Bad news … we need a purge…

executive privelege my ass. the dude killed a million people in broad daylight, and the whole world saw it. arrest, imprison, and nullify all his pretending to have been anything but a spoiled rich son of a kennedy-lennon killer who liked to play buford to the world ( but could never get the accent. )

fascism is the word and "police state" the product. Say good-bye to the rule of law.

If Mukasey has approached his business as though
he the president is his "client" -- as he seems
to clearly be saying -- then he should be
immediately impeached.

What of his investigations of the politicizing
of the DOJ by Bush? What of appointment of a
Special Prosecutor to investigate the firings
of the Attorney Generals by Bush. What of enforcing the subpoenas issued by the Congress?

And, now, protecting the president from the truth
of what he and Cheney did re outing CIA agent,
Valerie Plame?

Either he behaves like the people's Attorney
General -- or he should be removed.

You basically replace a Republican attorney general the same way you replace a Republican president. You vote in a new Democratic president, he appoints a Dem AG, and that guy is confirmed by a Dem Senate. Six months from now you could have John Edwards---or someone else with a citizen focus like John Edwards in the AG post.

The imperial presidency nightmare starts fading the moment you elect Obama, if you (we) have enough sense to stay focused and get it done.

Obama is not the answer. No Democrat in the post-Bill Clinton era is the answer. The Democrats are sucking through the same straw as the Republicans. Only their mouths are smaller. Perhaps, at this sorry and truly frightening stage of our history, no answer is possible. You cannot keep turning to the very people who have ruined your country and suddenly expect them to be struck by the lighning of honesty and a regard for the common good. Just won't happen. Yes, Obama is better than McCain, far better, but he's not an alternative to the blazing greed, stupidity, arrogance, bloodlust and incompetence that is the stock in trade of a generation of Republican rule. The Democrats truly think they can put a human face on all that. All you can do is have the most profound contempt for them for entertaining such an idea.

Well the Democrats confirmed Mukasey without much opposition, knowing this type of thing would happen, so what can you say. It was clear during the Mukasey hearings, that he was stonewalling, lying, evading questions. He was clearly not suited to be attorney general. The Dems have only themselves to blame. Same old story.

Nixon's A G "john Mitchell" may have been the high water mark.

Considering how little (a.k.a not a damned thing) the Democrats have done about this, exactly why is it we should believe that electing Obama will fix it?

Kittyc, didn't Mukasey refuse to give answers about torture during his questioning by the Democrats? What else do you need to know? Can you imagine the Green Party confirming someone like Mukasey?

geezjan, because we know that electing McCain is guaranteed to make things worse.

jj

The criminal misfeasors in the Executive Branch and the leaders of the Party of Cain are all about converting the US republican democracy into a monarchy, as some of the Founders advocated. They have made a pretty good go of it, with the help of a subservient legislature, a complicit judiciary, and a disempowered electorate.

But the Party of Judas has largely aided and abetted this atrocity. Schumer and Feinstein proudly and happily hosted Mukasey during his DC debut. And it was reported that the Judiciary Committee had signalled to the White House that it would ease off on investigation into the DOJ corruption under AG Gonzales in exchange for an "acceptable" AG candidate like Mukasey. Some acceptable candidate!

So it was a win-win situation, from the duopoly's point of view.

Remember, the role and function of politicians up until the end of the previous century has changed beyond recognition-- in plain sight, right under our noses, yet virtually unnoticed. Our political elite now behave like executives or managers of wholly-owned subsidiaries in a para-corporate organization. "Principle" is quaint and ornamental, unless convenient, or as rhetorical cover for everyday sordid wheeling and dealing.

It's ALL about the benjamins nowadays. So it's no wonder that Mukasey is openly regarded as a glorified consigliari.

Obama? Well, he'll be like the police inspector in the movie "Serpico" who assures whistleblower Frank Serpico that the precinct to which he's being assigned is "as clean as a hound's tooth"-- Serpico finds that the payoffs are so organized there that retired cops are used as bag men.

Trust me, Obama will be too focused on Forging a Bipartisan Consensus in response to a Mandate from We the People to screw around with petty matters involving the high crimes and misdemeanors of his predecessor. He'll doubtless give it the full-blown Lincoln treatment, and solemnly declare that we must repair the nation by letting bygones be bygones.

The Democrats have always been three inches to the left of the Republicans every election, while the Republicans move further and further to the right with each election. So guess what direction the Democrats have been moving in? How is that working for you?

So why should the Democrats change? You're going to vote for them anyway, so why should they care what you think? Guess what: they don't.

