The fundamentally dishonest right is now trying to censure MoveOn

robert parry chronicles the false outrage of conservatives...

One would think that from the cries of (feigned) indignation and calls for repentance arising from conservatives regarding Move-On.org's ad in the N.Y. Times that the liberal-leaning group had not simply questioned the insights and intentions of a public servant, promoting, in a public forum, the policy of an illegal and immoral occupation of a sovereign nation; rather, the folks of Move-On.org had committed blasphemy against the holy name of some revered saint -- General Mary Petraeus, Mother of God.

The false outrage of perpetually offended conservatives serves as cover for the true outrages of our era, including: truncated civil liberties, rising levels of social and economic inequality and injustice, and foreign wars of aggression waged by an insular and secretive executive branch and fought by a permanent underclass.

The outrages keep arriving, because the collective imagination of the citizen/consumers of the US, arbitrated by a careerist media elite, has been, for decades, in the thrall of false narratives that serve the interests of the elite of the corporate/militarist classes.

Concurrently, a sense of unease and despair, due to a sense of personal and collective powerlessness before exploitive power, has created the tone and tenor of the times, and begot the phenomenon of supine liberalism and Viagra conservatism. (In this way, liberals stand fecklessly by, as the public is, time and time again, screwed by the decrepit schemes of the right.)

In this way, liberal paternalism is insufferable; worse, it is dangerous.

This has been the right's craftiest accomplishment: inducing "reasonable" liberals and "sensible" centrists to enable their crimes, from stolen elections to their present preparation for a massive bombing campaign of Iran, by intimidating them with the fear that any protest on their part will cast them among the ranks of America-hating, lefty moonbats, who wish to see the terrorist win, dumpsters piled high with discarded fetuses and metro-sexuality made the official state religion.

all of which has led to this, a TRUE outrage...

Dear MoveOn member,

This morning the Senate is expected to vote on a resolution condemning MoveOn.org. Can you call [your] Senators ... and ask them to vote no?

This is the same Senate that has done nothing to change President Bush's policy on Iraq. Yesterday, they couldn't even pass a bill to give soldiers enough leave with their families before redeploying. But they have plenty of time to crack down on folks who criticize the war. It's ridiculous, it's un-American, and it's wrong.

Call [your Senators]: Tell them this is a right-wing intimidation campaign aimed at all of us who've spoken out on the war—and every honorable Senator should stand up against it.

[...]

Republicans have been on the attack since we ran an ad last week accusing General Petraeus of betraying the public trust by "cooking the books" and presenting politicized facts to Congress.

Why? They're flailing. Last week's Bush Administration PR blitz completely failed—the percentage of Americans favoring withdrawal from Iraq actually increased. Meanwhile, vulnerable Republicans are sinking lower and lower in the polls (or announcing their retirement). Bashing our ad is a way to distract the public—and intimidate war critics.

Sixteen brave Americans died in Iraq in the last week. The whole country is looking to Congress to stand up to Bush and get our troops out of Iraq—and instead, they're spending time on a newspaper ad!

Maybe you liked the ad. Maybe you thought we should have worded it differently.

But at its heart was a painful truth—President Bush is using General Petraeus to mislead the public about how things are going in Iraq, just like he used Colin Powell in 2003. And Republicans are trying to make sure we pay a heavy price for saying so. As strategist George Lakoff says:

MoveOn hit a nerve. In the face of truth, the right-wing has been forced to change the subject—away from the administration's betrayal of trust and the escalating tragedy of the occupation to of all things, an ad! To take the focus off maiming and death and the breaking of our military, they talk about etiquette. The truth has reduced them to whining: MoveOn was impolite. Rather than face the truth, they use character assassination against an organization whose three million members stand for the highest patriotic principles of this country, the first of which is a commitment to truth.

They're trying to use the full force of the U.S. Senate to shut us all up. To send a message that if you speak unpleasant truths about this war, you'll pay.This is what we expect from right-wing bullies like Fox, Bill O'Reilly, and Sean Hannity. But the Senate should know better.

Call [your Senators] today: Tell them that in a democracy, we revere the truth—before generals, before presidents.

unbelievable the depths to which my country has sunk...

