Time For Some Republican Whiplash!

There are signs that the long awaited pendulum swing back to a less extreme political and social center may be on its way.  The Bush administration’s fear mongering is increasingly falling on deaf ears, the public’s taste for regressive GOP policies as well as their cronyism and corruption is waning, and the fear of accountability and real oversight (regardless of what the Vice President asserts) in Washington DC is growing.

The Washington Post is reporting on CIA officers buying legal insurance out of fear they could face criminal charges relating to their treatment of prisoners in secret detention facilities around the world.  Now that George Bush has admitted the existence of these facilities, it could be only a matter of time before the Congress grows a conscience and investigates this administrations practice of extraordinary rendition and torture of prisoners.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Wright and Co., the company offering legal insurance to government agents, stops taking on new clients at some point, what with all the folks in DC that could be in legal trouble soon.

Also encouraging is that Roll Call is now referring to Rick Santorum as the Republican’s most vulnerable incumbent.  That this Bible thumping, hypocritical, bestiality obsessed, sanctimonious numbskull became a Senator in the first place is disheartening, but at least the people of Pennsylvania have come to their senses and appear poised to dump Santorum.  Saving the rest of us from having to listen to their rabid Senator would be a public service for sure.  Come on Pennsylvania, don’t let us down.

All things being fair and above board, it seems clear that the Democrats will be able to take over at least one chamber of Congress, despite the re-drawn districts that virtually ensure that incumbents win.  As I’ve said before, the Democrats not only have to win this November, they have to win big.  Anyone that thinks that the GOP and this administration is above fixing elections, hasn’t been paying attention (nor should they answer the phone for fear of being suckered into buying swamp land in Florida).  It should concern all of us that Bush is so confident the Republicans will retain control of Congress despite all evidence to the contrary.  It suggests that he knows something that the rest of us don’t.  

The only way to beat Republicans is to beat them badly and then pay attention.  We voters cannot allow ourselves to be suckered by the barrage of negative personal attacks on Democratic candidates that are on the way, and more importantly, we must pay attention to what happens after we vote.  Talk to neighbors, watch the vote counting process and look outside the local paper for news about how these Congressional races actually went.  Surely there will be more “glitches” and broken machines and unexplainable vote tallies all across the country and it will matter how we react to these things.  

If it looks fishy, it probably is and sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option.  This administration has been actively running afoul of federal and international law for far too long and we desperately need some oversight.  Dick Cheney was on the Meet The Press yesterday and said that he is not at all afraid of real Congressional oversight.  Logic tells me that his lack of concern has more to do with his confidence that Congress will remain friendly to this administration than it does his confidence that he’s done nothing wrong.  Get your orange shirts ready, we very well may need them.