doug, watching the death spiral that the bush administration seems to be in brings back memories of a similar situation that occurred in canada not so long ago. after 16 years of liberal rule, the country elected brian mulroney and his band of conservatives. he had outmanouvered joe clark in a leadership race featuring the same kind of dirty tricks that bush pulled on mccain.his large majority pushed through the free trade deal which is still haunting us all. after winning a second election with a huge margin, he attempted to ram a number of unpopular initiatives through parliament, including a 15% sales tax and the failed meech lake accord, which sparked the quebec separatist movement. his populaity ratings in 1993 was at 10%. he stepped down before the next election, but not before leaving the party in shambles. the party went on to win just 2 of 300 seats and although they recently won a minority government, the right has never been the same since. lets hope that history repeats itself. the world cannot handle too much more of the status quo. so you see, doug, theres still reason for optimism!!

Watching the slow, agonizing death of the Bush adminstration would be a pleasure, but America suffers and feels the death pains. Those of us who voted against this "impostor" should be shouting, but the "grim reaper" has us in his grip also. The whole country has the "death rattle" because of this son of a bitch.

Watching these schvienhundts get what they deserve would be a wonderful thing. Unfortuantely, the scorched earth policies of these guys is taking the rest of America down with us. If the Republican lose eeither house of Congress, the Bush crime family still has the Exectuive orders allowing him to seize control of the government to fall back on to maintain his strangle hold on Amerika.

He had been saving these until January 21, 2008, but would no bdoubt use them earlier if power in the Congress shifts.

Mr. Thompson,

Thank you very much for Capital Hill Blues. You speak truth to power. I glad that you have friends in Washington. Atleast everyday people have a view and voice through you. Keep up the good work.

This article makes the assumption that the american electorate is not in a persistant vegetative state,which it is.
From what i have observed in the last several elections the american voter may be having a near death experience. i am completely amazed at the abuse they will take. my feeling is most people are too tired and too stressed anymore to pay much attention to current events. it is not uncommon to hear about people working 50, 60,70 hours a week or more and hold two jobs. we've been so shattered with work and fear over the last few years that i suspect most people have just tuned out just when their attention is needed most.

It would be too easy to say "I told you so", but there is not joy in it. Many in Texas saw the real GWB when he was here, and tried to sound the alarm. Unfortunately, the masses were deaf. How blind those who will not see, and how deaf those who refuse to hear.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about just how far our nation has sunk at the hands of Bush and his henchmen since he first took office in 2001.

As a frequent visitor to our nation’s Capital, I’m appalled at all the roadblocks, barriers, security checkpoints and metal detectors one must now navigate, not only to visit the Capitol and other historic buildings there, but just to drive around Washington, D.C.

And, unlike his 2001 inaugural, the fact that, for his 2005 “coronation”, “King George” found it necessary to turn our nation’s capital into an armed camp (complete with bomb dogs sniffing, helicopters hovering and F-16s armed to the teeth flying overhead ready to shoot down any civilian aircraft that might happen to mistakenly stray too close to the proceedings) speaks volumes.

And, nowadays, just flying from one city to another in the United States aboard a civilian airliner has turned into a HUGE hassle. We now have to arrive at the airport for our flights nearly two hours early. We are then subjected to scores of questions regarding our travel intentions, who packed our luggage (including where it’s been since we did so) and how many nail clippers we might mistakenly have in our pockets. Then, to add insult to injury, we are also now subject to government “no fly” lists full of mistakes, not to mention “random” strip-searches by government airport “goon squads”.

It also used to be that the arrival of our President in a foreign capital aboard that big, beautiful chariot called Air Force One was an event that was shouted from the rooftops. It often was a spectacle that was announced far in advance so that entire populations could turn out to view our President’s triumphant arrival.

But, just yesterday we read (and after the fact, no less!) that our current President was forced to slip into Afghanistan on Air Force One “in secret” just to spend a few minutes visiting with our troops. I compare this approach to the time when the Canadian Prime Minister visited with Canadian troops serving there. HIS visit was national news in Canada both before AND after event.

I still have visions of “King George” strutting his stuff across that carrier deck in a flight suit back in 2003, where he then smugly announced to the entire world that our mission was “accomplished” in Iraq. Yeah, right.

I’m appalled when I reflect on how far we have sunk, and of the freedoms we, as Americans, have stood by and let these clowns overtly steal from us (all in the trumped up name of “national security”) in just a few short years.

If the telling of lies about sex with a White House intern rise to the level of an impeachable offence, then surely, the telling of lies that have resulted in the wholesale theft of our precious freedoms of speech and movement in our own country most certainly must be as well.

We are no longer the “land of the free”. And unless our Congress can collectively find enough intestinal fortitude to now impeach this President, it will be quite clear to the rest of the world that we are no longer the “home of the brave” either.

