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How will the Republicans Comport Themselves?

Now that the Republicans are firmly ensconced in the minority, at least for the next 2 years, it remains to be seen how they will carry themselves.

It's fairly evident that, to them, the end (their agenda) justifies the means (anything goes). When Clinton was elected, and even before, he was pilloried for every conceivable thing the Republicans could come up with that could bring him down, from Whitewater and Travelgate to Monica Lewinski (the latter clearly a self-inflicted wound). The result was probably the beginning of the end of Republican domination because it showed that they were much more interested in power for the sake of power than doing anything meaningful for the rest of us (Remember us? American citizens?).

In the midst of all the crap, wasted time, millions spent on witch-hunt investigations, Clinton still managed to get quite a bit done and who knows what the government, as a whole, would have accomplished had they not been at war with each other.

For the last 6 years, it's been all GOP all the time and while they've managed to get some things done, it's not hard to see what those things are: wars, monumental deficits, increased debt, destroyed credibility, increased vulnerability, corruption scandals, and on and on, all the while telling Democrats to just sit down and shut up. That's one-party rule for you. Lord Acton's take on absolute power is a law of nature.

Now the Congress is a counterweight to the adminstration, not a rubber stamp, and both parties are on notice. The Dems have an opportunity to contrast themselves to the Reps not only in ideology and direction, but in how they choose to share power. It was promising to hear Pelosi say that she would be speaker of the House, not the Democrats. While that might just be honeymoon pillow-talk, she's right. They have to work together now because, for so long, the Congress has only really represented half the country, and that has been very destructive.

Don't misunderstand me here. The Dems are in power now and the Reps are not going to get much of they want. For example, Joe Biden, incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, said yesterday that the confirmation of John Bolton as ambassador to the UN was "dead on arrival". Yeah, it sucks losing power. But other things, like the conduct of the war, will need to be managed by compromise and concensus.

How will the parties comport themselves? We've heard the commitments made by both that they intend to work together, but the Democrats have the upper hand. If the Republicans can learn the art of negotiating from a point of disadvantage, they can remain relevant and we will ALL be better for it. If they follow their usual philosophy that their agenda is the only valid one, a mission from God as they like to think of it, they will continue to drift toward the political margins.

Impeachment - On or Off the Table?

According to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and reaffirmed by Rep. John Conyers, the Democrat majority will not seek impeachment proceedings against Bush. But does that mean they do not see that as a potential eventuality?

In the early 1970's, the rumblings over increasingly apparent malfeasance in the Nixon administration, that eventually led to Watergate, were becoming louder and louder as each new revelation added fuel to the fire. Yet, the Democrats, even in 1973, stated that impeachment was not on the table. But, it didn't need to be. They did not need to risk political capital by instigating that kind of action against a president of the other party, a huge risk that the Democrats of today undoubtedly understand. What did happen were the investigations, the non-optional constitutional duty of Congress, and the light they began to shine on Nixon led him to commit political suicide. Nixon didn't need to be impeached. He tripped and fell on his own sword. His arrogance fueled by power was quickly replaced with contrition fueled by exposure and the resulting public outcry.

If I was in the Congressional Democrats' shoes, I would be looking at Watergate as a model for what I was about to unleash on Bush. Compared to what this adminstration has done, Watergate is akin to parking in a handicap spot. All the Dems have to do is their constitutionally-required oversight duty and the rest will take care of itself.

What a Difference a Word Makes

A follow-up to my last post, it's amazing how so much can turn on so little. If I had to sum up, in one word, what has completely transformed the landscape in Washington, that word would be "Macaca".