Let's face it, impeachment is a technicality. Will Bush and Cheney actually be thrown out of office even if they've been impeached (but not convicted, which will never happen)? Or will they continue on as usual, but with an re-energized base of support? Nothing gets Right-wingers energized more than seeing their hero persecuted, which is how impeachment will be perceived.

Instead, maybe we should focus efforts on getting the Dem leadership to grow a spine and shout these clowns down at every opportunity, on every talk show, on every issue. Out 'Karl Rove' Karl Rove. Re-open 911 investigations, subpeona Bush over and over and over about the Iraq occupation. And on and on...

Impeach and jail them all. Or we are guilty of crimes against humanity too.

Impeach and try for war crimes

the title of this piece says it all....send them to the Hague when you're done.....dems will never grow a spine without more stem cell research....

I am firmly convinced that regardless of the chances of successful impeachment it is Congress' DUTY to undertake impeachment proceedings.
These proceeding should have been initiated AS SOON AS overwhelming evidence of impeachable offenses having been committed was apparent.
This IS NOT an elective act in my opinion.
It is probably THE MOST IMPORTANT responsibility of the Congress. For what could be a greater responsibility of the Congress than the defense of the Constitution and our Republican form of government which is in great peril at this moment.
There are those, including I believe Speaker Pelosi, who are afraid impeachment proceedings could harm Democratic chances in the 2008 elections. And they might be right.
But putting partisan political considerations ahead of the defense of our Constitution is a derelection of their duty to defend the Constitution they swore to uphold against any and all enemies.
I welcome any views on this point.

all the best

Jeff, I agree.
One does not do things because they are sure they can succeed. One does them because it is the fair and decent thing to do. That is impeaching Cheney, then Bush.
The tide is turning.
We must be successful.
HR 333.
Dennis Kucinich 2008.

SkySonja,

Glad you agree with me.
I had always thought that I was the ONLY person who knew everything:)).
Now I realize that I have to share my pedestal with at least one other person. Which I do not mind in the least:).
I shall check back later. I have plenty of time these days because I am so all-enlightened that I am currently unemployed.

all the best

A broad-based, highly-public impeachment campaign would not only be the right thing to do, it would help the Democrats' political fortunes enormously.

The first phase, hearings in the House Judiciary Committee, would educate and mobilize the public behind impeachment. Ctee Chair John Conyers should start the hearings with about six weeks' worth of testimony from a series of witnesses who would detail CheneyBush's high crimes.

Then Conyers would subpoena some administration officials such as Condi Rice. When CheneyBush refuse to let them testify, the Dems start screaming, "COVERUP!!! COVERUP!!!" and keep on screaming it. All legislation in Congress stops while the Dems scream "COVERUP!!!" and draft articles of impeachment. The media are forced to cover it because it's the only issue in Washington.

The Dems should also try to get the public to take action. If enough people demand impeachment and conviction, no politician, Dem or Repub, will dare to vote against it. Not only are CheneyBush sent packing, the Repub Party is damaged for decades.

There ought to be no choice for Congress in this matter. If Bush and Cheney have committed impeachable offences, and they clearly have, Congress must fulfill its constitutional duty and impeach. Call Nancy Pelosi 202-225-4965, and tell her that impeachment belongs back on the table and right away. Her Washington office should be flooded with calls.

Impeachment is important, but that is not enough. What law on this planet means anything if they are not tried (pray for conviction) for war crimes. They are the worst sort of muggles.

Jeff I agree fully as well. The moment the infamous "Downing Street Memo" surfaced we had enough to impeach. Disregard of the Genevea Conventions regarding torture, was enough to impeach. Spying on American citizens, enough to impeach.

That political careers are more important than justice is the reason we are in this mess as it is. A political career is a very lucrative thing these days with all the insider trading, bribery, kickbacks, private contracts, etc...

Inaction by the Dems simply expresses their desire to have the very same latitude when it's their turn to "rule".

If there was a speck of conscience in Congress, proceedings would be underway simply to make the point that even us foolish Americans have boundaries which cannot be crossed. To set a precedent for future morons who might somehow make it into the Oval Office. The offenses have been chronicled here on CD a hundred different ways. These people are hijacking the world!

Impeachment is a tool, a tactic, much like terrorism. They both exist. Who uses these tools and how and why are the real questions...

