Look, who cares what the fingers-to-the-wind crowd in Washington and the bloviators on FOX say about censure, impeachment, or a Watergate-style select committee to investigate the Bush/Cheney lies and crimes?
Forget them. Let's take this "accountability" issue out on the road, where the voters are!
In December, right before the spy scandal broke, Rep. John Conyers and his able staff released a massive report detailing all the Bush/Cheney transgressions. Simultaneously Conyers introduced three House resolutions:
*H.Res. 635, which would select a joint committee of Congress to investigate the misdeeds of the Bush/Cheney Administration, as was done during Watergate. 31 of his colleagues have so far agreed to join with him in cosponsoring this resolution.
*H.Res. 636, which censures George W. Bush.
*H.Res. 637, which censures Dick Cheney.
Now Senator Russ Feingold has called for censuring Bush. Two of his colleagues have so far indicated a willingness to sign on with him (Senator Harkin's comments are worth reading!).
That means that we now have up to 35 members of Congress (minimum) willing to publicly say they believe that Bush and/or Cheney should be investigated, impeached, and/or censured. And because of the grassroots activist work of groups like AfterDowningStreet.org, PDA, ImpeachPAC, democrats.com, Code Pink, Backbone Campaign, and so many others--and now MoveOn--the number is growing every week.
That means that this weekend, at least in theory, these 35 members of Congress could lead 35 town halls, forums, or Q&As with members of the public, all around the country (not in Washington, D.C., and not necessarily only in their home districts). 35 members of Congress could hold online chats with PDA, DFA, MoveOn, or TrueMajority members. 35 members of Congress could blog, all on different web sites. They could write newspaper editorials. They could go on Air America. They could visit with their local labor unions, Sierra Clubs, NOW chapters. They could even hold a press conference in D.C., and back each other up.
The naysayers argue that censure or impeachment will never happen, because the Republicans control Congress. Exactly. Their one-party Congress is into cover-up.
But the public wants to see some accountability. The voters want to see some Democrats with spines. The U.S. Constitution demands that mis-leaders be punished for lying to their own people, about spying, about Katrina, and especially about war.
In other words, standing up for the U.S. Constitution gives millions of despairing, frustrated people a reason to vote Democratic in November. Which helps take back the House & Senate. Which then gives us the power to call real hearings, put a few of these liars under oath, subpoena documents. A virtuous spiral...
Censure--Impeachment--Investigation--some sort of Accountability demand by the Democrats will boost turnout in November. In a lower turnout, off-year election, that's important.