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Democrats in Washington Want To Keep Impeachment Off The Table
WASHINGTON - The push to impeach President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney is gaining a hearing in some parts of the country, but not in Washington.
More than 70 cities and 14 state Democratic parties have urged impeachment or investigations that could lead to impeachment. The most common charge is that Bush manipulated intelligence to lead the country into the Iraq war. Other charges include spying on Americans and torturing suspected terrorists in violation of U.S. and international law.
Most recently, the Massachusetts Democratic Party voted to push impeachment of both men. The 2,500 state convention delegates voted almost unanimously against Cheney; the vote against Bush was closer.
Massachusetts' Democratic Party thus joined 13 others on the investigate-or-impeach bandwagon, including: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
Among the cities and towns, the largest and most recent is Detroit, where the city council voted 7-0 this month to urge Congress to impeach Bush and Cheney for "intentionally misleading Congress and the public regarding the threat from Iraq in order to justify the war."
"There's a lot growing in support," said Tim Carpenter, the director of the liberal group Progressive Democrats of America. "Whether Congress will respond, that's another question."
Indeed. The Democrats who run Congress have no interest in impeaching Bush or Cheney, despite pressure from their party's base outside the Beltway.
It's noteworthy that impeachment pressure is coming from the home states of the two Democratic leaders in Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
Pelosi said last year that impeachment "is off the table." Under the Constitution, the House impeaches; the Senate then decides whether to convict and remove from office.
It's also interesting that one of the resolutions came from Detroit, home to Rep. John Conyers, who as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee would lead any impeachment hearings.
The Detroit resolution was co-authored by Monica Conyers, the congressman's wife. But she hasn't had any noticeable clout at home: Conyers said last year that he wasn't interested in impeachment - just oversight investigations - and he hasn't changed his stand.
There are both policy and political reasons that Democratic leaders are risking the anger of their base.
One is that some don't see an impeachable offense in what Bush has done, what the Constitution calls "high crimes and misdemeanors." They might find such evidence in any of the many congressional investigations, but they haven't yet.
Another is that they fear a political backlash from voters similar to the one that punished Republicans after they impeached Bill Clinton. One factor on the side of the pro-impeachment crowd: Clinton was much more popular than Bush.
The third is that they're eager to keep Bush and Cheney around as punching bags for Democratic candidates in the 2008 campaign.
"The political lens they're looking through is the 2008 election," Carpenter said. "They want to see Bush and Cheney dangling so the election is a referendum on them. That is not the correct lens."
To him, the right lens is the last election, when voters threw the Republicans out of power in Congress. Those people, he said, now want Bush and Cheney out.
"There is a groundswell here," Carpenter said. "Pelosi says it's off the table. It's our role to put it on the table."
© 2007 McClatchy Newspapers
126 Comments so far
Show Allsioux rose-thanks for your post it was very informative. same for many more here.
No incumbent votes, end the two-party corporate bought system, take over the Democratic Party, leave the Democratic Party, blah, blah. Until it's broken beyond all ability to be endured it's going to carry on. Why? Because this was all predictable and nobody cared to talk or even think about it until it has become a seemingly obvious problem. Yet even now, as obvious as it is, the critical mass for sweeping revolutionary change just isn't there. You can't work within the system, playing by the rules 'they' created to beat them at their own game. We are sheep, ineffective and easily manipulated by a manking structure. Siouxrose is on the right track, but it is much deeper and reaches much further. There are many basic presumptions of our inner humanity, of social structure and order, of morality and mores that govern how we act and behave, instilled in us generation after generation with little or no contemplation for where they came from, who they serve, how well they serve us, or where they can take us. These involve the nature of our individuality and principles of spirituality, the meaning of life and congruent social structures, the purpose and administration of government, the intent and spirit of law versus the letter and strict interpretation of it, the essential character of interpersonal relationships and the legal institution of marriage, the history and nature of money and banking, creativity and free enterprise versus profiteering, usury, and power, educational methodology, etc. In each of these, and more, we presume to fix them in accordance to what we think we know from the past rather than by what they will provide us in the future. We are, as a people, so easily bamboozled because our future vision is blinded. We are led down false paths because we are dazzled. And we submit our will because we fear, as Mandela said, our own light and power. So shepard on our flock oh great mankings!
