No American with a modicum of respect for the Constitution wants the current administration to stay in power for even one more day. Bush and the Neocons are the biggest threat to Our Constitution since Nixon.
Each new Discovery, in each of the Oversight Hearings, reveals a depth of corruption, cover-up, and internal threat to America, unparalleled in our history. After Seven years of no oversight by the Republicans, the “shock and awe” of these revelations compounds hourly.
The Call for Impeachment grows by the day, and correctly so.
The Democratic Party’s position that Impeachment is off the table, more reflects the tenuous hold on the Congress, than their inner agreement. That being said, there is Forty years worth of the Republican Wurlitzer playing out, that has created a public perception of the Democrats as wimps.
However the Democrats have helped in that perception, these past few months they have initiated some Four Hundred oversight committee inquiries, and have begun to “Out” the Republican Party, for what has been hidden in the closet all this time, nothing but Unconstitutional malfeasance.
This is certainly the correct tactic to use within our governmental framework. If you don’t have the votes, overwhelm the opposition with the truth of matters, until support is simply inevitable.
The utter frustration with War, has magnified. It has resulted in an ever increasing call for Impeachment, now even being revealed even in the Mainstream Media.
Many, on the left, have begun to part ways with Democratic Party over this. This is a perilous move. There is no third party in America today, nor will there be in the near future. The only recourse to Republican rule is a strong Democratic Party.
Cindy Sheehan has broken (if she ever was a part of it) with the Democrats, and announced an Independent run at Speaker Pelosi. She has staged a confrontation with one of the few Democrats in the House, to even pay lip service to an impeachment solution, Rep Conyers.
Wrong Target Folks!!
Although I support Civil Disobedience, as an American Right, this action has been mis-aimed. Once again the Left divides over an issue. This does not strengthen us.
As noted in the BooMan Tribune Faq, both support of Democrats, and holding them accountable is the rule here. In this case, I support the Democrat, not the Independent. I am not sure Rep. Conyers’ response was the best, but his history of support for many good things, should allow him the benefit of doubt, even to the “purists”.
Unless this has changed, and the FAQ not updated…
What’s This Site All About?
This site is not affiliated with the Democratic Party. However, the Democratic Party is the only institution in this country that is capable of combatting the Bush administration’s agenda, or of offering a realistic alternative to the GOP’s control of both houses of Congress.
Therefore, this site is committed to building the Democratic Party, raising money for the Democratic Party and its candidates, finding and promoting promising candidates for state and local offices, helping to shape the Democratic Party’s agenda, and holding Democratic office holders to account for their votes and their ethics.
The site is also committed to doing some of the investigative work that is so desperately needed with the GOP in control of the oversight committees.
Note: This story originates at my blog.
Cindy Sheehan’s candidacy in no way threatens the Democratic Party. What it does threaten is the Dem Party establishment. Sheehan represents true Democratic values much better than Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid.
Sheehan’s challenging Pelosi as an Independent serves to promote the following goals that you quote from BT’s FAQ:
I felt I could not contribute anything more to what was being said on your diary. Most opinions there agreed with you. So….I wrote my own.
If nobody supports this point of view…that’s fine. At least I stated it, as best I could.
Please don’t get me wrong: I’m vary glad that you posted this diary. This is a very important subject, and I hope others will join in the discussion. And subjects like this can be discussed much more calmly and rationally here than at dKos.
You write, “Many, on the left, have begun to part ways with Democratic Party over this.” I don’t think that that’s necessarily what’s happening at all. To be sure, there are some people that are so fed up with the Dem Party that they think it’s time to channel our energies into the Green Party. I for one (for what it matters: I am just one observer) am not ready to seriously contemplate doing that, at this point. For one thing, the Green Party isn’t especially prominent in the anti-war or impeachment movements, as far as I can tell. At this stage, I see little sign that it is going to emerge as the base of a movement to change the status quo, and there is even less chances of a completely new party emerging.
What more and more people are doing is not parting ways with the Dem Party, but coming to the realization that the Dem Party establishment cannot be expected to act in good faith with us. For example, Reid and Pelosi present the Levin-Reid Amendment as if it would end the occupation of Iraq, whereas as this piece in Counterpunch makes clear, it would do no such thing.
