Semi Truths

John Dean, former Counsel to the President of the United States to Richard Nixon asks that provocative question. It is a thoughtful and considered analysis from a man who knows a thing or two about Executive malfeasance.

MISSING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

In the three decades since Watergate, this is the first potential scandal I have seen that could make Watergate pale by comparison. If the Bush Administration intentionally manipulated or misrepresented intelligence to get Congress to authorize, and the public to support, military action to take control of Iraq, then that would be a monstrous misdeed.

The original article appears in Dean’s ongoing column at Findlaw. He was recently interviewed about this topic on Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman.

Bill Moyers, the great broadcaster called “one of the chief inheritors of the Edward R. Murrow tradition of ‘deep-think’ journalism” recently received the America’s Future Lifetime Leadership Award as part of the 2003 National Progressive Conference to Take Back America. His acceptance speech provides an informed overview of the history of the progressive movement in our country (yes, there actually is one) and is a magnificent read.

THE PROGRESSIVE STORY OF AMERICA

You are the heirs of one of the country’s great traditions — the progressive movement that started late in the l9th century and remade the American experience piece by piece until it peaked in the last third of the 20th century. I call it the progressive movement for lack of a more precise term. Its aim was to keep blood pumping through the veins of democracy when others were ready to call in the mortician. Progressives exalted and extended the original American revolution. They spelled out new terms of partnership between the people and their rulers. And they kindled a flame that lit some of the most prosperous decades in modern history.

You can read the entire presentation in glorious HTML at CommonDreams.org, or download the PDF from OurFuture.org.

Thomas L. Friedman, the NYT columnist that Neocons love to hate (’cause he’s so much smarter than most of them) proposes that `Democrats should be asking voters to substitute the word “services” for the word “taxes” every time they hear the president speak.�:

READ MY LIPS

Democrats have to show Bush for what he really is: a man who is not putting money into your pocket, but who is removing government services and safety nets from your life.
(read more)*

(*link to NYT website; registration may be required).