First, I want to point to Glenn Greenwald here and here, because he is saying almost exactly what I said on Monday night in the comments section here. I read some of the comments on the C&L piece, and all I can say is that these are people who are afraid of success.
A Democratic victory is not an end, but rather a means to an end, and at least one commentor got it right when saying that we need to hold their feet to the fire. We wanted, and worked for, and agitated for, and prayed for, and finally voted for, a Democratic majority in Congress in order to work on an agenda that benefits the entire country - including corporations, investors, bankers, small business owners, and clergy. Few are thinking that now, with a Democratic Party dominant in Congress all will be well; there are real impediments, not the least of which are the legal - and extra-legal! - obstructions available to the executive. Bi-partisanship is important, and being active on an agenda that serves the country well will ensure continued political success for Democrats.
Glenn also points out that we are in the midst of a Constitutional crisis, and it is a real one, not a semen-stained blue dress. It is encumbent upon Congress to perform routine oversight of the Executive Branch, and that includes issuing subpoenas and calling people to account for their actions. Will this be a "witch hunt" or the legitimate activity of the legislative as it performs it Constitutional function of balancing the power of the Executive, especially an Executive as amok as this one? Part of the problem answering this question lies with a media so distorted and debased by nearly a generation of genuflecting before Republicans that it is incapable of asking proper questions and connecting information from one day, week, month, or year to the next. Another problem lies with the up-coming power struggle within the Congressional Democratic Party: will they become the breeding ground for a real progressive alternative or reflect the fantasies of Rahm Emmanuel and the DLC crowd? Only time will tell.
So, to those who refuse to see what has happened as a good thing, remember, even the most joyous of us understand it is only a first small step, and we all have to continue working, and working even harder (it is much easier to dissent than it is to govern), to ensure we continue to govern, and take back the White House in two years. And to those who think that governance and critical oversight are mutually exclusive, remember that, while the inaction of Congress the past two years has left so much undone, there is the time, the ability, and the willingness to do both and accomplish both.
Virtual Tin Cup
