Common Cause continues its efforts to hold power accountable.
Abuse of Power: Forging the Path to Recovery
Common Cause hosted a distinguished panel on June 10 to discuss the widespread abuse of power engaged in by the current Administration. The Administration has disregarded the rule of law through over-broad assertions of executive power, abuse of signing statements, and policies that arguably flout the Constitution regarding interrogation, detention, and intelligence gathering. The Congress has repeatedly failed to perform its constitutionally mandated oversight duties in each of these areas.
The panelists were charged with examining these disturbing trends and with considering how best to restore the constitutional constraints that have served our country well since its inception.
Last weekend was the 5th annual Fighting Bob Fest in Wisconsin, and this year's theme was "Holding Them Accountable." (If you don't know the story of Fighting Bob LaFollette, take a minute to read this.)
I wasn't at the event, but I did read a great speech given by Mike McCabe, who heads up the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.
Mike says:
Holding them accountable also means spelling out what we're holding them accountable for. We need to list our demands....
I start by wishing for things that are fundamental but which we cannot take for granted. If we ever thought we could before, we sure know better now.
...I wish for peace. I wish for justice. I wish for democracy. I wish for an end to privilege. ...I wish [politicians] would realize the difference between doing what's legal and doing what's right. ...I wish concern for the common good wasn't so uncommon. ... I wish we'd all see how wrong it is to make it easier for government to watch citizens and harder for citizens to watch the government. ...I wish free speech wasn't so blasted expensive.
Mike goes on to invite us to add to his list of wishes. Here are a couple of mine. I wish the news media would give us less of what they think we need, and more of what we actually need. I wish politics was less about choosing sides and more about finding middle ground solutions.
What do you wish for?
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