TWO FROM UBER-TEXAN MOLLY IVINS

We had an archival photo call tonight after the show, and I've got some reading to do for my movement class (T'Ai Chi Classics by Wayne Liao), so I'm giving Real Art short shrift this evening. Instead, read these two insightful essays by the always insightful and amusing super Texan Molly Ivins.

Both are from AlterNet.

Dick Cheney Goes Hunting

I am not trying to make a big deal out of a simple hunting accident for partisan purposes -- just thought it was a good chance to pay tribute to old Harry, a thoroughly decent man. However, I was offended by the never-our-fault White House spin team. Cheney adviser Mary Matalin said of her boss, "He was not careless or incautious (and did not) violate any of the (rules). He didn't do anything he wasn't supposed to do." Of course he did, Ms. Matalin, he shot Harry Whittington.

Which brings us to one of the many paradoxes of the Bush administration, which claims to be creating "the responsibility society." It's hard to think of a crowd less likely to take responsibility for anything they have done or not done than this bunch. They're certainly good at preaching responsibility to others -- and blaming other people for everything that goes wrong on their watch.

Click here for the rest.

Impeachment: The Cure For Executive Excess

Gonzales kept trying to frame the issue as a question of whether or not a domestic spying program without warrants is illegal -- in fact, it is against the law. Gonzales maintained that the law is superseded by some unwritten constitutional power due the president during time of war and further that Congress had authorized warrantless spying when giving the president the authority to invade Afghanistan. Strange, so few who voted for invading Afghanistan recall having warrantless spying in mind.

One problem of legal logic is to "define war." We have not been attacked by another nation -- in fact, we were clearly the aggressors against Iraq. We were attacked by a private group of ideological zealots led by a Saudi millionaire. This war -- against no nation, flag or territory -- can presumably last indefinitely, like our wars against drugs and crime.

Barbara Jordan observed:

"[Impeachment] is designed to 'bridle' the executive if he engages in excesses…. The Framers confined in the Congress the power, if need be, to remove the president in order to strike a delicate balance between a president swollen with power and grown tyrannical, and preservation of the independence of the executive…. 'A president is impeachable if he attempts to subvert the Constitution.' "

Click here for more.

Stay tuned for Friday Cat Blogging tomorrow, and some other post which only exists in theory at the moment.

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