The Bush Regime has used Cheney as the scary asshole figure for at least 4 years-- after kindly, brilliant elder statesman image failed dismally; it's supposed to make Bush look better by comparison and also stave off would be impeachment enthusiasts. It doesn't work and everyone I know wants a simultaneous impeachment. Now, as they are threatened with devastating electoral losses in both houses of Congress, they're eager to demonize other people. And Cheney, of course, has been leading the charge.

He picked a lively one to attack today, someone who isn't laying down and allowing himself to be run over: Harlem congressman Charlie Rangel. The idea is that when Democrats take over the committee chairmanships-- which is, after all exactly what the majority of Americans want to happen-- Democrats will do... what? Things that reactionaries and fascists abhor? That's the idea. These guys don't seem to understand that the overwhelming majority of Americans see them as abject failures in everything they've done and that it's time to start the long and arduous process of cleaning up after them.

Charlie Rangel is part of the cleaning up crew, along with a score of other mature, capable, experienced members of Congress, many of whom are not motivated by the naked personal greed of Republicrook leaders like Tom DeLay, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, Jerry Lewis, Denny Hastert, Roy Blunt, Bob Ney, Dirty Dick Pombo, Charles Taylor, Curt Weldon, John Doolittle, Don Young, Tom Feeney, Duncan Hunter or fueled by bizarre and authoritarian ideologies like Tom Tancredo, Mean Jean Schmidt, Jim Sensenbrenner, Marilyn Musgrave, J.D. Hayworth ...   more »