John Nichols (Madison Capitol Times): Citizens out front on impeachment

[Jack Rabbit]

From The Madison Capitol Times via CommonDreams.org
Dated Friday April 28

Citizens Are Out Front on Impeachment
By John Nichols

Inside the Beltway, legislators have been slow to support moves to censure or impeach President Bush and other members of the administration.

Only 33 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed on as co-sponsors of Congressman John Conyers' resolution calling for the creation of a select investigative committee. It would be charged with reviewing the administration's preparations for war before receiving congressional authorization, manipulation of pre-war intelligence, encouraging and countenancing torture, and retaliation against critics such as former Ambassador Joe Wilson. The committee could make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment.

Only two members of the Senate have agreed to co-sponsor Sen. Russ Feingold's proposal to censure the president for illegally ordering the warrantless wiretapping of phone conversations of Americans.

Outside the Beltway, legislators are far more comfortable with censure and impeachment at least in the state of Vermont. Sixty-nine Vermont legislators, 56 members of the state House and 14 members of the Senate, have signed a letter urging Congress to initiate investigations to determine if censure or impeachment of members of the administration might be necessary.

Read more.

[Frustratedlady]

1. How many petitions need to be signed...

before they act? I've signed several and sent emails to my representatives as I'm sure the rest of you have. Why aren't our voices being heard? What does it take to get action...an uprising with everyone marching to the front door of the White House and demanding change? How many crimes will be added to the list and how many more creeps will be frog-marched out the door? How many Iraqis and our own men and women need to die before it is enough to enrage those of us sitting at home? Will it take a draft for the next conflict...namely, Iran? Will we react more strongly when Syria and North Korea are added to the list of targets? Will it take $4/gallon gas? Will it take a Depression of such magnitude everyone finally gets pissed off enough to act? Will George need to push the button to get our attention?

Will I live long enough to see my country returned to what it once was?

[Jack Rabbit]

2. Ms. Frustrated:

I would agree that it would be pointless to introduce an impeachment resolution at this time. The House of Representatives is run by people who would not impeach Bush if he axed murdered their mothers before their faces (and would gladly impeach Clinton all over again for jaywalking). Furthermore, even if it were possible at this time, it would do no good to simply impeach and remove Bush if all that means is having Cheney carry out the same policies in the same prevaricating manner. Cheney is just as guilty as Bush of lying the country into war, disregarding international treaties and outing a covert agent as part of a political vendetta, and is just as likely to wiretap citizens without a warrant or detain a citizen without charge indefinitely. All we would get by removing Bush from office is Cheney -- Bush with brains.

We need to take this in steps. Step one is obviously to replace the current Republican majority in Congress with a Democratic one; that will make Nancy Pelosi the Speaker of the House, Harry Reid the Senate majority leader and John Conyers chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Step two is to investigate and document the manipulation of prewar intelligence by the Bush regime and the use of torture in Bush's offshore network of gulags. Step three is to impeach and remove both Bush and Cheney, which will make Ms. Pelosi president. The only thing I would expect of President Pelosi is that she replace Bush's war criminals and liars with people who will level with the American people on matters of policy in open national discussions. That could be a national unity government made up of Democrats and those Republicans who turn on the Bush regime, which under the circumstances might be a good idea. It would expedite a healing process that we will need badly. Not only must we heal from the divisive Bush regime, but we must feel that never again are we being sold a bill of goods by our leaders when they tell us that nation x poses a threat to US national security and that war will be necessary to remove that threat.

[Frustratedlady]

3. Jack Rabbit

Thanks for your sane response, but it didn't do much to salve my sorry soul. I guess I'm just SO tired of the day in and day out discoveries of shenanigans this administration has been pulling. AND, those are only the ones we hear about...what about the shenanigans that were successfully swept under the rug of secrecy?

I should have enlarged my circle of the about to be impeached to include his cabal...or, at least as many of them as possible...so we could kick them out and get on with the massive task of repairing this country. I KNOW we have to follow the rules and guidelines of the Constitution. I sorta forgot, as it's been so long since anyone has paid any attention to that piece of paper.

I shall return to lurking mode and wait for better days. Besides, I'm gettin' too old for this stuff and I don't have a whole lotta time to waste if I'm going to be here for the show. On top of my frustration, my popcorn is getting stale.

[Jack Rabbit]

6. Please continue to state your thoughts

You have nothing to lose and as for being too old, I'm 54. And one of the peace grannies in New York is 91.

[rodeodance]

4. regardless, the big I is gaining some steam.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. That is what is needed right now

Reapeating my earlier thoughts on the matter, it won't happen unless we act like we really want it.

[rodeodance]

5. "In Pennsylvania, state Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Pittsburgh,

......There's no question that Vermont is in the lead, but legislators in other states are also exploring their options for pressing Congress to act on articles of impeachment. A trio of Democratic state representatives in Illinois Karen A. Yarbrough and Sara Feigenholtz from the Chicago area and Eddie Washington from Waukegan has introduced a measure similar to the one Zuckerman is preparing in Vermont. The bill urges the Illinois General Assembly to call on the U.S. House to initiate impeachment proceedings against Bush.

In Pennsylvania, state Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Pittsburgh, has launched a public campaign urging his constituents to sign petitions calling for Congress to launch an impeachment inquiry. Ferlo, a former Pittsburgh City Council president, says it's entirely appropriate for state officials and citizens to add their voices to the impeachment debate.

"Impeachment proceedings are now the most important issue facing our nation," Ferlo says. "The debate and opinions expressed should not be limited to the views of journalists, legal scholars, intelligence officials and just a few politicians. Every American must confront this issue and speak out loudly and clearly. This is one opportunity to do so."

John Nichols is associate editor of The Capital Times. E-mail: [e-mail]. On Saturday, he will discuss impeachment, censure and related issues with John Dean and Stanley Kutler at the Madison Institute's "Executive Power: Worse Than Watergate?" forum. The event will run from 9 a.m. to noon in Vilas Hall's Mitchell Theater, 821 University Ave.