What Now?

Basking in the glow of victory and just beginning to come back to earth from the orbital bliss of returning the Congress to responsible Democratic control, it is easy to overlook the fact that the Republicans have left this country in an abyss of debt, considered by the rest of the international community as reprobates, and with a nation of well meaning citizens more fiercely divided than at any other time in our history with the exception of the Civil War.

With all that, the Democratic hold on the Senate is precarious at best due to Senator Joseph Lieberman (CFL) defeating his former Party’s candidate, Ned Lamont. Lieberman’s Neoconservative leanings have become more apparent throughout the Bush administration’s term. His personal thirst for the slaughter of innocents having been motivated by the blood-lust of the Bush chicken hawks, Lieberman threw his support to the administration and even ran interference against his own former Party to ensure the carnage continued unabated. His re-election was entirely the doing of the Republicans from Connecticut responding to the Fox News Network’s promotion of Lieberman as Bush’s choice over their own Party candidate, Alan Schlesinger. Those few Democrats who supported Lieberman over their Party’s justly elected candidate can now share in the responsibility for the continuing deaths of U.S. military personnel in Iraq.

Within the rank and file of the Democrats in Congress there have been those who believe that their return to the majority Party means that they will enjoy the advantages while business goes on as usual in the House and Senate. Rep. Charlie Rangel of New York is a good case in point. Rangel will be the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, a powerful and highly prized position and the focus of a great deal of attention by the biggest lobbyists on K Street. In less than a month after the elections Rangel is attempting to change his position on Bush’s millionaires tax cuts and is willing to lie to accomplish this. He made the statement that no one promised to reverse the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy during the campaign and he believes they need to stay in place to spur the economy. He is LYING! A majority of Democratic candidates advocated the roll back of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy and for Rangel to now disregard the importance of that pledge is dishonest and shameful.

Just a reminder to the 110th Congress and to the US Senate in case one is required. The Left wing blogosphere that hounded corporate owned Republicans right out of office is not about to allow you to take over where they left off. The fact that you’re Democrats does not get you a free pass because we expect even more from you than from the jerks we just voted out. Let’s start off on the right foot in January by restoring the tax burden on the wealthiest among us, reforming our elections by banning corporate money and eliminating partisans from vote counting duties. Also, Congress is Constitutionally obligated to perform Executive oversight and therefore must investigate actions by the administration that may have been criminal. Investigations must be carried out regarding Bush’s possibly lying to Congress to get us into war with Iraq, outing of a CIA operative, creating fake news stories for the media, misappropriating 9.5 Billion dollars in Iraq, etc., etc., etc.

If these investigations turn up evidence that could lead to the impeachment of the President and Vice President, Congress must take steps to remove them from office, regardless of Nancy Pelosi’s pledge that impeachment was off the table. She had to say that or appear to be staging a coup. If the evidence is there and she still will not act, she needs to be removed and a Speaker named who will follow the law.