Good morning:
As some of you night owls may not know, there was a lot of work done here yesterday to organize support for really democratic candidates for the House and the Senate. I know I gleaned at least eight I might like to support, over and above the thirty indentified by Yellin on Kos.
While I was sleeping, however, the brain came to the conclusion that, in addition to researching what these people are saying and the positions on issues they are taking, they probably need a more thorough vetting.
We now know from experience that some people will say anything to get elected and then do nothing. Our legislative morass isn't just the result of input from "special interests" or kowtowing to the leadership.
So, considering the worst case scenario that the Rove strategy is successful and his boy is re-elected, we need to be prepared not only with a democratic majority in the House, but with new members who are prepared to do the right thing and impeach the President for lying to Congress and orchestrating aggression against another nation without cause. Since the House is unlikely to take such action under the current leadership and that leadership can only be changed with a new majority, we need a majority. But we also need one that is prepared to act.
As was noted yesterday in the report from South Dakota, the current Democratic leader of the Senate is now supportive of that aggression and probably not up to the task of leading the Senate through the impeachment process.
So, it would probably be a good idea before we go throwing our support to any candidate that we vet them properly, especially in regard to their responsiblity to impeach those who violate their oath of office or fail to perform the duties they have assumed.
One should not be able to escape accountability for bad performance by playing the dunce.
If the election process cannot be made to work to remove an incompetent office-holder, whether because of fraud or corporate conspiracies, then the impeachment is the only recourse we have.
Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to draw up a bill of particulars outlining the multiple violations of law and the Constitution the current administration has committed and use that to vet prospective members of Congress and the Senate.
After all, it's only fair they should know what they are in for and what their constituents expect.
Posted by Monica Smith at February 21, 2004 03:01 AM