MOST OF THE DEMO RATS HAVE SOLD OUT TO THEIR CONSTITUENCY, THE WAR MACHINE. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION?

I'm glad the 2008 Democratic Convention isn't going to be held in my hometown.

"Why is Mr. Bush, in the remaining 14 months of his presidency, defying the wishes of the people, when 75 percent believe the country is heading down the wrong track? For all the obsessive secrecy of the Bush administration, the president has been remarkably open about his guide in matters of state and as a personal cleanser to his previous alcohol addiction: Jesus."

The Jesus Christ known to his followers does not condone torture, rendition to torture, putting people in secret prisons with no contact with the outside world, kill, wound and displace millions, etc., etc., etc.

If in fact George W. Bush is now sober because of Jesus, we applaud him. But as far as blaming Jesus for his decisions and misbehaviour as President of the United States of America? Bush is solely responsible, and is not competent to occupy the Oval Office and must resign or be impeached. His Vice-President is equally responsible and incompetent and should do likewise. They both pose a real threat to our democracy from within.

So you were expecting Bush The Anti-Christ to do...what?

Good precis of what's ahead for America under Bush.

So we are left with a question: Can the Democratic Party right the wrongs of the Bush administration with a humane program that works for the society as a whole and individuals to protect their civil rights and liberties with economic justice?

Not without impeaching Bush and Cheney or prosecution and conviction for their crimes. There are questions about whether the Constitution in these passages requires impeachment first.

The President, Vice President and all Civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and misdemeanors. [US Constitution]

Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law. [US Constitution]

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mprezarrest.htm

Anyway, members of the Bush administration could be prosecuted AFTER they leave office. In that case, if Congress won't impeach them now, they must do everything they possibly can to block the administration's illegal actions. If the WH managed to act anyway, that would give America more prosecutorial material.

If you haven't already, I highly recommend reading the book "Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of a President" by Justin Frank.

Frank makes a compelling argument that our country is being run by a psychotic. Kucinich was spot on when he said that Bush was mentally disturbed. If anything, Bush will act even more irrationally now that his political term is coming to a close. These are the last days in the bunker in Berlin, except this time the bunker has telephone lines to aircraft carrier groups and nuclear weapons to carry out the last orders of a psychotic.

Write to JOHN CONYERS and tell him to put Impeachment on the table!

John.Conyers@mail.house.gov

"Promises were made to rebuild New Orleans. The federal government under Bush has done virtually nothing and that is what can be expected as that city continues to decay."

Please search the web for "Katrina fraud" and you will soon discover (from major news agencies, not conservative bloggers) that the federal government has pumped $85 billion into Katrina relief. You will also discover that a significant portion of the funding was STOLEN by our own citizens (through fraud or deception).

Yes, FEMA is a disaster. Like other bloated government programs, it couldn't efficiently handle a flooded dirt road without wasting a million dollars. But, I don't believe we can declare this solely the fault of President George W. Bush.

In short, "Bush has done virtually nothing" is an outright lie. Sorry, but I call it like it is.

I e-mailed Conyers.

Curtsie!

Everything is going according to plan. As the US goes bankrupt, the "shock doctrine" that Naomi Klein so brilliantly describes will be put in place in the US, with the institution of a police state, the elimination of the social safety net, and the selling off of virtually all government assets.

Rats are great-democrats arent. I am not so big on jesus either.

Lisa Simpson: apparently the native americans worshipped badgers and other small animals.

Bart Simpson: Thank goodness we smartened up and worship a 2000 year old carpenter.

I doubt that George the Shrub speaks with God, however there isn't any doubt that the Devil and him are on a first name basis!

We need a miracle or we're cooked.

"Bush will veto Congressional attempts to strip the Patriot Act of its most repressive provisions–should politicians summon the courage to give back civil rights and liberties guaranteed to the people by their Constitution and Bill of Rights."

And Congress has the right to override the veto. It's the way our government system is designed. Get over it. Educated people call this checks and balances.

If you don't like it, call your Congressman and convince him to get enough votes to override the veto.

"Iraq has cost over half a trillion dollars. The U.S. currently spends $12 billion a month on the war. Over the next 14 months Bush has asked for an additional supplemental totaling 280 billion dollars. What's to stop him from extracting billions more from taxpayers for his war without end?"