What we really need to do is purge congress and put new young people, male and female - in all the diverse races and backgrounds we have in this country, so the "old white male" mode is gone forever.

And then do something about keeping them from being bought by the highest bidder.

Just when you think that things can't get any more screwed up, along comes something else that stuns even the more cynical of observers.

We need a new revolution. Both the Dems and Repubs are the exact same party - that of the money. There is not a dime's difference between them. We have the best government money can buy. And we are not the moneyed people. Let's go for a multi party system with instant runoff elections where the representatives actually do their job for the people and we can vote them out anytime they are not doing their jobs instead of giving them a life tenure as they become more crooked.

Mordechai, the stakes are too high to worry about Obama's weaknesses.

The monarchy of the USA will become official under John McCain.

I can't believe I'm having to tell you this. You wouldn't be a Republican would you?

jlocke123. Yes, I think it was the torture questions that Mukasey evaded, if my memory serves me correctly. Whether torture was legal or not, whether water boarding (water torture - see other post)was legal. He was protecting Bush and the other torturers from possible future prosecution then, and he evidently is still doing it now.

The stakes are too high to worry about Carter's weaknesses.
The stakes are too high to worry about Mondale's weaknesses.
The stakes are too high to worry about Dukakis' weaknesses.
The stakes are too high to worry about Clinton's weaknesses.
The stakes are too high to worry about Gore's weaknesses.
The stakes are too high to worry about Kerry's weaknesses.
The stakes are too high to worry about Obama's weaknesses.

Where does it end? When does it start getting better?

"That is about as warped a view of how our Government is supposed to work as one can imagine"

to say the least

but how about the world view, as enunciated by the american government/military, that the united states will use force to kill anyone who stands in the way of its access to markets and resources anywhere in the world!

how about the notion that the united states will not allow, as a mater of policy, either friend or foe, to challenge their dominance socially, economically or militarily

how about the mad notion of full spectrum dominance!

as they unravel the social network of support, eviscerate the entire government and all its functions they have the corporate media (who by the way are every bit as mad and rancid as the government) spinning the public away from universal medicare, health care, dental care, disability payments, etc and so on.

it is a full court press of hate and sleaze - and sadly, as we see, no one seems to have any options to stop the process.

in sports, if a team is not doing well, they fire the coach with the reasoning that they can't fire the whole team. well i suggest it is time to do both and perhaps even more. clean up the media, especially tv.

i hope we all can agree we are living under an imperial fascist state, murderous and crazy in equal measure and i ask:

what the hell are we going to do about it?

Well it is official, he is now King. If you take an oath of office, you are taking an oath to the "president". No One is watching the hen house, they are too busy parting with the fox

We must replace our constitution with one that more closely resembles a parliamentary system with proportional representation. The bureaucracy must be shared between the legislators and the executive. The executive must be prohibited from circumventing the judicial and legislative branches with "commissions," "signing statements," and "policy directives." Policy must itself be directed by the legislative branch. Voting must be committed to the one person, one vote principle and the government must take initiative to provide all available means for the public to cast its ballot. A full-scale and rigorous reinstallation of the Fairness Doctrine governing access to the media must be made into law. This is the minimum required to overcome the deficiencies of our government mandated by our constitution.

the "constitution," may it rest in peace, is no longer relevant except as a milestone in our distant past. it has been usurped, contorted, transmogrified into a shadow of its former self. in the corporate culture which has evolved, it's all about relationships based on power and money. no surprise that we hear these terms bandied about, i.e. "client," and it won't be long until we start hearing citizens referred to as "employees of the state."

Nietzsche wrote, "Mordechai, the stakes are too high to worry about Obama's weaknesses. . . . You wouldn't be a Republican would you?"

What a perfect non-sequitur! Read his post, Nietzsche: Mordechai said that Obama is "far better" than McCain. He is merely lamenting, as all decent people must lament, the fact that the Democrats are now nothing but the party of compassionate corporatists. Do you disagree with this? If so, then let's hear your reasons. It sounds like you don't care much for reasons. "Don't think: just chant 'si se puede!'" Is that your mantra?

Yeah, justice will be done when saint obama is elected.

Just like when Clinton pardoned all the Iran-Contra criminals as soon as he assumed office?

Here's another way of looking at how "our" government now operates:

"Serving at the pleasure of the President."

As opposed to:

"I, Michael Mukasey, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter."

"Purpose of evasion." Looks like Mikey forget about that part, too, eh?

And stopped all further investigations?

Yes, I'm still going to vote for Dennis Kucinich for president in November. At least is is a Democrat, not a DINO.

