State of the Union: CYA

Before we begin tonight, I want to point out another reason why I feature the work of Terry McKenna in this space: it seems he's repeatedly ahead of the progressive curve on the issues that matter most. If you've been following along here, you know that most of last week's posts came from Terry on the subject of health care and the woeful state we're in as a nation, both medically and economically, with respect to health care. Well, today I notice that American Progress—my personal favorite among all the progressive online truth shops—is rolling out its own analysis of the health care problem. I would encourage you to read it, because it adds even more statistics and sobering observations to what we had from Terry last week. Sure, the crimes, depredations and incompetencies of the Bush administration and the necon Congressional hegemony are important; but still I have a feeling that when it comes down to crunch time at the polls this November, health care could be the one big issue on which the Democrats can take back the majority on Capitol Hill.

Now perhaps you have noticed a certain theme developing over the past few weeks (or years): the people and institutions that have bludgeoned us with the message that they are here "to protect America" seem to spend far more time defending themselves than they do protecting us!

Welcome to the CYA Administration: Clueless from Crawford is at the NSA today (after his former NSA czar publicly fumbled a simple explanation of the Fourth Amendment yesterday); meanwhile, his Secretary of CYA is busy denying the conclusions of a report on the state of the American military that was ordered by...um...the Pentagon itself; and the legal staff over at 1600 Penn is very busy obstructing the flow of information on the Katrina debacle.

Once again, I ask: how can you possibly have any energy for protecting America when you spend all your time covering your own fat, stinking, diseased butt? Hell, these people have to be corrected by journalists on the actual language of the Constitution, so let me remind them of one of its crucial clauses, while the rest of us click on that graphic above and left to get our Congress to show some sense of responsibility toward this benighted nation:

Article II, Section. 4.
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.