Leaders Afraid to Lead: Empty Rhetoric in Congress

[babylonsister]

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/8980

Leaders Afraid to Lead: Empty Rhetoric in Congress
by Walter Brasch | Jul 27 2007


Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says the House has so much to do that impeachment proceedings against Dick Cheney and George W. Bush would be a distraction.

John Conyers (D-Mich.), chair of the House judiciary committee, says there aren't enough votes to impeach the President or Vice-President and that he would rather "propose comprehensive oversight of these alleged abuses."

Both Pelosi and Conyers are right. There are at least a couple of dozen reasons not to initiate impeachment proceedings, and only one reason to do so. Because it's right.

It's right because the two men who swore to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States have violated that oath, and caused others to violate that oath for whatever reasons they may or may not have had. It's right because a failure to hold them accountable would be a failure to hold any elected federal official now and in the future accountable.

snip//

The Democratic leadership--late in coming out against the war in Iraq, late in opposing the PATRIOT Act, late in recognizing and publicly opposing the mistreatment of prisoners--stared into space until they felt the winds of change generated by the people. Once again, it's time for the people to push their leaders, to demand more than bluster and empty rhetoric. Gandhi was once asked, "Where are you going?" and answered, "There go my people; I must run to catch up with them for I am their leader." He understood that social revolution begins with a small group of people, and that leaders must be willing to run to that group to help give direction in order to attain a greater good. Unlike what seems to pass among America's elected officials, whose concerns seem to be raising money to get re-elected and then pandering to those who could re-elect them, Gandhi was a true leader.

It would be nice to see American leaders running to be ahead of the masses, leaders who realize that to be leaders they must first lead. Until that happens, it will have to be the masses who lead. Pursuing Articles of Impeachment to protect what our Founding Fathers pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor would be the patriotic way to honor them and our nation.

[Vidar]

1. Good ecitorial. Thanks for posting.

[MUAD_DIB]

2. Did Nancy ever explain, in detail, why impeachment

was off the table?