DEMOCRATIC PARTY REVOLUTION

Although I signed on as a delegate to Unity08 very early on and have watched with interest as loyalties for candidates seemed to come and go, I have stayed out of the discussion both in that forum and among my friends and acquaintances. The primary reason for that has been that I am not convinced that amalgamating the two top parties is a useful solution given that both are so corrupt.

Yesterday's Amy Goodman interview on the War and Peace Report with Salt Lake City, Utah mayor Rocky Anderson, though, has led me to a thought on the subject that I think bears consideration. Anderson began the interview by slamming his old friend Mitt Romney for selling out, but concluded by saying that the Dems have backed away from impeaching Bush because they want the Bush record to be an issue in the next election.

I have long thought, even more cynically, that the only reason the Democrats could have for not impeaching the worst administration in the history of the country is that they see ways they could use some of the power now shifted to the executive branch. In any case, Anderson finally voiced publicly what every disgusted Democrat has been thinking ever since our new Democratic majority took impeachment off the table – that he has had it up to his ears with the party. He was adamant in his distaste for what it has become.

At that point, my little light bulb lit up. Yes, that's exactly what we've all been thinking, but our response has been to rant and rail in an attempt to convince the Dems to rethink the impeachment issue. The fact is, though, that if we are right about their motivations, they will never give up their shot at tyrannical power any more than Bush will. That being the case, perhaps Democratic voters could make a bigger impact by foregoing impeachment of the Bush Administration in favor of first going for a softer target – Pelosi.

I know, you think I've gone completely off the deep end, but give it a moment's thought. What could send the Dems a stronger message than to tell them in no uncertain terms that their hemming and hawing is totally unacceptable, and how better to tell them that than to throw their chosen figurehead out of office without waiting for an election to do it?

Could it be done? Probably not, but it would be easier than impeaching Bush without every Democrat backing the effort. Could it send a strong message to the Dems if enough of their disgruntled minions went public with the word that they were willing to try and throw them out? I think so. Is there another way to send as strong a message? Not that I've seen. I'm sick of writing letters, blogs and editorials and getting either no response or some wimpy two-faced excuse.

I have absolutely no clout with anyone, but I sure would like to see what would happen if someone with an inside track laid a petition with about 100,000 Democratic voter's signatures on it on Rocky Anderson's desk proposing that he lead the charge to oust this unresponsive Democratic leadership on behalf of the citizenry.

If that were to happen, who else do you think Anderson could get to join him in the effort? I'm betting on Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, and Robert Byrd for starters. Now somewhere in that group is a ticket I could get behind if they opened by renouncing their party as it now operates.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. -- M. K. Gandhi

Individually we have little voice. Collectively we cannot be ignored. But in silence we surrender our power. Yours in Peace -- BR