Well according to Doug, clinton was at least as bad as bush and anyone who doesn't think so is partisan. personally i would rather be governed by the lying horny than the lying malevolent, but that's moral relativism.

Epimethius writes:

Well according to Doug, clinton was at least as bad as bush and anyone who doesn't think so is partisan. personally i would rather be governed by the lying horny than the lying malevolent, but that's moral relativism.

I'd rather be governed by a democratic depublic led by honest leaders but that's just me.

Doug

I would too, Doug, but the lie Clinton told about his involvement with Monica was a lie that almost every man in the world would have repeated under similar circumstances. The real problem with Clinton is that he engaged in the activity to begin with. He put himself into a position to be blackmailed, not good for the security of the country, not good at all. In fact, the Israelis (per the Washington Times) did blackmail him. Clinton was trying to find an Israeli mole in the White House, a spy, and Israel caused him to back off when they threatened to expose the affair.

But at its worst, Clinton's failure pales in comparison to the current administration's transgressions.

Roger

Roger writes:

I would too, Doug, but the lie Clinton told about his involvement with Monica was a lie that almost every man in the world would have repeated under similar circumstances.

Roger, if that was the only lie or transgression of Bill Clinton I might agree with you but you're not looking at the overall. Clinton sold out our high tech industry by allowing transfer of sensitve technology to China. The Chinese-American Democrat who brokered that deal went to prison for that one. He lied to justify bombing a pill factory (claiming it was a chemical weapons facility) to divert attention from the Monica Lewinsky affair. He lied about the extent of the American commitment to the "peacekeeping" efforts in Bosnia and Americans died.

I don't like liars, be they spoiled frat boy sons of former Presidents or Arkansas trailer trash. And I apply the same standards for honesty and integrity to all sides. Bush is morally corrupt. So is Clinton. Bush's lies cost American lives. So did Clinton's. One crook ain't any better than another simply because he or she might represent a political party someone likes. I worked in Washington for 23 years, 11 of them inside the political system, and I learned one basic truth about our elected officials: By and large, most of them (Republican and Democrat) are corrupt, greedy, power-mad assholes who belong in jail, not the halls of power.

Doug

A couple of relevant points to their election fears might be that:

1) It's likely that the attack on Iran will be well underway before the election, with all the attendant consequences thereof

2) The Democrats are really no different. They've been aiding and abetting this administration, save for the occassional ankle biters, in everything it's aspired to do. In fact, they've failed the country over and over again.

It's too bad that American politics give you a choice of 'bad' and 'badderer', but no other real options.

But then, it's all about money. That's what a majority means to Democrats: more of the money. Not 'change'.

This whole 'Clinton is less-evil' thing that keeps coming up is sickening. It reminds me of a satirical election poster I saw before the last 'election'. The Headline "Vote for Kerry. We'll go Backward less quickly." The fact is that the Dems and Repubs have stunningly similar possisions on almost all issues. They just use a few hot-botton items like abortion, gay rights, etc, to keep their constituents at each others throats. Divide and conquer. Keep the peasants fighting each other so they don't turn their ire towards the aristocracy. I'll say it again: Good-Cop/Bad-Cop. Smoke and Mirrors.

Doug, I admire your idealism. But I ask you, have you ever lied? I bet you have, even if you were quite young and maybe didn't know better or were in fear of the consequences of the truth. So have I. Are our entire lives to be judged on the basis of those few weak lapses? I would prefer that someone look at the entirety of my life before they pass judgement. I agree with you that it would be great to have honest politicians for once. I for one have waited a long time. I doubt it will happen in my lifetime. Politics is a rich man's game. Everyday honest folk are too busy trying to make a living which leaves a vacuum that the aholes are more than happy to fill.

I hope the Dems can take over in November to Impeach Old Bushie. We can not take three more years of this liar. God help us all.

Clinton and Bush are both lying traitorous scum. Bush is accused of a crime for taking $100,000 dollars as a "campaign contribution" from Jack Abramoff. At least that contribution was above board and registered, even if there were illegal expectations of quid pro quo. Compare that to Al Gore meeting with an agent of Communist China in the basement of a chinese restaurant in Washington D.C., taking possession of bag with about $450,000 dollars in cash, and then returning to the White House to go over the loot with Bill Clinton. Clinton then had Boeing work with Russia to develop a superior cruise missle to use as "targets" for the Ageus anti-missle defense system used on U.S. naval warships. That missle order was then canceled and the Russians sold the new advanced capability cruise missle to China. So, if our navy gets attacked by China then our sailors will die from a cruise missle designed by Boeing. Thanks Clinton for this and for exacerbating our trade deficit with China. The Monica affair was the best thing that could have happened to Clinton, because he should be sitting in jail for accepting a bribe from a foreign power.