Ummm, Congress? Damn it, people! We don't have a dictatorship here in the United States.

Simply put, Congress has the right to pull funding for the war and force the troops to be brought home. Have they? No.

I also recall that a majority of Congress voted to start "Bush's War," too.

"Bush has made clear that he does not care about the impending health disaster in the U.S. He vetoed a children's health bill which would have cost 12 billion dollars over five years on the grounds that it was too expensive and would protect too large a category of children. In 14 months he could use his executive power to further damage, even destroy the health and lives of tens of thousands more."

Why should the government take, by force, what I earned and give it someone else, just so they can buy health insurance.

I say, get out and get a job. Then, buy your own health insurance, like I do! Sheesh!

So, who would Jesus bomb?

What's to worry? Why, just the other day, our Loonitary Decider declared "freedom's happening" and has big plans to open a "Freedom Institute" as soon as he's finished spreading democracy across the globe, just as he says God told him, directly.

It's not Cheneybush's fault this talking God really likes fascism, millions of dead innocent Iraqis and Afghanis, oil, money in really large quantities, and massive pollution. Who are we to question God's apparent love of illegal aggressive wars and torture and unprecedented lying and the transfer of three generations of our Treasury to the friends of the God-hearing sect?

Man, America is so blessed...

"Bush has made clear that he has no interest in pressing for international criminal courts. Over the next 14 months he could abrogate other attempts to build a stable international legal system by his assumption that he alone is the keeper of the flame of justice."

How exactly would an internationl court system work? Do we abolish the legal systems of both countries in favor of a single common one? Heck, we can't even gets different states to agree.

Or, do you propose that we should be subject to state, federal, and "international" law? Do we get to vote on these new international laws (indirectly, through electing representatives)? Or, does some international court just interept the intersect between the two legal systems?

Honestly, the idea is about as crazy and having countries like Sudan, Nepal, and Saudi Arabia on the UN's Human Rights Comm... oops!

http://tinyurl.com/2b457s (link to NY Times article)

I believe the main front of Bush/Cheney goal of expanding Executive Power in the next 14 months will be largely in the area of protecting themselves, their legacy, and others who have helped them achieve their goals, from legal action in the future and for ever more.

I cannot see Bush doing much else other than being the lame duck that he is.

Are you kidding me? Do you pay taxes? The government ALREADY takes your money by mandate and spends it as it sees fit. So, would you rather have it spent on a suffering, Amerian child or would you rather have it spent on a bomb to create more suffering for an innocent Iraqi child? I mean, get a grip. Your comment can't be serious! Tell some poor kid, born into poverty, with little to no hope of leaving poverty, that he/she should go out and get a job to pay for their life-threatening disease. Screw you and all the other "compassionate conservatives" that wrap themselves in "Jesus's" cloak while pissing on everyone else with their ME FIRST attitudes.

Really, how bad do things have to get before all of you wake up and recognize that the democrats will do nothing to stop it?

useful things my ass

UsefulThings,

You are right that government bureaucratic programs are often failures, especially when under Republican control. Under Democratic control, they are better but still worse than in many other nations.

One place to compare is with regard to Hurricane Katrina. That hurricane bashed the island of Cuba and the US Southeast coast. In Cuba, there were zero deaths because of proper evacuation procedures. In the US, there were over 1,000 deaths. Earlier, Hurricane Ivan had whipped Cuba with 160 mph winds, also with zero deaths.

Of course, with American ingenuity and technology, the US government could have at least as good of a record as Cuba, if people in the US believed in government programs and were serious about making them work. With Republican control, you have management by people who want the programs to fail, so what else would you expect?

Fourteen months is a long time. A lot can happen, and President Bush could yet do a lot of damaging things.
I believe, however, that his biggest goal is to be in 150% CAMPAIGN MODE, even though he's not running (unless they do "Draft Laura" at last minute) for the duration of his term. He loves campaigning. He's good at it, especially in the Q&A before friendly audiences that a sitting president can select for appearances. And he does not intend to see his "legacy" repudiated by a Democratic win in 2008.

Among the greatest "dangers" presented by Bush in the next 14 months is that he could be instrumental in our choosing of the next president.

