Perspective
FOR ALL WHO LOVE AMERICA
By John Evans
In October of 2001, we were a nation united. The fierce division that Republicans would sow in our nation had yet to begin, and President Bush had the trust of our beloved country.
But, that very same month President Bush authorized what may be highly illegal spying on innocent American citizens without a warrant and without the oversight of any court. And over the years, the values our government championed would become increasingly alien to many of us. Torture would be ordered from the highest levels. Dissent would be squelched. Suspects would be held in secret indefinitely. We all agree that we must ensure our fighting men and women have the tools they need to succeed and defend the home front in the war on terror, but all of this undermines their efforts instead of aiding them.
Enough is enough. We simply must end one party rule in Washington, D.C. And hold the Bush Administration accountable for its track record of lies, failed policies and endemic corruption.
A more balanced Congress will investigate ethics charges, not change the rules to protect party leaders. It will respect families' private medical affairs, not join an intrusive media circus. It will create a real, environmentally conscious energy bill that lowers gasoline prices, not one that oil executives write to maximize their profits. It will fully fund No Child Left Behind, not create more unfunded mandates. Most importantly, it will provide badly needed oversight to the Executive Branch, not forsake Congress's duty to preserve our Constitutional system of checks and balances.
The most tragic aspect of this whole disastrous affair has been the complete and utter failure of this one-sided Congress to hold a serious investigation of any of it. The branch of government charged with overseeing the Executive has become a wholly owned subsidiary.
You can be certain that the Republican Leadership will continue to do nothing. In a moment of candor during a media interview last week, Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), Chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, said 'it's a fair comment' that the GOP-controlled Congress has done insufficient oversight and 'ought to be' doing more.
Fat chance.
The truth is Chairman Davis' committee issued over 1,000 subpoenas to the Clinton Administration and Democratic Party officials between 1997 and 2002 and only three to the Bush Administration in the last five years! This cannot be allowed to continue.
Why did President Bush circumvent the law to do what he could have done legally? Who exactly was he monitoring? Nobody knows. The White House tells us every citizen they monitored - and we don't know how many there were - was connected to Al Qaeda.
The Republican Congress would have us take President Bush's word for it yet again. No more. No more can we watch the Administration distort, deceive, and divide, while Republicans in Congress sit on their hands and abdicate their responsibilities.
But, that very same month President Bush authorized what may be highly illegal spying on innocent American citizens without a warrant and without the oversight of any court. And over the years, the values our government championed would become increasingly alien to many of us. Torture would be ordered from the highest levels. Dissent would be squelched. Suspects would be held in secret indefinitely. We all agree that we must ensure our fighting men and women have the tools they need to succeed and defend the home front in the war on terror, but all of this undermines their efforts instead of aiding them.
Enough is enough. We simply must end one party rule in Washington, D.C. And hold the Bush Administration accountable for its track record of lies, failed policies and endemic corruption.
A more balanced Congress will investigate ethics charges, not change the rules to protect party leaders. It will respect families' private medical affairs, not join an intrusive media circus. It will create a real, environmentally conscious energy bill that lowers gasoline prices, not one that oil executives write to maximize their profits. It will fully fund No Child Left Behind, not create more unfunded mandates. Most importantly, it will provide badly needed oversight to the Executive Branch, not forsake Congress's duty to preserve our Constitutional system of checks and balances.
The most tragic aspect of this whole disastrous affair has been the complete and utter failure of this one-sided Congress to hold a serious investigation of any of it. The branch of government charged with overseeing the Executive has become a wholly owned subsidiary.
You can be certain that the Republican Leadership will continue to do nothing. In a moment of candor during a media interview last week, Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), Chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, said 'it's a fair comment' that the GOP-controlled Congress has done insufficient oversight and 'ought to be' doing more.
Fat chance.
The truth is Chairman Davis' committee issued over 1,000 subpoenas to the Clinton Administration and Democratic Party officials between 1997 and 2002 and only three to the Bush Administration in the last five years! This cannot be allowed to continue.
Why did President Bush circumvent the law to do what he could have done legally? Who exactly was he monitoring? Nobody knows. The White House tells us every citizen they monitored - and we don't know how many there were - was connected to Al Qaeda.
The Republican Congress would have us take President Bush's word for it yet again. No more. No more can we watch the Administration distort, deceive, and divide, while Republicans in Congress sit on their hands and abdicate their responsibilities.
