I would urge our elected representatives to proceed relentlessly with investigations necessary for impeachment.
Some have said Bush and Cheney will be out of office in a couple of years, and if we put our energies into supporting Democratic programs in Congress, and into electing a new president in 2008, things will get back on the right track. If Bush and Cheney were an unfortunate fluke, I might agree. But sadly and with grave concern I look at the long-term trends we have already witnessed of the concentration and abuse of power in the Executive Branch, Washington's collusion with and sellouts to the benefit of powerful corporations, and to the clear detriment of ordinary working folks.
If we don't confront this and stop it in its tracks, we are accepting this as permissible government. It will become the standard by which future administrations will operate. And worse. Right-wing efforts to continue in those directions are unmistakable and, if left unchecked, I am quite convinced will undoubtedly continue into 2008, 2012 and beyond.
It had its seeds in the Nixon era 30 years ago. We saw the trend continue in the Reagan administration (the VP was George Bush's father), with Iran-Contra scandals, drastic deregulation of business, grant rigging in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, fraud and racketeering in the collapse of the Savings and Loan industry and related influence-peddling scandals.
This Bush administration is quite literally a dramatic escalation of those previous abuses. How much more damage will they do even in the next two years if left unchecked?
No, this is not solely about Bush and Cheney. It hasn't been for a long time. It is about protecting the Constitution, the rule of law, and about regaining control of our country. Unfortunately we are at the point where it's going to take the well-deserved impeachment of the president and vice-president to reestablish Congressional oversight of the Executive Branch, and to make it clear that deception, cronyism, profiteering, malfeasance and gross mismanagement are not going to be tolerated.
Yes, this is certainly unpleasant, worrisome. I think it's like noticing a few soft spots under the carpet, maybe some dampness and discoloration. Shall I ignore it, or will I have the courage to peel back the carpet and inspect the damage? I may find more than I bargained for, perhaps a floor rotted in parts. Maybe even the supporting beams are compromised. I may have to cut out substantial sections and rebuild. But if I don't investigate and assess the damage and start the remedies, I risk eventually losing the whole house.
Jim Crawford
Magnolia
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