Technical point: Impeachment of the president is authorized if the president commits "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." Impeachment would have to proceed under "high crimes and misdemeanors" which has never been defined by the Supreme Court (or any court?). Just what crimes, exactly, could Congress pursue against W? Conflating Israeli interests with ours? Promoting false links between Iraq and 9/11? Re-directing a public's anger toward a pet cause using discredited intelligence? Cronyism? Being a puppet of the vice president and lobbyists? These are bad things, but I'm not sure if any constitutes a federal crime.

Inform me.

If Congress fails to impeach, we can stop pretending we have a democracy; on cynical days that could be "the bright side." I'm exhausted from the pretense.

the major arguments against impeachment--that it is a digression and might not work--show how "political" we've become. Arguing like that shows how we've become just like "them." Choosing expediency over justice, truth and integrity. What kind of pacts with the devil have our elected officials made that they can't do what they're supposed to do? Enforcing the constitution should be coming from them, not the people.

Oops, just read marctileston's comment, and disregarding the Geneva Convention sounds promising, but is the president linked enough with that? Maybe. My point is that Congress shouldn't actually undertake this without legitimate legal basis, or the martyrdom of GW wouldn't be worth it from a political perspective. It might be better to let him slowly deteriorate before he and his movement are swept into history's dustbin.

Dear Mr. jeeves
It no longer matters what King George and his thugs might do. This is a question of the continued integrity of the Constitution. We- every single citizen in this country- but especially those in office who swore an oath to support the Constitution, every one of us has a DUTY to impeach, regardless of the outcome. Will we continue as a republic, with representative government, or will we sit by while the USA becomes just another banana republic, with an imperial president in the white house?

If they are impeached and refuse to leave? I bet you there are a bunch of people in the armed forces, who take their oath to defend the constitution seriously, who would be willing to march with us to the white house and THROW them out!

I don't see why Bush/Cheney couldn't be found guilty of treason: the invasion of a country which had not threatened us, & our disregard for the human rights outlined in our Constitution, has irreparably damaged our relations with the rest of the world for generations to come. They have bankrupted our economy domestically & our foreign relations abroad. This is all the result of conscious manipulation of the populace in direct contravention of democratic principles.
In my view, the most important reason to impeach is to demonstrate to the rest of the world our repudiation of the actions & underlying philosophy of this administration. Only then will we be considered as legitimate actors on the world stage.

what are President Bubble Boy's high crimes and misdemeansors? Just the ones he's admitted to:

Violating the FISA law with domestic surveillance without any judicial supervision.

His set up of US personell to torture- violates the anti-terror convention which was passed by Congress into US law in 1995.

Those two would be enough to start.

Bush is daring Congress to Impeach him. Rove obviously has recommended this action as a way to portray Bush as a victim so that he can be rehabilitated in the corporate media, hoping that could save the Republican Party in 2008. But the Democrats have no alternative but to press through and Impeach. Not only could it cure their political defect of appearing craven and feckless, but it is the right thing to do.

Let it begin, already.

The flood lights are on;
the deer are in the headlights;
NOW - NOW - Now
is the time for all good citizens (and Congress) to come to the aide of their country.

IMPEACH NOW! IMPEACH NOW! IMPEACH NOW!

This is the last call!

As said repeatedly in this column and blog, there will never be another time that is so right.

An old sixties quote: "Not to decide is to decide"

Not to impeach is to destroy the constitution and the country. We become complicit and guilty of the same crimes if we do not repudiate them now!

I started paying attention to politics too late to have followed the Clinton impeachment. So when I'd heard it on the news at the time, I was surprised to find out that it didn't mean he was kicked out of office. Can someone shead some light on this?

Impeach the oligarchy!

KaneJeeves,

Impeachment basically means censorship, whereby the House of Representatives votes to effectively render the President powerless. If the high crime or misdemeanor is serious enough, then it goes to the Senate, whereby, with a 2/3 majority, the Senate can remove the President from office, and if they deem it necessary, send him to prison. If you look at the Reconstruction period following the Civil War, Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House and nearly convicted by the Senate (he won by one vote).

What's at stake here is the right to declare war. A right clearly given to the Congress which has been taken by the Executive Branch. Congress can have no higher priority that to retake the right to declare war away from the Executive Branch. If Congress can't, or won't, then America, and Americans, will certainly remain a target in war they don't even want, but can't get their government to stop. That's because their elected officials aren't running the war. The Executive Branch is.
Hoa binh

Impeach for precedent godammit... How hard is that to understand... If they're not thrown out of office the record of attempt is still there and a horrible precedent that is the Bush reign is therefore not set. America can't afford another president such as Bush. Impeach these bastards for precedent if nothing else. By the time they come for you it will be too late...

