Isn't it surprising how many people who believe the last two national elections were stolen; who do not believe in the integrity, honesty, or competence of the President and his cronies; who do not have any faith in either party in the Legislative branch, and who do not believe in the independence or integrity of the Supreme Court, nevertheless found themselves believing without reservation that Patrick Fitzgerald would save us and the Republic we were too feeble or confused or disheartened to try and save ourselves.
Fitzgerald may still be the incorruptible hero we thought he was. Maybe Rove is innocent. Maybe there is insufficient evidence to convict him of a crime. Maybe Fitzgerald turned Rove and will bring down Cheney, or even Bush. Oh happy day. Maybe.
But why did we believe so much that the earnest, hard-working, blue-collar, non-partisan, Republican Special Counsel would follow wherever the evidence led and hold even the highest malefactors accountable; that he would show the world all Americans must obey the law, even those who believe their high office, or superior values, or special pipeline to Jesus exempt them. Why did we believe all that? Did the press persuade us? But we don't trust the press, either. Did various liberal leaders give their imprimaturs? But we don't really trust them either, as they equivocate about the war and pander gravely about such crucial issues as flag-burning. I suspect if you put your faith in Fitzgerald, you did it for the same reasons I did: because you wanted to, because you needed to.
The point here (here and everywhere) is that no institutions in a democracy are safe if the party that holds power is ruthlessly determined to corrupt and subvert those institutions to keep that power, especially when the rest of us are too disorganized or demoralized or lazy or stupid or afraid to stop them.
Our situation is very serious. This country is in very great danger, more danger than it faced in 1861. (Even if it had split apart on Lincoln's watch, one part would still have been, potentially, honorable, good, just, faithful to the idea of the Constitution.)
I still have hope. Right now, I'm believing (because I want and need to believe) that Al Gore will run a strong, principled, passionate race; that he will defeat them more soundly than he did the last time; that he will lead progressive forces to save and preserve the democracy, not to mention the planet.
It's a slim hope. Today's pass to Rove opens a window on the real world: it gives me the uneasy feeling that all the renewed hope of the last year or so, all the high blogging excitement and delight (the plummeting poll numbers!! deserted by real conservatives!! exposed as a liar and hypocrite!! incontestable repeated proof of incompetence!! nobody even wants to have a beer with him now!!) has been a little silly. Whatever our opponents are, they aren't silly: they play--and not by the rules--for keeps.
We need to decide very specifically what we want and who can best lead us in achieving it; and then we need to fight as hard as we can one more time to persuade enough Americans to vote with us--against greed, meanness, and corruption; for the Constitution and the idea of democracy. Can the American people elect a strong candidate who will rally other good-hearted Americans to achieve a plurality, who will expose the lies and cheats of his opponents without ever lying or cheating himself? Can we break the power of the corporate junta, the rich men and their henchmen (who think themselves above the law and the rest of us easily-manipulated fools)? Can we come together and then come home to the best idea of our union, dedicating ourselves once again to being--and doing--good in the world?
We really shouldn't argue too much with each other: we need to unite and move quickly, boldly, the way we would if we were being attacked by an enemy from another planet--because, in a very real sense, we are.
Make no mistake: it will be hard, even now, to defeat a party that believes it has a special dispensation from God to lie and cheat because God wants it to keep power. Losing to this party again is unthinkable--but it can't be. We have to think it, and let the thought of the meaning and consequences of that defeat inspire our greatest efforts. Otherwise, all we will be left with is a slim doomsday consolation: my apologies to the penguins and the polar bears, but an electorate so stupid as to be taken in again by these terminally greedy aliens among us will get what it deserves and deserve exactly what it gets.