Monday, November 1, 2004

Let's Pretend to Be Non-Partisan It was bad enough that ABC's Good Morning America ran their two wacky stories about Halloween costumes (or funny outfits, anyway) and both of them were pro- Bush stories.  In the first one, one of the Cheney daughters was dressed up as a skeleton, and Lynne "That is Not a Good Man" Cheney quips, "She's dressed up as John Kerry's health care plan."  In the second, Karl Rove and other Republistooges dressed in hunting outfits to mock John Kerry's goost-hunting outfits.  That didn't make me feel very good. But then, talking to George Snuffalopougos, Charles Gibson lets loose the most faux-noble pronouncement of the day, talking about the rumors of 10,000 lawyers ready to fight out the election. "You have to wonder if we can afford all this litigiousness in a post-9/11 world. " After the sneaky shenanigans of Florida 2000, after the stories in Ohio about voter intimidation, and after the Supreme Court decided our last election, why should we have lawyers involved in the election?  What rock have you been under?! Lawyers don't make up stuff to litigate.  If there's voter suppression, intimidation, manipulation, or any other sneaky stuff, I want lawyers there to defend them.  I don't want politicians, organizers, baseball players, or Paul Newman.  I want some lawyers who know how to practice and uphold the law.  And yes, we can afford all this litigiousness in a post-9/11 world.  Because 9/11 taught us two lessons.  The first lesson was that whatever the challenge, the American system survives. The second lesson came when John Ashcroft and his buddies taught us that it's very easy to attack the Constitution when the American people are frightened.  The right of lawyers to defend and uphold the law is part of our American political system, and we will never forfeit it for the sake of appearing united.  We cannot afford to sit on our hands in a post-9/11 world.  There are people conspiring to hurt us and destroy our American way of life, and not all of them have beards and turbans.   8:02:46 AM     comment []