GOP dissent, and calls for checks on Bush, are way up since party's midterm loss of Congress

[DeepModem Mom]

LAT: GOP alienation marks turnabout for Bush
Dissent and calls for checks on the president have mushroomed since the party lost Congress in the midterm election.
By Noam N. Levey, Time Staff Writer
December 10, 2006

WASHINGTON — President Bush, weakened by an unpopular war and the loss of Republican control in Congress, is now confronting disaffection within his own party that could complicate his attempt to set an agenda for his final two years in office.

As Republicans departed Capitol Hill this weekend, some who used to dismiss Democratic attempts to investigate the administration as political posturing are now lining up behind calls for greater oversight of the executive branch.

They are advertising attacks on Bush's foreign policy that they once kept largely private. Last week, Oregon Sen. Gordon H. Smith gave a speech calling the current war strategy "absurd" and sent out a news release with his remarks.

Some longtime Bush allies, such as Texas Sen. John Cornyn, are even adopting Democratic rhetoric to criticize the Iraq war.

And on other issues that will confront the new Congress in January — including trade and judicial appointments — Republican lawmakers have signaled an unwillingness to follow the White House.

"Frankly, I think there is a greater recognition and awareness of the necessity for us to exercise checks and balances," said Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), noting how much the Nov. 7 election changed the climate on Capitol Hill....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-bush10dec10,0,5500718.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[wryter2000]

1. This is what I've been hoping for

All the rats turning on him. If all his crimes come out and Republicans are calling for his head, then we can remove him from office. Frankly, at that point, I'd like to have to send the military to the White House to throw the delusional bums out.

[Eric J in MN]

2. Now that GOP Senators and Congresspersons CAN'T

...exercise oversight anyway, since Democrats have the subpoena power, they realize that oversight is a good thing. Hooray for checks and balances.

If we let the Republicans take back the House in 2008, and there is a Republican president, then Republicans will be like: what are checks and balances?

[mazzarro]

9. BINGO! There you have it

Typical repugnicons for you.

[Stuckinthebush]

3. How long before the GOP supports the idea of impeachment?

If ever. The GOP moderates are realists who understand that the public does not like Bush or his policies. Clearly, the GOP lost in 2006 because of a connection of the GOP to Bush. The GOP has very intelligent people in its ranks, and these people are aware that Bush can do more damage to them in the long term if he is not controlled. Baker was sent in to clean up the mess, but W has decided that he is still the decider and will not be lectured by his daddy anymore (via Baker). He is going to continue his folly in Iraq because his tiny brain can't accept that Daddy will have to bail him out yet again. He is a man-child who has friends who are very bad influences on him and who will stick his heels in the dirt before accepting reality.

The GOP in a very short time may decide that the best thing for the party is to support investigations and possibly impeachment. It may make the party look much better to the public if they become all bi-partisan and "concerned" about the Constitution. In the long run, it helps them. Will the long knives come out? It will be interesting political theater to watch during the next two years.

[stevedeshazer]

13. Your post raises an important question

Who are the GOP moderates you're referring to?

I can't think of a single example. Help!

[Bjorn Against]

4. Screw them

Yes I am glad to see Bush in so much trouble, but I find these people disgusting. They enabled Bush up until the day they see their political careers on the line, and now all of a sudden they suddenly want oversight. Well where was the oversight over the last six years?

I want these investigations to go beyond Bush, I want the full corruption of the Republican Party exposed for all to see. I want to know which members of Congress knew Bush was breaking the law, and did everything they could to cover up for him.

[Hosnon]

7. We need their votes for any impeachment and conviction. nt.

[Kahuna]

19. Bingo! And THERE you have it. They just want to save their

own sorry behinds. They were his accomplices and henchmen. They are just as guilty as he is and they know it.

[MissWaverly]

24. Aye, Aye esp. the heads of the influential committees

that were enablers, hmmmm, who would that be? Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa) head of the Judiciary Committee, oh and maybe, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) head of the select intelligence committee.

Feel free to add to the list.

[Graybeard]

5. Even the Chimp-inChief tried to jump on the band wagon...

...the day after the election saying, "Me too! Look at me
throwing Rummy overboard!  The electorate has spoken. I'm a
reformer!" Pardon me while I puke. 

[Cha]

6. I'm so glad The Election

"changed the climate on the hill".

bush should be "weakened" because he lied to get us into this "unpopular war" and he should be impeached and sent to The Hague. bush should be worried instead of arrogantly sending more off the DIE and be MAIMED FOR LIFE.

[gulliver]

8. A little late. Too bad for them.

The GOP is the party of George W. Bush. I'm so glad we live in an age of video. In 2008, all the Dems are going to have to do is hit the archives. There is probably not a single significant GOP leader who has not smothered George W. Bush's hiney in heartfelt kisses -- on camera. Bush's "La Cosa Nostra" loyalty fetish also made it many times worse for the GOP.