Please don't help him.

put that tired old lie to rest....the truth is bush is no christian and he doesnt 'DO' democracy..

"How many more instances of torture at the hands of the intelligence agencies can we expect to be administered on detainees and prisoners during the next 14 months?"

Using the definition from dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/torture ...

You are probably referring to "torture" as "the act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty." Or maybe you mean "extreme anguish of body or mind; agony." These are very broad definitions of torture.

How exactly do you find out information from someone without even the THREAT of anguish or pain? Do you bribe them? Do you ask nicely? Do you say "pretty please."

What if a policeman interrogated you for eight hours about a murder he reasonably suspects you committed? If you feel mental anguish during the interview, is he torturing you? Should he be stopped? What if you DID commit the murder?

"So, would you rather have it spent on a suffering, Amerian child or would you rather have it spent on a bomb to create more suffering for an innocent Iraqi child?"

Neither. I prefer the government NOT take my money by force and spend it on ridiculous government programs. I know for a fact that if I gave money directly to "needy children" the money would go to the children. Not to line the pockets of some bureaucrat and his cronies.

But what you're really saying is: all charity should go through our government. Right?

"Of course, with American ingenuity and technology, the US government could have at least as good of a record as Cuba"

Absolutely! But, it never will. The political structure here in the U.S. is ridiculously corrupt and overgrown. On both sides. In fact, I'm fairly convinced that it's all a big games on their (the politicians) part to divide typical Americans against each other (necons vs progressives, liberals vs conservatives, etc.) just so they can go off and do what they want. Honestly, I'm done with all of them.

[quote]UsefulThings November 8th, 2007 2:01 pm -- Or, do you propose that we should be subject to state, federal, and "international" law?[/quote]

You already are subject to state, federal and international law. Like GWB, you seem unfamiliar with Article VI of your own Constitution which reads, in part, as follows:

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding. [Emphasis added.]

In other words, US obligations under such international laws as the UN Charter and the Geneva Conventions are the "supreme law" of the United States of America, right up there with the Contitution itself.

Not that any of that matters, of course. If the US can override habeus corpus, it can certainly ignore trifling impediments to its imperial ambitions like treaty obligations. The only little fly in that ointment is that the rest of the world may begin to question whether it is wise to engage in ANY kind of agreements with such a rogue state -- including intergovernmental commercial arrangments that could be abrogated at a stroke of the pen. And how far is it from there to the crumbling of trust even in private deals with US companies?

Ignoring the supremacy of international laws can get a bit messy after a while.

Sorry, my friends. Face the facts. Just as Bush won a mandate in 2006, the Republicans will win in 2008. After all, there is no serious opposition now, and there won't be in the future. There is only one way change will come.

Arvy-

You are right. I stand corrected.

I did not intend to say we were NOT subject to international agreements and treaties. I wanted to know how an international court would be set up.

Would an international court just interpret treaties? How would rulings be enforced?

Would there be some other set of laws beyond treaties? Who would enforce these new laws? Would this lead to an international executive branch for enforcement and an international congressional branch for legislation?

Bottom line it for me.

Here's an idea.

Impeach Cheney. Bush is fragile and will not want to suffer impeachment himself. He could resign for health reasons. Then he could go back home to Crawfish and finish reading 'My Pet Goat'. I'm sure that he's almost done with it by now.

Pelosi would become caretaker President. Instantly the world view of America would go up, for the return of sanity if nothing else. We could all let our breath out knowing that the last World War is not about to start.
It is imperative that we keep Cheney's finger away from the button.

Daniel David would get his dream of a Democratic President. Isn't that reason enough?

The only way for Congress to move is to threaten them with eviction.

'Time to sweep the House'.
The Green Party of California and SF and everyone else should be telling Pelosi that they won't support her unless she pushes for impeachment now. Force her to act in her own self-interest. Push Pelosi. Now. If she doesn't impeach then she's out of a job in January '09. Tell her.

Who needs Clinton when we could have President Pelosi running for election as an incumbent?

Cindy Sheehan won't have to run against an incumbent if Pelosi's promoted.

We win all around. And we save the world.

