Come on, Obama, and Clinton, and Edwards, and Pelosi: All Aboard the Impeachment Train
With Bush stiff-arming Congress with one specious claim of executive privilege after another, impeachment is more imperative than ever.
The people understand this. It's the politicians, even most Democratic ones, who are lagging so far behind.
A poll came out in early July that showed 45 percent of the public in favor of impeaching Bush, and a whopping 54 percent in favor of impeaching Cheney.
What makes these numbers even more amazing is that they are so high when no senior Democrat has been promoting the cause, and the mainstream media has been shortshrifting it (until Bill Moyers just interviewed John Nichols and Bruce Fein on the subject).
This may be changing for the better, though.
Senator Barbara Boxer was on the Ed Schultz Show last week, and she did not agree with Nancy Pelosi that we should keep impeachment off the table.
"I don't think you can take anything off the table," Boxer said. "Because, in fact, the Constitution does not permit us to take these things off the table."
Boxer, at least, recognizes the gravity of the Bush crimes.
"This is as close as we've ever come to dictatorship," she said.
But the Democratic Presidential candidates, with the exception of Dennis Kucinich, are laggards on this one.
Only Dennis Kucinich has come out for the impeachment of Cheney.
Barack Obama, to his discredit, said on June 28 that he opposes impeaching either Cheney or Bush.
"I think you reserve impeachment for grave, grave breaches, and intentional breaches of the President's authority," Obama said.
Well, let's take a look here.
Lying to Congress and the American people about weapons of mass destruction so as to justify a war of aggression is not a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
Eavesdropping on Americans here at home without a warrant, when the law says clearly that the "exclusive means" for authorizing such eavesdropping is via a warrant, is not a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
Disappearing detainees and torturing them isn't a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
Using the U.S. attorneys to file flimsy charges against Democrats in an attempt to alter the outcome of an election, and firing those who wouldn't play Bush League ball, isn't a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
Using signing statements more than 750 times to unfaithfully execute the laws of the land isn't a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
Outing a CIA agent to silence criticism of this hideous war, and then commuting the sentence of the guy who obstructed the investigation of the matter, isn't a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
And now depriving Congress of the documents and witnesses it needs to explore a whole range of Bush Administration malfeasance-this, too, isn't a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
And come on, John Edwards.
And come on, Hillary Clinton.
And come on, all other aspirants to that office.
And come on, Nancy Pelosi, too.
The impeachment train is leaving the station.
All aboard.
Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine.
(c) 2007 The Progressive
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
With Bush stiff-arming Congress with one specious claim of executive privilege after another, impeachment is more imperative than ever.
The people understand this. It's the politicians, even most Democratic ones, who are lagging so far behind.
A poll came out in early July that showed 45 percent of the public in favor of impeaching Bush, and a whopping 54 percent in favor of impeaching Cheney.
What makes these numbers even more amazing is that they are so high when no senior Democrat has been promoting the cause, and the mainstream media has been shortshrifting it (until Bill Moyers just interviewed John Nichols and Bruce Fein on the subject).
This may be changing for the better, though.
Senator Barbara Boxer was on the Ed Schultz Show last week, and she did not agree with Nancy Pelosi that we should keep impeachment off the table.
"I don't think you can take anything off the table," Boxer said. "Because, in fact, the Constitution does not permit us to take these things off the table."
Boxer, at least, recognizes the gravity of the Bush crimes.
"This is as close as we've ever come to dictatorship," she said.
But the Democratic Presidential candidates, with the exception of Dennis Kucinich, are laggards on this one.
Only Dennis Kucinich has come out for the impeachment of Cheney.
Barack Obama, to his discredit, said on June 28 that he opposes impeaching either Cheney or Bush.
"I think you reserve impeachment for grave, grave breaches, and intentional breaches of the President's authority," Obama said.
Well, let's take a look here.
Lying to Congress and the American people about weapons of mass destruction so as to justify a war of aggression is not a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
Eavesdropping on Americans here at home without a warrant, when the law says clearly that the "exclusive means" for authorizing such eavesdropping is via a warrant, is not a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
Disappearing detainees and torturing them isn't a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
Using the U.S. attorneys to file flimsy charges against Democrats in an attempt to alter the outcome of an election, and firing those who wouldn't play Bush League ball, isn't a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
Using signing statements more than 750 times to unfaithfully execute the laws of the land isn't a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
Outing a CIA agent to silence criticism of this hideous war, and then commuting the sentence of the guy who obstructed the investigation of the matter, isn't a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
And now depriving Congress of the documents and witnesses it needs to explore a whole range of Bush Administration malfeasance-this, too, isn't a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
And come on, John Edwards.
And come on, Hillary Clinton.
And come on, all other aspirants to that office.
And come on, Nancy Pelosi, too.
The impeachment train is leaving the station.
All aboard.
Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine.
(c) 2007 The Progressive
With Bush stiff-arming Congress with one specious claim of executive privilege after another, impeachment is more imperative than ever.
The people understand this. It's the politicians, even most Democratic ones, who are lagging so far behind.
A poll came out in early July that showed 45 percent of the public in favor of impeaching Bush, and a whopping 54 percent in favor of impeaching Cheney.
What makes these numbers even more amazing is that they are so high when no senior Democrat has been promoting the cause, and the mainstream media has been shortshrifting it (until Bill Moyers just interviewed John Nichols and Bruce Fein on the subject).
This may be changing for the better, though.
Senator Barbara Boxer was on the Ed Schultz Show last week, and she did not agree with Nancy Pelosi that we should keep impeachment off the table.
"I don't think you can take anything off the table," Boxer said. "Because, in fact, the Constitution does not permit us to take these things off the table."
Boxer, at least, recognizes the gravity of the Bush crimes.
"This is as close as we've ever come to dictatorship," she said.
But the Democratic Presidential candidates, with the exception of Dennis Kucinich, are laggards on this one.
Only Dennis Kucinich has come out for the impeachment of Cheney.
Barack Obama, to his discredit, said on June 28 that he opposes impeaching either Cheney or Bush.
"I think you reserve impeachment for grave, grave breaches, and intentional breaches of the President's authority," Obama said.
Well, let's take a look here.
Lying to Congress and the American people about weapons of mass destruction so as to justify a war of aggression is not a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
Eavesdropping on Americans here at home without a warrant, when the law says clearly that the "exclusive means" for authorizing such eavesdropping is via a warrant, is not a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
Disappearing detainees and torturing them isn't a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
Using the U.S. attorneys to file flimsy charges against Democrats in an attempt to alter the outcome of an election, and firing those who wouldn't play Bush League ball, isn't a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
Using signing statements more than 750 times to unfaithfully execute the laws of the land isn't a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
Outing a CIA agent to silence criticism of this hideous war, and then commuting the sentence of the guy who obstructed the investigation of the matter, isn't a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
And now depriving Congress of the documents and witnesses it needs to explore a whole range of Bush Administration malfeasance-this, too, isn't a grave or intentional breach?
Come on, Obama.
And come on, John Edwards.
And come on, Hillary Clinton.
And come on, all other aspirants to that office.
And come on, Nancy Pelosi, too.
The impeachment train is leaving the station.
All aboard.
Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine.
(c) 2007 The Progressive