Impeach for justice... What good are all those cowboy movies without the pursuit of justice now... Impeach for justice: Eat a Peach for Peace
The Democrats want to keep the American People off the table. Corporations only need apply.
With the May 9th Executive Order signed by Bush this year, any national emergency real, fabricated or engineered will give Bush complete control of the entire government unless a significant number of the military refuse to take orders.
Its a weird mathmatics indeed when
1933 = 2000
This is a high tech dark age people.
I warned people at my church recently that my greatest worry was that if or when Al Qaeda attacked us here again, Bush would declare martial law, and so would end what freedoms we still have left. The May 9th Executive Order is the set-up to the inevitable final constitutional crisis.
It seems to me if we all voted for a 3rd party we'd be back to the 2000 elections. Vote for the Dems but hold their feet to the fire when they have the majority in both houses and the oval office. The repugs will completely destroy the constitution if we do not vote for the Democratic party on 08...it is our LAST BEST chance to change everything.
Here's a scenario for you...the dems screw up the next election, Fred Thompson or Rudey gets elected -- then the GOP reverses all BUSH's criminal actions and gives us a VERY conservative government while the the idiots in the country who don't pay attention THINK the country has been SAVED. We'll be stuck with a revitilized GOP for decades...and be in this mess for the rest of our lives....
We MUST insure the next election that every office up for grabs goes democratic. If votes are stolen, it will be way past time to get our collective asses out on the streets.
First, congressional investigations have to be held, expose the crimes of Bush and Cheney and their ilk, THEN file for impeachement when facts are available and unavoidable for the people to see. Then try, convict, detain, imprison at the very least. To repeat some others here: this is NOT a game. Politicians have to be careful. There is a crime "family" running this country, do you want to remove them from power without protection?
I have no doubt that al queda wants to attack us before Bush leaves office. If that happens hold onto your hat. It will take a coup to get them out of office.
i sent my rep and senators a why did you do it email. this is what rep. john dingell said:
Washington, DC - Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) released the following statement in support of the Iraq funding bill:
"I voted in favor of the Supplemental Appropriations bill today, not because it was perfect, nor that I agree with the President's Iraq policy. I voted for it because it will provide our soldiers, who are serving in some of the most horrible circumstances, with the equipment and supplies they need to keep safe and to come home. Let me be perfectly clear, this bill is much weaker than I would like it to be on holding the Administration accountable. I voted for three different bills in the last six weeks that would have been much better in my eyes; one would have begun withdrawing the troops almost immediately. But unfortunately, we do not have the votes necessary to override the President's veto.
"If we continue to have bills vetoed, and Congress defaults on passing a bill the President can sign, then the President would likely use his powers as Commander in Chief to fund the war without constraints, without standards, and without meaningful oversight. We cannot let that happen. Passing nothing, or voting against this stripped down bill, would literally mean a blank check for President Bush. At the very least, this bill begins the process of reining in the free hand of President Bush and providing benchmarks for the Iraqi government."
i don't know why they couldn't pass a better bill, but i already gave them all heck for it. as for impeachment, we cannot have peace until we get the criminal usurpers bush and cheney out of office. the impeachment panel last night was at central methodist church, which is overshadowed by detroit's baseball stadium. we should have had the stadium full of people ready to do whatever we have to do to get bush and cheney impeached.
one thing that was said last night was that we must drive home the notion that bush and cheney are criminals. if my cousins and my brothers thought criminal every time they thought bush or cheney, they would not be so reluctant to consider the possibility that we could survive under a different president. hammer it home the same way the media jumped on clinton and everything he did in his whole life.
The only choice between two corporate parties is fascism.