"It is better to correct error while new and before it becomes inveterate by habit and custom." --Thomas Jefferson: Report to Congress, 1777. FE 2:136

What will it take short of a blow job in the Oval Office for Congress to show some spine and stop hiding behind self-serving excuses?

Barely seven paragraphs into the Constitution, our founding fathers gave the people's elected representatives the power to impeach the president, and whomever, in the executive branch for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors."

The Framers never intended impeachment to be used in only extreme or rare circumstances. It was meant to be used forcefully and unapologetically, and as often as necessary, to check the excesses of power and corruption of the presidency.

It's time for the American people and Congress to act. With so much at stake, we have a president whose administration stands out in its criminality and disdain for the rule of law. Please read The Case for Impeachment, which explains the legal history and grounds for impeaching George W. Bush and brings forth more than a half dozen articles of impeachment, the likes of: (1) Lying and inducing Congress and the American people into an unjust war; (2) Allowing his friends and business cronies to profiteer off the war in Iraq; (3) Authorizing torture and rendition of prisoners of war and suspected terrorists--a complete violation of the Geneva Conventions, a treaty the U.S. has signed and is therefore part of our law; (4) Stripping American citizens of their Constitutional rights--holding people with no charge, wiretapping them illegally, offering them no trial, and never allowing them to face their accusers; and (5) Failing in almost every way possible to defend the homeland and our borders.

It's straightforward, and it's that simple. Call your elected representative today and tell him, or her, how you feel, and keep calling until there's a paradigm shift in what's coming out of Washington, and what's coming out of the major media. Only then will real change be enacted. Ranting and venting on message boards like this will not create the groundswell that's required. We are all (for the most part) of like-mind. We don't need to be convinced. They do.

Thank you Claudius. By 'render powerless' what do you mean? Are powers actually taken away, e.g. veto power, etc.

The sad thing is: for every one person concerned enough to take action (call or write their Representatives), there is a thousand that have no clue.

If you dont impeach now, you will decend quickly into dictatorship.

cheney has set the plan in motion, I predict the next "terrorist attack" will be the assasination of Bush, the acendancy of Cheney, and the end of elected democracy per Executive orders already in place.

KaneJeeves,

The President can still function in his traditional capacity, but it is virtually impossible for him to get any Congressional support to pass legislation for which he has lobbied. And if he vetoes any legislation, it will be overriden without any challenge. At that point, he essentially has lost all support and confidence from both political parties and becomes a highly paid secretary.

Of course, it could be argued that the presidential oath is itself a "solemn vow" to uphold the constitution of the United States, and to preserve, protect and defend it. The legal-minded among us will split hairs,as Bondai does above. And it's true, so long as opposition continues to stay within the confines of the dialogue that are set by legal manipulators and cynics, nothing can ever really happen. The professional classes who benefit from the present arrangement prefer another Ronald Reagan dog and pony show, exemplified in our day by the cotton candy image pumping bullshit of Fred Thompson.

Which is why a third political force, bent upon redefinition of the terms of this discussion, willing to challenge the established order, break its laws, challenge the very right of the corporate order to maintain a constitutional system that works wholly to the benefit of thte monied elite. It must be pulled inside out, and only a third force, made up of the working class majority, steeped in respect for the democratic tradition and experience, but willing to encroach upon the alleged rights of the monied elite to full hegemony over the political process, is going to make a difference.

I believe our Constitution demand impeachment at this point, regardless of what the outcome may be. It is the right thing to do. It is the only way to hold this administration accountable and prevent further abuse of power. This is not the kind of power we want passed on to the next administration.

It is clear to me that many of us are on the same page with impeachment. Perhaps instead of posting more messages on this board, as unappetizing as the task might be, we ought to repeatedly flood the MSM discussion boards with our knowledge and push for impeachment. Your thoughts??

Thank you to Mary Ellen for an excellent article and a job well done.
Impeachment is NOT a technicality. It is our defense against tyranny. It is a way to peacefully change the balance of power.
When impeachment investigations were launched against Nixon, they didn't have the votes either. That congress recognized its duty and executed it. It saved the Republic.
This congress is refusing to act. We must bring every pressure to bear, including threatening the Democrats with losing the next election in order to force them to act.
There is nothing more important than responding to Bush and Cheney's attack on our system of government. Nothing will change until they are refuted.

Hi All,
Have you seen the press release "Green Party-CA: Greens Spearhead Impeachment Work, Praise West Hollywood Vote to Impeach Bush/Cheney" in the Progressive Newswire section on the right side of the Commondreams front page?