What is their main goal? What do they expect or plan to achieve? I can clearly see their method. But, until it is plain and clear as to the outcome they are expecting, I don't see how the people can effectively stop them. We are being neutralized, sanitized, and traumatized by them.

Bring on the sweet sweet salvation of global climate change - time for Mother Earth to clear out the old and try something new. Maybe the cetaceans can make a better go of it than we did, even if the sharks hang around once again...

I had signed on with the local Obama campaign office to help out. They have a nice little newsgroup to keep us all informed of activities, etc. I found that it was quite easy to spam out to everyone in the group.

After Obama backed out on his pledge to use public funding I lingered long and thought hard about it, then decided that maybe it was an OK strategy, and the he would surely fix it once in office. And then came the FISA vote. I didn't have to think too hard about this one.

I sent out a spam declaring that I would be withdrawing my support. Oh, the emails I got back. Some questioned my intelligence, some made disparaging remarks about my family tree.

So I sent out a spam defending my position. Here it is:

The only elected officials with a lower approval rating then the chimp called dubya is, well, just about all of them. Yes, pretty much everybody in both the House and the Senate have lower approval ratings. Why? Well, I suspect it's because the American people aren't THAT damn dumb. OK, so almost half of them voted for the chimp. But they did finally wise up when they realized (about a year too late though) that they had elected a man with a chimp's mind, and they then voted the opposition party into power in those two fine bodies in an attempt to rein the chimp in.

And how have representatives of that party responded? They've proceeded to drop the ball on virtually every occasion. Virtually EVERYTHING that the chimp has wanted he has been able to make happen. They've been played, by a chimp. And so they deserve to have approval ratings that limbo underneath the bar set by the chimp.

And now the great hope has signed off on the latest chimp bill. It was a bill that the great hope told us he would not only never sign, but he would use all of his power to filibuster. That was before he had us all in a row, but now that we've signed up and put all our eggs in his basket he has shown us who'll be guarding the henhouse. He not only voted in favor of that FISA bill, he voted for cloture so that it couldn't be filibustered. That on top of the broken promise about public funding; it seems we've had him less than a month and he's already woven a string of deceptions.

And now the talk is that the great hope thought that people tried to ascribe character to him that he never claimed to have. His supporters say that he can't be the left-wing progressive we all want because he would never be elected.

The fact is, the time is now. The American public is ready for the left to have a resurgence; no, they have given a mandate for it. But instead we will have a choice of two, both of them will be considered the lesser of two evils.

McCain insists there is not much difference between the two of them. Obama is proving him correct. And we are left, moving seemingly inexorably to the right. And all his staffers can say is "but the only logical choice is Obama, it will be even worse otherwise." Well, maybe it has to get worse before it can get better. I thought we had already learned that lesson though. It's no wonder the American public thinks so ill of its representatives.

Obama has lost me, my support and backing and campaigning and organizing and writing; and I'm sure he's lost a lot – certainly more than he's gained by this.. Did I really back him over Hillary? What a fool I was. I've been played by a man who's been played by a chimp. Unless he's on the chimps side?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Well, that's it. I know I'm not the most eloquent idiot in the world, but I think it's not bad. Then I found that Glenn Greenwald recently wrote an excellent article about Obama recently at Salon.com. I strongly recommend reading it.

Daniel David, I know your heart is in it. Mine's not. Maybe things just need to get bad enough to wake people up. No easy answers here, but the democrats are asleep at the switch.

ClassAct: No, we need NO representation, not proportional. The Congress is clearly no longer functioning as intended and should be replaced by those it replaced, the people themselves, acting directly. It's obsolete.

RichM: No, it isn't two parties that constitute the problem, it is the lack of democracy, in which there are no parties because there is no role for them.

In a democracy the discussion centers on issues, for the abiding fundamental question is "What is to be done?" With representation - of any kind whatever - the question gets corrupted into "Who will lead us?"

Never before has the focus on personality been so disgustingly and childishly belabored as in the current spectacle. We won't see a mature populace until we alter the system. Until then I see no important difference between the election for President of the USA and one for Junior Class president in high school.

And McCain and the Neo-con Republicans win again! How sick are we?

Dictatorship

Were the Congress and Senate not filled with pretenders to the throne (not to mention, panderers), impeachment proceedings would have been initiated at least 6 months ago. The Republican leadership look upon politics as "their" game, and they have no interest in the concept that an 'average American citizen' might also have citizenship rights. The Congress and Senate should recognize that an 'imperial' presidency is not a desirable institution for the USA. In order to obtain special privileges for 'big oil', the Bush administration lied us into war in Iraq. The President has primary responsibility for his, as well as the Vice President's, many criminal actions. Both should be impeached!