So we are left with a question: Can the Democratic Party right the wrongs of the Bush administration with a humane program that works for the society as a whole and individuals to protect their civil rights and liberties with economic justice? Can the Republican Party cleanse itself of its prejudices against Americans of different persuasions and follow the teachings of Jesus, and, yes, Herbert Hoover who campaigned for disarmament and against aggressive wars?

In a word. NO and impeachment is off the table.
We be fucked.

[quote]UsefulThings November 8th, 2007 2:38 pm -- I did not intend to say we were NOT subject to international agreements and treaties. I wanted to know how an international court would be set up.[/quote]

I would suppose that additional international courts and tribunals that might be required for any particular purpose would be established along lines similar to those that already exist. In general, however, they are 'courts of last resort' which come into the picture only when some country will not or cannot enforce its own international law commitments.

The real problem isn't the creation of appropriate court structures. It's the issue of enforcement -- especially when a country like the US, which was a prime mover in instigating many international laws now on the books, simply ignores them whenever they're inconvenient. In fact, even when the US is willing to let its conduct be considered by some international tribunal, it's as likely as not to ignore the judgement rendered.

In such circumstances, and with such an example set for others, any equitable form of enforcement becomes highly problematic at best.

Yeah, I wonder why Congress won't impeach Bush. He is guilty of treason, bribery and other high crimes and misdemeanors.

But, if you're going to start impeaching for Bribery, the entire Congress is at risk. Could that explain the reluctance?

We cannot afford 14 months, not of a zealot, or buffoon, but of a mean, little man, who thinks himself equal to the firefighter heroes of 9/11, or who would not respond to poor people standing on their rooftops pleading for help in New Orleans.
Without blinking an eye, he justifies the killing of a million people to the world and to their own families, swearing that he is bringing them to a better life. And to the families of those here at home who have lost loved ones in Iraq or suffer their woundedness with them, he makes jokes, looking under things on his banquet table for weapons of mass destruction.
No, we cannot wait out another 14 months of him. His administration is its own national, manmade disaster.

Arvy-

I agree. Further, I would argue that enforcement would be impossible. Just look what happened with all the U.N. resolutions against the Saddam regime. The U.S. finally takes action and is denounced by the world.

RichM-

You shouldn't attribute quotes to me, especially when try're false.

Further, you present a very weak argument. I am not a ruler nor am I an aristocrat. I am a typical, middle class American that does not want to be FORCED to give my money to someone else. Especially when the organization distributing the money to "needy children" has so much in common with bureaucracies like FEMA.

The way his tenure is unfolding towards the final days, you see more similarities with the reign of Roman Emperor Caligula. Perhaps a more fitting title for the book, "Bush on the Couch" would have been "The Caligula Syndrome."

RichM-

All personal comments aside...

Are you saying that YOU SUPPORT the use of force by the United States government to take money from some citizens to give to other citizens that they deem needful of medical services?

Specifically, you believe that the founding concepts of this nation support redistribution of wealth by the federal government?

(A YES or NO will suffice)

RichM-

Just checked some facts here. According to the CIA Factbook, the population of the Unites States is 301,139,947. 50,000,000 people is approximately 16.6% of the population.

Is it your position that 16.6% of the population is INCAPABLE of earning enough money to pay for basic health insurance coverage?

According to eHealthInsurance.com (the first site I found on Google), a family of 4 (Mom-38, Dad-38, Brother-16, and Sister-16) can get covered for as little as $227/month.

Gosh, no wonder no one can afford insurance! That's ridiculously high! In fact, it's almost as much as cable!

Universal health insurance is an internal U.S.A. sort of an issue. Good sense cant be imposed from outside, that is almost a universal principle. But at the same time, you cannot stop foreigners from looking in and thinking the obvious.

A country that spends more on the military than the entire rest of the world combined says it cannot afford universal health care. And if you suggest to them that a little sharing might be good for everybody, some people go into a panic that someone else may be better off, may have their health restored, possibly at their expense. I think everyone but the VERY rich would be better off really.

The american saying "Right on the money" seems to sum it up for me. The saying is supposed to mean clever, but what on earth is the word "money" doing there? It must be an expression of the American psyche. Thats where Americans minds are focused. Everyone appears to be curled up in a foetal position, protecting their own little pile of money, much to their own detriment.

