For many months, I felt like the little silver ball in a pinball machine, getting banged around this way and that, about to fall into a dark hole. My subpoena, the U.S. Attorneys scandal, our political briefings at Justice and so on -- they almost had me cornered. But today I feel like the pinball machine, back in control of all the levers and balls.
I had just about run out of fresh ideas for how we can hang on through January 2009. And then it hit me: Who needs fresh ideas when our old tried-and-true formula can still be made to work? You want me, coppers? -- just try to come get me. It's you who will suffer; we're steaming ahead, get out of our way -- or else.
Since the Democrats don't have the balls to impeach us, or cut off funding for the Iraq War, that means they're still scared and therefore easily rollable. They're terrified of what we would do to them in the 2008 election ("unpatriotic," "soft on terrorism" ) if they challenged us frontaly like that.
Of course, we're going to do that to them anyway, but they don't see that, or don't want to see. What I can tell is that, even in the majority now, they're still frightened little puppydogs who can be counted on to back down when it really counts -- especially on the war and on expanding our domestic police powers.
Impeachment "off the table"? Thank you, Madame Speaker. You've just let us pass Go as often as we like, collect the $200 each time, and hang onto a permanent Get Out of Jail card. Thank God! Even just the existence of an impeachment panel -- since it's pretty certain the Senate would not convict -- would derail many of our initiatives, forcing us to devote most of our time and energy on playing defense, not our strongest suit.
THE DEMOCRATS CAVE AGAIN, HURRAH
Who would of thunk it last week? First the Dem senators rough up "Fredo" in their hearings, calling him unqualified and a liar, and then a few days later OK more domestic spying with Gonzales in ultimate charge. I love it!
And the Dems in the House likewise. They kicked and screamed about Gonzo being in charge and the civil liberties aspects of the bill, but enough of them went along anyway, pretending no major damage done since the bill will be re-examined in six months. Ha.
They wanted to get home to their states and districts for a month's vacation and some electioneering, and they figure they've innoculated themselves on the "patriotic" issue for the 2008 election. Boy, have they got another thing coming.
I DON'T HAVE TO SHOW YOU NO STINKIN' RULES
It's as true now as it was six years ago when we invented our approach: The Dems are clueless about how to stop us. They're used to playing by the rules, getting along to go along, compromising to get things done, democratic niceties, etc. But we don't operate that way. That way lies namby-pamby, always worrying about who not to offend. You think like that and your agenda gets bogged down in the reality-world.
It's much more effective to rev up the old rammer, hit 'em and hit 'em hard, grab what we can get, full-scale smashmouth politics, call their bluff, demonize them, cut 'em off at the knees, rub their noses in their powerlessness, find their weak points and go for the jugular, take their strong points and demolish them. You'd think after six years, the hapless Dems would have figured all this out by now, but they still stand there like deer in the middle of the road, mesmerized by the headlights of our power and ruthlessness. God, I love this job!
On the other hand, it's possible that the Dems have figured out our approach, but they're just total wusses. "Oh, please don't hit me again, Mr. Rove. Ouch! Oh, please don't hit me again. Ouch! I promise we'll be good little boys and girls. Ouch! We're in the majority now, so if you do that one more time, we'll, we'll, we'll...do something. Ouch! Oh, please don't hit me again." Etc. Etc. It's wackamole time!
Of course, our enemies are just itching to get me. Their proxy on the white horse, Patrick Fitzgerald, thought he might be able to put the political noose around my neck, but I played the Plame game with finesse, "corrected" my testimony and all he had left was poor little Scooter. The jury convicted him, but we took care to make sure Scooter would never feel tempted to talk to get out of prison. Of course, the Dems howled like banshees about Bush's commutation of his sentence but (surprise!) took no retribution and quickly moved on to the next topic.
Bernard Weiner, Ph.D. in government & international relations, has taught at universities in California and Washington, worked for two decades as a writer-editor at the San Francisco Chronicle, and currently serves as co-editor of The Crisis Papers (www.crisispapers.org).
great substance, but i just gotta say i LOVE your article's title (I can even hear his weasly little voice saying it with an old fashioned soundtrack in the background).
by
Cheryl Biren-Wright (19 articles, 23 quicklinks, 8 diaries, 351 comments)
on Wednesday, August 8, 2007 at 8:51:01 AM
all wrapped up in a nice little paragraph. Just right to put it under his pillow and have pleasant dreams--of getting the goods on every Dem by using the great new surveillance act-- now legal. Oh, happy day.
Here is the gift --share with Cheney and Bush now, boy.
Speaker Pelosi is apparently ruled by fear--fear that she will be called soft on terrorists. Apparently, she IS soft on those who threaten her -- Cheney and Bush that is. 41 Democrats in the House and 16 Democrats in the Senate --along with all the Republicans-- also caved in to the administration’s threats and aided her in giving Bush and Cheney the power to spy on us. I hope these elected officials are all further terrorized at home by their constituents, who shame them and threaten their jobs for giving up our basic constitutional right to privacy. May they also gain the insight to begin to feel fear for giving up their children's and grandchildren's Constitutional rights.
by
Christie (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 143 comments)
on Wednesday, August 8, 2007 at 12:56:18 PM
If the justice system fails, there is still the people's justice. It is time for a general strike in this country, just to remind everyone that the first three words of the Constitution are, "We the People."
by
Richard Girard (17 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 38 comments)
on Wednesday, August 8, 2007 at 4:02:43 PM
3 comments
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