Political Ideas

By Andrea Miller, Inform Progressive Virginia

David Swanson, Laura Flanders, Norman Solomon

It has been a very bizarre week for the American government (and a pretty terrible one for the American people). The Senate refused to pass legislation that would give the troops as much time at home as they spent in combat, and officially condemned an organization that supports free speech for pointing out an obvious lie. I found it interesting that they didn’t exactly deny the charges, the Senate read more

By David Swanson

A Roseland, Indiana, city council member orders police to remove a fellow city council member. The police escort him out, shove him down on his face and pound his head. Onlookers either cheer, do nothing, joke, behave as if all were normal, or yell at others to let the police do their jobs. Not a single person protests. Only the one victim is hauled off in the police car. No one jumps in and shouts “Before this becomes Nazi Germany, arrest me too!”

A University read more

By David Swanson

If you were a member of Congress, wouldn’t you behave completely differently from how most members of Congress behave? I mean, if you had not gone through the process required to become a congress member, but just suddenly became one tomorrow, wouldn’t you behave as though you had an ounce of decency? Wouldn’t you take your responsibility at least as seriously as your power and your ego? Wouldn’t you at a bare minimum seek to represent the wishes of the read more

By David Swanson

Should it go without saying that the current Congress is Democratic? The Democrats have the majority, control the agenda, and chair and hold a majority on every committee. But does that make the Congress Democratic?

Liberal commentators averse to criticizing Speaker Nancy Pelosi have begun flailing around for a reasonable explanation for the behavior of her Congress. Matt Stoller has latched onto the idea that, even though there are more Democrats in the House than Republicans, read more

By David Swanson

With thanks and a toast to Hank Williams Jr.

Compassionate conservatives have been a real close family,
But lately some of my kinfolks have disowned a few others and me.
I guess it’s because I kind of changed my direction.
Lord I guess I went and broke their family tradition.

They get on me and want to know, Dubya, why don’t you think? Why are you such a dope?
Why must you live out the plans that PNAC wrote?
Over and over everybody feels my inflictions.
read more

By David Swanson
(Originally published in July 2007, and to be published every summer until the right to do so is gone.)

It’s remarkably common for a grandson to take up his grandfather’s major project. This occurred to me when I read recently of Thor Heyerdahl’s grandson taking up his mission to cross the Pacific on a raft. But what really struck me was the BBC story aired on July 23rd, 2007, read more

By David Swanson

A new poll conducted in Pennsylvania (a battleground “purple” state) by Zogby International and commissioned by OpEdNews.com found that 84.9 percent of Democrats said they would be likely to vote for a congressional candidate who “supports having impeachment proceedings against President Bush.” Only 7.0 percent said they were not likely to vote for such a candidate.

These questions were included in a poll asking about senatorial candidates in Pennsylvania. read more

By David Swanson

The New York Sun today printed this quote:

“A spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, Tracey Schmitt, dismissed the effort as ‘fringe, to say the least.’

“‘If Democrats choose to align themselves with such a laughable campaign, it will be at their own peril,’ Ms. Schmitt said.”

What campaign was the RNC spokeswoman referring to? Whatever it was, we can be sure it is something the RNC really really does not want to see succeed. read more

By David Swanson

Can there be any doubt that if the White House finds out who leaked the story of its illegal spying, fierce retribution will follow?

Another way of asking that question is: Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?

Remember what happened to Ambassador Joseph Wilson? The White House leaked to the media his wife’s identity as an undercover agent for the CIA, putting her life and those of her colleagues in danger and ending her career.

And let us recall what read more

By David Swanson

Talk of censure and impeachment has begun swirling around President Bush. Can Vice President Cheney come to the rescue? He will do so if enough of Bush’s opponents adopt the position of this Philadelphia Daily News op-ed writer — the position that impeaching Bush would be a mistake, since Cheney is worse than Bush.

That position is already fairly widespread on the left in the United States, and is typical of the left in the United States. Why must we get five steps read more

By David Swanson

Listen to audio of Congressman John Conyers talking about the Bush Administration’s crimes, and his efforts to censure Bush and Cheney and to create an investigation that would develop articles of impeachment. I recorded this conversation with the Congressman on December 29th. The bills and the report referred to in the conversation can be found here. The upcoming events discussed can be found here.

This mp3 is 24 minutes and 21 MB: LISTEN.

CONYERS INTRODUCES BILLS TO CENSURE BUSH AND CHENEY

CONYERS INTRODUCES BILL TO CREATE A SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE CRIMES AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING GROUNDS FOR IMPEACHMENT

Congressman John Conyers has introduced three new pieces of legislation aimed at censuring President Bush and Vice President Cheney, and at creating a fact-finding committee that could be a first step toward impeachment.

Ask your Congress Member to support these efforts!
read more