Where's the outrage?

Not long ago I received an e-mail from my oldest sister, which I posted. It's subject line was: 'Am I The Only Guy That's Fed Up! The e-mail contained several excerpts from Lee Iacocca's new book, "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?" Frankly that's a question I've been asking myself a lot over the last four years. Sometimes I have felt a profound sense of isolation and a burgeoning anger about the growing list of deliberate assaults on the Constitution. Don't people understand what peril we are facing?

Where's the outrage?
For the repeated unchecked desecration of the Constitution.
For the Suspension of the Fourth Amendment.
For the Invasion of a country that posed no threat to America.
For the torture of prisoners of war advocated by no less than the Vice President.
For the arrest and open-ended imprisonment of SUSPECTED terrorist.
For allowing a pervasive atmosphere of corruption to exist in Washington without a word of moral outrage.
For hiring cronies so incompetent an American city was left to languish like in a third world country.
For sending American troops into harms way without proper armor and equipment.
For allowing war profiteering with no bid contracts.
For allowing innocent civilians to be slaughtered by federally funded private mercenary paramilitary like Blackwater.
For trying prisoners of war by secret tribunal rather than by trail in open court with.
For suspending the writ of habeas corpus.
For squandering 10 billion dollars a month on an unjust war for oil, while America's infrastructure crumbles.
For the voter suppression that stole two Presidential elections and perverted the foundations of America most sacred right, the right to vote for who represents us.

I am by temperament an Independent, and I have voted both Democratic and Republican over the years, but, I was unable to stomach the profound radical changes that the Republican party made since the implementation of the Contract with America by Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay in collusion with an intolerant, radical religious right.

Some notable, long time Goldwater Conservatives have spoken out, including Mickey Edwards and John Dean, and Susan Eisenhower, but, for the most part the majority of Republicans seem to have ignored these egregious excesses and continue to rationalize them or spin them or worse they have embraced them. They remind me of the "good Germans" after WWII that disavowed the consequences of their own complicity.

While people are trying to focus on "the real issues" like the economy and the spin doctors are trying to distract them with "bogus issues," like gay marriage, there is in my mind only one issue, that supersedes all other issues, the survival of the Constitution and this nation as a democratic republic.

For me the most alarming aspect's of John McCain's campaign have been: 1. His embrace of the Bush's negative attack machine, headed by Karl Rove that helped Bush get elected with some of the most scurrilous ads in American political history, e.g. Swift Boaters. 2. The fact that he now employees a legion of lobbyists to run his, "straight talk" campaign the same lobbyists he once disavowed. 3. The fact that he has been pandering to Bush's radical base who authored the extreme positions that have eroded this country's Constitution and replaced it with their own twisted ideologies. And 4. The continued efforts of the Republican Party to suppress minority voters.

The next election is a watershed event, this country has come to a crossroads of profound importance, it will decide wether America remains a democratic republic or becomes a nation of a one party oligarchy of a few rich powerful men and its corporate financiers, that prizes their own power over the rights of the people.

McCain's embrace of these dangerous left over remnants of the malignant Bush Administration are a clear sign that the same players will survive and the assault they started will continue. Nothing else will matter if he is elected.

Far from being the Change We Need McCain is, the Past We Must Reject Forever!

Congress: The Broken Branch of Government

Why doesn't somebody do something about the partisanship gridlock in Congress?

Today, I hit on a nugget I'd like to share with you. It comes from the Brookings Institute, which studies a broad scope of our American government.

It referred to the current Congress as, "The Broken Branch". They explained that while the majority of the American people hold Congress in low esteem and regard them as, "the do nothing branch of government", in reality they were able to pass an impressive amount of bills, but, were hamstrung by procedural issues on the big issue of the Iraq war.

In part the Brookings Institute report stated:
"Based on our research, the 110th Congress does deserve some praise. In 2007, the level of energy and activity on Capitol Hill picked up markedly. This is not surprising — when the Newt Gingrich Congress, took over in 1995, the pace of legislative life sped up, too.

However, In terms of both the number and significance of new public laws, last year’s Democratic majority, significantly, outperformed that Republican Congress. For example, only one item described in the Republican Contract With America was signed into law at the end of 1995, while most of the proposals the new Democrats announced as their agenda were enacted". http://www.brookings.edu/opinions 2008 0119_uscongress_mann.aspx

So, What makes most Americans perceive the current Congress is a do nothing body.

According to the Brookings Institute, the minority party has used a number of techniques and procedures to block major pieces of legislation they find repugnant to their political agendas.

The American people had sent the Democrats there to end the Iraq War. Right? But, the Republicans didn't want them to end it. Ergo, the Republicans found procedural technicalities to slow down or stop legislation.

The Brookings Institute report went on to say:
"The rules and procedures of the Senate are a key to its unique role as the world's greatest deliberative body; and even those who were frustrated (the democrats) by them (rules and procedures) and by their application, especially when an intense minority (the republicans) thwarted the will of the majority, they (the democrats) were respectful of their (rules and procedures) centrality to the Senate itself". http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2006/0627governance_mann.aspx

So, how is it possible for the Minority to block the will of the Majority?

There are three main procedural techniques the Republicans used.

1. Cloture votes: Cloture rules require 60 members to agree to take a vote to bring a bill to the floor. When you have a majority as slim as the democrats have, reaching that magic number is nearly impossible.

If they get 60 votes to bring it to the floor for discussion they face a Filibuster.

2. Filibuster: is the use of tactics in an attempt to delay or prevent action especially in a legislative assembly. In the case of Congress it takes the form of endless discussion on the issue without ever reaching a negotiated agreement as to what will or will not be included in the bill. The rules say once a member holds the floor he can talk for as long as he wants. There is no time limit. And that he can pass the filibuster on to others who also want to stall a bill. Much like a tag team in wrestling.

If a law gets by these two hurdles it goes to the president for his signature. If he can't veto it outright he will add a Signing Statement.

3. A Signing Statement: is and and addendum added to a bill, by the President, that basically says, I won't veto this, but I will not abide by it either and reserve the right to violate it at my discretion. That's why the American government still uses torture such as "water-boarding" even after Bush signed the McCain Bill that said the America government will absolutely not torture anyone, under any circumstances.

This excruciating process of of democracy leaves most of us angry and frustrated, but, lets not forget that it is the minority party that is at the root of this deliberate tactic to thwart the will of the majority.

There are volumes written about the governments of countries that have been ruled by a small groups of power hungry men with their own agenda, that rule by fear, use of torture, spying and secrecy, and that invaded other countries without just cause. Remember the USSR?

I never thought I'd live to see the day those things would apply to my beloved America.

George and his crew have given an undeserved power to our enemies by their exaggerated over-reaction. And decided incompetence.

This country has always been at its best when it faced the future unafraid and its government open to honest inspection of its inner workings, without secrecy, that only protects the power hungry, the incompetent and the corrupt.

You have the power to end the war. You have the power to end the disgrace of torture. You have the power change the ill-conceived policies that have brought shame to this country. You have the power to end the secret prisons, illegal wire-tapping, and paranoid fear-mongering. You have the power to vote. God bless you and God bless this country I love.