Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

Even Nixon said "Ok" when Congress said "No money for Laos and Cambodia."  This is a guy who said "If I do it, it's ok."

Even Nixon didn't have the audacity to tell John Dean, "No you can't testify." 

When they get to Harriet Miers he says her failure to testify is:

Certainly an article in a bill of impeachment.  This is obstruction of justice.

About Sarah Taylor's oath to the President:  I was there ata time of Watergate.  That was like the oath to the military in Germany.  An oath to the Fuhrer.

Bush is totally heedless of any honor for law and accountability.  He has special rules for him and his cabinet. 

This is a sneering attitude.  "I am king." Bush is over reaching and making claims that even George III would not make.

About congress giving up it's powers:  It is not an option... they have walked away from their responsibilities.  If you abandon that , you abandon the ship of state and it capsizes.

There is nothing to stop them from shutting down all of George Bush's and Dick Cheney's illegal operations.  ILLEGAL OPERATIONS... his words.

We cannot trust the reins of power to these people they are unreliable. 

Impeachment is not a constitutional crisis.  It is a cure for that.  Don't mistake the cure with the disease.

He gives them an option.  Nothing would gratify me more than they stand up and say "I was wrong" and give up the power.  Then we could stop.

This is why holding them to account now is important.  If we don't do it, we are saying we can find out you have done harm to the republic and there is no penalty for that.  That will hold.  That will be a precedent.

One of the lessons we learned from Nixon was he never repented.  We have to get that. 

I wish I could do a better job relaying this but it is like trying to read the numbers on train cars as they roll by and this train is ROARING past.

Get the video and watch it.  Here's the link to Bill Moyer's Journal so you can get it when it comes on line.  There is also a comment section and a blog area for discussion that is heating up right now.

For "balance" there was John Nichols from the Nation.  He barely had to speak. When he did, he was moderate in comparison.  Bruce Fein should be Colbert's  ALPHA DOG OF THE MONTH.  For additional referenct, here is a link to an article Fein wrote BEFORE Democrats took control of Congress called "Restrain This White House."

HERE'S THE BOTTOM LINE TAKE HOME TALKING POINTS:

1. Impeachment is not a constitutional crisis. It is the CURE for constitutional crisis. (Nichols)

2. Let unchallenged, these powers will be lying around like loaded weapons for future presidents. (Fein)