As to your first point that is exactly what’s happening. Scroll around the intertubes, and you’ll see many diaries condemning Conyers, some that catterwall against those traitor Dems. You’ll also see some rational attempts to defend him, and those point out many the same things I did, there are fewer of them. But it is a split, another one, on top of many. Division will not help anyone’s goals.
Aim your disgust at the Republicans. It’s their war, they created it, they lied to make it happen, they abandoned the hunt for Bin Laden. They mismanaged everything from delivery of water, to deployment of troops. They hid the war, through the medias complicity, from the American Citizen. They did away with Habeus. Their lockstep policies have almost destroyed this Country.
Instant Gratification ain’t gonna happen. That is what many Americans have been raised to believe is their right. Fine. Push for it, give it a shot. That puts the pressure on everyone. That’s a good thing, but it just never happens, and usually ends in disappointment.
Aim your disgust at the Republicans
The problem is that establishment Dems have little or no disgust for the Republicans, because they inhabit the same cesspool. By abandoning core Democratic values, it is the Dem establishment that is creating splits, not progressives.
Your program is for the citizenry to be sheep, to look up to our leaders, and not ask any questions or make any demands. That is not the way a free people behaves.
How far would the civil rights movement have gotten if they had not been willing to challenge JFK and other Democrats? And how far would the Iron Jawed Angels have gotten if they had not been willing to challenge President Wilson?
Seems to me that whenever major social change has been necessary, it needed a major push from outside either party. And I think we’re in need of major social change.
I have not implied that I am against challenges to the Democrats, only that the venom should be reserved for those truly against a modern progressive world.
What I do know, is that just yesterday, Chairman Conyers elevated the Inquiry from Investigative Oversight to Criminal Complaint. THAT is how you build a case for impeachment. THAT is how you build ANY case forward. Investigate. Compile the FACTS. File Charges as necessary. Unless, I am mistaken, We are a Country of Laws. No One is above them. We have a Democratic Republic because of those laws, not because of mob rule.
In your face emotional outbursts are a reflection of frustration, and yet necessary to expose a general feeling of the Citizens. But they would better serve the cause, directed against those in opposition to your values. Mr. Conyers has been consistently on the correct side of things. Why the Congress is against impeachment right now is explained, argued for, argued against, in 40 different ways. Frustration is not a valid legal article for impeachment.
Everone is so hepped up on a third party approach. Look how well Nader’s candidacy worked out for all of us. Have a third party, hell 4 or 5 more, I don’t care.
Water your messages down to a handful of supporters, go right ahead…
Independent runs, work both ways too…See Lieberman.
You perpetuate right wing memes when you consistanly label Sheehan and anti-war activists as using mob rule or spouting venom, and reduce their cause down to emotional outbursts. Then you go on to denigrate anyone who is frustrated with the democrats enough to explore alternatives as watering their message down or, typically, being a Nader supporter.
Well, I was a Nader supporter. It’s my effing vote to give to whomever best represents my values, not the latest liar who says whatever is necesarry to get elected and then has no qualms about reversing the rhetoric and slapping down, or arresting as the case may be, those who got them elected in the first place.
I’m just gonna laugh at that one….
Sure…come down on me….that’ll do some good.
Everyone is looking for a fight…all I’m saying is pick a fight with the guys that have caused all the trouble….sheesh.
Long range Progressive goals will be better served building alliances with the ones in government, or by supporting ANY candidate you think will get you a voice. I never understood tearing an ally down. I always thought you tried to keep him on your side, and sway him or her to your beliefs.
I have had my times at the barricades, and may yet again, sometimes it’s necessary, but it ain’t never pretty. For my part, I’m going to do everything I can to promote good government, by rational people. I know who the opponent is. It ain’t the Dems, it ain’t the Greens, it ain’t even the Nader supporters…
pssst…they’re over there….on the other side of the aisle.
I’m not sure what you call “venom”, but if what Sheehan and the others did at Conyer’s office qualifies, then so would the actions of Alice Paul and the other “Iron Jawed Angels.” Here’s a bit from wiki:
Looks to me like Ms. Sheehan and Ms. Paul have a lot in common. And I’d certainly equate our current constitutional crisis with women’s sufferage. If the Dems can’t see that – I’d say its time to ramp up the “venom.”
This says it much better than my humble attempt….
LINK