Mike Corrigan

By Mike Corrigan

BN Columnist

In the right-wing echo chamber, all the talk is of impeaching the president. I think it’s a great idea. It will give Congress something to do!

Congressmen are America’s wealthiest welfare recipients. They don’t do anything now besides raise money for their next election run and cash their paychecks. Impeaching the president would give these poor lost souls a purpose in life; it’s going to require a lot of spadework, under-the-table payoffs, illegal wiretapping, etc. to come up with any justification at all for undertaking a project so serious — but at least it’s a serious undertaking. Even Congressmen deserve meaningful jobs!

Now, I know Congress has gotten a lot of mileage out of doing nothing. For example, by taking no action they have allowed the sequester to take effect, and that automatically cut funding for Head Start, Meals on Wheels, and a bunch of other programs Wall Street investors don’t need. And Congress didn’t have to lift a finger to do this! And, they are quick to note, the world still turns! The only ones who do care — those few million people who use these services, those few who care about them, and those who are and/or were employed in service to them — do not count. Let the bureaucrats go find honest work at Wal-Mart, or join the ranks of the rest of the lazy unemployed. Congress says good riddance.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, one-third of the workforce is unemployed or severely underemployed. Congress must think that’s about right. (“Maybe a little higher percentage wouldn’t hurt — let’s cut some more government workers. All in favor? It’s a vote.”) Our public infrastructure is deteriorating, but that’s okay too; our policies are helping China build their infrastructure. Consider our bloated trade deficit a form of neoliberal foreign aid. (I'm old enough to remember when we hated Communists!) Also, a severely-under-regulated Wall Street is playing its no-risk, high-reward games again, with levels of irresponsible speculation, deception, and financial shenanigans remindful of the last time everything blew up. But that’s okay, Wall Street is too big to fail — and if it does, we can get other people to pay, just like the last time! And even more people will lose their jobs! Perfect!

None of these circumstance seem like problems to Congress, so our elected representatives and their staffs sit around all day, filing their fingernails so they can faster dial for dollars. These people really, really need some busy work. Let’s face it, they would love to impeach somebody!

The charges are pretty weak though; a possibly “spun” diplomatic bulletin, undoubtedly the first time in the history of this country that’s ever happened; an IRS scandal that isn’t; oh, whatever. It’s hard to keep track when there’s so much the entire government should be impeached for:

• The execution and continuation of disastrous, unwinnable and criminal foreign wars.

• Our ever-expanding penchant for spying on American citizens and American allies.

• Diplomacy by drone warfare. (Oh sure, we’re just blowing up a bunch of foreigners. What’s the problem? That’s what America does.)

• The absolute refusal, by all parties, to do anything about escalating environmental depredations, ocean pollution, species extinction, climate change, etc., under the cover of not harming “growth.” (It’s going on 25 years too late for action, anyway! Party!)

Why stop at one travesty? Let’s impeach the president and the Congress and the Supreme Court. We could start all over. Government’s good for nothing anyway, right?

A former BN staffer, Mike Corrigan is considered by some to be an unimpeachable source.