Land of Disenchantment

by poputonian

For those keeping score at home, nine Democrats suddenly voted with Republicans last week to kill the New Mexico impeachment resolution without debate. The very strange maneuverings of the group of turncoat Democrats is outlined in an article by impeachment activist Dave Lindorff. There was, however, another part of the report that also stands out:

Ortiz aide Brown said only two of the nine Democrats voting against the resolution represent majority Republican districts, a situation which might explain their taking a negative position on the resolution. Others of the nine represent fairly conservative Democratic districts, but of course, the Bush presidency is unpopular among Democratic voters of all political stripes, and among independents too.

Brown says that prior to the vote killing the resolution, five of the nine Democratic senators who voted with Republicans had been seen conversing privately, suggesting a coordinated strategy to kill the measure.

Brown says he does not have evidence of any pressure on senate Democrats, but speculation is focused on Gov. Bill Richardson, an announced candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, and on Sen. Jeff Bingaman.

The Democratic National Committee has targeted New Mexico as a key battleground state for 2008, and given the national party leadership’s clear desire to avoid an impeachment battle in the House, it seems increasingly evident from the strange behavior of turncoat senate Democrats in the state, that pressure was brought to prevent the passage of a joint resolution that would have put the issue front and center in the US House of Representatives. This seems particularly likely given the overt pressure that has been brought to bear on state senators in the state of Washington by two members of that state’s congressional delegation. A similar joint resolution is facing a do-or-die vote in the Washington state senate today or tomorrow.

Memo to Bill Richardson: I don't know whether you did, but if you had a hand in killing the people's resolution, you can kiss my ass. Turncoat!

Democratic state Senator John Grubesic, a backer of the Ortiz resolution, said after the vote killing the measure, “The action taken by the Senate was not the action taken by a body that protects the freedoms of a sovereign people. The action was a carefully orchestrated option designed to protect an institution and perpetuate the well-oiled workings of government.”

He added, “Our actions today showed where our priorities are, we forgot that the Constitution was not designed to serve government, but to protect the people. There should have been a debate, argument, uproar. Instead, we quietly gutted the sovereign power of the people with polite political procedure. When future generations look back on our time, the shock will not be because of the violent, impolite nature of the fight that preceded the destruction of Constitutional government, but by the meekness with which we watched it die.”

Nail. Coffin. Democracy.

Certainly, there will be politicians who oppose impeachment proceedings at this time. Politicians exist to evaluate constituent information and render judgment according to their own standards and principles. What I can't understand is how a national politician crosses the line to interfere in state level politics, or in the case of Richardson, exploits his role as Governor to further a self-serving national political strategy. The citizens of Washington State were openly victimized by national pols two weeks ago, and now we get this in New Mexico. It just doesn't pass the smell test. What is going on?