"He turns off all the techno-shit in his goggles. All it does is confuse him; he stands there reading statistics about his own death even as it's happening to him. Very post-modern. Time to get immersed in Reality, like all the people around him."
- Neal Stephenson, "Snow Crash"
Its time to turn off the techno-shit emanating from the corporate media - the Survivor-style "permanent campaign" for president most of all. Did you see that they are going to vote Ron Paul off the GOP debate island, and Mike Gravel of the Dem island? Its still six months until the first vote! At this rate, the networks will have anointed the winner before a single vote has been cast. Oh, gee, did I give away the ending?
How can you all be such suckers? The whole thing is as scripted as pro wrestling. And, it is utterly irrelevant to governing this country during the next crucial six month period, when Bush will be gearing up to make the occupation of Iraq permanent and waiting for the best moment to start a new war with Iran.
Every minute a citizen wastes worrying about an election campaign that won't allow a vote for six months is a minute the citizen doesn't have to impeach Gonzo, Cheney, and Bush, in that order. And not voting to impeach is the equivalent of reading about the slow-motion death of our own democracy. How post-modern.
Just for an example, today, while you candidate fetishists were gushing over whatever bit of fluff the corporatchiks put on the boob tube, Dick Cheney announced that he would not allow a security investigation of his office because it was not part of the Executive Branch. This is right after he announced he destroyed his logs because of Executive Privilege. The combination of the two is another one of the neocons' patented anti-logic bombs, designed to create the kind of "A and Not A" precedents that allow these bums to pull out a precedent for whatever they want to do today.
It is time for citizens to get immersed in Reality. The only thing that matters is for Congress to stop the on-going evisceration of our government. To stop the tearing up of the rules - the Hatch Act, non-political US Attorneys, the adherence to precedent (stare decisis) by the Supreme Court. Do you have the slightest idea how fast we are approaching an arbitrary, politicized dictatorship? We have no time to waste on this ludicrous spectacle of a phony campaign.
The country wants impeachment. Polls show it is the majority opinion. Every day that goes by adds to the weight of evidence that could be used in a trial. Yesterday, it was General Taguba saying that the highest levels of government intervened in favor of torture. Is this evidence? We have a former Acting Attorney General (Comey) and a former General (Taguba) ready to testify, and they are just the top of the list. David Swanson listed twelve entire CATEGORIES of impeachable offenses.
But the Dem leadership and a bunch of cowards on this board say, "but the votes aren't there".
I am not buying this bullshit. It is a talking point. It is a whining, cowardly talking point. Our government is being lobotomized, a spoonful at a time, and you guys want to sit still and give Bush and Cheney ten or twenty more bites on the Constitution.
Another talking point I keep hearing is that "even if we impeach, there is no guarantee that we would convict". Well, my answer is that "even if we go on with this faux campaign for now, there is no guarantee there will be free elections in November of 2008". Bush and Cheney are a clear and present danger to our democracy. Bush has given himself the power to declare martial law, which would eliminate elections. Tell me why you have such faith in an election process that Bush can gut with a spoken order?
Here is my talking point: win or lose, impeachment can only benefit those who oppose Bush and Cheney. First, we put the evidence against Bush into the public record. The Dems have a Senate majority. They can present evidence until the cows come home. This evidence may be spun by the corporate media, but it cannot be censored or dumped as it is today. You can say what you want, the American people want Cheney's head on a platter. They will lap up all this evidence and yell for more. At that point, a GOP senator up for election in 2008 might ask if his career is worth defending Cheney - right there you have the pool of GOPers you need to convict Darth.
I could go on, but I will save it.
If candidate groupies can post thread after thread about how great their candidate is, I can post about my candidate - Bill of Impeachment. This is not the last time I will praise my candidate and speak of the inevitability of victory with his nomination.