*Rips out hair*

[pegkerr]

Okay, so President Bush used his year-end news conference yesterday to resume his public relations offensive against his critics, saying he wants the Justice Department to find out who committed the "shameful act" of leaking word that he secretly approved a special program to spy on US citizens, and blasting senators who have blocked the renewal of the Patriot Act.

He accuses others of shameful acts.

He has violated the separation of powers, he is in violation of the Constitution. He is spying on Americans. And yet his poll numbers are rebounding. I saw that and I thought I might spontaneously combust out of sheer political outrage. My god, what is it going to take for this country to wake up and realize it has been taken over by a dictator who is trashing our system of government?

Edited to add: This reminds me of an old Doonesbury cartoon. Two Congressmen are sitting listening to Nixon's lawyers during the Watergate hearings.

"'No impeachable offense. No impeachable offense,'" mimics one. "How can St. John keep spouting that gibberish?"
They lapse into a despondent silence.
"If only" muses the other, "he'd knock over a bank or something."
"By George!" exclaims the first, "We'd have him then!"

Comments

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

J and I were talking about this last night. I said that although there are a few Republicans in Congress who are backing away, I have yet to hear or read one ordinary everyday American who voted for Bush say that they're sorry they did so. He agreed, he hasn't heard/read it, either.

I don't understand it. I can see why his base in a certain strain of fundamentalist Christianity is sticking with him (notice "a certain strain"), but I can't understand why, for example, real conservatives are doing so. (Here, again, I'm talking about ordinary folks; some bigger-name conservatives have spoken and written about Bush's lack of conservative values.)

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

There is an interesting political dynamic here, and it's illustrated in the Patriot Act vote. Congressional debates and votes on these issues -- surveillance, the Patriot Act, torture -- are predicated on the Executive following the law. If the President believes that he does not need to follow the law, what's the point in voting? Even Republican legislators can figure this out, and more then a few of them are really pissed.

B

[zephyrious.livejournal.com]

I've heard from an ordinary person who is sorry he voted for Bush, my dentist. He was quite passionate about his regret and his current lack of faith in the administration. And he also said that he hasn't gone as far as some of his friends who voted for Bush but now consider him actively evil. He may have reached that point now, our conversation was a month ago or thereabouts.

Personally, I was shocked that Sununu, who represents my state, broke with Bush on the Patriot act. I didn't think he had that much integrity; there must be some reason why this is in his self-interest. I suspect he's had an earful from his constituents.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Thanks for letting me know that there are some!