First, the blight must be removed: some thoughts on the Reuters/Zogby findings and the case for impeachment proceedings

The devastating Reuters/Zogby poll released yesterday confirmed three things about contemporary political America. The first is bloody obvious; the second, as well, has been steadily manifest for some time; the third is increasingly troubling.

Taking first things first, it's apparent that Americans' capacity for clear thinking lies only in inverse proportion to their leaders' stupendously transparent muddleheadedness. As the Bush administration sinks lower into the morass, the number of Americans who realize we're on the wrong track creeps ever upward.

That, of course, is a natural function of democratic sentiment. But what terrifies is the further realization of just how much it takes to trigger the public giant's synapses. Nothing has come to pass that wasn't predictable in the most elementary ways since 2001, from the plutocratic looting of America to the most blundering and imbecilic of foreign policies. Had Americans been paying attention, had they applied any real thought to the miserable paths being taken by the Bushies, the polling number of wrong trackers -- now at 66 percent -- would have been achieved six years ago. Yet it had to come to this.

The second and rather needless confirmation coming from the poll is that of the hard right's unshakable loyalty and solidarity. True, it borders on the pathetic to learn that any sitting president's job approval rating can plummet to the ignominious low of 24 percent. Looking at the number in another way, however, means that one in every four American adults you see on the streets actually believes, or at least insists -- after all the looting and all the imbecilities -- that George W. Bush is doing a boffo job.

One in every four, after all this. I could understand and accept one in every one hundred, or one thousand, or whatever statistic matches the frequency of severe mental illness among the general population. But one quarter? It chills the democratic bones, and indicates just how blindly allegiant is the right -- a steadfast allegiance whose recipient demonstrates his dementia on a daily basis, such as yesterday's demonstration: "We are making it very clear to Turkey that we don’t think it is in their interests to send troops into Iraq. Actually, they have troops already stationed in Iraq." Hail to the chief, and God help us.

The third confirmation arising from the Reuter/Zogby poll is, as mentioned, unsettling as well, and getting worse. As Reuters reported it, "A paltry 11 percent gave [the Democratic] Congress a positive grade, tying last month's record low." In brief, there is no confidence in any organized opposition to criminal dementia in the Oval Office, for the simple reason that there is no organized opposition to criminal dementia in the Oval Office.

At a time when the left, the left of center, the middle and even the right of center -- collectively, those three of every four irate Americans -- should be reveling in a Congressional cleaning and clocking of the White House, they are, instead, puzzled and despondent.

"They are giving up on this government," observed pollster John Zogby of his dismal findings. And that -- the perception as well as reality of no organized opposition -- leaves anarchy, paradoxically mixed with monarchical strains, and that famous dementia in control.

At a time when the great majority of Americans are yelling "Enough!," the abysmally disorganized opposition can't see, or refuses to accept, that impeachment proceedings are the only galvanizing solution to reversing a despondent public mood. They're sick of the administration's lawlessness, and the only meaningful starting point is for Congress to condemn it and remove it.

Congress wouldn't, couldn't be successful in the latter, of course, but movement toward it would solidify vast swaths of the left and center behind those elected representatives who finally, at long last, rightly agree that enough is enough. Some national blights must be excised -- or at least an honest attempt at excision must be made -- before other progress can be made.

That singular neglect, I am convinced, is what has the opposition at 11 percent. To turn things around, Congress must not so much oppose the administration, as it must simply support and confirm the Constitution. Without that, what's left worth fighting for -- and what solidarity is left, except that on the right?

***

Dear reader,

First permit me to say, I'm mortified. It seems the many, many thanks I have sent out in the past through Paypal's dandy reply system never arrived. I am so sorry. I did not ignore your contribution. I did express thanks to each of you wholeheartedly, yet those thanks seem to have gone into the ether. Again, I apologize for Paypal's technical hang-ups.

Having said that, on with the here and now ...

Underemployment continues to plague this humble scribe, so once again I must ask for your help. I realize you are implored by all sides and sources for financial assistance, and that you have your own financial difficulties. But if at all possible, if you can contribute $10, $20, $50 or whatever amount, and haven't already done so in the last year, it would go a long way in ensuring the consistent and, I trust you'll agree, thoughtful and occasionally entertaining offerings of this site.

