The Nation's William Greider: "Censure Update"

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?pid=69374

Censure Update

William Greider

The editors at the New York Times belatedly decided that Senator Russ Feingold's censure resolution is front-page news after all. Only their story today has a cute twist: Censure is actually good news for the Republicans. The very notion that Bush should be called to account inflames the right-wingers and this will get the "conservative base" to vote in the Fall.

That is the logic being peddled by the White House, Republican National Committee, right-wing frothers and other authoritative sources.

The Times swallowed whole, without chewing. Play it out. If Bush got impeached, bingo for the GOP. If indicted by a renegade prosecutor, even better. If he is subpoened by a Spanish magistrate investigating "crimes against humanity," well, you couldn't top that. Meanwhile, the Warrior President is sinking of his own soggy substance.

<>Let me play assignment editor: For a follow-up story. go out and actually talk to some of those lefties, ask them for their particulars and then interview some constitutional scholars on whether these accusations have any merit, given the facts we know.

Then go back to your right-wing sources ask them to compare the charges against Bush with the impeachment charges Republicans launched against Bill Clinton. Do they now regret putting the country through that sordid spectacle? Mightn't they want to apologize?

This story has legs. A smart newspaper will get out in front.