Gene Lyons is also looking for bipartisanship

But not to help Cheney and Bush do more damage: Majority will have its way by Gene Lyons Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 01/10/07.

Lyons is an optimist.  A hard-headed, cautious optimist.  But clearly an optimist.  Because he writes:

Congress, the pieces are in place for a struggle that could redefine American politics for a generation or longer. Personally, I’ve always opposed impeaching President Bush. After the Republicans’ ludicrous attempts to remove Bill Clinton, for Democrats to normalize the practice by appearing to retaliate in kind could only inflame partisanship, boosting TV and radio shout-fest ratings at the expense of weakening the Constitution. Although polls show slight majorities favoring impeachment, the votes just aren’t there. Even so, it's not hard to imagine how it could happen. Because to allow an arrogant, arguably delusional president and his shrinking band of ideologically driven aides to double-down in Iraq, gambling the "lives and sacred honor" of American soldiers to save face in a misbegotten war also would do incalculable harm to the idea of self-government.

Something tells me that the Big Pundits would say Lyons is being "uncivil".

But he is hoping for bipartisanship:

To remove Bush, however, Republicans would have to take the lead. As Bush is currently wrecking the GOP everywhere but the Deep South, chances may not be as remote as they seem. The cult of personality surrounding the White House has broken down. Last November, American voters delivered as clear a verdict on Iraq as an offyear electorate can possibly render. No Democratic incumbent lost anywhere. Yet Bush acts as if it never happened.  (my emphasis)

Actually, I think when discussing this subject, we should all talk about the idea of "removing Cheney and Bush".  Because removing Bush to put the Dark Lord in the Presidency would be, well, not a good idea.

Lyons has some more imminently quotable thoughts today:

The transformation of Saddam Hussein’s execution into a sectarian snuff film ought to teach Americans all they need to know about the government we’ve installed there [in Iraq].

Mere reality, however, has never made an impression on the Bush White House.

The president’s political support is melting like the polar ice cap.

Tags: bush, gene lyons, impeachment, iraq war