Beware the Ides of March

March 15, 44 B.C.; Julius Caesar is stabbed by his Senate. In their opinion, he had overstepped his bounds. When the Roman Empire's dictator abuses power, things must be out of control. What, then, of a president who states he would prefer to be a dictator, whose actions point in that direction, and whose failures are on a scale expected from such forms of consolidated, isolated power?

Obviously it would not be sensible, prudent, or wise for a senator or anyone else to murder the president of the United States. After all, we'd end up with Dick Cheney. America has mechanisms in place for the peaceful removal of Presidents who would (like to) be King: impeachment.

Chuck Hagel, a second term senator from Nebraska , said in an interview with Esquire Magazine that he believes the President appears to believe he is beyond reproach. "You can impeach him, and before this is over, you might see calls for his impeachment. I don't know. It depends how this goes." Hagel, a Republican, is a military man who has lately changed his course and broken with the president on the war. He called the recent troop buildup the worst mistake since Vietnam.

More important than rhetoric is action. Having served under Reagan for Veterans Administration and being a present member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Hagel is a military Republican who would be on Bush's side had the President continued to be even slightly adept, as seen in his own words; "...At a critical time like this, the President needs a strong hand, and to some extent, you've got to trust him, until he lies or screws up or something."

Six other Republican senators supported the non-binding resolution in February opposing the President's troop surge in Iraq. It seems at times Bush will turn around with a blank look in his eyes and say, "Et tu, Brute?" though Bush still stands nearly as tall as Pompey because, unlike 1998, the opposition party lacks the spine and gumption to move forward the process, regardless of the fact that this time impeachable offenses occurred.

Eight Democratic senators in the New Mexico state legislator joined Republicans in killing a measure that would have made a formal recommendation from the state to the federal Congress to begin impeachment proceedings. While such a resolution would have been tantamount to a "friend of the courts" letter, it could have at least given rise to courage in those cowardly D.C. Halls. Yet, would such courage be helpful or spectacle?

For argument's sake, let us assume America grew a moral compass and removed Bush and Cheney from their respective offices for blatant crimes against America, Iraq, Afghanistan, and humanity in general. Maybe along the lines of war crimes or general arrogance would do, but since it has to be legal, how about the Halliburton contracts, the war crimes in Iraq and Guantanamo, or the various un-American actions such as the Patriot Act.

After those two are gone, the presidential succession of power gives us – pause for applause and the ensuing blinkfest – Nancy Pelosi. I'm liberal as they come, and I think it is important that in the next twenty years America gets beyond its institutional prejudices to elect both a minority and also a female, but Nancy Pelosi by order of succession is not what any sensible person is looking for. If somehow Pelosi did not succeed, the next person in line would be Senator Byrd, a former Klansman. I like Byrd a decent amount, but his history just seems too eerie for my easy acceptance. Rounding out the top five are Condoleezza Rice, who is not exactly my vision for first female or minority, and the Secretary of the Treasury, Henry M. Paulson, Jr., whose name I just learned on Wikipedia.

This is the definition of the proverbial rock and a hard place. At the same time, it is the removal of a cat that wants to be a lion. Julius Caesar was dictator for only two years. Bush has only wanted to be dictator for all we know since December of 2000 (note that is before he entered office) when he said, "If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator."

On the bright side, regardless of the political poverty our line of succession points out, a dictator did not succeed Caesar.

Contact Kevin at: kevin.ressler@emu.edu