The great paradox is that their religion, Christianity, is supposed to preach exactly the opposite!! From an outside point of view, it would seem that the religion is mainly used as another form of flag waiving. Whenever the president is under seige, starts spouting off about god in order to protect his bond with his right wing Christian constituency. It seems likely to me that like many politicians, his professed religiousness is adopted in order to garner votes.

"Why is Mr. Bush, in the remaining 14 months of his presidency, defying the wishes of the people, when 75 percent believe the country is heading down the wrong track? For all the obsessive secrecy of the Bush administration, the president has been remarkably open about his guide in matters of state and as a personal cleanser to his previous alcohol addiction: Jesus."

It is not, "Jesus" that is driving Bush to defy the wishes of the people. It his and Cheney's, "Lust" for oil, money and power!

You can imagine Bushs' gulp of apprehension as he approaches the pearly gates and there waiting for him is Jesus looking very much like one of the one million slaughtered Iraqis'.

I'm glad, Useful Things, that you have good health insurance you're satisfied with. I hope that you never become seriously ill and find that your health insurance is not the safety net you thought it would be. Half of the bankruptcies in this country are due to people getting critical illnesses who HAD health insurance when it happened. Not people looking for a handout. Hardworking people who sacrificed a significant part of their income in order to be protected, only to find out that that promise of protection was insufficient. Your premise that anyone can get a policy for under $300 a month is bullshit. Try getting a policy that covers anything at all if you have a preexisting condition.

I've been without health insurance from time to time in my life. My oldest son is currently living uncovered-he just does't make enough money and he works 50+ hours a week waiting tables. Right now we are fortunate enough to be covered by my husband's policy at work, but he is going to retire soon and our situation may change. The insurance at my last job wasn't really worth buying, what they didn't cover was so high.

If you're against the forcible redistribution of your money by the government for any purpose, then I suppose you don't believe in policemen or firefighters either. Or roads, bridges, schools, libraries or any other sort of public works. Letting a significant portion of the population languish without health care puts everyone's health at risk.

You get offended that someone might take some of your money and give health care to someone who can't afford it. I get offended at the idea that decisions of life or death should have anything at all to do with corporate profit.

-RichM

I don't think the difference between middle-class and those at or below the poverty line in the US is as great as the difference between 18th century royalty an the peasantry. This is precisely the attitude that makes "middle-classers" wary. If any redistribution of wealth is needed do you seriously think it should come from the middle-class or the top 1-10% of households who have seen their wealth grow enormously (obscenely)?

What this administration is doing would be of the most scary of "The Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits" TV episodes, yet it is reality.

Please, someone make it go away.

OK. So Bush is unquestionably one of the worst and most dangerous Presidents we've ever had. There's only one answer. Throw the bum out.

I emailed Conyers, too. Ta Daaaa!!

What are you all waiting for?

Impeach Cheney Flyer: http://www.usalone.com/impeach_cheney_flyer.php

Wake up, folks. The Constitution has already been abrogated and rendered null and void. We no longer have a country, at least none that we recognise.

It's up to US, WE THE PEOPLE, to take the power back for ourselves. Remember, the first word in our founding documents is WE. Not I. WE. That's us, folks. You, me and everyone here.

If I were you, and I am one of you, I'd be very afraid of the Bush/Cheney cabal. They're like a wounded boar, and we all know that any wild animal, when wounded, turns vicious. Don't expect the Democrats to do much more than sit on their hands and cower in the corner, because they're afraid of the Bushies capability to take them out.

So in effect, we don't have a government anymore. We're living in a constant state of fear like the old Soviet Union or any country ruled by a brutal dictator. And people become afraid to speak out when that kind of government is in place, which would explain the stunning silence from those we elected last fall to end the war and to hold the Bush/Cheney cabal to account.

That leaves it up to us. Washington's not going to do our bidding for us. WE must do it, and NOW. Our Founders purposely put the power in the hands of the people as protection against such things as are happening now but people are being either too afraid or have become "sheeple" and are just too apathetic to act.

So...........that begs the question: what are we going to do about it? Talk is fine, action is better. We progressives are great at sitting around sipping lattés all day at the café bemoaning the state of the world, but what are we really doing about it?

C'mon, people. DO SOMETHING!!!!!