Dismantling Cheney's Power.
Submitted by mad4clark on October 29, 2006 - 7:58pm.
Cheney | Congressional oversight | Democratic politics
Steve Clemons lays out what has to be done in order to dismantle Cheney's power, which he thinks is crucial to getting the country back on track.
A few snippets:
In fact, Pelosi should not hold back. A public spotlight must be focused on those who took this nation in to the Iraq War -- and in particular, hearings along the lines of those that Harry Truman called in the Senate in 1940 to expose war profiteers should be quickly assembled and legal investigations of the structural corruption behind this war launched.
I have my doubts that Dems will win the Senate. They may -- but to be honest, winning the Senate will seriously harm the ability of Dems to win the White House in '08. But set that issue aside for the time being.
snip
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid need to make sure that they have space in their plans for Republican defections away from the White House -- and the Dems need to force Republicans to vote over and over again on legislation and resolutions and investigation authorizations related to the Iraq War and America's currently self-defeating foreign policy.
We are going to see the implosion of the Bush presidency I think -- and just like Watergate -- there needs to be space for the William Cohen types and Howard Baker types of this Congress to join in a collaborative spirit with Democrats to save this country.
snip
The tug-of-war between Congress and the White House needs to be viciously theatrical in order to prepare for the 2008 race, but the Dems should NOT want to be responsible for American foreign policy or the full legislative branch of government with control of the House and a razor thin majority in the Senate. The Dems need to force accountability for what has happened on to Bush, and at the same time they really need to put some better conceptualizations of foreign policy and national security policy on the table.
snip
I think that the Baker-Hamilton report, which will be issued in January 2007, will call for a new, expansive commitment to regional deal-making to solve many of the unresolved problems in the Middle East and to try and create a new equilibrium of interests in the region.
I think George Bush will find the report compelling -- and I think he will order his team to try and "operationalize" as much of the Baker-Hamilton report as possible.
But it won't happen. It will be undermined in the weeds, in the nuts and bolts details, consensus will be derailed, themes reversed after Cheney convinces Bush that parts of the report are politically naive and dangerous to American and Israeli interests. I think it will be slowly torn apart by a thousand cuts in the policy development and implementation process in the Executive Branch.
Worth reading the whole piece and bookmarking, imho
I expect the republicans would pull some even dirtier bs in this last week then they have pulled already to keep the senate. I wouldn't doubt it if some last minute bombshell is dropped.
Although I don't always agree with Clemons, I think he's right on the money with this.
This is not a time for a candidate who will offend no one; it is time for a candidate who takes clear stands and kicks ass.....Molly Ivins
Cheney will keep a grip on the ring. It's just the way it is with him. He's had the power even before he was VP.
...is to disgrace him.
If the Dems hold open hearings....the country will finally find out what this b/tard has been up to.
This is not a time for a candidate who will offend no one; it is time for a candidate who takes clear stands and kicks ass.....Molly Ivins
I keep wondering when the old ticker will give out. I guess as long as no investigations are allowed, he'll keep on keepin' on.
Thought this was interesting:
The Fifth Estate - The Unauthorized Biography of Dick Cheney
http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/dickcheney/
American Vice-President Dick Cheney has walked the corridors of world power for three decades.
Cheney's remarkable life story involves the relentless accumulation of power in every form.
Elected for a second term, he continues to be one of the most powerful and well-connected men in the world.
The fifth estate will show how he accomplished this, what it involved in terms of costs for others and what history's judgement could be...
Did this actually air on television? I hadn't heard of it.
I wonder if Clemons is a Clarkie?
Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right. - Hunter/Garcia
For a woman who isn't running for anything, she sure seems to have done something to her face and hair.
IMO Lynne Cheney has an unusual amount of influence, and its not related to her appearance! BUT when I spotted her briefly on recent rant, she looked quite drawn. No surprise,as she almost certainly knows where all the secrets are hidden.
I first got the impression that she's a harmful hardliner when she was discussing one of her 'kiddie' books about u.s. history, on NPR I think. Some really shocking (to me,anyway) stuff came out of her mouth, like its a good idea for kids to learn non'facts' about some historical figures; 'true' facts might leave them with impression that folks like founders/war heroes were 'only' real people.
This was quite a while ago, but it seemed that getting her distorted message out was the most important thing.
And wasn't SHE the horrified one when Who or Hair mentioned loving daughter, even tho lesbian? HE seemed to take it normally, but her body language suggested something quite different to me.
Am I dreaming?
then so are many of us. That has been my impression of that woman for years! I absolutely cannot stomach her revolting,duplicitous nature. Her life is one giant distorted message!
Bush, Cheney and Rumsfield (oh, yeah, lightweight SOS; she is complicit). Pelosi made the statement somewhere recently that when Dems take over the House there will be no impeachment. I think that is a big mistake. But investigations uncovering all the hidden evil will inevitably lead there anyway.
Uncle Noel
your bookmarks back.
Thanks so much for this. And I agree with Clemmons. I wonder if Pelosi or Reid will read this? And while I'm wondering, I worry Cheney, et al. will. :/
I do like the part about the GOP defections made easy by Reid and Pelosi. I would sure like to know what those two are thinking about as a plan for the next two years IF we take the Senate. I'm also not optimistic about taking the Senate, btw.
Cheney is programed. I do believe that. He will try to coerce Bush any way he can to get what he (PNAC) wants, hell or high water.
Clemmons has obviously been thinking a lot about all of this, but golly I worry about "forcing" the Repubs to do anything re legislation, resolutions and especially investigations!