Cheers for Kucinich & a Bronx Cheer for the Senate

Cheers for Dennis Kucinich. Having already entered articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney, Kucinich proved once again that he is one of the few politicians in our government that actually believes in the Constitution when he introduced articles of impeachment against George W. Bush earlier this week.

While the chances of an impeachment range from little to none, since the rest of Congress is so afraid of losing an election, Kucinich is to be admired for trying to represent the American people and live up to his oath of office. It is fairly clear to those who read a newspaper that Bush has committed numerous acts that warrant prosecution. In many ways, Bush's assertions that the law does not apply to him may be the greatest crime of all. America is a government "of the people." Attempting to make oneself a king is the greatest affront of all to democracy. So again, cheers to Kucinich.

While Kucinich may stand out among politicians as a man of principle, last week the Senate showed just how little principle most of its members have. A bill that attempted to address climate change was summarily killed mostly by parliamentary maneuvers with only 48 Democrats voting to cut off debate on a threatened filibuster.

The absolute failure of the Senate to address the issue of climate change centered around the possible financial ramifications of addressing the problem. The argument, as always, is that the effect of taking the steps necessary to deal with climate change would cause economic disruption.

What of the costs of not addressing climate change? Our politicians can't think that far ahead. They can only see the next election cycle. Must the sun burn out our retinas before the problem is too big to ignore? The sheer audacity that leads our elected leaders to put corporate interests before the needs of society suggests that Bush is not the only leader that needs to be removed from office.

To the Senate, a big Bronx cheer.