.. refused to even raise an objection, even though Stephen Breyer's dissent effectively gave them an instruction book when he pointed out that all the decision accomplished was to render the election incomplete and therefore unlawful under Florida law, and that now it was up to congress to judge the legality of the electors.
Yes. We had plenty of American bigots long before that. Yes, the rise of FOX News propaganda in the 90's had Democrats in a defensive crouch. But their refusal to stand up for our most basic right -- the right to vote and have our votes counted -- was a failure of epic proportions. It was their moral duty and their failure to carry out that duty sent the reactionaries into overdrive. It effectively told them, "Do what you will. It doesn't matter how treasonous. Call us names like "sore loser" and we'll run for the hills."
And then the failure to impeach Bush and Cheney for war crimes. Another moral imperative for every member of congress. They took an oath. They failed. They stood down in the face of violations of the conventions that enshrined principles that 16 million Americans fought for and more than 400,000 died for.
Moral failings of that magnitude in the people we entrust with power and who are bound by oath to defend our constitution has a cost.
We lobbied them to act. Some did. But not the leadership.
We lobbied them to object to the Ohio electors on 1/6/2005, and succeeded in getting Barbara Boxer to join Stephanie Tubbs Jones (may she RIP). That was a meaningful win. But it could not turn back the clock an erase their failure on 1/6/2001.
Things are so horrifically extreme now that more of them are understanding the stakes and the imperatives.
And we must keep lobbying them to up their game.
Perhaps this is a new sort of turning point. Perhaps enough patriots in office "get it" and we actually begin to turn back the reactionary tide. Perhaps not.
The only thing I know for sure is that now is not the time to give up in despair.
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