Oddly enough, China soon got their "most favored nation" trading status at Clinton's insistence. This is why Al Gore and Hillary Clinton must never ever be elected as president.

As for Bush - he is insane. He is a lying hypocrit. He had better hope that there isn't a God because his feigned religiousness and piety is in complete opposition to his actions of war mongering, treason, lying, greed, deception, and incompetence.

We desperately need an involved citizenry (I hope they wake up before it is too late) and a third party. As a nation come this election we should vote for a third party candidate whenever possible, and against the incumbent if a third party candidate is not on the ballot. This would shake things up sufficienty, but I doubt that the people of this country have the interest or awareness needed to make this happen.

I sometimes feel like I am in a ship that is going in the wrong direction, and no matter how hard I try to row towards a better place, the ignorant or misguided masses are rowing in the other direction and I am overwhelmed by their numbers. I expect things to get worse before they get better, and I fear that the better days may be beyond most of our lifetimes, if ever.

Impeach the entire administration and put them on trial as war criminals. Also, public financing is the only way to reform the political process because what we have now is unbelievable. We are poised to fail and Bush and congress are the bastards responsible for this. Keep hammering on the foibles of these fools because God knows, the mainline press won't.

Doug, you are absolutely right.

As out next president what I want is a guy (yeah, guy) who has the political savvy of a Nixon, the intellect of a Clinton, the communication ability of a Reagan, the ability to inspire of a Kennedy, the basic structure and self-built morality of an Eisenhower. The ability to rise to the occasion of a Truman should be implicit, but we'll include that just to make sure. The ability to feel from the heart of a Carter must be included, and the ability to project sincerity of a Ford as well.

Anything less than that and I'm gonna complain.

Roger

Mike,

The "Rebuplicrats" have now fixed the political money and "getting on the ballot" game so that no other political party need apply. Likewise, they've also brainwashed most of us into thinking we nave no other choice at election time but to vote for one or the other of their corrupt political candidates.

But their game only works so long as we, the people, continue to buy into it. Thankfully, we still have choices at the ballot box in the only “poll” that really counts. I, for one, have been recently been voting for anybody BUT the Republicans or Democrats come election time. Not so much that I agree with everything these other folks might stand for, but simply to give they (and their party) enough volume of votes to finally get noticed.

Granted, at this point, I'm probably chasing windmills. But, by the same token, the longest journey always begins with the first few steps.

Doug is absolutely correct when he says that most of the members of BOTH mainstream political parties in the United States are now hopelessly corrupt, morally bankrupt and more than worthy of jail time.

Yet, all the while we continue to vote for the "lesser of two evils" come election time, we’re going to just keep on changing one form of slavery for another.

The way I see it, the question isn't 'Who would make the better king?', it's 'Why do we still feel the need to have a king in the first place?' SCREW REVOLUTION. IT'S TIME FOR EVOLUTION!

Well of the Republicans had any sense they would impeach both Bush and Cheney because both are arrogant, obnoxious, lying individuals and both are taking this country down a path that unless they are stopped we will never be able to return.

These days, I am ashamed to be an American.

I'm ashamed to be led by greedy, malevolent demons. I'm ashamed to be among a population that spreads its cheeks and lets those demons slide it in, time and time again.

I'm ashamed to have leaders who espouse torture, indefinite imprisonment, and all manner of Machiavellianism.

I'm ashamed to be part of a nation that is now despised, worldwide, perhaps more than ever.

I'm ashamed that one day, I'll have to explain to my child why the nation was handed over to her generation in such a condition.

A typical jingoistic freak would tell me to "Love it or leave it". This misses the point, and the fact that this simple-minded attitude is still quite popular makes me even more ashamed.

The point is that I do love it. That's why I'm ashamed of what it has become.

Epimethius writes:

Doug, I admire your idealism. But I ask you, have you ever lied? I bet you have, even if you were quite young and maybe didn't know better or were in fear of the consequences of the truth. So have I. Are our entire lives to be judged on the basis of those few weak lapses?

Of course I've lied. But I am not an elected official nor have I told lies that cost Americans their lives or put the security of the country at risk. I don't think we call the lies of either Clinton or Bush (or Reagan or Nixon or LBJ, et. al) a "few weak lapses." To these folks, lying is a way of life, a means to an end. I expect a higher standard of my leaders. I don't expect perfection. Such a goal is unreasonable for a human being. But I do expect honesty and I do not believe we have had an honest President since Truman. I know from working with members of Congress that far too few of them are honest.

I find it distressing that some still feel that Clinton only lied about sex. He was far more dishonest than that. The doesn't improve Bush's standing in my eyes but I cannot excuse Clinton's misdeeds while in office with the relative claim that he might have been the lesser of two evils. Applying such rationalizations prevent us from fixing the system.

