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July 5, 2007

In sparing Libby, Pres. Bush built an IED that blew up the judicial system

By Mary MacElveen

Through this commutation which a full pardon has not been ruled out by President Bush, what he did was spit in the face of that jury and juries across this nation hearing other cases. He (Bush) once again, subverted the rule of law. He might as well have built an IED and blew up the judicial system.

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A few years ago, I remember seeing a commercial to help stop drunk driving which said, “Friends do not let friends drive drunk” and the act of a good friend would have been to take away the keys to the car so that no one would get hurt.  Most likely that commercial did save countless lives.

So when I read this statement coming from Senator Gordon Smith (R) of Oregon in which he said of President Bush, "President Bush is my friend, and I don't always agree with my friends," perhaps a little intervention on behalf of the American people should be done by Republican lawmakers as they see their president riding rough-shod over the United States Constitution as well as the Bill of Rights.

With the commutation of Scooter Libby, these so called friends of the president and even the vice president should demand for the greater good that both resign immediately.  After all, they were elected to serve a far greater good than protecting said friend(s).  Would they rise to such an occasion showing bravery like our founding fathers?  That is for them to answer.  Our reality states they do not have that sense of courage and bravery.

Like a friend who abuses alcohol, decides to drive and then gets behind the wheel of a car, and whose judgment has been impaired the same can be said of both President Bush and Vice President Cheney.  Like the drunk driver, their addiction is to power and even with the power they now have it is not enough.  In AA, there is a saying when it comes to drinking, “One is too many and a hundred is not enough”

Like the drunk driver who kills innocent victims while behind the wheel, both Bush and Cheney have killed close to 4,000 soldiers’, killed hundreds of thousands innocent Iraqis and displaced millions more Iraqis.  While the addiction is different the behavior is the same.  Lying a country into a war shows an inability to tell the truth and those are the tell-tale signs of a substance abuser.

Yes, President Bush and Vice President Cheney, the both of you are addicts and someone needs to take away the keys from the both of you.  We as a country can no longer afford you driving her.  The both of you have all but disgraced this country and if you do not see that, then the both of you are in denial.  Again, denial is another trait of a substance abuser.

Senator Smith’s friendship with the president also reminds me of that saying, “With friends like that, who needs enemies” Also by not demanding for his friend’s resignation, Smith has become an enabler to his friend’s disease of substance abuse.  Not only to castigate Smith; but when are the rest of these Republicans going to demand the resignation or even back an impeachment process of these two power-mongers?  It worked with the late President Richard Nixon and one has to wonder; why not this president and vice president?  What greater good for all of us are Bush and Cheney accomplishing?  Who will be the next victim to die with these men behind the wheel?

Senator Gordon Smith said that in relation to the war in Iraq as well as the defeat of the ‘Grand Compromise’ bill on immigration which he said, "And on the issues of Iraq and immigration, I simply disagree with his approach." That is like saying, I do not agree with his abuse of drugs and alcohol.

In a previous column, I quoted Senator Smith when he openly spoke out against this war in Iraq which was harsher than his quote above.  At that time, he said, “the current U.S. war effort is "absurd" and "may even be criminal." He then went onto say, "I for one am at the end of my rope when it comes to supporting a policy that has our soldiers patrolling the same streets in the same way, being blown up by the same bombs day after day.” I would like to ask the senator; who placed you on the end of that rope?  It was after all, President George W. Bush, your friend.  No friend of mine would ever dream of putting me in that position.

In that same outspokenness concerning Bush’s handling of Iraq, Senator Gordon Smith even stated, it was a "dereliction of duty,” If he fully believed that; wasn’t it up to Senator Smith to grab hold of other senate Republicans and perform an intervention on behalf of the American people and more importantly our soldiers who have been sent to their deaths?  It burns me to know how so many came home in coffins and yet these Republicans refuse to hold both of these men accountable.  Whose side are they on? 

Not to pick on the senator solely, one quote caught my eye which came from GOP pollster Linda DiVall in which she said of congresses low-ranking in the polls, "The voters voted for change and they expected change, and they see an institution still incapable of getting anything done," Not so fast, Ms. DiVall. When the Democratic majority placed within the past war supplemental bill a time line in which we would start to draw down forces in Iraq that is precisely what the American voters wanted as they went to the polls last Election Day.   

Did the Republicans hear the cries of these Americans and enjoin with Democrats to fulfill this change in direction?  My guess is that Republicans were stone-cold-deaf when it came to our cries. The Republican minority could have enjoined with senate Democrats to send to the president’s desk a veto-proof bill.  That was their failure and not the failure of senate Democrats. 

By pointing blame at the Democratic majority, Ms. DiVall, three are pointing right back at you and your party. 

As many clamor for both Bush’s and Cheney’s impeachment, and while I agree in totality with those sentiments since it would be for the greater good, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi said of any impeachment process would “be off the table” While that statement in itself angers me, both the senate and house Republicans would refuse to impeach one or two of their own.  To that I would add; where are their morals and love of country?  They have none. 

Getting back to Scooter Libby’s conviction by a jury of his peers, jury notices go out to many Americans on a daily basis.  While some do anything to get out of serving on any jury, there are many that rise to the occasion to serve their country in which they partake in the judicial process.  Through this commutation which a full pardon has not been ruled out by President Bush, what he did was spit in the face of that jury and juries across this nation hearing other cases.  He (Bush) once again, subverted the rule of law.  He might as well have built an IED and blew up the judicial system. 

As Americans celebrated Independence Day in which our founding fathers gave us the gift of democracy, this president along with his vice president spat upon their graves. By subverting the rule of law and over-riding a jury’s decision, if President Bush were alive at the time of our country’s birth would have sided with the British.  He thinks he is king and most certainly acts like one who is impervious to the rule of law and thinks that it does not apply to him and any associated with him. 

With another Independence Day celebrated from coast-to-coast, I am often reminded as I have been throughout these past six going on seven years the words of Thomas Jefferson in which he said, "When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people that's liberty." There are many times I wish that Americans would take back this country from those that look to subvert it and call out from each and every corner of it for both Bush and Cheney’s removal from office. Instead of Boston Tea Party which our ancestors protested against the taxes imposed on them by the British, we would do so in protest of men who think they are above the law. 

President Bush subverted the rule of law by nullifying a jury’s decision.  He also subverted the rule of law over-riding a judge’s sentence.  It is my belief that Lady Liberty is indeed crying.  Without the rule of law, there can be no liberty.  

Author’s email address is xmjmac@optonline.net



Authors Bio:
I am a writer who currently writes pieces for my own blog http://www.mary-macelveen.blogspot.com I have been published by Buzzflash.com, TheLiberalPatriot.org and MikeHersh.com. I was a guest on the Jay Diamond Radio Show on WRKO in Boston and have appeared on CNN.  I have done numerous web broadcasts for sites such as RadioLeft.com, TVNewsLies.org and FranklySpeakingRadio.com.

Please take time to visit my Facebook.com page as well as my Twitter page.

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