Another Look : Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
Posted on Sunday, April 29, 2007
There have been a number of periods over these last years when sorting through accounts and reports of American messes and misinformation was too much for the patriotic heart to bear. They were stretches of exaggeration and overreaching the likes of which most of us had never seen before, and they came from practically every direction: government institutions, commercial institutions, religious institutions, broadcasting institutions.
Practically everyone who could conceive an idea of how to “ grab more while the getting was good” did so, and why not ? Nobody was minding the place, the doors were flung open, most of those folks had been holding back for a long time, and everybody else was walking out with all they could carry. Looking back, it was a lot like self-restraint, order and responsibility in American society had succumbed to the fever that swept over Baghdad in the immediate aftermath of the American invasion.
The cleanup and restoration of Baghdad hasn’t gone quite as it was marketed and sold to us. Likewise, here in the States, millions of Americans are now somewhere in the process of coming to, rising to their feet, dusting off, surveying the damage, cleaning and sweeping up the place, restoring order and finding out what the heck blasted through here — and swearing they will do whatever it takes never to suffer such an assault again.
It’s their right and moral obligation to protect themselves. Nonetheless, the talk-radio masters are squealing that America is in the grips of some bloodthirsty Liberal revenge of all things “ conservative. ” That accusation is horse manure, the same kind sold as a cure-all to the unsuspecting fools who bought the last batch on the same street corner in the “ runup to the war” back in 2003. Caveat emptor, indeed.
What is coming now are simply responses to the many violations of public trust committed by elected and appointed underminers of democratic and representative governance.
Today it is painfully clear that the swell guys and gals of the Republican Revolution came to prominence and power without knowing much, if anything, of our history, let alone how to run a vast and powerful country. They ran successful campaigns decrying the government as the problem. Driven by that philosophy, there was no way they would or could participate in our system as good stewards. They were calculating, full-tilt interlopers before they ever filed as candidates, and they have been horrifyingly successful.
Our federal government has been in the grips of partisan hacks dedicated more to the Republican Party than to serving our national interests or our security. According to recent testimony, the General Services Administration, in breech of the Hatch Act, has been training federal employees of several departments and levels in ways to ensure the election of Republicans to the exclusion of their opposition. In violation of the same law, we now know that many serving in the White House conducted extensive partisan campaign activities on that same federal property and on federally compensated time by way of GOP-issued computers and PDAs. Last week’s senate testimony by Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez proved beyond any doubt that incompetence is the benchmark of Bush administration success and confidence. Throughout five excruciating hours of questions, the highest law enforcement officer of the nation claimed not to remember important events and developments connected with American justice under his authority. Wednesday, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, introduced Articles of Impeachment calling for the investigation and removal of Vice President Dick Cheney. The articles assert that Cheney manipulated the intelligence, and thereby the nation, into invading and occupying Iraq, resulting in the deaths of more than 3, 300 Americans and 650, 000 Iraqis at a whopping $ 500 billion — and that he fully intends to do the same in Iran. High crime or misdemeanor ? These days I look forward to reading news reports again. The pendulum swings, and the right-wing attack dogs raise their hackles. They whine and moan about the dangers of removing a wartime president. “ Only traitors try to remove their leaders in times of war. ” The Constitution provided the impeachment remedy to protect the nation from would-be imperial presidents. Tuesday, Dick Cheney was lurking in the shadows thumbing his nose at the Constitution and his critics from behind the false sanctity of the wartime presidency he has dreamed about since he worked for Nixon. Wednesday brought a new day.
Scott Sullivan writes a monthly column for The Benton County Daily Record. He may be reached at sksully 7698 @ hughes. net.
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