I can dream, can't I?

Let's assume, since I've just sucked down a half-dozen bong hits, that we have a Democratic President and a simple Democratic majority in congress the 2008 elections. (Sadly, a two thirds majority would go beyond mere wishful thinking into the realm of insane delusion.) It's possible: the Republicans have recently made enough really egregious mistakes that the non-stop McCain media fellatio in the coming months might not be enough to elect a Republican government.

And lets further assume that the Democratic party is really interested in restoring democracy, the Constitution and the rule of law, not to mention common sense and a genuine concern for the well-being of the citizenry (I know, far-fetched, but remember those bong hits.)

It would be a mistake to try to simply argue the case in the court of public opinion. The commercial media, which still controls the discourse, will be completely and totally against such an effort. In the face of a hostile media, the "bully pulpit" of the presidency and $1.35 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. It would also be a mistake to try to "fight fire with fire": The Republicans have far more practice at lies and bullshit; the Democrats are amateurs.

Don't screw around with Congressional investigations: that's what sunk the response to the Iran-Contra scandal. Congressional investigations are theater, and the critics are all in the pay of the opposition.

The only hope is to employ the nondemocratic power of the executive, which means the law enforcement apparatus.

Fire the Bush apparatchiks en masse from the Justice Department, and ignore the outcry. Don't be defensive, don't play the game, keep to, "I'm the President, I'll appoint whoever I damn well please." Invoke the most draconian party discipline to confirm a tough Attorney General in the Senate: Vote against the President's AG you'll be busted to envelope licker.

Use the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute actual crimes committed by members of the Bush administration, the Republican party and the commercial media. Freedom of the press will probably protect the media, but we can throw a scare into those who have negligently and perhaps maliciously furthered right-wing lies and propaganda.

And do it right: Use civilized, legal police powers, fair trials, and impartial judges. Be tough, stay the course, don't worry that the media is portraying you unfairly and negatively. You need convince only the jury, not the whole nation. And don't wimp out on the charges. If you can prove capital treason, indict. If you can prove crimes against humanity, give The Hague a call.

Once criminal prosecutions have run their course, the Democratic party will be in a much stronger position to effect more substantive changes. The first will have to be wresting the media from the control of monopolistic capitalism: The news is too important to be left to the rich.

The founders gave the government nondemocratic power precisely to counterbalance mob rule. If we don't employ these powers now, mob rule will sweep away the world's first exemplar of democracy and turn the United States into a theocratic tyranny.