Now Is The Time For All Good Men

[NanceGreggs]

Now Is The Time for All Good Men
By Nancy Greggs

An Open Letter to the Republican Party

Although I hold out little hope that this missive will reach the powers-that-be in the Republican Party, I would be remiss in my duty as an American were I not to at least make the attempt to be heard, not only on my own behalf but on behalf of my fellow citizens.

Over the course of the past few years, and especially in the last few months, it has become increasingly obvious that George W. Bush is totally incapable of leading our nation. And the natural outcome of that circumstance must be his removal from office.

He has been demonstrably disconnected from the realities of the situation in Iraq, and has dismissed out-of-hand the urgings of his advisors, both military and civilian, to accept things as they are rather than as he wishes them to be. When met with any form of disagreement, he has simply replaced knowledgeable people of experience and insight with those who are willing to go on record as agreeing with his decisions, regardless of how flawed those decisions may be, and regardless of the consequences they inevitably unleash.

We sit on opposite sides of the aisle, as it were; I am a Democrat, and disagree wholeheartedly with your positions on any number of issues. However, we have, as a nation, come to the point where such disagreements must be set aside in an attempt to do what is right for our countrymen, and for our nation as a whole. Rhetoric and politically-motivated excuse-making is no longer productive nor acceptable. The moment of dealing with reality is upon us all – and it will wait for no man, regardless of party affiliation.

If I cannot appeal to your sense of citizenship and obligation to your constituents, perhaps I can appeal to your sense of duty to your own party – as such loyalty is legendary and, sometimes to the detriment of the citizenry, it has invariably taken precedence over all other considerations.

Your loss of power as a result of the mid-term elections undoubtedly served as a reminder that voters see the Grand Ol’ Party as inextricably linked with the actions of this president, and recent polls prove over and over that voters are totally at odds with the thinking of this administration.

Recent surveys show a decreasing number of voters identifying themselves as Republicans, a trend that will undoubtedly continue as George Bush persists along a path totally contrary to the public’s wishes as a whole, and specifically the wishes of traditional Republican party members who value concepts such as smaller government and astute fiscal responsibility.

Many of you were ousted from long-held positions in November before the escalation of the war was announced, before Bush articulated his current course of action, before the inevitable casualties of this planned escalation become headlines across the nation. Have you considered what the impact will be on your party after-the-fact? Perhaps you should.

In addition to the fiasco that has become our presence in both Iraq and Afghanistan, your president is now saber-rattling in the direction of Iran, the potential consequences of which are already reverberating throughout the world. As a direct result of his actions to date, our country has been proven to be less safe, our military is at the breaking point, our stature in the world compromised, our treasury depleted, and our ability to garner the support of our traditional allies is questionable at best. How long will you, as a party, support the insanity? How long will you, as Americans, look the other way?

While we could argue ad infinitum as to how we now find ourselves in the present situation, I am sure you would not argue that the arrogant, “will-of-the-people-be-damned” attitude of G.W. Bush is a direct result of your party’s behavior. He is obviously of the opinion that he has no obligation to accept and act upon the expressed desires of those at whose pleasure he serves, an opinion planted and nourished by your unwavering support of his every whim, even when his actions not only breached the boundaries of his authority, but were blatantly illegal.

Therefore, it is your responsibility to undo what you have done, and save your party – and, in so doing, save your country – from this delusional madman you have so painstakingly created and protected. It is your responsibility to make it clear to the petulant, out-of-touch-with-reality child you have spawned that he must step down – voluntarily, or otherwise -- along with his vice president, and all of those who continually defy the will of the people in pursuit of an agenda that is as catastrophic as it is delusional.

I would like to think that your motives in taking such action would be altruistic, born of a desire to put partisanship aside for the good of our beloved country. And I would pose the question that if our nation’s very survival is not a bipartisan issue, what is?

But to be candid, I really don’t care whether your actions would be predicated on patriotism or self-preservation – just so long as you act. Once the deed it done, you can make whatever political hay of it you will – and the American voters will ultimately decide whether your party deserves the benefit of the doubt or not.

George W. Bush must be removed from the presidency, and how that is accomplished – whether through your efforts to secure his resignation and that of the vice president, or whether through the humiliation of impeachment proceedings – is up to you.

I sincerely pray that you act accordingly.

Yours Truly,
Nancy Greggs