For all the wailing and moaning about how dumb people who voted for Bush are, progressive Democrats in this country might want to take a look in the mirror. You want to know why Kerry lost an ass-kicking contest to a one-legged man? Maybe in part it is because whatever good ideas progressive espouse don't get through because of their consistent classism and condescension.

Take for example the following: "These are the questions we keep pondering, and someday we'll park ourselves out in front of a Wal-Mart in Ohio or Florida or New Mexico or Nevada and start asking people as they come and go."

Unless Democrats want to write off the 84% (according to AC Nielsen) of US households who shop at Walmart, maybe they shoud stop looking down their noses at us.

Good Lord, it is not a moral failing to go shop at Walmart. Shrill people who think it is, have got to get a grip. If you believe Walmart workers are underpaid, then address the national minimum wage, but don't blame Walmart.

Until the coastal lefties wake up to the fact that calling people stupid and immoral for doing things like shopping where they can get the best price for toilet paper is not going to win them votes, we should all be prepared for the continuation of Republican rule in this country.

The last five years have completely demonstrated that a Republican controlled House and Senate have no interest in honoring their constitutional responsibility for oversight of the executive branch. With this example in mind, it is clear that there is a vanishingly small chance that a Republican controlled House or Senate will undertake the kind of investigations that might lead to impeachment of Bush and Cheney.

Unless the Democrats take control of the House and/or the Senate in 2006 and have the spine to actually undertake a vigourous investigation of the abuses of the last five year, there will be no impeachment. The Bush presidency will stagger on, eeking out what perks they can for their corporate supporters.

So first things, first. When the Democrats take control of either the House or the Senate, then we can talk about the "I-word".

That is, after all, what the Republicans did in California to cash in on Gray Davis's mounting unpopularity there. Sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander. Considerably easier than impeachment: no need to make a case for "high crimes and misdemeanors." We could simply say, like Martha, "Sorry, you're just not working out for us. Good-bye." (Would we have to write a polite note afterward?)

Democrats and all those who oppose this moronic and dangerous Bush regime simply must find a way to impeach this idiot boy king. The world cannot wait three more years. Too much damage -- irrepairable, I fear -- will be inflicted, too much hope will be lost, too many changes for greatness will be missed.

The world does not need the Bush regime. In fact, it is the very thing it must vanquish.

Tim, how can we think impeachment is a good idea when the Vice President would then become the President??? And, who wants Condi Rice as President? There's no one who is preferable to Bush.

It's easy to find reasons for impeachment. John Dean, of all people, has identified them for over two years. This week we find either the President or Amnesty International is lying; somehow Amnesty's integrity isn't what I question.

But impeachment?? Does anyone really want that lengthy, complicated, self-wrenching, hyper-political event to take up our national (and global) time right now? Our current President has not proven he's very good at governing; how could his governing possibly improve while facing impeachment?

We saw how drawn-out and indeed antiquated a process impeachment was during the Clinton years. Far easier, and more astute, for the nation would be obtaining Cheney's resignation, and showing some bold, unexpected move. In effect, where in this administration can "Nixon go to China"? I have one idea, and that's to see the President advocate for seriously improved fuel economy in American automobiles. That would be as unexpected, and as easy for most Americans to support, as Nixon going to China.

Hoping for an impeachment sounds like revenge and/or a bad dream. Let's not wish for impeachment, even if justified. Let's hope for improved governance. Everyone in the world deserves that, not the, uh, tortured road of impeachment.

What happened a year ago? Let's look at the exit polls. Didn't something like 80% of those who supported Bush strongly support him. How many of those who voted for Kerry strongly supported Kerry? It was no where near 80%. Thus: Kerry's vote was as high as it was because people were voting against Bush. When Kerry was the best Democrats could do, there's great disappointment, but less surprise in my mind that Bush won. Perhaps someone with more search-engine savvy than I can find the exact exit poll numbers. They'll support my point though that Kerry was not a well-liked candidate - even by those of us that voted for him.

And today? The 6% that 'flip-floped?' I'll guess they decided that maybe that Kerry would have been better than "this guy we got." It still isn't a real meaningful number to me.

As far as impeachment and / or dumping Cheney: In polictial terms, the one, ONE thing going for Cheney (in my mind) is that he does not plan to run for President. Move either of these turkeys out of the office and suddenly we're giving the biggest political podium in the world to a potential Republican candidate. While world-wide it might restore our reputation somewhat, nothing will do more than putting a quality leader into the office in 2008. And some other Democrats into the house and senate in 2006 to restore our essential checks and balances. Consider mine another voice saying this is where our focus must lie.

Ian

The result would only be the ascension of Cheney to the presidency--hardly the fresh start any of us are looking for (and, consider the irony: If the rabid Republicans had succeeded in their goal of ousting Clinton, it would only have resulted in the all but certain election of an incumbent Al Gore in 2000). Best to let them both twist slowly in the wind for the next three years and and discredit the Republican governing project for a generation.

Richard Yeselson