Even more than the entertaining slaughter of native peoples, this country was founded on the firing of U.S. attorneys. Don’t get me wrong: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are cool in their own ways, and equality can be helpful in select instances, but the only reason Thomas Jefferson left off the phrase “All men are endowed with certain unalienable rights to terminate U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins” is because it was a truth held to be self-evident. And, to a lesser degree, because Cummins had yet to be born.
Much like a dog marking his territory, the Bush administration is merely leaving its scent on our federal system. We wouldn’t impeach a pooch for pissing on a fire hydrant, so why are we trying to put out the fire on a few questionable pink slips?
From the top levels of society on down, the bottom line is that the blame for our floundering democracy falls squarely on the voters. Let’s not forget that in November the general populace restored the two-party system, acting as an enabler for legislators drunk with newfound power. Now, despite their balance of power being at zero for the past six years, Congressional Democrats are acting as a check their legislative body can’t cash.
By refusing to let Karl Rove, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and other key aides testify under oath, President Bush is using his weight to keep the current imbalance in check — but with voters and Congress acting like power-hungry dictators, there’s only so much one man can do to singlehandedly save democracy.