Doug

Why waste time and energy on impeachment proceedings. If Democrats gain the upper hand in Congress, they should use the opportunity to neutralize the Deceiver-in-Chief. If his approval rating stays anywhere near as low as it is, there won't be much he can do. All the garbage that surrounds impeachment will just postpone for another couple of years any real progress that might be made by elected representatives who really care about this country. And, by the time any impeachment attempt is resolved, he'll be gone anyway. Why not just let him die on the vine--he's more than halfway there already!

It's amazing to see how Bush's fortune turned around on the single issue of Iraq.

What happened to the patriotic Ra-Ra from the upwards of seventy percent of the electorate, aided and abetted by chest-thumping French-hating super-patriotic media outlets like Fox news ?

It did not seem to bother most Americans that the basic premises for taking the nation to war-- weapons of mass destruction and 9-11 connection were both bogus. It's only when the pain of American casualties hit home, you see people turn against Bush. If the casualties were low, it seems that most Americans would have excused Bush for the pre-emptive strikes on other nations, immense collateral damage to other countries, incarcerating people without trial all in the name of securing freedom and democracy.

It brings to the forefront the question whether in a unipolar world with one super-power capable of blowing others to smithereens, one can count on its electorate to be informed and responsible enough to elect wise leaders who have a sufficent understanding of the world around them to know that unilaterism cannot be in its long term interest. The evidence so far, unfortunately, is in the negative.

Youza, Youza, dat Dubya best git back ta Craford plantation as da cotton needs pickin and da house needs paintin. He dun been in Washtun too long. Its time ta git him back to da plantation. Jimmie he crack corn an he doan care as his Massa goan way.
ZGit dat Condoleeza back in her apron too. She needs some stik disiplin das wut youza das wut.

I love the thought of the Dems taking control of Congress and impeaching the fascist Bush. But I'm terrified about what Rove is at this very moment planning to do to make sure that doesn't happen (like another 9/11).

Actually, it's not a plantation in Crawford. It's an old pig farm, which I think is wonderful. And though it's been portrayed as a sort of Bush family homestead, it didn't exist at all before the 2000 election. It's less a home than it is a TV/Photo-Op set designed specifically to generate the illusion that Bush is a down-to-earth, cowboy type. What a joke. The man can't even ride a horse.

Maybe I'm a bit cynical (OK, I'm a lot cynical), but, like T above, I have a sinking feeling that, barring some naturally occuring miracle to restore the public confidence in BushCo, we're likely to experience yet another 'New Pearl Harbour' sometime in the not-too-distant future, and that'll pretty much be it for any hope of reclaiming even a shred of democracy in this country. We've had our heads in the sand a little to long....

T. writes:

I love the thought of the Dems taking control of Congress and impeaching the fascist Bush.

Yeah but then what do we do about the Democrats? They will be just as corrupt and power mad as the Republicans. History proves that.

Doug

Doug,

I don’t believe the issue is whether (or not) President Clinton’s lies about sex were the only ones he made while in office. Clearly they weren’t.

Rather, it was his lying about sex that the Republicans used as the primary basis for his IMPEACHMENT. And some of these same Congressmen (on both sides of the aisle) now seem to be looking the other way at President Bush’s far more deadly malfeasance while in office.

Like you, I believe both of these Presidents were/are guilty of "high crimes and misdemeanors". But, so far, only one (Clinton) has had to face the full Constitutional consequences of his actions.

Bush is not what I call a Republican. Preaching from the Oval Office is not what this country was built on. If there is anyway we can do it, we need to get the Federal Government moving back towards its Constitutional roots - defense of the country, and matters of public good (Not individual good). That means get it out of welfare, education, the "arts", and every other pork barrel project and drain on taxpayer dollars that both Democrats and Republicans have foisted on us over the past 30-40 years.

One last thing: don't kid yourself - there were WMD's in Iraq. And one in particular is currently on trial, while the rest got trucked out.

I was always a bit wary of the whole 'There were no WMD in Iraq' argument put forward by many anti-war critics, though at this point, I'd be willing to venture the guess that, if there were, it wasn't in any quantity for the US to be worried about (not to mention the fact that they were probably purchased from us in the first place). The relevant fact here is that Iraq posed no real threat to the United States or its neighbors, and we launched an illegal war of aggression on a soveriegn nation. I wanna throw up every time I hear someone going of on how Iraq or Iran or Syria or North Korea are on the verge of developing nukes or are stockpiling chemical or biological weapons. What incredible hypocrites we are. No nation on earth is sitting on more WMD than the US, and probably not most of them combined. We try to justify it by saying 'Oh, yes, but we're RESPONSIBLE, unlike these backward heathens in the third world' (who, just coincidentaly, I'm sure, almost always happen to be not-quite-as-white as we are). What a load of horseshit. It's been proven time and time again that the USofA is not to be trusted in it's role as a superpower. Power does indeed corrupt, and guess who has Absolute power at the moment.