Iolellity claims the Democrats support free health care and free education. Since WHEN? Even Edwards' plan protects the insurance industry which Dennis Kucinich exposed in the first debate. Ever since 1980 it hasn't mattered whether the Dems or Repubs controlled Congress or the Presidency, health care and education costs have shifted to the consumers with skyrocketing costs putting both out of reach (and not by accident - the corporations aren't at all interested in an informed educated voting public) while economic policies such as NAFTA and GATT have been destroying the middle class.
And I can understand Iolellity's concerns on social issues. I share those, but the Dems aren't exactly rushing to protect those freedoms (Alito and Roberts anyone?). While the Republicans are stealing us blind, the Democrats are perfecting the art of looking busy while acomplishing nothing.
I just read excerpts from Thom Hartmann's new book "SCREWED: The Undelcared War Against the Middle Class" ( http://www.mythical.net/screwed/excerpts.htm ) and Thomas Jefferson studied Iroquois societies for his democracy model. The real leaders, by the way, were the women. But, there were no rulers. Decisions were consensus based. And he saw that created a strong "middle class" and wanted that for us. It's a fascinating read.
Every time people vote for the leser of two evils, the situation gets more and more desperate. And now we're wondering if Bush is going to turn the US into a dictatorship with his executive order. Why else would he write it? What amazes me is that he didn't keep it a secret. What's next? We need to refuse to play their game, take our pain and create change. We can start by refusing to vote for the lesser of two evils. Pull the rug out from under those Democrats who have taken over the Party and betrayed us.
And by the way, Bush is doing everything in his power to provoke another Al Qaada attack. Or a devastating war with Iran. Either will do.
Naturally, Democrats want to keep impeachment off the table.
They also want to keep withdrawl from the conquest of Iraq off the table.
They're in on the scam.
The evidence is overwhelming.
To Funky P:
See Dave Lindorff's recent CounterPunch article at http://www.counterpunch.org/lindorff04032007.html
He says, "If Democrats will not impeach this president, if they in fact actively undermine attempts to express the popular will of the party's grassroots membership, I quit.
"I'm giving my party notice. Effective immediately, I'm going to my local voter registrar's office and changing my registration to Green Party, and I won't be back to vote for Democrats until they take a stand of principle and begin impeachment hearings to remove President George W. Bush from Office. I will be sending word of my resignation to the Democratic National Committee, and to Speaker Pelosi.
"I urge every Democrat who cares about the future of the country and the survival of the Constitution to join me. It doesn't matter whether you join the Greens, the Socialists, the Populists, or just go unaffiliated. What matters is that you quit the Democratic Party."
He closes with:
"If you do decide to quit, and to notify party leaders of your decision, please also send me an email with just "I quit" in the subject line (no messages please!) at: I_Quit_This_Party@yahoo.com
"I'll be publishing the results at my site, www.thiscantbehappening.net, on a weekly basis, and if the numbers get large enough, I'll be going to the mainstream press and the DNC with them."
A similar idea is expressed by the folks at http://switch2green.org who state that "If 50,000 voters switched to Green registration tomorrow, there would be a "No to escalation" vote in Congress in a week, and Impeachment would be back on the table in two!"
Didn't mean to keep repeating myself, I kept getting WordPress errors each time I tried to submit my post. They finally caught up to me. In spades.
Iolellity claims the Democrats support free health care and free education. Since WHEN? Even Edwards' plan protects the insurance industry which Dennis Kucinich exposed in the first debate. Ever since 1980 it hasn't mattered whether the Dems or Repubs controlled Congress or the Presidency, health care and education costs have shifted to the consumers with skyrocketing costs putting both out of reach (and not by accident - the corporations aren't at all interested in an informed educated voting public) while economic policies such as NAFTA and GATT have been destroying the middle class.
And I can understand Iolellity's concerns on social issues. I share those, but the Dems aren't exactly rushing to protect those freedoms (Alito and Roberts anyone?). While the Republicans are stealing us blind, the Democrats are perfecting the art of looking busy while acomplishing nothing.
