This Morning's Political Insights...

[redneckgaijin]

(1) If Bush's Medicare Plan D drug program were expanded to become a universal medical care coverage plan, it'd be indistinguishable from Hilarycare.

(2) Almost all of the abuses of the Dubya administration have their origins in the Nixon administration... as, incidentally, do quite a few of the architects of those abuses, especially Cheney and Rumsfeld. When Nixon was forced out, those abuses were recognized not merely as abuses but as impeachable offenses... but without an impeachment and trial, it was never legally established that those abuses were, in fact, illegal. In short language: thank Jerry Ford for George W. Bush.

EDIT: (3) The government is never more dangerous than when under pressure to do SOMETHING, do ANYTHING. Under such conditions, doing the RIGHT thing becomes pretty much impossible, especially if the right thing is to do NOTHING.

Oh, and another reminder:

Comments

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

I have to say I agree fully with your point (2). My understanding is that Ford cut a deal, agreeing to the pardon in exchange for Nixon stepping down, in order to avoid the sturm und drang of an impeachment. At the time, it was controversial and cost Ford the next election; in hindsight, it was clearly a bad decision for precisely the reasons you cite.