As long as we’re discussing what is motivating those of us who oppose this administration, (per Athenae’s post, below,) perhaps this will make it clearer to those who profess not to understand why we are so motivated.
“Only a fews years ago, it seemed the slightest suggestion of malfeasance by a persidential administration–allegations of tampering with a minor administrative official, say, or indications that a cabinet secretary might have understated the amount of money given to a former girlfriend–could trigger a response from the other two branches of government: grand juries, special prosecutors, endless congressional hearings, even impeachment proceedings. Some of that auditing, especially during the Clinton administration, went too far. Yet now the country faces a frightening inversion of the problem. Though there is strong evidence of faulty even criminal behavior by a senior military commander and members of president Bush’s cabinet in the handling of foreign detainees, neither Congress nor the justice system is taking adequate steps to hold those officials accountable.
[snip]What’s particularly troubling about this breakdown of checks and balances is that some of the most disturbing behavior by senior officials has yet to be thoroughly investigated.
[snip]When the prisoner abuse allegations first became public in May, many members of Congress, including several senior Republicans, vowed to pursue the evidence up the chain of command and not to allow low-ranking reservists to be prosecuted while more senior officials escaped sanction. Yet as matters now stand, Mr. Rumsfeld, Gen. Sanchez and other senior officials are poised to execute just such an escape. When the scandal began, these leaders told Congress they were prepared to accept responsibility for the wrongdoing. As it turns out, they didn’t mean that in any substantive respect. Their dodge shames not only them but the legal and legislative bodies charged with enforcing accountability.”
See, it really isn’t difficult to understand what motivates those of us who despise George Bush and his presidency: we are motivated by our love of this nation and its constitution. We are sickened by the failure of our system of checks and balances. We are appalled that the country that was founded on the idea that the people are in charge is being run by an administration comprised of people who have nothing but contempt for the principles that we cherish and for us. This is supposed to be our country; but we have a president who achieved his office by thumbing his nose in the faces of the majority that voted against him, and has proceeded to govern as if he was an absolute monarch. That ain’t America, folks. And that’s why we are so damn mad.