"Dems have failed to fulfill their mandate from us"

Bob Cesca over at HuffPo has a blistering critique of the spineless Dems that's a must-read (IMHO)

While I've been calling them spineless for years now... and getting killed for it... to date they've done nothing to prove me wrong... and now, through their own continued acts of commission and omission against the Constitution AND against our expressed mandate last November, more people are becoming more disillusioned with them.

I wrote last November that the ONLY reason the Dems won't impeach is because they'll then have to dismantle the "unitary president" powers they instilled in the WH... and IMHO, THAT is the prize on which the Dems have their eyes (just like they not only failed to dismantle the K Street lobby after the '06 election but stated they wanted to EXPAND it... because accepting fat lobbying payoffs bribes contributions is only wrong when the Repigs do it, donchyano.)

Based upon their incomprehensible actions of the past 48 hours, I can't help but feel they're utterly useless and my continued support of them senseless. While there are MAY BE good, well-intentioned representatives in Congress, their continued obstinate and nonsensical refusal to impeach the KNOWN criminals STILL in power (some within their own party) clearly demonstrates they're no longer in touch with their "constituents" (and by them, I mean the CITIZENS, and not their powerful monied lobby - whoever they may be: telecoms, defense contractors, oil firms, AIPAC, etc.) AND if they DO hear us (as they CHOSE to in the lead-up to the '06 election, when they wanted OUR votes), once they gain / retain office, they merrily go about their business, ignoring OUR will and wants while continuing to erode the Constitution, our rights, and the BASIC tenets upon which this Republic was founded.

...one year ago yesterday, we elected the Democrats in overwhelming numbers to amplify our screaming voices to a decibel loud enough to penetrate the unchecked corridors of power in Washington -- we hired this party to speak for us and to use this expressed authority to end the war and to hold this historically unpopular executive regime accountable.

To date and with the exception of some admirable investigations by a few standout lawmakers, the Democrats have done nothing to make good on their mandate from you and me.

It was yesterday, on the one year anniversary of the collapse of Karl Rove's thousand-year Reich, when the Democrats subjected themselves to both public embarrassment and public disgrace, and each within a few hours of the other.

The public disgrace was naturally Senator Schumer's and Senator Feinstein's votes to endorse the Bush administration's pro-torture policy. Make no mistake, despite their wet-bread excuses, that's what they did, say nothing of their endorsement of the regime's unitary executive theory. The reality of the committee vote -- the Democrats' failure to hold their voter-mandated high ground -- is what history will remember. Not the excuses.

As for the public embarrassment, I'm referring of course to the floor vote on whether to bury a resolution calling for the impeachment of Vice President Cheney. It was a one act tragic-comedy about how fucked up and bizarre our nation has become this decade
(snip)
We don't expect hand-holding and mutual masturbation between the Bush Republican White House and the Democratic Congress. No-one has ever assumed the president would compromise on anything anyway. But we assumed -- perhaps wrongly -- that the Democrats would stick him. We expected a fight, and that's why we voted for Democrats a year ago yesterday. And if they should ever decide to collectively stand up and fight, we will gladly elect more of them a year from now.

Pretty damning indictment - one we all (should) agree upon.

Where we seem to disagree is: how do we hold them accountable? How do we "get" (i.e., FORCE, if necessary) them to LISTEN to us and REPRESENT us?

IMHO - those who failed us, vote them out. Send a message.

...and that message should NOT be the one we've sent them the past few elections:

"We know you failed to do what we wanted - for political, personal, or whatever reason. However, you're better than the alternative (OMFG - voting for a REPIG) so, while you continue to piss in our face and ignore us, we're going to continue to support you because the contrary (OMFG - voting for a REPIG) is unfathomable.

So Mr. and Mrs. Democrat, you're the best alternative I got so, while it appears all that you've done is enable (and in some cases ASSIST) the REPIGs in taking away our rights and converting this former Republic into a dictatorship ruled by the Political Elite, since we hate the other party, we're going to vote for you despite you not having OUR best interests in mind."

see - THAT is the message we've sent them IF we fail to hold them accountable.

how do you hold politicians accountable?

Take away their seat at the Pig Trough - vote them out of office.

Those who listen to us - vote them in.

Pretty soon, these mother fuckers will get the message - because the ONLY way they listen is with money. If we remove them from the financial bordello Washington has become and make them "pay" for their failure to listen to us, they'll get the message. It may take time, it will definitely take effort, but this shit has got to stop.

Fire shots across the bow. If they don't heel, then take no prisoners.

This is a fight for the life of our country, Constitution, freedoms, our future. If these fuckers don't have any fight OR they're too fat and happy ignoring us, its only because they are held accountable. Put them to the proverbial "sword" (remove them from office) and they'll get the message. They'll listen or they'll pay.