Caution

The spiraling descent of democracy under the Bush administration has just picked up speed and now appears to be unsalvageable. We have witnessed the decline of the liberties that make our nation unique, and we have experienced a corporate coup that has changed the United States from a country governed by the people to one governed by profits. Add to this the anti-constitutional surveillance Bush claims to have the legal right to perform, without warrants as mandated by the FISA Act and the remaining vestiges of democracy are being extinguished.

Democrats are raising a fuss over these illegal acts and believe their ability to regain majority control in either the House, the Senate or both is enhanced because of the public’s objection to Bush’s miserable leadership. However, no one seems to want to acknowledge the extremes to which this administration has gone and what that might mean to Democrats chances in upcoming elections.

The Republican majority in both houses of Congress have steadfastly refused to perform their constitutional duties and have barred Democratic attempts at oversight of the Executive branch. This is in stark contrast to the over zealous oversight they insisted on during the Clinton administration for rumored offenses, mostly existing in the minds of certain Congressmen, and of far lesser importance than the well founded accusations against, and obvious extralegal activities of the current administration. The invasion of Iraq is the principal example of the administration’s use of deceit to obtain a preordained objective but, by no means the only instance in which laws were ignored and lies were employed.

Republicans have demonstrated their willingness to exploit legal grey areas, employ misleading talking points, and ignore traditional procedures to obtain a strategic advantage over the Democrats. More recently, they have engaged in less than ethical activities as evidenced by Tom DeLay’s Gerrymandering of Texas voting districts and the use of Homeland Security to hunt down Democratic legislators who left the state to prevent a quorum and block the redistricting vote. Most telling however, is their complicity in Bush’s lies and refusal to investigate his illegal actions. This is imperative for the Republicans if they intend to maintain and increase their advantage in Congress.

It is my view that the Republicans have put themselves in a position, by submissively obeying party leaders and cowing to the whims of the administration, they can not get out of nor afford to have exposed. Their complicity in many of Bush and Cheney’s illegal activities, if exposed would jeopardize their careers if not their very freedom. Neoconservative zealots within their own party have convinced many, and forced others, to go along with actions they knew were outside of the law. Now, a Democratic majority in either House of Congress would initiate investigations that would expose their clandestine activities.

For that reason the Republicans must remain in power and to do so they will continue to exercise their dominance of the electorate through the use of voting machines running corrupt software, state officials willing to usurp the voting rights of their own citizens and enacting laws making it impossible for many predominantly Democratic supporters to vote. We saw this happen in 2000 when Bush was appointed by the Supreme Court and again in 2004 when the Ohio exit polls did not match the vote outcome for the first time ever.

If we want to continue to live in a free country and enjoy the liberties of democracy then we need to take action now. Everyone who is concerned about what the Republicans have done, and continue to do, to our country need to start calling their Senators and Representatives, writing letters to the local newspapers, writing letters and emails to local and state officials insisting on a fair and transparent system of voting. Demand this as a constitutionally guaranteed right of citizenry and do not allow them to ignore your demands or play them off with some non-committal response. Organize neighborhood and citywide groups and contact your representatives as a citizens group for fair elections. Search the internet for groups doing the same thing.

Do not stand by and watch totalitarian miscreants, like Cheney and Bush, disassemble the most successful democracy known to mankind. Do not mistake the agenda of those opposed to democracy for less than what it is, an assault on our freedoms. Do not under-estimate the conviction of those in power to do ANYTHING to remain in power.