RichM July 18th, 2008 4:35 pm
oisin (4:25) - Exactly right.
Nothing Mordechai has ever said here sounds the slightest bit "Republican."

You guys beat me to it.

Obama obviously has no principles whatsoever. Is he qualified to be President just because he calls himself a Democrat?

He won the Wisconsin primary by claiming he would filibuster telecom immunity with Feingold. He lied about NAFTA in Ohio, he lied about public campaign financing, he votes to fund the war in Iraq every chance he gets. Who is Barack Obama? Nobody knows.

Democrats claim we should vote for anything that calls itself a Democrat, but Obama is literally nothing. No principles, no accomplishments except getting himself elected, no visible allegiance to anything except himself.

Maybe this nothing really is better than McCain... But it would also be better to leave the office of the President vacant than hand over the awesome power of the Presidency to an incomprehensible weasel like Barack Obama.

it seems to me that everyone is lamenting the sad passing of a democratic nation and that is a misunderstanding of the people... we have always been a republic afforded with democratic rights... whats the difference? the difference is that we have never had a true democracy where the will of the people reigned supreme.... we live in an illusion of such.... but at the end of the day we give our elected officials the power to decide on our behalf what they think is best for us...

since the inception of the constitution of the united states of america by our founding fathers (that had they not won that war... would have been sentenced and executed as men committing treason)... but ever since then... every president and congress since then has been trying to over-turn this "piece of paper" and each president... each election... each bill passed... since that time... has just been a learning curve.... and now they've perfected it... not in grand gestures of speeches of how the constitution is now obsolete in this world of "terror" but in big acts hidden behind turbaned faces perpetuated by our own "citizens".... this is what was the death knell of our constitution... and for anyone believing that we were still protected by this sacred "piece of paper" for so long... i'm sorry for the burst of your serene bubble of misconception in protection...

the saddest of all... even a true republic would be preferable to this fascist dictatorship... as GWB has been quoted saying... "it would be a lot easier to run this country as a dictatorship as long as i was the dictator" apparently he thought he'd give it a go… he's been doing a fine job huh folks?

for anyone thinking that bush is going to give up his seat for obama... is sadly mistaken... this power mad group is not going to give itself away...

though the democrats today are no better then the republicans... they are only slightly less corrupt then their counterparts... and would be the favored of by those that practice the "lesseroftwoevils" lifestyles... but should mccain not be elected into office come november... be prepared for more "shock and awe" excuses... be prepared for the absolute worst!!!

getting worse before it gets better very well maybe the way its going to have to unfortunately happen... and its right around the corner... they've been dropping clues to us for some time now... we've just been asleep at the wheel...

we are no better then those in congress because we do our fair share of finger pointing... yet no one wants to act .. no one wants to organize... no one has an idea of how to get us [collectively] out of this mess...

we have two options... we can put our heads down... go to work like good little serfs... pay our tithes to our feudal overlords and be happy with the shiny new toys and the occasional oooh and ahhh advances in technology and science...

or we can rise up and let them know that we will not tolerate living in a society where we are all free men and women... are not allowed the right to life… liberty and the pursuit of happiness!!!

but who will be the first to rally us together?

for a time we thought it was obama.. until FISA showed his true colors... that of a true politician... the say anythingness to get elected and we as sheep are supposed to swallow this nonsense and worship at the alter that is obama... our second coming of political salvation... and at the end of the day... who will hold him accountable come january?

joe lieberman recently said that he predicted a terrorist attack on the US in the early part of next year (january i think he said) they're letting us know whats in store for us... and we're not paying attention...

we think that its too horrible ... they would never do that to us... their own ppl...

but thats for those that are still delusional to believe that those in power consider themselves a part of this national society... that we're all the same people under one flag...

we are not... there are two flags... that of the american people... and that of those in power ... the almighty dollar!

money = power
power = corruption
corruption = the death of liberty

when it comes time and you'll know it for what it is... all i'm going to say... for the sake of your life and that of your family's...

avoid the fema camps!!!

protest our corrupt… evil and criminal govt... stay home on 9/11

History will not be kind to George W. Bush, who has presided over the most incompetent bunch this country has ever had running this government. I do not believe that those who are loyal to George W. Bush have anything else going for them. Shame on George W. Bush, and shame on those whom he has selected to do his bidding. Heck, if Senator Barack Obama was not running for president, and pressed to share his ideas on foreign policy, this government would not know the next steps to take in international affairs!

Nader4prez (3:24 pm)

Didn't the un-Patriotic Act demand that our loyalty be to Bush personally?

I wish it were that simple but "how our government works" is not that simple.

