E Pluribus Unum

Georgia10:

The same Republicans who probably have a dog-eared copy of the Starr report on their bookshelves now react to the word "impeachment" like vampires stepping out into the midday sun. The Republican National Committee has been whipping up fear among its base (and consequently raising money) by claiming that if Democrats are elected, they will...gasp!....impeach George W. Bush.

Shorthand for this is the invocation of John Conyers' name. Conyers, the second-longest serving member of the House, will become the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. And, as we know, Conyers wants an investigation into whether or not impeachment might be warranted.

For this shocking breach of protocol, Conyers has been called on the carpet by the likes of Tim Russert.

Conyers responds:

Perhaps Mr. Russert has forgotten, but I have been a Chairman before. For five years, from 1989 to 1994, I was the Chairman of the House Government Operations Committee, now called the Government Reform Committee. I have a record of trying to expose government waste, fraud and abuse.

That was back when Congress did something called "oversight." You know, in our tri-partite system of government, when Congress actually acted like a co-equal branch. The Republican Congress decided to be a rubber stamp for President Bush instead.

Perhaps, if we had a little oversight, we wouldn't be mired in a war based on false pretenses in which we have lost thousands of our brave men and women in uniform and tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis.

Perhaps we would not have had an energy policy drawn up in secret with oil company executives that has led to gas prices of more than three dollars per gallon.

Perhaps, if we had a little oversight, we wouldn't have a prescription drug plan written by the pharmaceutical companies, that prohibits the government from negotiating for lower prices with the same drug companies, and that no one really understands.

Perhaps, if we had a little oversight, we would know the extent to which our own government is spying on our phone calls, emails and other communications, contrary to the law of the land.

Impeachment is one of the checks that is given to the House in the Constitution. It is a pretty drastic one. Other checks include:

1. Sidetracking the President's agenda
2. Controlling the purse-strings
3. Conducting oversight hearings
4. Impeaching the President

None of that can happen with the current rubber-stamp Republican Congress in place.

So it's clear: if you like the way things are going, vote for the Republican candidate for Congress. But if you think things must change, then vote for the Democratic candidate.

Does that mean impeachment? No. The Democrats will have their hands full taking care of pressing issues like lobbying reform, health care reform, a minimum wage increase, and pay as you go budgeting.

Of course, come to think of it, the Republicans don't want any of THAT either.