The Treasongate “Political Game”
Interesting comment from my latest anti-Fitzmas post that I think should be addressed on its own :
I disagree that it’s not a partisan game. Everything is a partisan game. You’re telling me when Fox News repeats the phrase “The Criminalization of Politics” over and over…that’s not partisan?
I’d argue that the “partisan game” is separate from the grand jury process to which liberals are just an interested bystander. Not a single word of the rhetoric from the left of right is going to change whether or not charges are filed.
That said, perhaps we should discuss what the political response is to a string of indictments. I don’t think treating the indictment day like a holiday or implying that Fitzgerald is on our side are in our best interests since it implies that (a) liberals see harm to our national security as a petty game of political “gotcha” and (b) that Patrick Fitzgerald is motivated by politics. Despite being the namesake of this goofy pseudo-holiday, Patrick Fitzgerald doesn’t give a damn about liberal causes and isn’t out to nail the Bush Administration.
Sure, I’ll be happy to see Bush Administration officials indicted, but I’m not going to sing “Fitzmas carols”. I’m going to contact my local media about connecting the dots between the leaking of Valerie Plame’s identity with the larger issue of the lies that led us into Iraq. I’m going to contact my local representatives and demand that any unindicted Administration officials be censured for lying to the public to cover-up for those indicted. And I’m going to do everything in my power to educate the public about the corruption of the Republican majority and ensure that the House and the Senate are in Democratic hands in 2007.
Take off your party hat and do something a little more constructive. The assholes are still going to be in charge next week, next month, and next year. Just because GOP corruption is catching up to some of the players doesn’t mean that the problems plaguing the Democratic party are going to magically go away.
UPDATE : For example, this is the wrong way to win the “political game”.
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I think that any pride and joy I feel in this (and I do feel some, oh yes I do) stems from the belief that this vindicates my patriotism as an American citizen. This, to me, is America at its finest–showing the corrupt and the powerful that nobody, but nobody is above the law, and that the same smear tactics, lies, and dirty tricks that sway the vox populi won’t mean squat to a federal judge. And yes, to a certain extent it’s a “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy” syndrome, but that’s just a minor part of my joy in seeing my faith in America as a place that has limits to how much bullsh*t it will tolerate confirmed.
This is justice in action. I think everyone should be proud of that, at least.
Comment by John Seavey — October 26, 2005 @ 5:05 pm
I tend to agree with you in that going to the lengths some people are going (like making t-shirts) borders on childish.
I am going to be pretty damned smug for a while though; how can you not be when you’ve been force-fed so much crap from these blowhards for so long?
They’re wrong, they always have been and they always will be. When that fact is proven (again), I’m going to remind them of it.
I’m just not going to be wearing a party hat or t-shirt.
Comment by Paul L. — October 26, 2005 @ 10:49 pm
Maybe I’ve got time to go off, have a stroke, and recover in time to die of apoplexy a year from now. Fitzgerald just got bigger office space. He’s going for the long haul, looking for the goods on the forgeries and, can he? the Downing Street Memo/s. If we’re lucky, he’ll be getting to the heart of the matter right around midterms next year. My “Fitzmas” was a hiccup, just thinking the book was flying toward its targets. You are right. This party atmosphere is creepy. I understand it. I want to enjoy it too, but, damn, this is deadly earnest stuff.
Comment by Agent 99 — October 26, 2005 @ 11:25 pm
Dude, lighten the fuck up. You’re a comedian, not a policy-maker. So get over yourself, or do something else… you’re depressing.
Comment by Interloper — October 27, 2005 @ 7:30 am
Look, in my mind, Fitzmas is going to be fodder for the reactionary right winge-mill. Why prove them right that it is all partisan politics (I know it isn’t but you know that’s how they already see it)? I know they will twist it that way regardless, but why give them a shred of validity? The truth will speak for itself. Why stoop to their level? This tit-for-tat is what makes people in the center steer away from the left. When was the last time you were swayed in your opinion by what was written on some wonk’s T-shirt? 9 in 10 Americans already think that there has been some wrong-doing.
It’s like that guy on the corner shouting about the end is near and the Jews and Homos are to blame for all of the worlds problems. The people standing around agreeing agreed before captain crack opened his mouth. He is preaching to the converted. Stay above the fray and let’s just trust Fitzgerald to do his job.
Comment by Dan — October 27, 2005 @ 7:51 am
The post is a helpful and sensible reminder
that, in spite of the hopeful giddiness on the left, this is very serious business for America (as someone else said), and October 28th will really represent only the *beginning* of a whole new stage of political and legal conflict.
We are still early in the battle (but a cluster of indictments would give hope, admittedly).
Comment by nikto — October 27, 2005 @ 9:59 am
Good post Greg. I’m delighted to see some concrete actions to take, and you should expand on them. If you’re delighted by the Fitzgerald indictments, you should give back by putting thirty minutes of your day into writing letters, et cetra. After all, as you point out, this is not someone with out best interests in mind, he is interested in preserving law and order. This is a gift, and we have to act while the enemy is weak.
Comment by Joe — October 27, 2005 @ 12:53 pm
C’mon Greg, stop crapping in our cornflakes. Justice (finally!) being served is a good thing. A really good thing. A really belated and well-deserved comeuppance to the Radical Right. We’ve been upset about this for something like two years; now is the time to celebrate that the criminals are going down.
No, it won’t be as glorious as some of us liberals are saying, but it’s a start. I think the general public (who doesn’t normally care about “non-sexy” stories like this) is starting to wake up to the Administration’s perfidy. Maybe it’s because I live in D.C., but I see a change in perception.
Let’s hope for the best, because the alternative is that no one pays for what they’ve done, and that’s downright un-American.
Comment by Ben — October 28, 2005 @ 8:11 am