states get. That a Democrat could win now is potentially great news. Let Trent Lott, Strom Thurmond, Jesse Helms and the whole bigoted bunch of them ride off into the sunset. The nation is better off. GOOD RIDDANCE!