There oughtta be a law. Law #1

Yes, this first law should read as follows: Anyone who thinks water-boarding is not torture must be water-boarded 3 times and then asked if they think it is not torture. Today, John Ashcroft was the latest of the Bush Administration to claim it was not torture when he was Attorney General. So that makes Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Gonzales and now Ashcroft all covering their behinds in case of any future legal proceedings (within the U.S. or Internationally) that might be brought against them.

So which of you brave people are willing to step forward and be the first to try out water-boarding? Anyone, anyone?

What's right with China and lessons we can learn from them

Headline reads: Ex-Party Boss in China Gets 18 Years. The former Communist Party boss of Shanghai, Chen Liangyu, was sentenced on Friday to 18 years in prison for taking bribes and abusing power. This may not sound like much of a big deal but it is. You see the Chinese government does seem to take actions against incompetence and corruption, as this former Party boss observes first hand. We have similar problems here with the Bush Administration, but our politicians don't do the same. I guess they all figure that they have also been guilty of incompetence and corruption, so why call one of their own on it. Someday it may happen to them. So all is forgiven. WRONG!!!

Yesterday, it was learned that Vice President Cheney convened a group of "Principles" including Condi Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, John Ashcroft, George Tenet and Colin Powell, to approve and review specified torture techniques to be used on selective enemy combatants. This is in violation of the Geneva Convention. This report was first published by ABC News. As President Bush has admitted, he approved the new "techniques". According to reports, they got a couple of lawyers in the Justice Dept. to write letters in support of the changes in interrogation techniques. Those letters and findings were later pulled back and nullified by the individuals writing them. But nevertheless, they went ahead with the torture techniques, like water boarding, on those prisoners. If this isn't enough to start impeachment hearings, I don't know what is. Is there no backbone in this country? Is there one brave soul who is an elected official willing to confront this President and Vice President?

Getting back to China for a moment, according to the article which you can read by clicking here, "Mr. Chen, who before his arrest in late 2006 was also a member of China’s ruling Politburo, is the highest ranking government official to be stripped of power here in over a decade.

His sentence was handed down Friday at the No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court in the northern city of Tianjin, where he had recently been on trial."

I know it is hard to believe but it appears we can learn something from China.

Therefore, I am adding a new Poll. The only question: Would you like the House of Representatives to initiate Articles of Impeachment for both President Bush and VP Cheney even if it goes beyond their term of office? I do! If we let their actions go unpunished, we risk losing our democracy and shredding our Constitution for our sons, daughters and grandchildren as well as other generations to follow.

Ashcroft, Gonzales and Comey: the wrong one remains

Being very honest here, I had been disillusioned by many of the Republicans serving in the Bush Administration. The entire Administration has disappointed me over the past 6 plus years. I didn't vote for Bush but I had voted in the past for another Republican President, Ronald Reagan.

However, I have seen the light now. There were at least two serving the President, who I now admire. Their names: former Attorney General John Ashcroft and his Deputy John Comey. When I heard the testimony of James Comey (how he had to race back to the hospital bed of the then recovering John Ashcroft to prevent then General Counsel Alberto Gonzales and Andrew Card, Chief of Staff, from pressuring Ashcroft into signing a document to make the Wire taps of Americans law) and how Ashcroft mustered the energy after his surgery to rebuke Gonzales and Card. It was important testimony that came to light. As much as I didn't like Ashcroft as I thought he was drinking the Kool-Aid too. I take it back now and want to publicly praise Ashcroft for his stand.

The Democrats are doing the country a service by initiating these hearings. It is obvious that the President knew these Wire-Taps were illegal. It is therefore an impeachable offense. But the Senate and Congress don't appear to have the courage to impeach this President. I don't know if they would have the votes or not, but it is definitely worth pursuing in my opinion. It would say to the entire world, The American People own and claim their country and are willing to confront their own evil doers, especially starting with Alberto Gonzales!

Read today's NY Times Editorial for more on this.