Letters to the Editor
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United States of Fear
Weaken Democrats now at your own peril. You could end up with Romney or Fred Thompson. You've been warned.
Bush scares us with al Qaeda, and the Democrats scare us with Bush. This is getting confusing.
Look, we're trying our very best to be frightened all the time, but it's just not efficient to be scared on two fronts.
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C2H5OH
I don't agree. First, there is already much "theater" as you call it. And given the short attention span of the media and public these days, I suspect that a long, drawn-out impeachment process would quickly fade into the background as the public resumes its inane preoccupation with missing white women and American Idol.
Second, the administration would not "have to" do anything that it currently believes that it doesn't have to do, if impeachment were initiated. They are defying congress and the constitution now, so what makes you think that they'll magically stop doing this under impeachement?
Third, the courts are no more likely to side with either congress or the administration under impeachment than they are now. Impeachment will not give congress any legal or real-world advantage in compelling the administration to do anything.
And fourth, while non-conviction would likely hurt the GOP politically, it would also make the Dems look weak and foolish for not having convicted and be seen as basically having wasted everyone's time (remember Marcia Clarke, the LA county prosecuter who failed to convict OJ). And far worse, a non-conviction would effectively validate this administration's usurpation of unconstitutional power, by setting a precedent for the future. It would be WORSE than not impeaching at all.
This whole notion that without impeachment, the republic is basically dead, is not just wrong, but DANGEROUS, because it basically puts the GOP one step away from having actually killed the republic. To put all of our eggs in one basket--a basket that has slim to no chances of succeeding right now--is to play right into the GOP's hands. They almost certainly WANT us to impeach prematurely, because they know that they'd win.
People who insist that impeaching now is the ONLY way to save the republic are not only not thinking this through, but playing right into the GOP's hands. And we've already had enough bad experiences with going into battle without a plan to hesitate to do so yet again. Have we learned nothing from the past 6 years?
As Bush has amply demonstrated, "thinking" only with one's heart and gut is inherently dangerous. Self-righteous impatience is the way to self-destruction, not restoration. If the Bush years have taught us anything, it is this. Think about that. And by think I mean THINK.
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off topic: I am amazed at the amount of (pointless and false) outrage is being spewed (sometimes by people who SHOULD know better) over the Iraqi parllament taking August off.
first of all, it's a compromise as they were going to take two months off ... not to mention that to capitulate to "our" demands (Cheney seems to be big on this) would cause loss of face and credibility.
The Iraqi parliament has been telling us for MONTHS now that they intended to take August off.... It's not a surprise ... all of the various pressures that could be wielded, have been.
Then there's the "urgent" work they might do this August, if only ... it's the same "urgent" work they have made no progress at over the last 9 months or year or 18 months ... it's that oil revenue sharing bill that, again, is seen as "our" bill, and is pretty universally hated, except by the Kurds who benefit from 12 years of American support of their Autonomy and would be just as happy to susceed except "we" don't want them to so they just might lose "our" military support when TURKEY (with justification) invades them.
Anyway, the idea is parliament should do this while Baghdad is all nice and peaceful ... with the surge and all ... except it's not nice and peaceful and its 130 degrees and even the Green Zone is taking casualities.
Oh, the other "big" legislative effort they're supposed to be working on is "provincial elections" ... but with so many Iraqis having either fled the country all together or internally displaced ... these longawaited provincial elections likely to make a mockery (another mockery, after that first election) of d.e.m.o.c.r.a.c.y. ... particularly since they are supposed to "boost sunni participation" ... except the sunni are the population most in flight ...
these blowhards (and I've seen "how could they" comments coming from all sides) need to be told to find something else to bother about ... like the contempt of congress and the "surge" ...
Sheesh, directing all this outrage at the Iraqi parliament (which is in a constant state of ebb and flow and can't meet a quorum MOST days, even when the weather is temperate) ... well, it's a lot of hot air, imho.
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kovie, you're f_____ing crazy.
I tease. Hoe do you learn to think like that?
If I could hollow-out a wood-horse, and get the Geek/Greeks (neocon) DOj's to allow you inside the court walls to be my attorney, pro boo-coo, of course.
Are you willing to go via the grueling ordeal in the court of law, you covering all legal cost, and bring some common sense, meaning, be triumphant, without a shoot-'em-up mentality to America?
huh. Pretty please? okay.
You are hired!
Thanks.
You are not birdbrain!
I methinks I and others are boo coo-dinky-doll.
You no crazy.
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Uh, I think I know who I am going to be afraid of...
...and it isn't the Republicans, who want to lower my taxes, and reduce my risk of bogus lawsuits.
No, I think I will remain afraid of Al Qaeda and the other Islamofacsists. Who want to kill me. And who would probably be quite happy to kill much of the infidel, nonbeliever Salon readership if they had half a chance. Assalam Aleikoum.
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Elephantidiot:
We all die. . .
Like it or not.
Imbecility,
it is your imbecility what really scare me.
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@kovie
I don't think you can have too much theater. Also, what makes you think not impeaching anybody will attract the attention of the public away from all those missing white women and American Idol?
If the administration defies an impeachment hearing, just how do you think that would go down with a public that already wants Cheney impeached? The advantage of impeachment here is that it does not require help from either the executive or the courts, so what they would or would not do does not matter. Any refusal to testify would automatically appear to be obstruction of justice.
As to whether non-conviction in the senate would appear weak, and the OJ result, do recall the result for OJ. Did wonders for his career, right?
Validating the administration? Sorry, it seems to me that the OJ trial didn't do much for murder, and I don't see the logic of this assertion.
As for the rest of your comment, I will say this: by nominating a poisonous combination of Bush, Cheney, and Rove, sociopaths all, the GOP has done enormous damage to the republic. I think my opinion is shared by many.
I can only say that I've tried to lay out the pros and cons rationally. If you think that there's some supersecret GOP response that will make impeachment backfire, sure, it's possible. I've always believed that, if you do what you believe is right, then it doesn't really matter what the other side believes or wants.