Bush insisted on "loyalty" and sycophancy, and boy did he ever get it. Face it Republicans. Look next to you in the bed. That's what you slept with. And you weren't even drunk.

[mwb970]

18. Well, some of them probably *were* drunk. /nt

[Kahuna]

20. Orin Hatch even went so far as to further the meme that * was God

on earth. :puke:

[young_at_heart]

10. Shouldn't they all have guilty consciences?

The "leaders" such as McCain, who sucked up to the administration constantly, ought to have trouble sleeping. The emperor NEVER had any clothes but they've acted as if he did for many years....SHAME!

[w4rma]

11. "absurd" and "possibly criminal". Interesting how big media cuts off the important part of the quote

The part of the quote with the biggest bang.

And they 'wonder' why newspapers aren't selling like they used to.

[stevedeshazer]

14. Pure politics

The only reason Gordon Smith even brought this up is his re-election bid in 2008.

[w4rma]

23. Yup. But if his quote is going to be repeated, then the most important part of it should be repeated

I think they are trying to protect Bush from impeachment.

[kentuck]

12. Bush is like kryptonite to them...

They are already thinking about their next election...They are all "moderates" now...

[opihimoimoi]

15. The GOP has gone into the COVER YO ASS Mode,,,throwing Bush under the Bus/Tank/Truck

will not do it....they backed him for 6 years and now they wanna clean their act??? Too Freakin Late dudes...its too late...

[The Count]

16. They are worried about future elections now that Diebold is not foolproof

The word accountability for them means blame someone else.

[rodeodance]

17. AND we all have to continue to write to our Congresscritters!--D & R alike.

[pat_k]

21. impeachment. Impeachment. IMPEACHMENT. . .the drum beat is getting louder

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charles-karel-bouley/the-missing-iword_b_35805.html">The Missing I-Word
. . .
That's why Iraq is not, and should not, be the "I-Word" of the day. No, there are many, with the capper being Impeach. There, I've said it. Call me the Michael Richards of print, impeach, impeach, impeach, impeach, impeach. Congress and the Senate, along with the media, keep saying the American people have spoken. Yes, we have, but you didn't hear us. Impeach the bastards, all of them. We want them gone, for a series of other "I-Words." . .

. . .There's only one conclusion and the American people have made it in their hearts but may be afraid to vocalize until others start: George Bush and Dick Cheney must be impeached. . .

It is long past time for the Congressional leadership-to-be to give voice to the electorates outrage.

impeachment. impeachment. impeachment. Impeachment. Impeachment. Impeachment.

IMPEACH BUSHCHENEY

[calimary]

22. IMPEACHMENT. It's. Just. TIME.

And I think we WILL have quite a few more of them on our side come January.

First: Reality, if they've tried to avoid or deny it or somehow talk their way around it, will hit them smack in the face when those lucky enough to have survived the election or didn't have to run return, and notice all the TRAPPINGS of power in the hands of the other guys. OUR guys. The gavel in Nancy Pelosi's hand. The best office real estate transferred - and their having to change their routines regarding how much farther they now have to walk to get back to their desks from the main room, and all other examples of the change in pecking order. Every time they walk by boehner's office door, OR mcconnell's office door, the plate on it will say MINORITY Leader, and that will sting. And it'll be there reminding them EVERY TIME THEY PASS BY.

Second: They will have heard a HUGE earful from their constituents. Once they go home for the holidays, they are a lot more accessible to the folks at home. Many MORE are mad as the war grows ever more sour, and our next death benchmark is THREE THOUSAND (think of the coverage THAT ALONE will get). A majority of constituents will be mad, and more vocal about it. And there will be a larger majority of these, since the numbers against the war are only growing BY THE DAY. They'll be encountered at the shopping centers and the airports and the dry cleaners and the grocery stores - "I hope you're going to stop this war, Mr. Congressman..." They won't be able to escape it. Because there's MORE of this all over the place. NOT less.

Third: Now that the November election is "so yesterday," they're all refocusing on how on earth they can possibly manipulate their way back into power. Now, they have more problems to solve. They not only have to try to keep the White House, they also have to get back the majorities they've now LOST in BOTH houses of Congress. Their job has just gotten more difficult, two unanticipated extra times over. There will be those who want even more ferocious dirty tricks and shit and stalemate and obstructionism, but the public doesn't seem to have the stomach for it. They're going to want to give the Dems a chance, and Pelosi's First 100 Hours agenda sounds pretty damned good. Plus, more of the survivors actually seem open to some measure of accountability. They can't stop it anyway. The guys who REALLY want accountability now have the majorities, AND subpoena power! There will be those who'll have the words of Oregon's Gordon Smith ringing loudly in their ears. Enough of them will start to realize that if they have ANY hope at all of rehabilitating their party and salvaging ANYTHING in 2008, maybe they better line up AGAINST the iceberg in the White House that their party's ship just struck.

And what WE have to do is ride that like a bucking bronc, and manage it, and encourage it. Help it grow. AND REMAIN VIGILANT.