The quickest method of lending your support actually is (believe it or not) through Paypal. You can click the button below ...

... and I hope you will now.

Many, many thanks in advance. I wouldn't ask if it weren't exceedingly necessary.

Best,
P.M.

Comments

[dcmann]

The President took an oath with his hand on (a Masonic) Bible to defend the Constitution. Every time he publically states that he took that oath to defend the American people (and not the ideals for which we stand) he reaffirms his illegitamacy. Any politician who breaks the law must be removed from office. Officials who do not prosecute other public 'servants' who have broken the law must also be treated as criminals. This truth is self-evident. A people unwilling to defend their own laws are slaves. How, after two hundred years of freedom have we let this happen? What's on T.V. right now?

[Richard]

I received a call yesterday from the DCC (I believe the democratic congressional committee), they wanted money (of course) and said it was the only way to ensure the policies of Bush were ended. I said there is another way, and the guy proceeded to defend not impeaching. I may contribute to a candidate, but I say starve any group that isn't committed to impeachment. I don't understand how much further it would have to go to equal "high crimes and misdemeanors".
I found great insight into the national lethargy in the book "Lies My Teacher Told Me". The author shows how textbooks (even if the authors are liberal) are written to make the U.S. look good, one author said she wanted her kid to be proud to be an American. The author points out she didn't say a good citizen or enjoy learning history, just proud of the U.S. So kids are given junk-food history that doesn't show that positive change has only come from the people. Also a symptom of the rights contention that this is still a meritocracy, that the best jobs aren't given to the wealthy.

Wish I could help, but I am unemployed. I went to grad school for an environmental degree in '93. All the jobs news raved about the opportunities in the area, then Gingrich and crew happened. I was employed for a while, then Bush happened.

[Will]

And who personifies the House that's been dragged down below the presidency? "Off the table" Nancy. Watching her interviews with Blitzer and Wallace, it is painfully obvious that (1) she doesn't know (or misrepresents) parliamentary procedure that any high hchool student in Congress 101 would understand and (2) her blame game attempt to nail both the president and the Republican Congress for Iraq is a disgraceful hand-washing display of playing politics with the lives of American troops.

While we can argue that it's up to the radically aligned right to recognize the criminality in the Oval Office and support impeachment, it's equally up to the left to remove flower-child Nancy through resignation or in the upcoming primary.

[Clemsy]

Heh. The frog is starting to feel the heat. Will it be smart enough to jump out of the water before it starts to boil?

That's what's going on here. So powerful is the 'America can do no wrong' and 'It could never happen here' syndrome that by the time the delusion can hold no more, it's too late.

Even if we bounce the bufoons out now, how long will it take to repair the damage? Will we ever be able to gain back all the lost ground?

Bush isn't the problem. We're the problem.

[Alex]

Unfortunately, The "opposition party" (hahahaha) provides no "opposition" whatsoever. Instead, they continue as they have the last 6 or 7 years helping this despot shred the constitution. I am hearing that the house and senate has reached an "agreement" on Immunity for the telecoms for lawbreaking continuously for the past 6 years because of thier "good faith" reason for doing so.

The problem is both these corrupt parties. "We the people" are also the problem since we do not act unless it directly affects us, and by then it is too late. the people have power that they do not seem to recognize. The problem with the people is that they cannot come together in common cause because the washington D.C. fantasyland, with the eager help of the depraved and shallow D.C. press have created so many differing factions of almost limitless competing self-righteous and unending self-glorifying "issues" that coming together in common cause for the sake of our country and freedoms does not enter thier amazingly minescule brains.

[chanceny]

When the only one who has spoken truth to power, Dennis Kucinich, is so marginalized he's only invited on Colbert to empty his pockets, you know we're in trouble! Unblinking Pelosi speaks, but NOTHING comes out of her lovely mouth. Reid probably dreams in bipartisan sound bites. Fear permeates our government, but it seems that Americans are finished with getting sucker punched. Will our elected 'leaders' ever catch up - or just catch on?

