Why the Democrats Don't Really Want to End Bush's War Any More Than Bush Himself

America is in the midst of a crisis that is unprecedented in its history. Never before in the almost 220 years that America has had a President and a Congress has there ever been a situation such as we face now. Never before has a President who has lost the confidence of over 60% of the people and who is openly suspected of having committed impeachable offenses been afforded the luxury of freedom from Congressional oversight and investigation when that Congress has been in the power of the opposing political party. Recent history, in fact, reveals a striking pattern of rabid Congressional use of their powers to investigate the President both when it is deserved-Richard Nixon-and when it is motivated purely for political reasons-Bill Clinton. Even Ronald Reagan was targeted for investigation by Congress despite the fact that he never lost the confidence of Americans.

There has always existed a natural antagonism between the legislative and executive branches of government based on a long history of ebbing and flowing over which branch has more influence. Hard as it is comprehend in these days when the President is treated with all the pomp and circumstance of a monarch, the shocking truth of American history that most people don't realize is that for most of our existence there have been extended periods of time when the course of this nation's trajectory was not set by the President, but by Congress. For almost the entire last half of the 19^th century it was Congress and not the President that was viewed as the center of power in the American government. What has been forgotten amidst the 100 Secret Service bodyguards, and the limousines, and the pageantry is that, according to the Constitution, the President has no more power than Congress.