Three reasons to hope - Wasserman Schultz, Robert Wexler, and Barack Obama

Perhaps nothing has been as disappointing over the past 7 and one half years than the inability of Congress to get its act together and take action against Bush and company for their lies, perfidy, and constitutional violations.

I fail to understand why Bush and Cheney have not been impeached by the House of Representatives. What possible reason could Nancy Pelosi have had to take impeachment "off the table"?


In the past few days, however, there have arisen three reasons to hope that things will change in Washington. In an interview on MSNBC, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) "said that the House Judiciary Committee would be willing to arrest Karl Rove if the former White House official doesn't testify about his role in the firing of nine U.S. attorneys in 2006."

Rove has refused in the past to testify under oath, which has been typical of Bush administration officials.

The House Judiciary Committee Chairman, John Conyers (D-Mich.), has indicated that Rove would not be able to claim executive privilege to avoid testifying.

Wasserman Schultz, venting her frustration, said "...we cannot allow the co-equal branch of government, the legislative branch, to be trampled on by the executive branch. ... We are a co-equal branch, and this is an administration that essentially has ignored and disrespected the role of the legislative branch for far too long."

Rove indicated that the Bush administration would allow the committee to "find" the information it wanted if Rove didn't have to testify. Hmmm. The Bush bunch must be worried that if Rove is forced to testify under oath, a bunch of the Bush miscreants go could to jail. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch!


The second reason to hope has to do with the efforts of another Florida Representative, Robert Wexler, who is pushing for impeachment proceedings against vice president Dick Cheney. Because of the allegations by Scott McClellan, in his new "memoir," Wexler wants McClellan to be forced to testify about these allegations before a congressional committee.

Wexler refers specifically to the fact that McClellan believes Rove and Libby and perhaps Cheney conspired to obstruct justice, and said "Scott McClellan must now appear before the House Judiciary Committee under oath to tell Congress and the American people how President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, and White House officials deliberately orchestrated a massive propaganda campaign to sell the war in Iraq to the American people."

Go get 'em, Bob!


The third reason to hope has to do with Barack Obama. While attending a fund-raiser in Denver, Colorado, Senator Obama was asked what he wanted to accomplish during the fateful first 100 days if he was elected president.

Senator Obama said that some of his goals involved working out a plan to withdraw trooops from Iraq; to continue working on alternative energy plans; and to create legislation to reform the health care system.

But perhaps the most hopeful thing he said was this: "I would call my attorney general in and review every single executive order issued by George Bush and overturn those laws or executive decisions that I feel violate the constitution."



It's nice to think there might be a light at the end of the tunnel, yet.