Cobb: Four More Years!

September 15, 2004

Four More Years!

It occurred to me that if John Kerry wins this election, he'll have to appoint Michael Moore Minister of Truth. Or as Orwell would say, Minitrue. As I leaned out of my abstention a few weeks ago, I've been hearing more things about Iraq that raise its importance over domestic concerns.

One can still get, here in Los Angeles, a 650k loan with no points at 5.89%APR. Well, you can, I can't and I'm not trying. But since we still get our gas cheaper than the Europeans, things can't be all that bad - except for the least of our brothers as usual. But Christopher Dickey and Samantha Power have emerged on my radar and they make me want to look at Iraq again and again. I hear that 18 Billion earmarked for reconstruction hasn't gone anywhere (you can't have it spent and complain about KBR too). There are lots of reasons to remain focused on Iraq, not to mention Iran and North Korea.

I really, really want to see GWBush re-elected, because that's the only way that the opposition is going to prove they have a better idea. Kerry hasn't shown his, and the Congress is absolutely silent. If this election is to be the most important test of our democracy, then let it be a test of the whole of the democracy and not just the presidential horse race. Let's see the other branches of government start flexing their muscles. Let's the the people do more than go out to the movies and say "Yeah what he said".

There is only one way to make GWBush accountable for what he has begun in Iraq. That's to force him to do the right thing, not to kick him to the curb. I don't want any tit for tat. I don't want to see democratic complacency. I don't want to wait another 18 months to get a grip on who the new head of the Pentagon is. I want to see somebody force the president to fire somebody.

That's what I'm talking about.

Posted by mbowen at September 15, 2004 08:35 PM

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Comments

Exactly right. Let Bush finish his job, let congress actually start doing its job.

Posted by: scott at September 16, 2004 12:36 AM

If this election is to be the most important test of our democracy, then let it be a test of the whole of the democracy and not just the presidential horse race. Let's see the other branches of government start flexing their muscles. Let's the the people do more than go out to the movies and say "Yeah what he said".

I cannot agree more. Democracy does not end with the vote it begins there. America as a whole is so complacent about matters. We elect them and basically ignore them until their term up.

There is only one way to make GWBush accountable for what he has begun in Iraq. That's to force him to do the right thing...

This is the main reason he has to go. He does not listen to the people. He is so arrogant that he feels he does not have to be accountable to anybody. It does not take a genius to figure out that after 9/11 and after not finding WMDs in Iraq that the DCI needs to leave. To this day I don't think he feels he did anything wrong, or is even capable of it.

Posted by: BH at September 16, 2004 07:26 AM

Because of redistricting politics, there are only 42 congressional seats actually in play. the odds of the democratic party taking back the congress are slim. the odds of a republican congress making bush do the right thing are slim.

there are three institutional checks on presidential power. one is the legislative branch. the second is the judicial branch. the third is the institution of democratic elections.

i do not understand why we should privilege the legislative or the judicial IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, over elections.

Posted by: Lester Spence at September 16, 2004 10:11 AM

I want Bush re-elected, so I can see how many more years will go by before he vetoes something.

Posted by: Eric at September 16, 2004 10:57 AM