Spin Dry

"A majority would vote for a Democrat over President Bush if an election were held this year, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll released Tuesday." And according to the poll, 55 percent would vote for a Democrat; only thirty-nine percent said they would vote for Bush.

On separate issues, a majority of those questioned felt the Democrats could do a better job than Republicans at handling health care (59 percent to 30 percent), Social Security (56 percent to 33 percent), gasoline prices (51 percent to 31 percent) and the economy (50 percent to 38 percent).

Forty-six percent also believed Democrats could do better at handling Iraq, while 40 percent said the GOP would do better.

Of course, short of impeachment, W isn't going to be fighting for his office again -- unless the far right Wingnuts manage to repeal the 22nd Amendment in less than three years. Given the plummet in their political capital right now, that isn't likely. But, where this does pertain is to the mid-term elections, and it's a really bad sign for the Republicans, although a really good one for the rest of the world.

With any luck and hard work between now and then, we have a chance of kicking the Republicans out of power in the House and the Senate, and pulling the reins in on the runaway Administration. Of course, in my ultimate fantasy scenario, the indictments, resignations and impeachments begin this week, and the fallout of it all leaves someone like Colin Powell being appointed president. Of course, maybe things will drag on with just the right timing to give us the ultimate liberal wet-dream: Republicans losing power in Congress right before the impeachments of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney begin, and Hilary Clinton stepping out, balls-to-the-wall (metaphorically) in order to exact the perfect revenge on the entire Republican party for the witch hunt they conducted against Bill Clinton -- who was, in my humble opinion, the best President this country had in the second half of the 20th Century, and second only to FDR for the whole century itself. And, finally, the current Administration is so utterly indicted and convicted that it falls to the new Speaker of the House, a Democrat, to assume the office of President.

Sigh. I can dream, can't I...?

You're going to be hearing the words "witch hunt" a lot in upcoming weeks; in fact, I think Tom DeLay has already uttered the phrase. But there's a big, big difference between the anti-Clinton witch hunt orgy of the 90s and Patrick Fitzgerald's Plamegate investigation. 'Cause you see, after Bill and Hilary Clinton became the most investigated couple in American history, there weren't no nothing wrong going on. No indictments of high officials, no trials, no charges. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

But when Fitz is done turning over the rocks under this White House, the indictments are going to fly fast and furious -- indictments for real crimes, committed to defraud this nation into agreeing to invade Iraq. Hell, if we're lucky, there may even be some treason charges tossed in for good measure -- the highest of high crimes.

"...the President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the United States shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." -- Article II, §4, United States Constitution.

But, of course, that impeachment bit is only the first step and, oddly enough, as far as anyone has ever gotten in an attempt against a sitting President in three tries. (That'd be Johnson, Nixon, Clinton, if you're keeping score. And maybe it means that "on" is a bad ending for a president's last name.) Let's hope fourth time's the charm. W and Dick would look so good in orange jumpsuits.