I just read excerpts from Thom Hartmann's new book "SCREWED: The Undelcared War Against the Middle Class" ( http://www.mythical.net/screwed/excerpts.htm ) and Thomas Jefferson studied Iroquois societies for his democracy model. The real leaders, by the way, were the women. But, there were no rulers. Decisions were consensus based. And he saw that created a strong "middle class" and wanted that for us. It's a fascinating read.
Every time people vote for the lesser of two evils, the situation gets more and more desperate. And now we're wondering if Bush is going to turn the US into a dictatorship with his executive order. Why else would he write it? What amazes me is that he didn't keep it a secret. What's next? We need to refuse to play their game, take our pain and create change. We can start by refusing to vote for the lesser of two evils. Pull the rug out from under those Democrats who have taken over the Party and betrayed us.
And by the way, Bush is doing everything in his power to provoke another Al Qaida attack. Or a devastating war with Iran. Either will do.
I'm mad as hell too; but for all you people wanting to bring in a third party or vote against the Democrats, I say the only chance is to get the Democrats into both houses and the Presidency, join the World Court, and try the whole rat pack of the Bush administration for war crimes. Then after that, when we have an honest AG (compare Janet Reno with Gonzogate), try them again for treason. Re-electing Republicans would be lunacy. We really don't have another chance to save America. The People's Republic of China already own us; we're just too lulled by the media into unawareness. And remember Ross Perot. A Green Party won't succeed. It will divide Liberals and give the Republicans another victory. Do we really want that!
Let's get those voting machines fixed so they're tamper proof. It's a simple matter of printing receipt forms with consecutive numbers so each voter can look up his/her vote to ensure it was cast the way he/she voted. Provide a "right to alter" if the vote cast doesn't match the receipt. This isn't rocket science, people.
Let's get a law that says the states are required to distribute voting macines in proportion to the population served.
I am sure glad the Democrats got control of the House and Senate. Let's see. They couldn't pass a bill to allow cheap imports of medication from Canada because they "couldnt gaurantee the purity of these medications." Right. Canadians are dropping dead in droves because their phamaceutical companies can't figure out how to make Lasix and Digoxin. Of course, they also ignore the financial rape of American citizens by the pharmaceuticals. They have ignored very impeachible offenses such as obstructing justice by firing federal prosecutors who wouldn't go after Democrats, the outing of a CIA operative, and lying us into an uneccessary war that has been and expensive and bloddy catastrophe. THey haven't uttered a peep about the "decider' appointing himself dictator should we have another catastrophe, (wanna bet something happens in say..September '08?) have been mute on passage of trade bills that will further siphon off jobs and send them to Mexico or Taiwan and are hot to trot to grant fast track authority to der Preznit, seem to not mind that our southern borders are awash with illegal immigrants, seem not to mind that these illegal immigrants are depressing wages and benefits for Americans and don't mind at all that by granting these people amnesty that it is a signal to everyone waiting patiently to get here legally that the smart way to get here is just slog across the Rio Grande, lay low and in a few years all will be forgiven. Sure! they will go back home in two years when their visas are up. And OF COURSE no more illegals will wade across the Rio Grande in the mean time. So why bother fixing the border and getting the machinery in place to enforce the expectation that they leave in two years? I'll tell ya why. The corporation that have bought the Democratic Party WANT the illegals here, and they want more of em to come so wages and benefits can be kept low. So, neither the Dems or Reps have any intention of enforcing the border or work visa regulations. And they are sure doing a bang up job proposing a way to develop an Apollo type program to wean us off foreign oil and onto renewable, non polluting energy sources. The last straw was blithely handing the preznit 100 billion of our hard earned tax money which will mostly wind up in the coffers of Halliburton. Yeah, its just great the Democraps got voted in. I have had enough. I will either NOT vote, or vote for a 3rd party candidate, and if it splits the vote and a repuke gets in again, well aint that tough tittie? If the country is going over the cliff, and it is, I would just as soon it be a Republican leading the parade. Disgusting.
