When, little more than one year into its term, the stalwart Washington Post editorial board begins asking if the Presidency can be saved, you know something is desperately wrong. But it’s even worse when their recommendations involve: embracing the evidence of global warming, leadership on immigration reform, addressing poverty on the Gulf Coast, and putting an end to the practice of torturing detainees to death.
That’s a far cry from the advice they were giving Clinton: come clean on the blow job and do something about entitlement reform.
This administration is not going to do anything on global warming. Embrace the evidence? Why even waste your breath? They will not show any leadership on immigration reform. Their paymasters want an amnesty, their base wants a lynch mob. I can only laugh in wonder at their suggestion that Bush give “meaning to his statement of seven months ago [on Katrina]…”We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold action.” And I see no prospect of Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld putting a stop to the practice of torturing people to death.
The Washington Post is not only being unrealistic, they are fiddling while D.C. burns. If Bush wants to save his Presidency he should do the following things.
impeachment
He should call in the leaders of the Democratic Party for a sit-down. He should make a deal. If he gives them what they want, the Dems will agree not to pursue impeachment proceedings against Bush and Cheney if they gain a majority in the House this fall.
What is a reasonable price for the Democrats to ask, and what is a reasonable response by the President?
The Democrats should call for the resignations of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. Karl Rove should also resign. Cheney’s replacement will be up to the Republican caucus, but there are a few people that the Dems should make clear are not acceptable. For example, Condi Rice is not acceptable.
Donald Rumsfeld’s replacement should be a Democrat. If Joe Lieberman would like the job, let him have it. Regardless, the position should be filled by someone that has the trust and confidence of not only the Democratic caucus, but the country at large.
The Democrats should also insist that the President dismantle Guantanamo Bay’s prison, as well as our other secret detention centers. All detainees should be given a hearing, have access to lawyers, and be accessible to the Red Cross.
The negotiations over Iraq will be complicated. However, the Dems should insist on a timetable for withdrawal, and that should include giving up any permanent bases in the country. A possible exception to this could be made for Kurdistan, if the Kurds and the national government are amenable to us having a base there to prevent an outbreak of civil war, and as a deterrent to Iran until Iraq can build up its own defenses.
The Dems should not swear off vigorous investigations of graft in the contracting of the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, nor the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast.
However, in return for vigorous lobbying reform and increased campaign finance reforms, the Dems can agree not to push for the fullest level of accountability that is warranted. If Bush signs the bill that will put an end to the racket on K Street, the Dems can look the other way on some of the abuses.
The Democrats should also offer to forego a public airing of the NSA scandal and other domestic surveillance, in return for full disclosure in closed session, along with an agreement to sign any resulting reforms that come out of the intelligence committees. And those intelligence committee bills should have unanimous support from the members.
In addition, the Dems should extract a promise to move forward with a greater sense of bipartisanship, which means no more questioning of our patriotism or comparing us to Usama bin-Laden.
Bush doesn’t deserve to be given such a break. But, for the greater good of the nation, if Bush were willing to make these rather large concessions, it would be wise for the Democrats to cut such a deal.
That is the only way to save this failed Presidency. If, instead, Bush launches preemptive strikes on Iran (without Congressional authorization), it will be up to the people to rise up and demand that Congress act to remove Bush from office. The grounds for removal are already abundant. Further aggression will only make the need to act that much more urgent and morally compelling.
The idea of the Democrats giving this President a pass on his abuse of power is repugnant to me. But, if the reward is to usher out Cheney and Rumsfeld, and put an end to domestic surveillance, torture and other human rights abuses, end our aspirations for permanent bases in Iraq, and to enact ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance reforms…I’d say that is worth the cost.
Now…anyone care to play a game? Let’s try to predict how many pardons Bush will dole out as he prepares to leave office.