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Dear Senator Feingold

from an email i just received from russ feingold asking me to support his censure resolutions and the appointment of a special prosecutor...

As you know, last Sunday I proposed censure resolutions aimed at holding the President, Vice President and administration officials responsible for misconduct relating to the war in Iraq and for their repeated assaults on the rule of law. I am pleased to announce that Congressman Maurice Hinchey has joined me in this effort. Thanks to the input of thousands of Progressive Patriots like you, we plan to formally introduce these censure resolutions later this week. But I still need your feedback. So if you haven’t already, please let me know your thoughts on this vitally important issue. I will be sure to keep you posted as we move forward.

for what it's worth, i sent him my thoughts, as requested...

Dear Senator Feingold,

I believe that the United States is in the midst of the most serious constitutional crisis in its history. The steps taken by the Bush administration to accrue unfettered executive power have our country poised on the brink of becoming an authoritarian state, and I do not feel that I exaggerate in the least. On the contrary, I am probably understating the reality.

Every single day that the current occupants of the White House remain in power is another day for them to advance their radical agenda of invalidating the separation of powers. The United States is already effectively being governed from one branch of government, the executive branch, which has become so politicized and infiltrated with administration loyalists as to be nearly unrecognizable.

Even over and above Iraq (which, heaven only knows, is a daily tragedy of staggering proportions), there is no greater priority than stopping the Bush administration, a feat that, it should be obvious by now, can ONLY be accomplished by their removal from office. And even THAT, Senator, will be insufficient unless and until the levers of unrestrained executive power have been not only rolled back but officially REPUDIATED, PRIOR to the next president taking office on 20 January 2009.

Of course, Senator Feingold, I support your censure resolutions and your call for an independent prosecutor. However, what I am desperately HOPING you will do is to stand up and, with all the force and dignity of your office and your outstanding Senatorial career, speak out on this grave crisis, name it for what it is, and rally those of us who are so desperate for leadership from our elected officials to the cause of saving our constitutionally-based, democratic republic. I can tell you, Senator, there are many thousands of us who would be at your side in a heartbeat were you to issue such a call.

I realize that impeachment proceedings must be initiated in the House Judiciary Committee. I am not at all sure, unfortunately, that we have the luxury of enough time to let that process run its course. What I envision, unrealistic or not, is a mass convergence of citizens on Washington calling for the President, the Vice President, and all members of the Cabinet to resign. Yes, Senator, I do believe we are at that point.

Please take my thoughts as they were intended - a very serious cry for help as I watch our country being dismembered at the hands of those who have forsaken their sworn duty to protect and defend the United States Constitution.

Best regards,

if you would like, you can send your thoughts to russ at this email address...

russ@progressivepatriotsfund.com

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Three possible reasons why Feingold and other Congressional folks are not acting

opol over at daily kos voices three key possibilities why our senators and members of congress aren't in high dudgeon* over the crimes committed by our president and his compadres...

1) Bush has used the government spying apparatus to dig up dirt on all or most of the Democrats and is blackmailing them into submission. 2) Elements of Bushco have threatened the lives of anyone who gets out of line (remember the anthrax attacks on Daschle and Leahy?).

My third theory is that Democrats hunger for the powers Bush has stolen for the Presidency, and so don’t want to rein him in.

I believe that all three of these theories are true to some extent but whatever the final explanation is the fact remains that we the people are out of luck. No one is thinking about us.

he also expresses his profound astonishment and dismay that russ feingold, of all people, isn't demanding the ouster of bush and cheney and all their running dogs... i agree and, in fact, after receiving senator feingold's email announcing his censure motions, i wrote him and told him just how terribly disappointed i am...

opol concludes with this, to which i can only say, absolutely...!

Brothers and sisters, it’s time to impeach the President and his criminal minions. It is the only way to restore democracy, it is the only way to redeem our nation, and it is the only way to reclaim our country.

Don't let the politicians stall for time! Don't let them run out the clock! WE are the one's who are getting screwed!

Do your part! Stand up for America!

it's clearly in our hands now... nobody on a white horse is going to ride in and save the day...

dudgeon
Function: noun
Etymology: origin unknown
: a fit or state of indignation -- often used in the phrase in high dudgeon

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