On this first day of 2008, while some are making resolutions, Scott Horton at Harper's has a resolution that should serve us all. 

"So let’s put one resolution at the top of our list: Not another step! We will not abide one more step in the destruction of our civil liberties. We will defy the forces of tyranny that are vandalizing our Constitution and traditions. We will guard the Founders’ vision. In 2008, the time is here to give expression to values we want to retain, or see them vanish forever. It starts with remembering what we have lost. It continues with thought, word, action and vote." 

Horton's reference to what we have lost is in yesterday's editorial in the New York Times, a stinging indictment of George W. Bush and his administration.   It would have been better had the paper editorialized on the reality of this dangerous presidency, say in 2003, but the NYTimes chose to ignore its duty as a member of the Fourth Estate and became one of King George's cheerleaders and flunkies, instead.

Americans can find a list of George W. Bush and his Bushites' reprehensible crimes and scandals at Hugh's List.  The list is at #293 and counting.   TPMmuckraker has a list of scandal ridden Bush administration officials who have been accused, indicted, convicted, resigned in the face of scandal, or still under investigation.

Both these lists serve as a record and reminder to all, before they can consigned to the black hole of cover up and denial by Republicans and enabling Democrats. 

Robert Parry at Consortium News writes in his illuminating article, "Hillary Signals Free Pass For Bush" about President Bill Clinton calling a halt to ongoing investigations of Republican officials including George H.W. Bush as his right alone, rather than allowing those formal inquiries to continue in the name of the people, "something that belonged to the American people and had intrinsic value to the democratic process."

Clinton enabled a cover-up of the crimes and scandals of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, "With George H.W. Bush’s dubious public record whitewashed, the door was opened to the restoration of the Bush Dynasty. If the full truth had been known about former President Bush, it’s hard to conceive how George W. Bush ever could have become President."

Bill Clinton wanted to shake off any populism that remained from his first campaign and exchange it for membership in the elite, trampling-on-the-Constitution-we-know-better-than-the-masses, club which included George H.W. Bush.

Democratic leaders, so called, in the U.S. House of Representatives should serve the people by acknowledging the will of the people, not their own personal political interests, and not repeat Bill Clinton's egregious error regarding the rights of the American people and the democratic process. 

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, et al. should heed U.S. Representative Robert Wexler (D-FL) who wrote, "...there are those that suggest that there is too little time to conduct hearings.  This is a dangerous idea, as it signals to future presidents that after the third year of their term, they're effectively immune from from serious inquiry.  No President or Vice President should have such immunity.  The Constitution does not include a statute of limitations." (Underline added)