Letters to the Editor
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Rise up, rise up!
As much as I thrill to the word "insurrection" in the article, I realize that "come on now, they're marching in the streets, gotta revolution" ain't gonna happen. We all know that the only voices that are heard are those of a Congressional majority, and public meetings aren't going to accomplish that.
Realistically, Democrats could take back many seats in both houses if a shitload of liberals just bite the bullet and run for office ourselves. Or go out and actively work and fund-raise for your friends who are running. Maybe we're not in time to impeach Dubya, but certainly to sweep out his successors and lay in some depth of new Democratic legislators who are not hooked up to the Beltway feeding tubes.
Remember that the religious right has been working since the 80's to insert stealth candidates into local office elections, and now we are suffering the results at all levels of state and national government.
The willingness to get involved at that risky level is what is needed to elevate the hand-wringers and the choir-preachers to people who actually make a difference in the world.
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secession, not insurrection
If impeachment doesn't work, I (and many other Democrats I've spoken to) support secession. Insurrection would either be woefully ineffective or needlessly bloody. Grassroots-initiated, peaceful secession of one or more states would be far more defensible in both theoretical and practical senses.
Furthermore, I'd argue that we have a moral obligation to secede. As noted in the article, it's become structurally impossible for progressives and moderates to have an effective voice in federal politics. Because of this, we are unable to respond to the crimes and corruption of the current administration. Our duty therefore becomes to politically dissociate from and economically de-fund what has become an out-of-control criminal regime.
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President Cheney...?
I doubt that Pres Cheney--in the event that the impeachment movement snowballs, as a I hope against hope it does--would come to pass. The Republicans would push Powell or someone like him into the VP slot if things really got to look bad for Bush.
I happen to agree with the most idealistic and pessimistic statements quoted in the article. I do believe there is a Constitutional crisis going on, and hope (still against hope) that the American people wake up to the increasing temperature of the water in our frog pot. We can't undo the last five years, but a chastened president and a congress that is carrying out it's Constitutionally mandated functions of oversight, check and balance would be a giant leap forward for the United States, even if that president's name were Cheney.
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Reality Check
Like the author, and the other posters here, I am equally dismayed at our current political climate. I firmly believe that Bush does deserve impeachment, but doubt seriously that this will happen, even if Democrats regain control of one house of Congress. The reason is simple, and should be obvious: the Democrats have no spines. They're weak, and will never have the guts nor the initiative to do what needs to be done. As for the other options... are you kidding?
Revolution - get real. When we had our last revolution about one third of the population was for, one third against it, and one didn't care. The revolution almost didn't succeed, but did in the end because it was supported by the wealthy land owning establishment, the very people who are now firmly entrenched Republicans, and had largely to do with not wanting to pay taxes. Bush has them. Revolution is out. (Besides, do you really think this land of disengaged couch potatoes would have the gumption to rise up against its government? Really? And what if they did? Remember Waco? The troops would be called home from Iraq and turned on... you.)
Secession - oh, sure, I'd love for the West Coast to secede at least, but we've tried that once before. It was called The Civil War, and we know how that turned out. They had a Republican president, too. "Oh", but you say, "We have the moral right." So did the South. Really. (And you think they seceded over the slavery issue, I have some swamp property... Slavery was an important issue, much like abortion is today, tangled up with religion and morality. Nobody today would secede over abortion. Riot, maybe, but no one would secede. Likewise, secession wasn't about slavery then. It was about a complex set of issues, both politically and culturally. The vast, vast majority of Southerners didn't even own slaves.) The fact that the South was forcibly re-integrated into the Union, regardless of how you feel about that war and its causes, nailed the coffin shut on future secessions. It won't happen.
So what do we do? Vote, and rally and try to get the message out to the majority of Americans. Only when Red Staters start calling for this, and Republican officials start feeling the heat will anything happen.
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There is another option...
I don't think it's a good option, but there's a last-ditch effort if Washington needs to be cut away, completely, from saving the country.
The Constitution has a provision for the STATE legislatures forcing a constitutional convention.
What if 2/3 of the state legislatures called a convention for the purpose of a single amendment: "No person who has held a federal office position since 1/2001, at or above the rank of 'under-secretary', including the President, Vice-President, and cabinet members, will be allowed to hold any federal office, elected or appointed, for the remainder of their natural lives nor to solicit or lobby on another person's behalf." It would take 3/4 of the state legislatures to pass it.
Then, we'd just have the Speaker of the House (you can bet they'd shuffle the position to get someone they wanted in) inaugurated and appoint his own staff. The current officeholders would be shut out completely.
I don't believe we have the wisdom to keep that particular vehicle on the road, so it's largely a stupid idea. But it is a possibility, and the proper response after passing the amendment is to remind the military that they took an oath to the constitution, not to the current office-holder of the presidency.