The Justice department is not part of an independent judiciary, its not a separate branch of government. These people serve at the president's pleasure.

I think its great that in the past, "how our government works" has relied on a culture of independent civil servants honoring the constitution and doing their jobs for the American people, and I think its great that, within this grand tradition, departments like State and Justice had a reputation for independence, and Justice didn't just act like a private firm of corporate lawyers acting for the executive.

However, Bush (aka the ones who are pulling his strings) has a different interpretation of government, one in which everyone is his toady, to do his will or face negative consequences. He hasn't succeeded yet, but if he does, or if McCain or Obama does after him, then it will be time for us to think about overthrowing the government.

dream warrior and shadowdancer are the only two here whose comments are:
1. non-partisan, and
2. incisive and astute.

Regardless of which of those two sockpuppet kooks "wins" the so-called election, the result will be a predictable guaranteed win for THE WAR MACHINE to continue draining the coffers of the US Treasury while satisfying their bloodlust for minerals, oil water and the birthrights of other nations citizens!

Obama vs McCain=NO DIFFERENCE

I am so sick and tired of hearing references to the "War in Iraq," especially here on Common Dreams, where you'd think folks would know better, that I can hardly bear to read Common Dreams any more. Please, please, please use the correct terms when referring to the travesty unfolding in Iraq. It is nothing less than THE UNLAWFUL, PREMEDIATED INVASION OF A SOVERIGN COUNTRY BY THE UNITED STATES, CAUSING THE NEEDLESS DEATH OF MILLIONS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE, FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF ACQUIRING THAT NATION'S OIL SUPPLY!!!!! It's time we call a spade a spade and stop using the double-speak of the rogue Bush administration.

The Imperial lunatic right wing religious neocon-natzi extremists own this country lock , stock, and barrel.

Military Complex-Pentagon, FBI,CIA,WATCH GROUPS ( LOCK )
Wall Street-Dow Jones, Banks , Insurance Co. ( Stock )
Oil Companys ( Barrel )

The great George Carlin said it best;

" We don't have any rights, just privileges, rights are an illusion. "

And my personal favorite.

" Were Fucked "

Until the judicial system start enforce the constitution as our founding fathers had intended.

BornFreeMen

I think it is time that Congress or the Supreme Court defines what is actually "Executive Privelege". This current vague reference to "Executive Privelege" is a real danger to our democracy.

Thanks Glenn Greenwald for your continued exposure of our criminal government!

Attorney General represents the people of the United States
-Once upon a time.....

DOJ exists to advance the interests and wishes of the President
-as does the Congress and the Democrats in it

Michael Mukasey has President Bush's back.
-this criminal was installed thanks to Democrats.

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill: did not vote.
Hillary Clinton, D-NY: did not vote.
Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn: did not vote.
Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del: did not vote.

The sky is falling? Obama will save us? Vote for Obama?

geezjan July 18th, 2008 2:07 pm
The Democrats have always been three inches to the left of the Republicans every election, while the Republicans move further and further to the right with each election.
-good points geezer!

Nietzsche July 18th, 2008 2:35 pm
Mordechai, the stakes are too high to worry about Obama's weaknesses.
-The sky is falling!

The monarchy of the USA will become official under John McCain.
-The Democrats will save us!

I can't believe I'm having to tell you this. You wouldn't be a Republican would you?
-Quick! Vote for Obama!

RichM July 18th, 2008 4:39 pm wrote:

"Everything comes back to this basic point: there's no way to move towards democratizing change inside a framework that allows only 2 big business parties."

Right you are. It's a Catch 22:

You must have the backing of the ruling class Duopoly in order to legislate anything that reverses its control.

The ruling class Duopoly will never back anything that reverses its control.

--- So the situation's hopeless?

It is hopeless if you vote for a member of the ruling class Duopoly. That's a vote worse than a wasted vote. It's a vote AGAINST progressive interests and FOR continued Duopoly rule.

It is not hopeless if you vote for the Green Party. This party was designed to break the Duopoly's stranglehold about which progressives complain.

Right wingers believe in "more for me and less for you" concept of government. "You, meaning, not them get to pay for everything". We have had the dumbest President [that includes Cooledge] ever and Obama couldn't possibly screw up any more than Dubya.
Obana doesn't have that arrogance about him that the chickenhawks have and he isn't afraid to listen to difference of opinion or change his mind. I doubt he would start a war just to make his oil baron buddies more filthy rich than they already are.
The right wingers only swear an oath to the Constitution if it is in their interest to do so; they have no compulsion to disregard that oath to justify their desire for whatever else legal or illegal comes along. Ethics, standards and morality, it seems, are for the rest of America, not them.