I’ve admitted before that when Reid and Pelosi said that they wouldn’t be chasing impeachment, I wasn’t too concerned. I was high from the Democratic victory in November and had not yet realized that sweet victory was soon to become a massive exercise in numbers management.
Democrats have the majority in both the House and the Senate, but, those majorities are near meaningless in the House and completely meaningless in the Senate. In the House, Democrats are unable to drum up a veto – proof majority on important legislation and in the Senate; Democrats are in a tie, with one Senator in a coma, and unable to garner the 60 needed votes to get stuff done.
Therefore, the President is still doing whatever the hell he wants to (with Cheney pulling the strings).
With all that in mind, as I watched the Democrats pass modified versions of the 100 Hours legislation, I started thinking that maybe impeachment wasn’t a bad idea. I kicked the idea around, hesitant because of the lesson of violent backlash the GOP suffered from the Clinton impeachment, and knowing that Democrats were vulnerable.
Then I saw the Hannity / Anderson “debate,” I was horrified to realize that a high percentage of Americans are in the advanced stages of voluntarily enacted mental retardation. Hannity spent his time insulting half of the audience and talking in bumper stickers. Anderson gave a well researched and, for the most part, logically delivered case. A case, if you will, that could be presented in court, as compared to Hannity’s “case” which you could only present on the back of a giant 4×4 SUV or Ford 350.
So, with Congressional approval ratings in the tank because they havn’t done anything to halt the Administration’s lawless rampaging and a President operating with derisive and condescending premeditation in violating the law, I think we’re screwed and that there is only one way to fix it.
Impeachment.
For my right wing friends that shit themselves in anger every time they hear the word “impeachment” I know I can’t change your mind, but, do me a favor: Watch the presentation with an open mind and consider the argument. I know it won’t make you support impeachment, but, it’s good food for thought.
At the very least, maybe you’ll get to the point where you can all apologize for impeaching Clinton for having consensual relations with a chubby intern. You know, when weighed in the balance with this:
Let me start out by saying that nothing would make me happier than to see Bush impeached. However, to partly play the devil’s advocate here…
Clinton’s impeachment (which did not remove him from office because the Senate pussied out on that) was for perjuring himself in front of a grand jury. Now, arguably, that was a minor offense compared to Bush’s flagrant violations of the Constitution, but it was an indisputable offense. When I listened to the congressional debate at that time, the Democrat members tried to make it about consensual sex, while the Republicans, happy that they caught him at something, continued to point out that he was being impeached for perjury, not for having sex with his intern (though a few did throw in their worthless opinions on that). Essentially, to the GOP, this was tantamount to catching Al Capone on tax evasion.
Bush, on the other-hand, is a tougher case. His violations of the Constitution are also clear, however, he skirted that issue by sending down bills that Congress rubber-stamped, which gave him broader executive powers and gives him permission to do what he’s doing. So is he in violation of the law, which law? Additionally, that same congress who would have to impeach him is culpable of passing those bills.
Essentially, to get Bush impeached, Congress would have to first overturn the bills and acts that gave him the power to do those things, get the Supreme Court to declare his actions unconstitutional, and then start the impeachment process. And when pigs fly…
This is part of the insidiousness of the Bush regime, and is also a worry, as those bills that excuse him don’t necessarily expire when he leaves office. The next president and congress would have to overturn those bills… which candidates are the most likely to do that, and which are most likely to keep everything as it is? Yes, that smacks of conspiracy theory, but is it far-fetched?
Don’t get me wrong, I certainly understand the “technical aspects” of Clinton’s impeachment, but, if you ask a Republican why he was impeached, they always spit “Lewinsky.”
Clinton got impeached after several years and tens of millions of dollars took a bullshit case of real estate fraud (proved unfounded) led Republicans on goose chase after goose chase until they finally found an embarrassed man not wanted to admit that he’d done something dumb and then lied about it.
On the other hand, with Bush, the current problems lie with attack after attack on the constitution because Republicans are a bunch of chickenshit, terrified, chickenhawk, chicken littles.
What is the purpose of terrorism? To undermine out society. They’ve done it in spades and the Republicans have been complicit in it.
America IS because of our Constitution, our Bill of Rights and our Judicial System. Bush and the gang have blissfully, and with premeditation, cast aside the very foundation of what America stands for, our definition and our course through history.
And how did they do it? With Fear. And why did they do it? Because they’re afraid. Frightened people do stupid things for stupid reasons all the while wrapped in a self aggrandizing, self important and false righteous mantle of patriotism.
Impeachment, or charges of simple treason, just don’t seem too far to go for me anymore. In fact, I’m beginning to think they may be the only things that can save the American experiment.
Amen, Brutha!
What I was trying to say isn’t that we shouldn’t impeach him, I’m just pointing out that unlike Clinton, Bush can argue that anything he has done has been done with Congress’ approval. Therefore, it’s harder to levy impeachment charges against him. Not saying they shouldn’t be levied, not saying he shouldn’t be held accountable for war crimes, what I’m saying is, it’s harder.
Reboot Washington DC, and maybe it will be easier.
Yeas, but, you didn’t call him names or use any swear words, so I find your whole post invalid. 🙂