My Left Wing debates on FoxNewsBig Story: Impeachment

[katty]

more:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/4/7/123817/9928
Impeachment: MSOC on Fox News TV Today
by Maryscott OConnor
Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 09:38:17 AM PDT

Crossposted from MY LEFT WING

In approximately 5 hours I'll be appearing on Fox News's The Big Story with John Gibson to "debate" Bob Beckel (Democratic "strategist" and the Walter Mondale's campaign manager in 1984, the man who famously appropriated the Wendy's slogan, "Where's the Beef") on the topic of impeachment.

I am for it, Beckel is against it.

In the interest of clarifying the arguments for impeachment, I'd like to encourage a discussion here about the NSA warrantless wiretappings and the NIE leaks, focusing on three themes:


Maryscott OConnor's diary :: ::
1. The failure of Democrats to adequately respond to this flagrant abuse of Executive powers -- read: breaking the motherfucking LAW -- and how this failure is merely an extension of the failed policies and strategies of Democrats over the past 20 years, Clinton notwithstanding.

2. What did the President know, when did he know it, is he above the law and if not, why not?

3. Finally, partisanship: We need it. This Republic was founded on the idea of conflicting philosophies and ideals being forced by design to come to compromise. Ideally, we should be living in a constant state of push and pull between opposing ideologies, and affecting compromise and rapprochement through our system of checks and balances, as well as our system of representation.

In my view, there can be no embodiment of Franklin and Jefferson's Republic of Compromise without a constant, sustained level of opposition. Let's face it, we suppose we'd all LOVE it if nobody ever felt differently than we do, but such is not the case. And our system is increasingly crippled by the fact that it has a strong right wing... and no left wing. The Democrats have ceded ALL the left territory and now live in the centre... but when you live in the centre of a political system based on compromise, you are forced by default to compromise rightward.

By abandoning the liberal, leftist principles and values of its roots, the Democratic Party has become an enabler of the right wing -- of the Republicans. It is no longer an opposition party.

What do Democrats stand for? And why aren't they standing?