Impeach-talk: Wipe the Smile off Republicans' Faces

"Republicans, worried that their base lacks motivation to turn out for the fall elections, have found a new rallying cry in the dreams of liberals about censuring or impeaching president Bush." -NY Times, Mar. 16, 2006

If Rush Limbaugh is correct about Democratic talk of impeachment being a "gift" to Republicans because of the "backlash" it might cause in the 2006 elections, then it is only because the Dems have done such a lousy, inarticulate job of hammering Bush on the national security. Or rather, his utter, criminal betrayal of it.

The spin is out from the Lame Democrat faction that impeachment calls might fire up the right-wing base. But their refusal to take-on Bush is the only reason he HAS a base AT ALL. In 2004, when John Kerry attacked Bush (too little too late) for allowing bin Laden to escape at Tora Bora, Republicans predictably warned that Kerry had crossed the line (like they always do when the truth makes the room a little too hot.) But at those moments Kerry's numbers ticked up, not down.

The mastery of the Right in doing politics is dazzling in contrast to the complete befuddlement of Democrats every time one of them stands up and does the right thing, like call for impeachment. They have the Democrats on the defensive again with the Dubai ports scandal barely off the front pages. Impeachment calls need the support of a swift and sustained thrashing of Bush on the national security, starting with the betrayal of CIA weapons of mass destruction specialist Valerie Plame.

Sure, fighting is tougher than just getting along and putting up just enough of an opposition to get you re-elected by the local party machine. You have to respond to Bush Faction bullshit every day (Valerie Plame was just an analyst and everyone knows who she was. Bullshit), and come up with your own war plan and talking points. You must be ready for the absolutely inevitable smears and attacks on your patriotism coming your way. But this national security stuff is kind of important. By leaving bin Laden in place to coordinate things, pumping up his legions of volunteers by attacking Iraq, and leaving ports, chemical plants and nukes all over the world unsecured, Bush has almost guaranteed another terror attack. Contrast this to our troops having secured Afghanistan and the Paki frontier IN FORCE by now, with Saddam still in charge of his dysfunctional, simmering powder keg of a nation, and a vast majority of Muslims still thinking America is the greatest and most righteous nation on earth, and loving what we stand for.

This is how we should have won the war on terror. Iraq will eventually disintegrate into 3 states no matter how many of our troops are killed there. Now we know why it took a thug like Hussein to keep it together. If the Democrats do not start doing the national security thing on Bush, and doing it hot and heavy, American blood will pay. There will be plenty of blame to go around.

Polis

MORE AT http://ralphlopezworld.com

General thread

Let me have it. Use this for comments on all items.

Dump the Lame Democrats

OH REALLY...Another No-Duh moment for the New York Times, Democrats are not "capitalizing" on Republican sleaziness, law-breaking, and incompetence. Thus blowing the chance for gains in 2006 ("Some Democrats are Sensing Missed Opportunities.") Letter-to-editor-writer Robert Resnikoff of Middletown, CT explains to the political newbies that:

"the Democrats need to take a page from the Republican playbook and attack the other party on its perceived strengths. President Bush's operatives took on Senator John McCain and then Senator John Kerry on their war heroism. The
Democrats don't need to be nearly as dishonest to raise questions about President Bush on national security."

Attack perceived strengths? Oh right, this is what pols do when they actually want to WIN an election.

Democrats don't even NEED to lie about Bush bungling the capture or killing of bin Laden at Tora Bora (read the book by the CIA operative code-named "Jawbreaker.") Unless Bush bungled it on purpose, and I do not believe for one minute that this could not be the case. The war on terror has been quite good for GWB. You could also say Bush "did a Cheney" and aimed wild at Iraq instead of the bird. The hunting accident is a perfect metaphor for this whole administration. Psst! Bin Laden and the Al Qaeda high command are holed up comfortably in Pakistan, not Iraq. Mike Scheuer, top CIA analyst and "Imperial Hubris" author, wanted to put massive manpower on the border while the towers were still smoldering, to seal off the exits, then stomp one end of the Pakistani mountains to the other. "Breaking the crockery, if necessary," says Scheuer, until we found bin Laden. Which is what we oughta be doing now.

Iraq took the fight AWAY from the enemy. Bin Laden, who is like Road Runner peeking out from behind bushes and sticking his tongue out at Bush, was the duck, or whatever the hell, and Iraq was the poor lawyer Cheney blasted instead. We need to get out of Iraq, move troops to Afghanistan, and get on with finding the people who attacked us. In Iraq we just walked into the middle of a family quarrel, which you don't do because you don't know who is whom and who hates whom the most. Everyone knows that.

If you want to attack the Bush Faction on national security, we could talk about the 130 tons of HMX high explosives we discovered lost in Iraq in October of 2004, or rather, how we're finding them again...in car bombs. I no longer call them the "Republicans" because there are a lot of good Republicans now who are looking at Bush like he's crazy, which he is. I just can't believe how long it took some people to see it. The guy landed on an aircraft carrier like Jesus-with-a-cowboy-hat-and-a-sidearm.

While in Vietnam your biggest worry was a landmine or a bullet, now in Iraq we're facing bombs that can leave your brain
permanently rattled even if you don't have a scratch on you.

Or we could talk about the "F" on follow-through that the post-9/11 commission gave Bush, on things like securing harbors and chemical plants, and hiring translators.

The fact is, Bush seems uninterestesd in the war on terror, except of course, those parts that increase his power. Translators? Boring. Warrantless eavesdropping? Fight for it like hell! Plugging holes in airport security? Pu-leese. Locking up Americans? Let's do it!

My favorite ACLJew lawyer Harvey Silverglate (Harvey lives down my street) writes in the Boston Phoenix:

"Whatever else he may or may not be, Bush is strategic: what better vehicle for delivering himself sweeping, unchecked "inherent" presidential power than through an appeal to national security in an area -- electronic surveillance -- where public-opinion polls indicate that Americans are most willing to sacrifice civil liberties in exchange for perceived security?"

Like a laser as always Harvey zeroes in on it:

"If Bush wins this round, the next step will almost certainly be a claim to presidential power to engage in torture or executive detention of citizens with neither charge nor trial nor time limit"

Actually Bush ALREADY claims the right of executive detention of citizens without time limit. The trial balloon, still untested by the Roberts-Alito Supreme Court axis, is Jose Padilla. They pulled back on Padilla for now, most likely waiting for a more favorable climate (read: after an attack) to nail down the power to lock up anyone incommunicado, without a trial, indefinitely.

Hear this. It could be you. It could be anybody. There was a reason the Founders fought the Revolution, so that kings could not drag you away in the night and throw you in a dungeon.

If John Kerry had attacked Bush on national security, he would be president right now. Incumbent Democrats are throwing the fight, and acting like the gang that couldn't shoot straight. So forget those clowns. Follow our Fighting Candidates page (I changed it from "fighting Democrats" to make room for a patriotic Republican or two.) Give them money. Urge them to get behind a united agenda, my suggested one, for instance. Realize you are living in an incredible time in history. Great republics don't die every day, and you are alive to maybe stop it. Your grandchildren will ask: What did you do?