What was it the colonists said to King George - "No taxation without representation?"
We have no representation it seems.
What are we to do if we have the spine of our founders in 1776?
Buy new, only what you must.
Buy local produce to support Americans in your community.
Buy from small American owned businesses only.
Buy used and vintage items from other Americans through yard sales, ebay, and auctions.
Recycle everything you can.
Burn as little fuel as possible.
The only way
YES YES YES.
I think that one reason why Pelosi has said no to impeachment is because she currently needs the cooperation of the Clinton supporters, and Hilary certainly does not want Pelosi to become preident through impeachment of Bush and Cheney because that would almost automatically insure that Pelosi would be the party's nominee for the 2008 election.
My head is spinning trying to make sense of all this back and forth discussion about corporate owned parties; impeachable offences; end of the world; Nazi Germany all over again; don't vote at all; vote third party; vote Democrat - it's the best we have; I even saw someone suggest to vote Republican(!); vote out incumbent Dems; Greens vs Dems; Dems vs Dems; Greens as puppets of Repubs....geeze people. It's no wonder Bush could go ahead and write himself a nice little ditty "in case I need to be King".
The facts are smack in front of one's face. We have a serious problem with our government right now. Sure, the Republicans are supporting a near-dictator and his cronies and the party always had a lovefest with big business. That's old news. But now average Dems are realizing that their party is not listening to their progressive wishes (and never really did, only used them as votes to gain or remain in power). It must be terribly frustrating for a man like Kucinich. So what does this all mean? Simple. Our government has been hijacked by corporate interests (old news for some of you) and anything disrupting the day to day functioning of transnational corporate dealings and world finance dealings will not be put "on the table". War for oil, environmental issues, single payer not for profit health care for all, anything that could effect the earnings of the corporations that our government lives on will never be acted upon in the progressive fashion that needs addressed. Impeachment? Please. Spare me the miles of discussion. As if that would even be considered by huge mega-corporations who stand to make even more money while Republicans and Corporate Dems are in office.
Alternatives? Some, like myself, would love to see a real third party take over through peaceful electoral means. That ain't gonna happen. The largest third party in the country is the Green Party - the only party not willing to accept corporate donations in any form or amount. Oh yeah, like the corporations are going to sit back and watch that one happen. And from the sound of some posters, it wouldn't be given a chance because of the nightmare of Leftist politics - suspicion of the other guy's intentions!
Don't vote at all? Oh that would really hurt the corporations and corporate puppets in government, wouldn't it? Like watching TV while your house burns down.
I won't even touch "vote Repubican" to teach the Dems a lesson. Maybe that was Mr. Rove putting in his two cents.
If change is to happen short of all out revolution (oh, try to pry Joe America away from his couch for that one too) we as progressives must realize that we are only as strong as our combined numbers allow us to be. We all want to restore our civil rights, end war, give our people equitable health care, end bigotry, hunger and homelessness, and on and on. Unfortunately, we all have our own ideas to reach the end result. So here we are pecking away at our keyboards while the corporations rule and our corrupted two party system remains intact carrying out the wishes of the rich and powerful. And so it will remain because we aren't willing to become united.
As a frined of mine said the other day when my neck veins were popping from the Dems sellout on the war vote. "Hey settle down. Remember, 2012 is coming when the big shift happens in the world. All will be fine after that."
Just to be sure, I'm looking at real estate in Nova Scotia.
Always look on the bright side of things: between Shrubya and Lyndon Johnson, it will be a very long time before the US elects another corrupt, corporate Texas warmonger to the white house again.
I am just amazed at the amount of venom being displayed, and dumb choices being advocated, here by people who simply don't understand how the world works.
Nothing, except impeachment, gets through Congress without at least 60 votes in the Senate. There aren't that many Democrats there. Therefore, nothing the Democrats favor gets passed.
If you think there are not enough Republicans in Congress, vote for more. If you think there are too many, vote for Democrats.
If you vote for what you don't want to prove a point, you are going to get what you deserve. And, you are going to deserve what you get.