Looks like the Republican bully pulpit has once again intimidated the gutless Dems into all but abandoning any impending impeachment plans. Despite promises and hearings and reasons-beyond-reasons why GWB & Company should be brought up on impeachment charges--Jellyfish John Conyers has waffled:
"So, rather than seeking impeachment, I have chosen to propose comprehensive oversight of these alleged abuses. The oversight I have suggested would be performed by a select committee made up equally of Democrats and Republicans and chosen by the House speaker and the minority leader.
The committee's job would be to obtain answers -- finally. At the end of the process, if -- and only if -- the select committee, acting on a bipartisan basis, finds evidence of potentially impeachable offenses, it would forward that information to the Judiciary Committee. This threshold of bipartisanship is appropriate, I believe, when dealing with an issue of this magnitude."
Maybe I'm being too harsh. I hope we can chalk up Conyer's statement to political damage control. But I fear that, like the second phase of the 9/11 Commission Report, charged with looking into the administration's
use or misuse of Iraq WMD intelligence, nothing will happen, no one will be held responsible, and our government will take yet another step away from its responsibility to the American people.
The American people want accountability from their government. It's time for the Democrats--who now lead on every measure in the polls--to step up to the plate and start swinging. It's time for the Republicans to realize that the only way to restore their own credibility is to do the same.
Democrats should make clear that their first priority, should they control the House, will be to address the people's most pressing problems: health care, energy, the environment, education, etc. But in addition to those priorities, they intend to restore the balance of power to our government by exercising their oversight responsibilities in a non-partisan manner.
Putting our troops in danger for spurious reasons is something that should enrage every, single American. Waging a possibly illegal War isn't a partisan issue. Government misleading its citizens isn't a partisan issue. It will take a strong leader to reunite this troubled and extremely divisive country around our shared values. It will take a wise leader to defuse the vindictive anger of Republicans and Democrats alike and focus that energy into a positive, pro-active governing body capable of working together for the good of
all of the people.
It is time for Congress to put aside their party differences and conduct the kind of oversight we all deserve. We are one country that was once united in its outrage over 9/11. The only way to restore that unity is to restore open government and trust in our leadership. That means investigating any abuse of that trust--like now.
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Photo: John Conyers. (pdamerica.org)
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