To visit the Los Angeles National Impeachment Center website, go to http://www.bcimpeach.com/. It's worth a look.

Can someone email this entire page to Speaker Pelosi???
http://www.speaker.gov/contact

Seriously she is the ONE in the House of Representatives that can make it happen....

OR there is a Do It Yourself form (really) at http://impeachforpeace.org/index.php

I saw Bill Maher make the point a couple of years ago (and its on Youtube too) that Bush could be impeached for dereliction of duty for sitting in the classroom on 9/11 for 7 full minutes after an aid came and whispered in his ear, "Mr. President, the nation is under attack!" Really...if that's defending the nation - I mean stand up and say, "Sorry kids, I have a job to do right now. You all do your jobs and learn! God bless America!"

And Impeachment is not a recall like in California. It is a means to redress and correct Constitutional abuses by the executive branch. It would force future presidents to stay within the proscribed duties of the office of the presidency. Impeachment is not a popularity contest, either. It is Law - and Rule of Law is imperative for this country to remain viably Republic and a Democracy. I have seen in this thread soooo many good reasons that are totally within the realm of High Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Impeachment is to be used to "fix" things...Bill Clinton deserved to be investigated for Impeachment merely on the fact he lied to congress under oath. (Ridiculous thing to get caught lying about, but hey!) He was impeached but not found guilty. Nixon deserved impeachment and he resigned rather than go through it. And definitely both Cheney and Bush deserve impeachment! Let the process begin NOW!

All the arguments against are inaccurate and politically driven. I mean I actually heard Pat Buchanan argue that Democrats might be hurt in 2008 if Impeachment were to commence. What does he care????

Thank you, Spicegal. Impeachment, as distasteful it is or however unhappy it makes us, is the right thing to do. We no longer have many, if any, other options. That is certainly unfortunate, but the abuse of power must end. Like you, Claudius, and many others whose blogs and essays I've read, whose speeches I've heard, we need to take action now because we all fear for this country, my country, our country. Our lives, and those of our descendents, are at stake here. Like you, my friends, I have heard the call to action. Time is growing short. But I, like you, need help. I feel helpless, because I am not being heard, and angry - very very angry.

Impeach, Impeach, Impeach. Thugs, thieves, liars do not repect the law until the law (or the people) get the better of them.

But it looks like Bush/Cheney has a hold on the Democratic party. Personally, I think Antrax in the mail box has something to do with it....

Impeachment/removal of Cheney/Bush simultaneously is both the correct move politically and, more importantly, morally, for the Dems. Given the lawlessness and stonewalling of this Administration, the Dems simply look weak and impotent now, and that's reflected in the low approval ratings of the Democratic Congress. Everyone knows the Dems do not need 60 votes and 67 votes in the Senate in order to end the war. The Dems are wrong in their belief that spectacular symbolic gestures against the war will woo the American people.

The Dems will get the rest of the 67 Senate votes they need for removal from incumbent Senate Republicans who will be running for most of the 22 Republican Senate seats up in 2008. Once the Dems present to the American people the overwhelming, Unamerican high crimes and misdemeanors committed by Cheney/Bush in an organized and uninterrupted manner, which they will do when prosecuting well-drafted articles of impeachment, those incumbent Republican Senators running for reelection will have the choice of voting to remove Cheney/Bush or being removed by the voting of their constituents in 2008. They will also show the political classes there is a penalty to pay for the commission of high crimes and misdemeanors.

The process will take about 4 months and put the Repubs. on the defensive, after the Dems move forward despite the right wing temper tantrum. Nancy Pelosi, a true anti-war Democrat, will become the first woman President of the US in 2007 and will have the troops out by the time of the election in 2008.

The national polls say 75% of the American people want a new direction, 65% of them want an end to the Iraq war and a large plurality want the Bush Administration over NOW. Simulataneous impeachment/removal of Cheney/Bush is the quickest (and only) way to accomplish this expeditiously, especially given their stonewalling and the outright conmtempt the Administration is showing towards the rule of law. Once the Dems show they have the courage to do something, there will be a sea change similar to the one in 1932 after FDR's election.

The time is right for simultaneous impeachment/removal of Cheney/Bush. If either Bush or Cheney is left in place, we can expect the same stonewalling we see now, with the one who remains pardoning the other (and Scooter) and using hte powers of the Presidency to continue the present course. So HR 333 needs to be amended to include well-drafted articles of impeachment against Bush also.

