Now that the election of 2008 is over and Democrats are busy reorganizing committees and assigning committee chairmanships as a result of larger majorities in both the House and Senate, it is time for voters to demand an accounting.

The Great Meltdown of the financial system has resulted in the destruction of trillions of dollars of equity in homes and retirement accounts.  For millions of Americans in or near retirement the damage is probably irreparable.  It wasn't until 1958 that the Dow Jones Industrial Average recovered to the level it peaked at just prior to the Crash of 1929.  If the performance of the DOW does no better than that, Americans with IRAs and 401Ks who are over the age of 35 will not likely break even before retirement.  Something caused this calamity.  It wasn't an act of God or Nature.  People in Congress made or avoided making decisions that enabled this disaster.  They must be held accountable.

If it is just that "Greedy Wall Street CEOs" lose their jobs for driving their companies into the ground (and it is), then it is equally just that the politicians who enabled and encouraged them also lose their jobs for driving the country into the ground.

Congress must appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate the roles of Congress and of Senators and Congressmen in the Great Meltdown and those found culpable must be removed from their positions of power.  That's what accountability means.  You don't get to participate in the destruction of the financial system of the entire World without paying some price.  Removal from a Congressional committee seems like a slap on the wrist for this kind of malfeasance.

This is not an appeal to overturn the results of elections.  If the voters want incompetent and corrupt politicians to represent their interests, then so be it.  But, retaining those same people on Committees and in Committee Chairmanships is every Americans business.  These people make the rules that affect all Americans.

If its time to get in the game then the question is how?

Of course, there are a lot of things an individual can do.  Voting for candidates that best represent my views, blogging, writing letters to the editior, promoting my views with relatives, friends and associates and so forth, are things I can do.  However, to have a chance of making any difference, I think involvment in a political party is necessary.

Its ironic to me that to preserve, promote and defend my individuality and individual rights, I find it necessary to join a group!

I'm joining the Republican Party.

Again, I'm forced to choose between the lesser of two evils.  But, the Republican Party claims conservativism and it does have a consevative bent.  The Republican Party is not perfect, but neither am I.