T. writes:

I love the thought of the Dems taking control of Congress and impeaching the fascist Bush.

Doug replies:

Yeah but then what do we do about the Democrats? They will be just as corrupt and power mad as the Republicans. History proves that.

............

There is something to be said about keeping both sides off balance, no? The biggest problem we have as I see it, is that one party is in charge of everything. I'm personally a big fan of keeping the resulting checks and balances of split control of the various branches. It's somewhat of an equalizing factor.

I agree clinton had his shortcomings. But when I compare who we got to clinton, bush has a quantum leap in the evilness dept.

Ultimately, all the finger pointing has to come back to us - the voters. We have to regain the sense (and responsibility) that we are the Board of Directors of this nation. Those we've extended job offers to (the elected politicians) are ultimately OUR responsibility.

This is not about Party - they're merely "search committees" that provide the Board with names on a ballot. We still have to scrutinize carefully what these candidates show us when they're hoping to get a job in OUR government.

Step 1 - Recognize the Parties for what they are: marketing organizations with one intent - bring in lots of money. Period. They are not worthy of any other kind of allegiance, because they're in the biz of "market differentiation" i.e. trying to find "selling points" instead of real ideas for leadership.

Step 2 - Recognize that ALL our previous candidates that we've offered jobs to (elected) were not the best ones out there, and must be removed. ALL. Clean slate.

Step 3 - Recognize that federal elected office holders work for the entire country - NOT just the folks back home, or for a partisan "base" - it's a Federal office, not a state office, not a county office, etc.

Step 4 - Study what is wrong with our nation. Does what you see every day match what the "newsmakers" are telling you? Think about changes.

Step 5 - Develop your own "plan" for the nation. Offer it to whomever will listen. Discuss it especially with people who find fault with it. Make THEM come up with a better plan. Make yours better, too, from constant refinement and discussion.

Step 6 - Keep repeating Step 5 until you find someone who can match precisely what YOU are looking for in a candidate, or do it yourself and find people who will support YOU as a candidate.

Step 7 - Persist. Don't listen to those who call you naive, or who have already given in to the "military/industrial complex" or power-drunk party officials who tell them how to think and act. The status quo MUST be changed. All we need is a Tipping Point.

If all else fails, take up arms and storm the castle.

Here's a little prediction: If the dems or moderate repubs do well in the midterm elections, there WILL be a national emergency dire enough for the feds to suspend one or more 'freedoms'; if it doesn't happen before the midterms, it will happen before 2008 for sure.

This crowd will NOT give up power without a fight, and I don't mean just a political scrap. There are people in this administration who understand what treason is and what its consequences are...and they are rightfully scared shitless!

Doug, et al..
It would be a great thing for the current situation in Congress *if* the Dems got majority in Senate or House. We can only hope, and get active in our communities.
Not that there aren't as many corrupt pols that are Dems, but at least it might slow the BushCo
terroristas a small bit in their pursuit of bankrupting America and spying on US citizens.

And speaking of which, I'd like to alert you
to this news article by Bob Kerr in the Providence Journal, on Feb 28th...

http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=RAISEALARM-02-28-06

Essentials:
A couple from Texas decided to make a large
payment on their credit card to reduce the balance , and they found that this transaction had to
be cleared by Department of Homeland Security!

I've been considering withdrawing my savings
from banks like my grandfather did in the 1930's,
and it might be a good idea for anyone sticking
their neck out in a public way. And cut up those
credit cards!

Big Brother is watching ....

The following concerns come to mind regarding the corruption of both parties.

The first is one I recognized over 35 years ago. The PARTY leadership is corrupt and will not endorse, wholeheartedly, a zero tolarance of endorsing any candidate that has any ethical or questionable legal history. Therefore, it is a principle for both parties that only the unprincipled apply.

Second, if, as I suspect, Diebold is in fact using the program developed by flyonthewall.com and votes are switched after they are cast is true, only exit polls will be a close indicator of who actually won an election. The last two elections have had the main stream media negating the value of such polls. By the 2006 elections the media will continue to say these polls are unreliable (even though there is decades of evidence to the contrary). Again a clever method of re-writing history.

Lastly, (at least to be mentioned here) the top party officials have interparty agreements that prevent any third party from gaining any momentum.

(I am insensed that there are those Republicans who have hi-jacked the name of Libertarian. No true Libertarian would run for office under either the Republican or Democratic tickets. It's values are made up of aspects of each party. To serve under one party or the other would be to give up half of what a Libertarian stands for limited government, fiscal responsibility, and PERSONAL FREEDOM AND CIVIL LIBERTIES.)

