If Dems won't fight or impeach, they should at least go for jugular on investigations

[yurbud]

They could cripple the right wing machine in a couple of strokes:

• public hearings on oil motive for the Iraq War, the Hydrocarbon Law Bush is pushing on the Iraqis, and what Iraqis besides the ones Bush owns think of it.
  
  
• Further look into war propaganda that got a good start with Jessica Lynch & Pat Tillman. How far do the Bushies go to create events to whip up public support for their wars?
  
  
• The use of foreign intelligence agencies as agent provocateurs and flat out false flag operatives to commit acts of terrorism to whip up support for wars. The Joint Congressional Inquiry found that two of the 9/11 hijackers were supported by Saudi intelligence--that was in those 29 redacted pages according to Senator Bob Graham, former chair of the intel committee. Bush knew this and did nothing. If someone's friend kills their dog, and they offer the friend a cigar right after, it is reasonable to assume the owner wanted the dog dead.
  
  
• Whether the Bushies profligate spending is using our treasury the way Ken Lay used investors money, and S & L's used deposits: they gave it to their friends, the business goes bankrupt, then the friends give you kickbacks.
  
  This is also what the World Bank and IMF did to the Third World for a couple of decades: lend them money that they were forced to give to companies like Bechtel for over-priced development projects. When the country can't afford to pay the loans back, they are forced to cut social programs, privatize and sell everything at fire sale prices, and give their countries to the same corporations and individuals who profited from domestic scams like the S & L's. Are the Bush massive tax cuts for the rich couple with war spending an attempt to do the same to us?
  
  
• The relative total tax burdens on the poor, middle class, wealthy, and corporations, and what they get in services in return. If the poor are lucky they get those $21 a week in food stamps. Oil companies get wars to increase their assets.
  
  
• The connections between favorable media coverage, censorship, and regulatory & other favors in return. The virtual black out on black voter disenfranchisement in Florida in 2000 would be a good place to start since the attorney firing scandal touches on similar ongoing efforts.
  
  
• The use of laws and lawsuits to intimidate & silence the free press.
  
  
• What do we get for oil, coal, and other resources taken from our land compared to the market value of those resources and compared to what other countries get? How much income are we losing that way?
  
  
• The revolving door between Congress, the executive branch, and the various corporations and financial institutions they are supposed to regulate, and the consequences of allowing people to do that. Dick Cheney is the poster child for this, but he is unfortunately far, far from the only one to do it.
  
  
• And so on.
  

Other people could add to the list.


The Democrats have done some good investigations, but they are really just licking around the edges. They need to put a stake over the vampire's heart, and swing the hammer hard.

The Democrats have had the GOP on the ropes before: Nixon & Watergate, Iran Contra, BCCCI, evidence of Papa Bush's involvement in the October Surprise that came out at end of his presidency. In each case, Democrats could have laid out all the evidence, and used our laws to punish guilty parties, putting the rule of law ahead of class privilege. Instead, they forgave, looked the other way, and let the psychos go back about their business.

In each case, their thanks is the GOP come back at them stronger and nastier. First Reagan, then the Newters, and now the nearly openly fascist Bushies. When they regroup and make their next assault in five to ten years, they won't make the same mistakes they did this time and will be that much more brutal. This time their assault on Democracy was largely procedural--they ignored the law and procedures. Next time, it will probably be literal, along the lines of the Spanish Civil War (rent Pan's Labyrinth if you don't know anything about that one).

The right is down, and temporarily disoriented, but this window of opportunity won't last forever. When Bush is out of office, the mainstream press will quickly gloss over his sins and unpopularity, and cheer the next fascist moment.

And if the Democrats don't fight now, the next time the right won't come after us with just words.

[mmonk]

1. Hope you're not holding your breath.

The administration will ignore a lot of these investigatuions. As far as these people are concerned, they feel congress won't or can't do anything to them.

[yurbud]

2. they can further move public opinion and make the cry for impeachment near universal

[mmonk]

4. The only way to do that is to start. DK has set the table.

Serve the constitution.

[elocs]

3. Well, yes, death by a thousand cuts,

but how well did investigations do for the Republicans during the Clinton years? It could be that many Americans actually expect their Congress to do something. Investigations and/or impeachment might be nice, but if you are hungry, homeless, or in need of healthcare you would be hoping for some help. Unfortunately, the Democratic majority that so many here think is a juggernaut does not have the votes to override a Bush veto are left to be counter punchers and holding investigations.