the strategic benefits of impeachment

[sidwill]

Like many of us I'm sickened by the failure of the Democratic leadership to grasp not only their duty in leading the way on impeachment but also their failure in recognizing the strategic value of the impeachment process.

Lets face it, the Republicans have been masters at getting their talking points parroted by the MSM, catch phrases like "activist judges" "death tax" and "tax and spend" boil complex issues down to dumbed down, easily digestible fodder for an electorate that is to lazy or preoccupied to search for information that to educate themselves on these issues. The Democrats are seemingly content to say "well at least we aren't the Republicans" ceding the battlefield of ideas to the right, fearing any attempt to lead and educate the public on just about everything. It's a passive and wholly uninspiring approach to politics and governance.

This is why the Dems NEED to embrace the process of impeachment even it it's ultimately doomed to failure in the Senate. By leading the way in the House the Dems can:

A. Grasp the bully pulpit from Bush, painting him at best as a incompetant and at best as willfully subverting the very constitution he was sworn to uphold.

B. Recyclying in the media the litany of abuses by this administration. Impeachment would result in renewed coverage and analysis of everything from the 2000 recount (with the added perspective of recent election controversies and snafus) to pre war intel to the Alberto Gonzales justice department.

C. Force current Republican Presidentia candidates to have to discuss the Bush presidency and deal with their own varying support of his misdeeds.

D. Get Republican Senators and Congresscritters ON RECORD with their support of Bush in advance of the 2008 elections. A vote against impeachment, especially with the rehashing/re-examination of this presidency would be a veritable kiss of death for anybody out side of the Reddest of red state.

There are many more specific reasons to carry this out, but the only reason I can think of to NOT go through with it is FEAR. Fear that the impeachment process might create sympathy for these chuckle heads is a concept that I can't even begin to fathom but apparently thats what our leadership fears.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I always thought they were being blackmailed

If they think that bringing crooks to justice was going to hurt them with Americans, I think they are underestimating Americans. More and more don't rely on the news for news--they realize it is, at best, info-tainment and at worst propaganda.

[sidwill]

2. Thats what I'm basically saying

Everyone at some level knows that the BUshies are scumbags but relatively few people are as intimately familiar with their specific transgressions. A congressional probe will force alot of this gunk back up to the surface where the publican can re-examine it.