Democracy I believe has been unconsious and in a coma in this country for a number of decades, yet now I see the Republicans and the Democrats are doing their best to remove the life support of any remaining democracy in this country.

To those who want to apoligize for or think Clinton was less dangerous to Americans... pay attention to what he speaks to today. Carter has spoken up! Clinton in his latest speech spoke to obesity, a problem, but not THE PROBLEMS, a former President should be addressing while our Constitution and Bill of Rights are under attack.

Remember, the motto of the sixties was...question authority.

Question the Party Leaders, who is going to hold their feet to the fire to endorse honest ethical candidates who are above reproach. No one is even asking this question.

1. It's not just a matter of both parties being corrupt. Both parties - these are private clubs - are owned by the same money. They are actually one party since being united at the top by big money. Nothing in government ever goes in a different direction than it is already going no matter which party is in power. Never. Because there is only one party with two identical heads which read different scripts to the public but do the acts of the money which owns them.

2. There is no such thing in this nation as a free election. The people have no choice. The parties (one party composed of two private clubs, remember) pre choose who will be elected before the ballots are printed. Write in votes are not even counted in most places. Only the votes for pre selected party hacks are allowed. The owners of the parties will not let any honest man run for a major office as it would be too much of a chore to blackmail him if he gets out of the "party line." Only candidates with a "panama" (a skeleton in the closet) are allowed.

3. There is no such thing as a voting machine which will guarantee an honest election. The whole purpose of voting machines is to make elections stealable by manipulation of the vote numbers. Many believe Bush's handlers stole his first election with Florida's machines and his second with Ohio's. There is considerable evidence to back their beliefs. The money doesn't care as long as it gets the actions it wants.

4. The nation would be light years ahead in government honesty by simply picking names out of phone books instead of holding elections. The law of averages would dictate that not all those picked would be corrupt, as opposed to what we now have. And some of them would not sell out to money.

5. Several ballot changes alone are required to obtain any semblance of an honest election. A. Paper ballots B. Ballots must simply list each open office in the jurisdiction with a write in line beside it. Nothing else. C. "Marked" ballots deposited in see through, clear plastic ballot boxes D. With the official count made in the place of voting before the ballots leave the building - and with plenty of public oversight. If allowing every voter to write in the names each chooses "complicates" the election, so be it. Nothing else can be correctly termed a "free" election.

These points have been made to discourage good people from falling for the idea that voting is a force which can change things. Not now. Not without massive changes in the way it's done and in voting ownership. Voting is a wholly owned and manipulated waste of time as it is now constructed. A closed shop of the money boys.

Try something more practical.

Oh, Doug. You write about something that continues to give false hope. Impeachment? Schlimpeachment. It just isn't going to happen. Voters had the opportunity to be done with 43 a year ago, back in November, and while Kerry was not the best that might have been offered (or, maybe he was (...sigh.)), dumbya was again confirmed for a second presidential term. You don't think, you can't believe, the current pack of public servants, who are doing everything they can to keep their jobs, would do anything so bold, so needed or so correct as impeachment, do you? Really? Get out. Go on, get. The Democrats regaining Ohio? Maybe. Impeach bush? This is politics of 2000...whatever. It's power politics the likes we've never seen before and partisan however you'd like to divide it. The Democrats have no leadership, no plan, no direction and no balls. Simply bringing impeachment charges to the floor gets us what? Don't get me wrong, I don't want bush as president. I don't want Cheney as president. I don't want anyone connected with the White House as president or the yes-men and women, as well as the power-brokering henchmen, who kiss whatever is stuck in their faces by the crowd at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to be president. I'm not happy with the Democrat leadership, either. But, impeachment? Those in Congress are cowards and unfortunately represent way too many cowards in their respective districts and states. Doug, don't give false hope to those who are begging for a tiny sliver of brilliant light with your good effort to write a column.

Maybe the republicans wouldn't be worryiing right now if they had done their jobs. I live in Michigan and I will say that I like my democratic representatives very much. I do feel that they are doing their jobs and I call and hold their feet to the fire. SOmeone said it right we are too busy to worry about our government. Do you think that an informed public would have voted for george w in the first place. I hate the republicans the most because they dressed up a crazy man and ran him for president. He can't even speak correctly. He is an embarrassment. I do think if the republicans want to win the elections they need to hold this administration accountable, impeach them all and send them to the world court to be held up on war crimes. I wouldn't care if george w won if more then around 30% of Americans voted. We need to make sure that we elect someone decent in the primaries so that we don't have the lesser of two evils. I spent alot of time last election picking the man who I thought would be the best person to handle the mess george w got us into. I still admire JOhn Kerry and would support him again. I guess my question is why would the American public support someone who smeared a war hero and supported a group of chicken shits who went into hiding after 911?