It may all be too little too late. Check out the beyond frightening interview Thom Hartmann did with Paul Craig Roberts,
"Old Line Republican warns something's in the works to trigger a police state" at
http://www.markcrispinmiller.blogspot.com

Here's what I just sent Speaker Pelosi...

It must be done....
Begin Impeachment proceedings against President Bush and Vice President Cheney now.

The Constitution must be protected.
The Rule of Law must be preserved.

This has little to do with "disliking" this administration or being against the war in Iraq, or trying for a recall election.

This is the duty of the Congress to begin investigations of High Crimes (illegal wiretapping against FISA rules; profiteering from no-bid war contracts; obstruction of justice in the Plame CIA outing - all crimes against the constitution) and Misdemeanors (lying us into war with false stories of WMD and Iraq ties to Al Qaida, signing statements, Hurricane Katrina, not pursuing Osama Bin Laden, refusal to cooperate with subpoenas...etc.)

Not performing your Congressional duties is abandoning this country to the whims of men and politics...the future will show the legacy of ignoring the calls to Impeach Bush and Cheney.

Respectfully,

Actually, Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution says "The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

"Bribery" is of note as most of the current congress is guilty of this under our election system. Cheney and Bush should be easy targets, but it might force us to look a number of other corrupt congress members. Campaign finance record comparisons should be the starting place for establishing quid pro quo.

Hmm. Bush goes under anesthetic tomorrow and Cheney takes over....

Only temporarily, unless Bush suffers 'complications' and quietly slips out the back door on an unregistered flight to that compound in Paraguay.

Could be how the game gets played.

I do not think it is too late. I agree with many who have written on this message board that the time is right. My suggestion to get those who are right wing conservatives on board is to use the example I posted last night about the two border patrol officers who currently are in prison because the prosecutor was one of Bush's "good friends." So I suppose since those officers were not Bush's "good friends" like Scooter Libby, they cannot be pardoned. WTH?? I think Bush's quote "if you are not with us, you are against" us even applies in this country. Translation, if you did not financially contribute to my campaign, you stand a snowball's chance in hell of seeing justice. Look at the evidence, in addition to what others here have listed 1)illegal prison camps used by the CIA 2) a rampant blight of (convenient) amnesia that seems to plague anyone in the Administration who has to show up on Capitol Hill i.e. Alberto Gonzales. What the hell else do we need to remove these guys from office? The incompetence is painfully obvious as is the flagrant violation of domestic and international law. I recommend info-ins in your local communities, refusal to use credit cards, carpool so that we minimize the use of gas, minimize your use of telephones (including cell phones), flood the MSM message boards because we need to broaden our support base even further for impeachment (at least get it started, even if it does not materialize). As some of you said, put pressure on the Dems so they have a crystal clear understanding that if they do not represent our needs and fulfill our demands, they will have to clean out their offices and look for a new line of work. Basically, everyone, we need to make a statement that is unmistakable, and we can start by doing the little things. Those are my thoughts.

Thanks for the link to Paul Craig Roberts. I think he continues to have the most accurate take on the current situation.

If Bush is not impeached, then it doesn't take a lot of common sense to see that we are headed toward a cataclysm with Iran. After all this administration has done, after the dubious elections, and the nonsense they used to incite the population to war, and daily regurgitated nonsense in general, do you all at CommonDreams think this administration is going to leave office peacefully? Complete failures? With the republican party crippled?

You can see what's coming as plain as day. I really do hate to be an alarmist.

am taking on all who want to wager 2 bucks
in my local watering hole..
bet is no election in 2008..
have 2 takers so far
good way to start the conversation

so i wonder..
suppose this means local elections also?
pretty sure i am going to run for mayor..

imagine
a left wing drunk
as mayor!!

ken

ken,

So is your victory party b.y.o.b. or what?

Impeaching Cheney might be the way to avoid a war with Iran. HR 333. Cheney first. Then Bush. Wear orange. Momentum is building.

Impeach Bush and Chaney for protecting us from fascist Islamists who want nothing more than to return the world to the 10th century? I think not. Prehaps we should impeach Pelosi and Reed for undermining a sitting president while fighing a war.

mfskinner,

I read the article from the website you suggested and have concluded that greater legal clarification and discussion is needed. To me, it seems to be more of a propogandistic scare-piece rather than a cogent, thorough legal didactic. I have VERY little confidence in the Congress, however, I think that by now, it would have surfaced (given the fact that the laws cited were written in 2003-04) in Congressional debates. That is not to say that I would not put it past this Administration to do something like this, but for my own satisfaction, I would like more public legal discussion and clarification.