Sure, it’s a symbolic gesture, but I think it’s not totally meaningless: The Vermont Senate yesterday voted to call for the impeachment of the President. VT’s US Congressional delegation (Welch, Leahy and Sanders) demurred:
“Before we talk about impeachment, it is imperative that these investigations be allowed to run their course, and we should then follow wherever the facts lead,” the delegation said.
Here are two questions for our community here:
1. Totally apart from political considerations, just on the merits: Does President Bush (and/or Cheney) deserve to be impeached? Has he committed “high crimes and misdemeanors” — not just, say, grave executive malpractice?
2. In the real world, is it worth it to try to impeach him? Is it a waste of time? A necessary assertion of the rule of law?
It is never a waste of time to defend the Constitution and our Founding Fathers would cringe if they knew that our Congressional leaders would fail to uphold the law for political reasons. I am not calling for Bush’s impeachment, but I certainly feel that if Clinton could be impeached for a minor criminal offense than certainly there should be a ton of investigations into this administrations excess of power, the manipulation of pre-war intelligence and information, and the catastrophic response to Katrina. Whether these lead to impeachment proceedings against any members of the administration even the President himself, or even if these exonerate officials we on the left love to villianize, I dont care the Constitution must be upheld.
Question # 1: Yes. As the light of day falls on every act of this administration we find they have been severely ethically challenged. The list of “high crimes” is endless.
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Question # 2: I do not apologize for this statement at all. If I commit a fraud, or a crime of any kind, I know and expect that I could be accused, tried, and possibly convicted of such in a court of law and must therefore suffer the consequences of my actions. NO ONE in our country is above the law. No one. Not even “the decider” and his trusty sidekicks.
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There are really three events happening this coming week . . . all regarding Impeachment.
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The Vermont effort is supposed to ratchet up several notches and could be finalized by week’s end. Efforts are under way to bring the bill to the floor in the House, where it is sure to pass.
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The second is that Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has announced he will be filing Articles of Impeachment against VP Cheney on Wednesday. (He wanted to do this earlier, but delayed the filing due to the horrendous deaths at Virginia Tech.)
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And the third is a nationwide demonstration for Saturday calling for Impeachment.
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Could be a very, very interesting week, folks.
For impeachment to go forward, after 5 – 7 years of whingeing about it, what is needed is a single US Senator to co-sign the motion made in the House. Leahy and Sanders have now signalled their unwillingness to do so.
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Here is Mass., while making much noise, Kennedy and Kerry have done the same.
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Indeed, why impeach, when you can have wailing, moaning, sturm und drang, instead?
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The fact there are no legal grounds shouldn’t trouble the Democrats. Excapt, of course, too many of them are on record as having been briefed, read, and believed the same intelligence that is allegedly the ‘lie’. So they never wil put theor money where their mouth is – they will roil and wail instead.
Thank you for this post, Charley . I have been screaming at my television for 5 years now. I wish Massachusetts would do it. I how there are some impromptu calls for impeachment going on here (in MA), rallies I think!
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1.) To put it simply about impeachment:
What has happened over the last 5 years is soooo much more than a “stain on a blue dress”! And “When Clinton lied, NOBODY died”! What is the total of lives lost? I lost count at 3300. There should never have been one.
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It wasn’t too much for the Republicans to do it to Clinton!
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WE invaded their country! We virtually have destroyed their infrastructure! And more of our tax money will go to repair it. It may never be repaired, if current problems prevail.
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2.) Of course the President knew about anything & everything.
My theory has always been, that Bush invaded Iraq to avenge what had happened to Bush 41 years earlier! He knew there were no WMD’s. He just wanted Hussein! And also the fastest way to IRAN, is through Iraq!
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Karl Rove, doesn’t sneeze without the President knowing about it. Neither does Gonzalez, who by the way, I want to get because HE’S responsible for Enforcing the CIVIL RIGHTS ACT that rules my life, personally (the A.D.A.)!
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Those that have already were expendable, loyalty is one thing. But falling on your sword to keep distance away from the obvious, to everyone in America, but them?
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I am not sure if next month there will be enough of my
$750 /mo.disability income to pay the basic bills and food and medicine. And now they tell us they may cut disability benefits and Medicare for US, so it can go to Baghdad? You bet it’s worth it for me. And probably most of the 56 million other disabled in this country.
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I think that tells you where I’ve been on this for 5 years.
And that smoking gun is best supplied by someone who was once very close to Bush. Rumsfeld got the boot, Alberto probably will, and Wolfowitz as well. Those are three prime suspects to start asking if they have any information they want to relate about their former boss. Personally, I say if they put the screws on Alberto (i.e. threat of conviction) he will talk. Otherwise, just keep taking out more figures in the administration.
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The strategy is spelled out in “All The Kings Men” (I’m referring to the movie). Never go for the big fish first; start with the little fish and move up the chain.