[mistah charley, ph.d.]

I don't know if the Republic is dead, or only resting. On the chance that it might possibly make a difference, you are invited to send the following to your peeps in DC.

-------------------------

Open letter to Every Congressman & Senator

OUT OF IRAQ – WHATEVER IT TAKES – 2009 IS TOO LATE

Does it take cutting off the funds?

As I understand the Constitution, only Congress can authorize expenditures. No money for the war, no war. Bush can veto appropriation bills by himself, but he cannot pass them. So cut off the funds.

Does it take removing Bush and Cheney?

Apparently some think that Congress’s power of the purse is not enough to end the war, as long as the Bush/Cheney regime controls the Executive Branch. If that’s the case, then Congress should use its Constitutionally-mandated power to end the Bush/Cheney regime. You swore an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. It seems clear that the Bush/Cheney regime (aggressive war based on lies; blatant and repeated violation of laws; torture; political corruption of the administration of justice; etc. etc. etc.) is not just too incompetent to continue in office – they are by intent, not just in effect, enemies of our Constitution.

If Bush and Cheney continue in office, they will probably attack Iran

The Bush/Cheney regime and their collaborators in the so-called “main stream” media (for example, David Ignatius’s Washington Post column of Oct. 7) are obviously preparing the public relations ground for this right now. Can any rational person doubt that such a course would be even more calamitous than the present war?

Do your duty

Every day this useless occupation goes on it kills people, and permanently maims more – many Americans and many more Iraqis (citizens of a country, by the way, THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE 9/11 ATTACK). End the occupation NOW. Many human lives, and the future of our country, depend on it.

[Mooser]

Mr. Carpenter sir, you might want to do a little Googling and see what most experts peg as the percentage of mentally ill people in America. In fact, this group is quite cohesive politically due to the fact that the primary symptoms of depression and inability to form healthy relationships combined with poor impulse control and aggressive acting out, are congruent with Republican ideology, as it is today.
Mental illness can be a powerful political force when it reaches epidemic proportions. Oh, they're bound together by a shared vision, all right, but their vision is a paranoid schizoid hallucination

[Spike Heels]

The only way that anything will ever change is if we fire all 435 members of the House of Representatives and fire each of the Senators up for re-election next year. The current crop in DC does not care anything about what we, the people, want. Firing every one of them might send a message that the next Congress would understand. The current crew was put in to make changes and they insist on giving us more of the same. Vote "NO INCUMBENTS" in 2008!

[rxgary]

spike heels is right, i would love to see ron paul and dennis kucinich form the purple party where red and blue come back together, and get 435 representatives to pledge an oath that if they dont go in and convict all who voted with bush against the constitution and send them to leavensworth where they belong then they too will be sent there. and there are around 30 or 35 senate seats open in 08 too. if a new party could agree on just this one major platform, arresting the congresses and the bush admin who have violated their oaths to defend the constitution, they wouldnt need campaign money, just give away 150 million purple t shirts with each candidate in the purple party names on it and inform the voters to wear their purple shirts on election day. what you would see is 8 of every 10 voters in purple. look kerry beat bush even though he was bush light by 90 million to 24 million votes, now thats the true count wherher you believe it or not. if like minded voters who vote a straight independent party all wear the same colored attire the fascist voting machines will be useless.these criminals can be beat, and the same colored attire is the easiest way to do it, that and havelive streaming cameras at each polling station, and record the people entering to vote. then once in office simply repeal all unconstitutional laws. once we regain american morals that nearly all of us share, which is helping each other, nature will take care of itself.

[ramona graves]

Impeachment proceedings would let American citizens know the many impeachable crimes Bush and Cheney have committed and continue to commit. Success may come when everything is clearly exposed. TRY TRY TRY !!!!!!!

[Nizzle]

25% of the people support bush...

If IQ truly exists as a phenomena under a bell curve, then 50% of the populace is below IQ 100 - exact norm. The lowest 25% might represent the supporters of the right.

The scary thing is who are the intelligent people who support the neocons: and what are they getting out of it?