I don't think the world needs another 2.5 years of Mr. Bush and company. We MUST elect a Democrat Congress, both houses, and impeach Bush AND Cheney in early 2007. The Democrats must do something with this opportunity.

Additionally, here's a solution for the corrupt culture and isolation of Washington, DC politics.

Except for two or three events, State of the Union, Impeachments, etc., SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN SHOULD STAY HOME!!! Maintain offices in their districts and Telecommute like much of America does.

This would limit the access of lobbyists and keep these people under the watchful eye of those who elected them and eliminate the "ruling class" bubble they live in now.

We do not need for these politicians to live in Washington, DC for them to represent us. Everything they do can be done via teleconference or internet. Hell, the full Senate and House only assemble a few times a year anyway. Make them stay home and maybe they will not always become lifetime Washingtonians and lobbyists after their terms.

At least an impeachment would send a message that they will be held accountable.Besides, even if he's impeached, he wouldn't necessarily be convicted -- but at least he'd stand trial before the Senate. (And let's face it, Clinton was clearly guilty of lying about Lewinsky, but the Senate didn't convict him. That, however, suddenly seems more ludicrous than ever given what W and is getting away with.)

The latest Katrina news would be stunning if it were any other administration. But I find myself more surprised whenever they tell the truth than when another lie is uncovered.

Something has been lost in all of this discussion about "security" and the supposed "need" to protect against "our" enemies. Let's go back to the first basic question we should ask whenever confronted with a violent act against our citizenry: Why? WHY do we have enemies? I profoundly disagree with President Bush's assertion that our enemies "hate our freedoms." To put it politely, the President is doing a huge disservice to the nation by saying that. If we truly want to begin to understand why there exists such animosity in some parts of the world against America, we need to start coming to terms with the history of colonialism.

Daily phone calls to your representatives and senators, letters to newspapers, blogs such as this all contribute to mounting the pressure it will take to wake up the congress. Talk to everyone about it: get a bumper sticker that says "support the troops, impeach Bush now". You'd be surprised at the number of people who will support you. It's a message which offends few but can get both conservatives and "defeated" liberals aroused to action.

We can't just wait for more disaster to strike the heart of our democracy.

As the Dalai Lama has said:

"never give up

no matter what is going on

never give up" ...

So it has been said. And now, we've heard the truth.

Keillor's essay is prairie simple, and praire refreshing. I mean "simple" in the most complimentary way -- in the way that Quakers are simple. That drinkable water and fresh air is simple. In the same way that truth is simple. It is, as Carolyn Gordon said, a gift to be simple. Simplicity is a pathway to truth.

We have had enough, quite enough, of spin, of the obtuse, of the convoluted. What America craves - and what the White House sorely needs - are some straight, simple, and unembellished truths.

So let's stand up and applaud the truth when we hear it. Keillor has just said it: Torture is the device of primitives; the playground bully; the inarticulate blow-hard. It is the method of the weak-minded, and the inept. We as Americans did not ascend to the title of World Leader by virtue of brawn, brass, or hubris. We did not become a nation admired world-wide by becoming chief playground brutes. We earned the title, once, by being the advocate of the poor, the defeated.

We will lose it now, if we tell ourselves we hold to this title only by the thinnest membrane of self-justification and self-righteousness. We are not provoked; we are the provacateur in an unrighteous war.

Let's remind ourselves that America has built itself on self-evident truths. Keillor has spoken them. Let's echo them in voices raised so loudly they cannot be ignored.

It's not sanctioned by the constitution, but then neither is

* torture

* war without congressional declaration

* spying on citizens

* lying to the public

* redrawing voting districts based on campaign contributions

As for President Cheney, we won't have to wait long for his bad ticker to crack once he's got to face the cameras every day.

-- Note to any NSA types reading this: the above comment is irony. I am not sanctioning an act of actual violence against the president. Please go back to more serious matters such as snooping on library patrons viewing possibly unchristian materials.

The most efficacious strategy is not to impeach; that requires proof of deceptions, misdemeanors and corruption that leads to legal quicksand.

Better to allow that this administration had a Plan - to invade Iraq for the reasons they give now, to privatize federal functions, mix church and state and create prosperity with tax cuts.

This can be countered with a common sense challenge:

DID THEIR POLICIES WORK, WERE THEY RIGHT OR WRONG ?

The proof is in the pudding. Accountability.

Democrats should enter the November elections with down-to-earth realism. Nothing shrill or complicated.

Palpable unease (if not dread) saturates the work force, the middle-class, the Gulf Coast, MediCare beneficiaries, soldiers, teachers, doctors, nurses, retirees, and environmentalists.

Massive discontent needs only be crystallized.

Bush.

He has fueled hatred and precipitated more Anti-American attitudes than any other person in our history. Yet, he is allowed to continue. Why? It is publically known that he is outsourcing torture, which is an impeachable crime.

Thank You for your article and Thank God I'm not the only one who feels that Bush has got to go.

Thanks, Garrison, your article proves we have reached critical mass and we can't swallow the injustices any more. Americans are loved around the world and have been respected until the corporations began to suck the life out of "third world countries". Afghans were used to fight the war against the Soviet Union and all of the war training was done by us and produced the Osamas and Sadaams and the Taliban and then they were left lose and they are using that training against us. Thus the torture at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and Baghram, except they are being used on innocents and that means we are next in line if we don't speak up. Someone on this thread said, that torture is carried out by losers and bullies as they know they are wrong and can only control by mean and unethical ways. What is happening torture-wise is a shameful legacy that makes me shudder every time I hear the word Abu Ghraib. Two years later all the pictures came out in the open and our government has not apologized nor have we fired the Commander who took credit by wearing the gear and announcing "mission accomplished".

We should not lie down and play deaf when all this is being dished out in our name and with our money. The city of San Francisco yesterday passed a resolution to impeach Bush and Cheney and to recover the $800 million of their money that has been lost on the false premise for war. Chris Daly said this himself, but, of course, this won't make it to the media channels that are owned by the ones who decide what is news and what isn't.

Social justice, equality, the right to privacy, basic freedoms and fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution, these have all been systematically taken away from us and all our surplus spent to fill the pockets of the Halliburtons and other defense companies which were obsolete once the cold war ended but were bought by the B family.

I am truly ashamed that all the daisy cutter and cluster bombs and all the mines that have been placed around the earth with the intention to kill innocent people in order to subjugate them to a puppet democracy is causing a lot hatred and loss of life. This is why Canada is not targeted as it does not engage in taking away (stealing) the resources of oil-rich countries and building bases along the oil pipelines. That just sparked a connection; Al Qaida means "the base", could it be this group was named to defeat the U.S. "bases" that have been springing up in the "enemy" territory? Please think about this. Our leaders have exposed us to the hatred of the world. They don't hate the American people without a reason. What has been done by the American leaders is atrocious and these victims do not have any WMD to respond with. South Korea has WMD but they have not been invaded by us -- there is no mission to bring "democracy" to them!??

What I have said here is talked about by everyone but there is no outlet to the media to vent these views in public and so, I thank you, Garrison, for providing this medium to allow this discourse. I am sickened by the deaths and the cruelty and we should bring an end to it and to use the trillions of dollars to bring food, shelter and medication to the victims and also pay for education and health of the world. This money needs to be spent towards stopping global warming as hurricane season is fast approaching and our president and vice president are not doing anything to protect the people from the unnecessary deaths and suffering of the humans in our country. God has blessed America with minds like you, Garrison, we can bring about peace on earth!