Having just read this, I’m not sure what to make of my party affiliation anymore. If Dick Cheney shouldn’t be impeached, and if the spectacle of the hearings wouldn’t do the republic some good, we’ve lost our way. And I really do wonder how we’re going to find the righteous path again.

Seriously, is there any individual more responsible than Vice President Cheney for the waking nightmare that is the ongoing Constitutional crisis through which we’re all shuffling? And yet, leading Democrats in the House today, once again cowering before the executive branch’s shockingly low approval ratings, overwhelmingly tried to kill a resolution to impeach the vice president. Only, believe it or not, they then had to watch as the Republican opposition revived the measure, thinking they’d humiliate the Democrats by forcing discussion of the issue.

And yes, I know that Kucinch sponsored the resolution. So his colleagues had good reason to run away and hide, thinking that he’d spray crazy all over them with his wacky antics. But still, is impeaching Cheney actually a bad idea? Not just on the merits, mind you, but on the politics? Is it?

And then there’s this: is there any issue around which the Democrats will rally and mount a serious fight. Even in the face of fierce attacks. S-Chip, you say. Okay, I’ll grant that it’s good policy, to be sure. But supporting health insurance for kids doesn’t really show me any guts. Says the Democratic leadership: “We want to help children.” Ooh, I’m impressed. And you also just love kittens, right? They are very cuddly. Except they sometimes make people sneeze, you know. And they occasionally scratch, I’m told. Oh, you want to revise your position on kittens? Okay. I guess I understand.

Although I know the phrase has been stripped of much of its meaning in today’s cultural climate, history really will judge these people harshly. The Democrats’ ongoing willingness to fund a war of choice — a conflict not only responsible for the deaths of untold tens of thousands of people, but also obviously counter to our national interests (whatever that means) — coupled with their passivity in the face of an administration that has made torture a cornerstone of its public policy, simply boggles the mind. And it’s all apparently in the name of politics.

So yes, George W. Bush is the worst president ever. And Dick Cheney may be among the worst people ever. But they haven’t acted alone. And I’m not just talking about the bootlickers in their own party. Democrats have controlled the legislative branch for almost a year now. And we’re no closer to restoring the rule of law today than we were before the mid-term elections. It really does seem like impeaching the vice president might be just the place to start. Or maybe the first step is abandoning the Democratic Party. I really don’t know anymore.

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