I too agree with Jim nodine, that by 2008, Bush will use his excutive powers to take control of the gov. I believe we all should be very afraid.
Our freedom is at stake!

He then will make himself a leader among men. or so he thinks.

this man will do anything, to create his kind of world, in the image he wishes.

Doug,

With the disparity of ethics and honesty with both Democrats /Republicans, and with the very popular Capitolhillblue portal-
I suggest YOU put your bid in to run for President in 2008.
After all if a 95 year old Texas unknown can run for Congress.....
I will be glad to be your running mate.....

Have your people call my people in the morning.

There is a small difference in Party dogma when it comes to killing foreign leaders. The Democrats want to engage first while the Republicans want to eliminate all those who do not let big Business take their foreign lands and resources and enslave its population in retail clothing industry sweatshops for Levi Strauss, The Gap, J. Crew, Eddie Bauer, Reebok, Polo, Tommy Hilfiger, Wal-Mart, Nordstrom's, Lord and Taylor, Jones New York, and Liz Claiborne where "Made in the USA" labels are applied on their clothes and import to America. Therefore, witness the need to go after Hugo Chavez for helping his people up from poverty. Religious zealots like Pat Robinson are calling for his assassination because they can not steal the country’s resources (oil). While on a Christian mission trip in Africa, Pat Robinson used his private airplane to steal and smuggle a large amount of diamonds back to the US without purchasing or paying import fees or any other fees. George Bushit and Pat Robinson want to steal the oil for rich white folks who live in gated communities in the US. This rogue effort is of the same mindset and no different than when rich white folks own African slaves and perpetuated the institution of slavery that treated slaves poorly and worked them for nothing so some white folks could get rich in early America. Let it be known that this is the American wet dream.

The Republicans has turned this whole morality issue upside down. If Chavez nationalizes the country’s resources (oil), uses the money to help the poor people, he's a corrupt political or worse, a socialist/communist. I wish they would learn the difference between the two. The real issue boils down to how far is the US willing to go to grab money and natural resources such as in Iraq and other Middle East countries. Murder and torture in the name of National Security is about as far as one can go. I believe the throwing out of the Geneva Convention to permit the torturous treatment of detainees will cause all other nations to follow suit leading to no moral standing in the world. We have crossed the line and there is no turning back!

AJ writes:

With the disparity of ethics and honesty with both Democrats /Republicans, and with the very popular Capitolhillblue portal- I suggest YOU put your bid in to run for President in 2008. After all if a 95 year old Texas unknown can run for Congress..... I will be glad to be your running mate.....

Have your people call my people in the morning.

Not me. My momma drowned the dumb ones. :)

Doug

Democrats this, Republicans that, oh Doug give us hope. Talk about a total waste of time and energy. Listen to yourselves. A bunch of quasi intellectual wimps who won't get off their lazy ass and demonstrate because they are lazy and scared and feel that if they don't make waves everything in their little corner of the world will not feel the effect of the destruction of our way of life. You have been divided so that you can and are being easily conquered and you are too damn busy arguing to see it. The Patriot Act was passed today by a vote of 89 to 10. Many of the 89 were Democrats, but they are all traitors. Shut up and organize so they can see how many of us are willing to put it all on the line before we all get a good look at the camps that are being prepared for you and I at a cost of $385 million, all of which is our tax dollars.

Ahhh, yes...thanks for reminding me about the camps. You do realize that Homeland Security is not about protecting us from terrorists. It is, however, about preparing us for the ultimate suprise the New World Order and Neo Cons have in store for us. What pretell do you think they're doing with all those millions for the 'Homeland'? Protecting us?! Securing a few airports? Not! But systematically and methodically (just as the Nazis did) setting up the infrastucture to further limit our freedoms, import and train foreign nationals--who have no loyalty to the Constitution or American people--to be a vanguard against while our military and Natl guard are dismantled in foreign wars. We should have had our 'tea party' years ago people.

Doug, Slight correction:Nixon resigned in August of '73. How I remember that happy day(because it meant that the system actually works - even if slowly)

The rumours are that Cheney will resign after the election in November. That would be a mistake. He should resign _now_, while control of Congress is still secure. Why?

Here is a very simple scenario. Tell me why they couldn't do it.

Cheney quits. They appoint _whomever they want_ (subject only to the constitutional requirements -- but no need to be an elected official, or even a politician). The tame Senate rubber-stamps their choice.

Next, Bush pardons Cheney, Scooter Libby, Rove, Ollie North, Rush Limbaugh, the whole lot of them -- and then immediately resigns. The appointed VP becomes president and in turn pardons Bush in full for anything he did or may have done.

Next, still with control of the Senate, the Republicans appoint _another_ replacement VP. It's Ford and Rockefeller all over again.

