Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Each time, the wave hits farther up the beach
I hate to interrupt the SCLM's circle-jerk on Deep Throat, but needs must when the Devil, or Bush, drives.
The easy point to make is that Deep Throat, and Watergate, explain why the Bush Whited Sepulchre House would rather that the press use no anonymouys sources (except those approved by Karl Rove, of course). Nixon... Now there was a President. Don't you wish you had Nixon back, instead of this crowd?
Anyhow, the long narrative that the SCLM is studiously ignoring is this:
The Republicans have been trying to abolish Constitutional government for some time. And each time, the wave breaks further up the beach.
Nixon, the first wave: Watergate, and the plumbers, were felonies orchestrated and directed from the White House. And Nixon tried to use national security as a cloak to hide his crimes. But our Democratic institutions—and here I use the letter "D" in both upper and lower case—were strong enough to withstand the assault. Hearings were held, and Nixon resigned rather than face impeachment.
Reagan, the second wave: Iran-Contra was a covert, off-the-shelf army run from the White House, off budget, and against the express intent of a law passed by Congress exactly to forbid such a thing. In this case, our Democratic institutions were weaker. Hearings were held, but even though the offense was greater than Nixon's, Reagan suffered no penalty, and the all the malefactors were pardoned.
Bush, the third wave: Name it. A war founded on deception ("facts and intelligence to fit the policy"). The Geneva convention, a treaty ratified by Congress, turned to a scrap of paper by White House Lawyers. The Patriot Act. The theft of at least one Presidential election. The Cheney task force.
For Bush, nothing. No penalties, no consequence. Are our Democratic institutions so weak?
UPDATE Then again, for the antidote See RDF.
The easy point to make is that Deep Throat, and Watergate, explain why the Bush Whited Sepulchre House would rather that the press use no anonymouys sources (except those approved by Karl Rove, of course). Nixon... Now there was a President. Don't you wish you had Nixon back, instead of this crowd?
Anyhow, the long narrative that the SCLM is studiously ignoring is this:
The Republicans have been trying to abolish Constitutional government for some time. And each time, the wave breaks further up the beach.
Nixon, the first wave: Watergate, and the plumbers, were felonies orchestrated and directed from the White House. And Nixon tried to use national security as a cloak to hide his crimes. But our Democratic institutions—and here I use the letter "D" in both upper and lower case—were strong enough to withstand the assault. Hearings were held, and Nixon resigned rather than face impeachment.
Reagan, the second wave: Iran-Contra was a covert, off-the-shelf army run from the White House, off budget, and against the express intent of a law passed by Congress exactly to forbid such a thing. In this case, our Democratic institutions were weaker. Hearings were held, but even though the offense was greater than Nixon's, Reagan suffered no penalty, and the all the malefactors were pardoned.
Bush, the third wave: Name it. A war founded on deception ("facts and intelligence to fit the policy"). The Geneva convention, a treaty ratified by Congress, turned to a scrap of paper by White House Lawyers. The Patriot Act. The theft of at least one Presidential election. The Cheney task force.
For Bush, nothing. No penalties, no consequence. Are our Democratic institutions so weak?
UPDATE Then again, for the antidote See RDF.
