Normally when I’m driving home from work I listen to “progressive” talk on my car radio and it’s usually Randi Rhodes whose show is on at that time.  Most of the time I find her show very entertaining and, at times, enlightening.  It’s mostly the days when I tune in to Rush Limbaugh or Michael Savage or Lars Larson or the likes of them that I get worked up to write.  However, the one thing about Randi Rhodes that bothers me is her willingness to defend Barack Obama, even when to do so is a direct contradiction of what she’s been saying. 

Today, for example, the topic on Rhodes’ show was the Iraq war and the Bush/Cheney “legacy” regarding the lies to get us into the war all the way to the war crimes that were never prosecuted which both Bush and Cheney admitted to prior to leaving office (and, again after leaving office – both of them!).  Rhodes quite accurately portrayed the “Bush lies” regarding the WMD’s, the the lie regarding Saddam’s supposed “link” to al Qaeda, the false accusation of “yellow cake uranium” coming from Niger to Iraq, and even the “coincidence” regarding the “spike” in oil prices after Bush/Cheney effectively kept Iraq’s oil off the market (which is still true today).  The people in the audience – well, save a couple republicans who called in to feebly attempt a defense of the indefensible (Bush/Cheney) – were creating this great conversation which was tending toward the enlightening side when a man from Southern California called in and brought up the FACT that we all know that MAJOR CRIMES were committed by Bush/Cheney et al, yet the present administration has stifled any investigation of this – therefore giving the American people effectively ZERO REDRESS of these issues.

The man was frustrated.  In fact, as I listened to him it sounded as if my twin brother (which I don’t have) was on the line with Randi expressing my exact thoughts.  The man shared his frustration over this and then asked something like, “what can we do when we elect someone into office and they don’t perform the basic duties you elect them to perform?”  This is where I lose patience with Randi Rhodes.  The man was clearly wanting her to comment on the refusal of Barack Obama to allow even investigations of the wrongdoing of the Bush/Cheney administration and how it reeks of collusion.  His “what can we do” question, meaning all us “progressives” who feel “left out,” is about what I’ve been writing in this blog for almost a year now.  And, apparently Rhodes and evidently Obama still don’t “get” this. 

Randi’s suggestion was that until all the different “factions” in America come together nothing will happen to address this type of issue.  She included democrats, republicans, and even “tea partiers” in this comment – which, to use her own term, was unbelievable to me.   Well, the type of issue we’re talking about here is the fundamental issue that I thought we ANSWERED during Watergate as Richard Nixon was being thrown out of office – which is – the FACT the Preisdent does it, DOESN’T make it legal!  We (meaning “we the people”) went through a lot to make that point – and, just as “Citizen’s United” overturned 100 years of campaign finance precedence – so to did Obama/Holder turn over nearly 40 YEARS of HARD FOUGHT (by progressives – OK, I’ll say it – LIBERALS!) legal precedence that the president is NOT above the law.  The ONLY way I can interpret Obama’s actions is to think that he AGREES with Richard Nixon now that he’s president.  The problem I have with that is this issue was ONE of the main REASONS I voted for Obama  – he SPECIFICALLY promised, during the campaign, that the president isn’t above the law – in fact, he CLEARLY said – NO ONE’S ABOVE THE LAW! (He also said, “Waterboarding is torture” and “If I see evidence of torture, it will be prosecuted” – I heard him say that with my own ears Randi, so please don’t tell me something different)

Earth to Randi – You could have all the factions in the world come together on this one – but, the ultimate responsibility would STILL lie with the president.  If you’re suggesting that the reason Obama didn’t allow these investigations is because there wasn’t enough public support for them – to me, that’s even worse.  That’s either total abdication of responsibility, lack of leadership, or just plain cowardice.  I don’t know which one of those you want to call it, but none are flattering!  Randi, please don’t tell me that before George W Bush and Dick Cheney (and the others) can be held accountable for their illegal activity we have to have some kind of “unity” in this nation.  On those terms, no one will ever have to face accountability for their actions again.  I mean, the first time I heard Barack Obama claim he was going to “look forward instead of back” I just about puked!  Based on that logic, there will never be another crime prosecuted in America(I know I’ve said that before, but it’s time to say it again, evidently).  Randi, tonight you were explaining how dumb (that’s my term for whatever word you actually used) many American voters are, but I personally know a WHOLE BUNCH who are not dumb enough to buy that logic.

And, the ulitmate price the democrats pay for this – and, I believe what the caller to Rhodes’ show was trying to point out before she overwhelmed him – is that “progressives” are going to stay home from the elections in DROVES!  So Randi, what are you and President Obama going to do if that prediction holds true?  Are you going to blame all the progressives who feel it doesn’t matter who they vote for, we still get politicians CORRUPTED by money?  And, PLLLLEASE don’t try to tell me that President Obama is free from the “money issue.”  Obviously, the few pitiful $25 donations I managed to throw into his campaign didn’t buy me any influence, but I’m guessing some of the “big boys” are having their say.  Actually, I’ve watched American politics long enough that I can “take” that – I’m sorry to say that I understand it’s part of the “game.”  However, ignoring the laws of the land by our top government officials falls into a similar category to me as the “Citizen’s United” decision thrust upon us by the Roberts Court.

Yes, that decision (Citizen’s) is bound to have an enormous – possibly fatal – influence on our democracy as we know it (OK, I realize we have a democratic republic – I’m just trying to make a point) – but, no more so than allowing Bush/Cheney and the others to walk away “scott free” after all the damage they’ve done to this country.  If they can’t be called “onto the carpet” then who will possibly ever have to answer for their actions.  The message sent to future administrations is potentially staggering.  In fact, if you’re paying attention, these ridiculous republicans are still spouting the “merits” of all the torture – as if they kept us safe!  The time to put all their lying, scandulous rhetoric and actions to rest was right after Obama took office.  And, in my view, this is but one of many terrible decisions he’s made as he continues to kiss up to republicans.  Randi Rhodes, we watched republicans cover up for Bush/Cheney for years, let’s not do the same for President Obama!   The proper answer to the caller who was upset by this lack of accountability was that YOU, Randi Rhodes, could be the uniting force that would allow people like us to pressure the White House into fulfilling their obligation of upholding our nation’s laws.  Not only would it send a strong message to America and the rest of the world that we really are a nation of laws and not men, but it would re-energize the “left” in time to salvage additional gains in November.  We could then further marginalize these extremists in the republican party and begin the process of bringing America back toward a political system with two parties that can talk to and work with each other.  Randi, you played a huge role in getting people mobilized to get Obama elected, I believe you have an even more important role now in helping us FORCE him to take the progressive approach he promised us when he was on the campaign trail.  It might be too late to investigate Bush/Cheney, but it’s not too late to send a message to the president that we voted for a leader and a statesman, not another money driven deal maker politician!