Dear Winston: the impeach Libby edition (SIC: HE MEANS GONZO)

http://www.lastchancedemocracycafe.com/?p=887

Dear Winston,

I can’t begin to describe my frustration over the fact that Alberto Gonzales is still in office. He’s been an absolute disaster as attorney general: he flaunts the law, runs the Justice Department like a wholly owned subsidiary of the GOP and runs roughshod over civil liberties. Still, nothing happens.

The only possible solution I can see is for Congress to impeach him, but that seems like a long shot.

What do you think, Winston? Should the Democrats start impeachment proceedings against Gonzales?

Signed,

Fed Up in Philadelphia

* * *

Dear Fed Up,

Would pursuing impeachment proceedings against Gonzales be the smart thing to do politically? Congressional Democrats probably don’t think so, and they may be right. The Beltway punditocracy would be up in arms. One can almost see David Broder chuckling at his keyboard, enchanted with his own pop culture savvy, as he writes, “Today, congressional Democrats jumped the shark.” Would most of the public see it that way? I doubt it, but they might.

But I also don’t care. As a political animal, it’s a rare day you’ll hear me discount the importance of political consequences, but when it comes to Gonzales and the Justice Department, the politics be damned. Every now and then being a chicken shit just isn’t good enough for elected officials. Every once in awhile, political courage needs to amount to something more than a campaign slogan.

What’s at stake here is nothing less than the rule of law in the United States. And if Democrats won’t go to the wall for that, then just exactly when will they?

Bush’s modus operandi (faithfully carried forward by Gonzales) has been clear for a long time: first, he ignores any statute or constitutional clause he finds inconvenient and then does whatever he damn well pleases; second, when called on his lawlessness, he simply refuses to back down no matter what until, eventually, everyone gets bored and moves on.

For almost seven years it’s worked like a charm, leaving us with an executive branch that often acts more like a third-rate dictatorship than an embodiment of the ideals of the Founding Fathers.

How would Gonzales himself describe this process to a crowd of dependable GOP partisans? Probably something like this:

CLICK ON THE LINK FOR THE PUNCHLINE!

...And if Democrats won’t go to the wall for that, then just exactly when will they?"

That's just what a lot of us are wondering, when the hell will they?

Recommended, in any case.