The Great American Purge

1-09-06 by Michael Tivana

Purge: to free from impurities; purify; to rid a nation of people considered undesirable; to cause evacuation of the bowels

America is a country of laws that provide protection of the system. Checks and balances are built in to guarantee the discovery and elimination of corruption and abuse of power. Over the course of the last 5 years people in the know about American politics have wondered when the checks would come and where they would be levied. Now the when and where are becoming clear and the discovery will be shocking and illuminating.

Get ready America for a whole new government and a whole new world; the scandalous years of the Bush administration and their Republican cronies are almost over. There will be reforms in our government to match the dreams of the peace and justice movement. I predict an end to the era of government for, by, and of the transnational corporations and a new beginning for Americans and the people of the world.

For the skeptics let me spell it out.

While Bush was spying on America, the FBI has been spying on Congress. Late breaking news claims that Duke Cunningham, a former San Diego congressman who has pled guilty to bribery and other illegal activities, was wearing a wire for the FBI during the summer and fall of 2005. He was talking to his congressional friends and now over eighty members of congress and their staff are being investigated. Why, because they, along with several lobbyists, are suspected of being involved in political kickbacks, bribes, and political favors. The classic crime of exchanging money for power is at the center of an elaborate web that has the smell of a huge scandal. Cunningham was on the intelligence committee and he cut deals with many in congress for many years. Now that Cunningham has taken his turn at exposing the corruption by getting it all on tape the overall purge grows from 12 congressional leaders to over 80. This may be the greatest purge of Congress in our history. (http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1146700,00.html)

To gain perspective on what is going on we must refer to the days of Watergate. The battle for power of our country was on. Salvos into the hearts and minds of the American public were being launched to win the hearts, minds, and opinions of the American public. The ultimate measure of who would be left standing at the end depended on public opinion. The NO CONFIDENCE in Nixon’s presidency was ultimately what brought him down and it will also be the demise of Bush.

The defenders of our country in 1973 cast a wide net, taking out the Nixon cabinet and VP Agnew before Nixon was found guilty. BUT the net was not cast wide enough and this allowed for a Republican Senator to become president. The first thing Ford did was PARDON Nixon. America will not let this blunder happen twice. This time it is looking different. The net is being cast wider to cover the entire congress, lobbyists, and supporting non-profit money laundering organizations and beyond. In brief, it looks like a purge of our entire system is underway. With the support of the public it will be successful and America will have her country back. And oh how we will cherish and then embrace the disillusionment of the Bush supporters.

The low hanging fruit are the lobbying actions of already confessed Jack Abramoff. While Jack was busy spinning a scandalous web of contributing money to both Republicans and Democrats in exchange legislative favors, the FBI was monitoring the web of unethical criminal behavior. Gotcha time came when Mr. A was rounded up and given a plea bargain. Now the roundup continues to broaden.

The Abramoff story involves evangelical preachers, the Interior Department, lobbyists, lobbying firms, charities, congressmen, Senators, and their staff. In 2006 we shall see how far this rabbit hole goes, will it take down the president? If things keep unraveling the way they appear to be now, those in the anti-Bush movement will be having indictment street parties all summer long.

On the HOT seat:

Rep. Rob Ney (R) Ohio (Representative #1 who accepted financial favors from Abramoff)

Ralph Reed (first executive director of the Christian Coalition, Reed secretly accepted payments from Abramoff to lobby against Indian casino gambling in states that competed with Abramoff’s tribal clients, at the same time Reed was lobbying congress to allow Internet gambling)

Rev. Louis Sheldon (helped Reed lobby congress to defeat an anti-gambling bill)

David Safavian (worked in the White House until he was arrested Sept. 19, 2005, for allegedly lying to investigators in the probe of the lobbyist's activities)

Steven Griles from the Dep’t of the Interior (Griles advised Abramoff how to get members of Congress to pressure the department into allowing casino gambling)

Sen. Conrad Burns (R) Montana (pressured the Bureau of Indian Affairs to award a $3 million grant to the Saginaw Chippewas of Michigan, On Dec. 17, 2005, the senator returned $150,000 in contributions he received from Abramoff)

Rep. Tom Delay (R) Texas (DeLay once called Abramoff, one of my closest and dearest friends)

Michael Scanlon, former press secretary for Tom Delay, pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe a congressman

Duke Cunningham (R) San Deigo, – plea bargained with the FBI to tape talks with members of congress and pleaded guilty to bribery charges involving fat defense contracts. He resigned on Nov. 28, 2005

The Abramoff, Cunningham stories are enhanced by the special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald as he closes in on the big boys Cheney and Bush. His next round of indictments are forthcoming and promise to make Watergate look like a warm up act. We are talking high crimes and treason here as the calls for impeachment are gaining strength in Congress. Now when we watch Bush squirm we have to ask, is Bush wiggling off the hook or onto the hook? That question can only be answered by public opinion. Does the American public believe the pro-Bush propaganda to save his skin or do they believe he must be removed from power to save the country?