GOP Forces Cheney Impeachment Debate

[KevinTheOmnivore]

" If I'm a Republican, I take that debate."

'Cause the Republicans have such a sterling record on being right about stuff.

Ok, maybe you should re-read my post. It's my belief that Republicans are reeling here, and a silly debate over impeaching the VP (something they all know won't happen) is time well spent in their minds.

Also, it's possible for congress to focus on more than one thing at once. taxing, surely, but not impossible.

Funny...for a moment I thought you were being sarcastic, b/c I can recall a couple times saying this same thing to you almost verbatim.

The problem with that argument is that a call for impeachment gets privileged status, no matter which nut job proposes it. This means it takes precedent, and other business becomes secondary. It's like a snow day for Republicans.

And if kooky Dennis Kucinich proposes impeaching the VP, that will be the story of the day. Congress could ban the 1st amendement and it wouldnt get covered.

AND, even assuming the Republicans are right about it being a preferable, loosing issue, and I don't cede that, sometimes it's okay to do something that may not strategically work because it's the right thing to do. It's called having an iota of principal. On rare occasions, people sometimes even react positively to a politician taking a stand based on actual beliefs regarding the law as opposed to what might improve their political power.

Well, um, you should cede it. It got sent to committee heaven. It had no chance.

So wait, when Republicans drag out stupid flag burning bills that can never pass, is that "principled"? Or, is it an attempt by a guy who is running for president to get his name in the papers, not to mention the fact that he may get primaried for his senate seat next time around...?

You know how the Republicans won this one? By the D's predictable cravenness which even the majority cannot make them shed.

You could make this argument for any bill or resolution that fails in Congress: Why, this bill banning short skirts in public places failed because of the lack in moral acuity of the Democrats!

'We want this debate! Oh SHIT! You guys are willing to have it?! CRAP, we must have been wrong, quick, quick, get it into committee and drown that baby because if they want it, it must be good for them since they're always right about stuff like Terry chiavo and War and torture!'

THAT's where they lost points, by looking like a collection of lackluster tepid boobs who who would find some way to loose if the Republican front runner was videotaped eating babies.

Uh, no. They lost it because they are polling worse than any Congress in the history of survey research, and Republicans could've spun this as another effort of the do-nothing Democrats to avoid doing any work. Let's write the radio spot:

{Old couple, somewhere in Wisconsin or Florida}

OLD DUDE: Ester, did you read the local Big News today???

OLD LADY: No Charles, what's going on?

OLD DUDE: Congress is trying to impeach the Vice-President.

OLD LADY: The Vice-President!? This isn't why I voted for them in 2006!

OLD MAN: That's right, Ester. If only they worked this hard on the important things.

OLD LADY: It just seems so partisan.

OLD MAN: I know, Ester. I know.

OLD LADY: It just makes me sick, those DC people!

OLD MAN: I love you, Ester.

TELL CONGRESS NOT TO KILL ESTER.

[mburbank]

I think the congress is polling this low because it was elected to say:

"The war in Iraq was a mistake. The country allowed itself to be snookered by an administration of criminal bastards and thugs who took advantage of our collective fear and are destroying our country. They treat america as their personal posession and the laugh at the law. Stop them now!"

Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I think, and I think any halfway telegenic candidate who stood up and said it could have a majority of the country behind them.

I also think we may be at a moment when the vast beast that is the people may be smarter than the media, who's only bias is for the easiest stupidest story.

AND I don't think making the case that the President and Vice President of America are criminals is comparable to a flag burning or anti gay marriage amendment. I think our country is in desperate trouble because we have allowed an imperial presidency and if we do not call it to account as a country like we did with Nixon then we are saying it's okay and precedent is set.

I don't care if your point of attack is torture or spying without warrants on American citizens or falsifying the case for war, and frankly if the media wants to cover the story as "Secret leprechaun Kucinich thinks Cheney is Alien", fuck 'em.

I think these guys are criminals, Kevin. Seriously, I do. I think they have shat all over everything I ever learned in civics class and laughed while they did it. I don't think it's okay. And I think a lot of Americans are looking at where are country is right now on any number of fronts and what a god awful mess has been made of everything this administration touched and are thinking the same thing. I hope so.