They may take a hit this November, but so what? The Congress will have been effectively bypassed. The two new hand-picked unelected leaders will then have two years before they have to face the voters. If they are smooth enough, and charismatic enough, two years is plenty of time to make people forget anything you want them to forget -- especially since there is no functioning opposition party.

Again I ask: why not?

Hi All !!

This Cheney resignation rumor ...I first heard this on FOX, oddly enough, which of course must make it so. That's where the administration goes when they want favorable coverage of any crime they commit, lie they wish spread around the world, or any WORD they want out.

Therefore, since it was on FOX, KNOWING how loyal they are to the "PARTY" it must have some ring of truth to it.

That then makes Henry Larsen's post while a little far stretched (Rush Limbaugh??...You forgot Hannity, O'Reilly, Gibson Hume and a few others) a little more realistic.

My gut says that BOTH Rove and Cheney are going to be indicted...maybe others. My gut tells me that Cheney has wind of it already and the pardon is already in the works in a desk drawer somewhere.

The Democrats in my opinion, unless they totally screw up whatever over the next 6 months (a distinct possibility) or the Republicans somehow announce and can prove they are responsible for the Second Coming in that same period, re history. The Democrats are going to take BOTH the House and the Senate, IMO.

The mere speculation that George W. Bush could or should be impeached for any number of things is an absolute NO BRAINER. He has been caught in lie after lie, time after time. He is SO unqualified and so dis-interested in everything but the titles of the job, it's appalling. (not a crime unfortunately) and he has been the Perfect Pawn of PNAC for the last 5 years.

The Democrats are no better than the Republicans in the current make-up of both houses. Sure there are a few very good ones but very few. INDEED it's probably 89 that should go and 10 that should stay. Unfortunately that cannot happen in the Senate in this election, but one hell of a powerful message can certainly be sent by the people if ewnough in the affected states can muster the give a damn.

The Patriot act and all the current damage done can be repealed by a new President and a NEW Congress. But if we are so DUMB as to wait until 2009 effectively, it will be way too late. PERIOD !!

Here is a point even sadder, I agree with almost every post. This points out that we are intelligent. It also shows that we can never elect a president or any other politician because there is so much information. In a matter of minutes you could know about me personally. If a candidate it would be easy to destroy my character just by saying she belongs to the ACLU. Our voters are so easily swayed. They also are not intelligent. In school a grade of 70 is passing. Not good enough to hold office or be elected by more intelligent people? If they seem charismatic enough they are elected. There is no need to hope. Voters with a 70 average usually have an IQ below 100.

Doug,

You say your momma drowned the dumb ones? That's the problem! We will never get an intelligent and honest person in the presidency! Why? Because you have to be a total nut-case to want the job!!! Oh sure they have a few tests to make sure the country isn't being run by a madman! (See how well they've worked so far?) But how will you fill a position that the applicant by just by wanting the position, has proven himself unfit? But we can look on the bright side! After Bush, anything will be an improvement!

I think we should all vote in our states to convict him to the hilt an have a firing squad for that committed treason,and replace all that need be an have Ron Paul head the whole mess of the cluster f==ks. Also I thing we should bring all troops home now 911 was clearly staged to go to Iraq another act of treason for bush,chaney rumsfeld,all generals,senators mainly the globalists cronies.I think we should leave them with the whole 80 trillion an close all borders around united states for two years,till we get the people us the govern,get total control once an for all.

Maybe there won't be an election this year. If there's a terror threat and code red is declared and martial law is in effect, we're in suspended animation. Indefinitely? That's the scary part. This administration isn't going to let the dems win.

A Democracy's health is directly proportional to the accuracy of the information made available to it's citizens. The decrepid lower education system, the ever increasing expense of higher education, combined with the ABC through FOX propaganda "news" media, and the mind control of television programming (why do you think they call it PROGRAMMING ?!) makes for a very impressionable and complient voter. The clencher of course is the voting process. Virtual voting begets virtual democracy. Not the real thing just a rough simulation. If the gov't can't count the votes and verify the results then what we have here is a de-mock-racy.
Aldous Huxley said "Liberties are not given; they are taken." Every generation has to take back their liberties from the haves and the have-mores, today's version are known as Bush and his base, and that includes the Democrats who grease the skids for them.

Here's to the Demublicans, the Mother of all Party's.

Long may you run, Doug. Thank you for helping us see through the patriot actors.

While I voted for and liked him because he did care about this country, I believe Clinton's transgression with Monica (aka, character flaw) is the root cause of the trouble we are in today.

If Clinton had not done that thoughtless and immature act, he would not have been impeached, and Gore would have been elected and we would have at least made 5 years of progress toward protecting our environment. I am sure Al would have acted much more sanely about 911, and we would still have our freedoms and reputation intact.

impeach the entire bush administration and call an early election...the republicans should face reality bush is an idiot with absolutly no sense of command