What if you suspected that the admin had been doing some really dark things,

[Jackpine Radical]

maybe using the FBI to spy on their political opponents or even sabotage their campaigns. (Think of all those computer hard drives that go missing from Democratic offices in every election cycle.) You maybe have some really good leads on the misuse of US attorneys for political purposes, and their firings for prosecuting the admin's friends. You have all that and a bunch more, but you know that the news media are in the Admin's pocket and thoroughly hostile to you. You know that you can do some investigating, and the media will ignore you, but if you start making impeachment noises they will do everything in their power to turn the public against you, portray you as witch hunters and worse, as traitors.

What do you do? Maybe you tell them that impeachment is off the table. And you stick to that story. You get everyone to go along with the story, but you continue the investigations. Bit by bit, you develop incontrovertible evidence of criminal activity. You reveal your findings as you go, but impeachment remains off the table. The "lunatic fringe" (as the media happily call them) starts screaming for impeachment. More evidence. More calls. A trickle of Congressmen start to make impeachment noises. The impeachment crowd swells. Even a few Republicans start wavering. finally, the demand grows so great that you have to do it. You didn't want to; everyone knows you said it was ff the table, and you stuck with that as long as you could, but, at last...

Please, Brer Fox. Don't throw us in da briar patch!

[Lint Head]

1. This is how it happens. Sit back relax. Pop some popcorn and

let the show begin. Some interesting days are ahead. I have a feeling there will be protests in the streets.
The people cannot let this stand. There are criminals in the White House.:dem:

[razors edge]

2. If we can get some

feathers with the tar, baby, we would would be on a roll.

And they would be on a rail.

[annabanana]

3. I like it jackpine!. . . k&r. . . . . n/t

[Richard Steele]

4. Let's just say I -TRUST- that Pelosi and Conyers could both beat me at chess, y'know?

[salin]

5. and those investigations are getting bolder and bolder

and both the revelations - and the astounding attempts at WH coverup through extra-constitutional stonewalling - are devastating for the administration (per the points where a few more folks on this Hill, one by one, begin contemplating the prospects of action of the I nature. I think you are spot on!

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

6. Sounds about right to me. K&R

[Philosoraptor]

7. The commit their crimes right out in the open, but many are hidden.

And getting harder to hide.

I think the people are revolting in slow motion.

[formercia]

8. They thought they would never get caught.

by the time people figured it out, it would be all over.


Arrogance has its own rewards.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. After many years of paying attention to our party leaders

and listening to all the mind bogglingly obtuse explanations for how they really are clever and biding their time and laying traps and playing chess and are masters of political jiu jitsu blah blah blah, and having witnessed one blundering defeat after another, I long ago dismissed these sort of theories as

Total Bullshit

[rateyes]

12. I'm with you.

Impeachment needs to happen. Impeachment is required. Impeachment won't happen.

My theory is that, high crimes be damned, the leadership wants to keep these losers around to use as punching bags in the next election. Problem is, in the meantime........

[OzarkDem]

17. Same here

No offense, I'm sure they're all really nice people with good intentions, but I can definitely say they are not that cunning or organized. Even worse they have about as little respect for the viewpoints of voters as Bush has. Most regard voters and even grassroots Dems active in their party with disdain - someone they only go to when they need money or votes.



There are a few exceptions, but that's the general rule.

[FredStembottom]

25. Anyone old enough to have been around for the Dems furtive, nervous.....

and shallow investigations of Iran-contra knows that this pattern of (intentional?) ineffectiveness goes waaaaaay back.

If true "strategery" should emerge from our official Dems, it will be something utterly new.

Believe me, I wish and hope for it everyday - it's why I stay in the party and work for it during election cycles.... but it is just that.....hope..... for something new and surprising.

[Cooley Hurd]

10. As a life-long TV news junkie, I saw the first major sea-change starting with...

...the Whitewater/Paula Jones/Monica Lewinsky "manufactured" (largely by the corporate media) scandal. Then came the coup of 2000, in which a spotless candidate like Al Gore was ridiculed and derided by a hostile press - mocked for things he never even said (i.e. inventing the internet) and called a "Sore Loserman" when he DARED to contest a VERY contentious election result in FL. Then came 9/11 when we were ORDERED by the corporate media to "stand behind OUR President." As we all know, it's gone downhill from there like a rocket sled.

Perhaps we're pissing up a rope by protesting the government. I really would like to see LARGE protests outside of CNN, MSNBC and News Corp (Faux) DEMANDING accountability from them. Until they change back to being watchdogs, instead of lapdogs, the Corporate Government will continue to get away with LITERALLY MURDER!:grr:

[burythehatchet]

11. 3 word alternative theory: DLC "middle way"

[FredStembottom]

26. Good News on that front!

Democratic Rivals Snub "Centrist" DLC ------ quotations mine - Fred





http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/politics/article/0,1426,MCA_1496_5645125,00.html

[Lerkfish]

13. I wish. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of dry powder in the beltway.

but I wish your scenario were correct.

[Control-Z]

14. I've thought along the same lines

and have posted as much.

I would like to hear the crowds rallying for, rather than protesting against our majority but still believe the tide will continue its turn...

[EstimatedProphet]

15. YES!

Exactly! Why people can't see that is beyond me!

[Hubert Flottz]

16. That's why I started shouting "impeach the bastids" the day after

the election in November. Because I suspect that the Bushies have done all the above and more!

[OzarkDem]

18. Can anyone offer an example

of a time recently when Dem leaders in Congress have shown some level of successful cunning or strategizing? I'd really like to believe these theories, but I haven't seen anything.

The only strategy I've seen them pursue is doing nothing until 2008, really pretty weak and prone to lots of problems in the interim.

I'd like to believe, help convince me.

[Hubert Flottz]

19. Have you been watching the hearings?

I think the dems are doing all they can, at this point, to expose the gangsters and the democrats are setting up public opinion to favor impeachments, or possible criminal court cases.

[EstimatedProphet]

20. How about right now?

How about winning the election in 2006?

The problem has been that they haven't had the opportunity until this past election to do anything since 1996. They've been outnumbered in Congress. And we know how the Repubs have acted under thier ownership of Congress - they've relegated our reps to the basement broom closet, and shut off the microphones when our guys were going to speak.

Now there is some power, and some strategy going on, from our reps. It takes a long time to put into play. That's why things didn't immediately happen. They are happenning now.

[Toots]

21. And then along comes election season

Everyone becomes more concerned for themselves than their country and the Bush* criminal enterprise is left unchecked to continue on as always...

[mondo joe]

22. Thank you for the smile on my face.

:-)

[glitch]

23. What if you suspected that the admin had been doing some really really REALLY dark things,

like threatening one or more American cities if impeachment were put on the table?

[FredStembottom]

24. I think along those lines sometimes, too.

Did the "unsolvability" of the Anthrax attacks - you know - where the type and origin of the Anthrax was determined but still no perp. - did that put lots of Senators in the mind to watch what they do or much worse and even more "unsolvable" death and destruction might occur????

This could be the case even if every senator thinking it never speaks of their dark misgivings to another person.

Just a "thought experiment" now - but we live in interesting times....:shrug:

[glitch]

27. Indeed we do. And Katrina seemed like such an obviously made "example" to me. Over the top. nt

[Psyop Samurai]

29. ...then you wouldn't be the only one. .n/t

[AntiFascist]

30. Exactly, must we kowtow to criminals who would allow our cities to be nuked? n/t

[wiggs]

28. Hope so. And after impeachment I hope criminal prosecution is pursued. nt