Democracy

I'll admit it: there were times when I wondered whether democracy was still possible in the United States. With the lies, dirty tricks, vote fraud, and all the other tools that are gleefully used by Republicans, I wondered if it was still possible to eliminate them at the ballot box.

And apparently it is.

Because there are Americans left in America, the Democrat Party (to use the perjorative as a positive) will assume control of the House of Representatives. As Tip O'Neill was fond of saying, it is the "people's house," a place where the people can be heard.

It has also been the home of the most extremist right wing legislators and legislation in the country's history for the past six years. That changes now.

And I hope new Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not too quick to restore the chamber to its bi-partisan traditions. The Repubs were the most heinous dictators as the majority party, and pushed through the most heinous and un-American legislation imaginable - with no debate. Let them work under the rules that they themselves imposed.

Let them watch from the sidelines as tyranny is undone and true American freedom is re-established. Let them watch while the Halliburtons and the Cheneys and the Rumsfelds and all their functionaries are subpoenaed and made to talk in from of Americans.

The Repub's only hope is to force recounts in Virginia and Montana, because those two wins will give the Senate to the good guys as well. As long as the vampiric spectre of Karl Rove can be kept far enough away.

This chamber is haunted by the ghosts of those who died needlessly and of the squandered opportunities for betterment both for the nation and the world.

They have a lot to answer for. Let them start now.