Tuesday, July 17, 2007
The End Game
Contrary to what the bomb throwers on the left are saying, I don't think they should put Miers in jail for this. Although there have been (as I've noted on this blog and others have noted as well) some promising signs of change, the media are still carrying water for Bush & CO (consider the creative use of the term "filibuster" as described on Eschaton). If the Dem. controlled Senate places Miers in contempt, the story will be "Miers is really between a rock and a hard place: either she testifies and faces punishment for breaking privilege [and the passive voice will be used -- it'll not be the President who does the dirty deed] or she doesn't testify and the Dem. controlled Senate sends that poor woman [note the sexist patronization of her as a woman] to jail".
Fielding apparently is giving the order. The Dems. should subpeona him (a male and a higher up, so putting him in jail won't play so badly) and if he doesn't testify throw him in jail. Also, what's to stop the Dems. from subpeonaing Bush? If he refuses, the Dem. spin is easy -- "what's the President hiding?". The Dems. shouldn't waste political capital on Miers. They should keep the end-game in mind: total discrediting of Bush & CO (who are out soon anyway ... so the point is to make everything about them radio-active so that way their brand of politics is also out the door with them) -- keep the pressure on but work up the ladder to the big fish.
Hopefully the Dems. are smart enough to keep their eyes on the prize. But I wouldn't hold my breath. I'd write my Senators, but one's a GOoPer and the other will probably be one of those Dems. providing "bipartisan" cover for the GOP in this ("even Democrats such as the Sens. Nelson feel the Dems. are being overly partisan"), so they won't do anything useful. Anybody reading this in a state where your Senators might actually be inclined to make a difference?
Fielding apparently is giving the order. The Dems. should subpeona him (a male and a higher up, so putting him in jail won't play so badly) and if he doesn't testify throw him in jail. Also, what's to stop the Dems. from subpeonaing Bush? If he refuses, the Dem. spin is easy -- "what's the President hiding?". The Dems. shouldn't waste political capital on Miers. They should keep the end-game in mind: total discrediting of Bush & CO (who are out soon anyway ... so the point is to make everything about them radio-active so that way their brand of politics is also out the door with them) -- keep the pressure on but work up the ladder to the big fish.
Hopefully the Dems. are smart enough to keep their eyes on the prize. But I wouldn't hold my breath. I'd write my Senators, but one's a GOoPer and the other will probably be one of those Dems. providing "bipartisan" cover for the GOP in this ("even Democrats such as the Sens. Nelson feel the Dems. are being overly partisan"), so they won't do anything useful. Anybody reading this in a state where your Senators might actually be inclined to make a difference?
# posted by alberich @ 6:47 PM 
