A cynical reason not to impeach Bush/Cheney: Ford v. Carter 1976

[yurbud]

Jimmy Carter won with only 50.1% of the vote.

Gerald Ford replaced Nixon when he resigned to avoid impeachment, and Ford pardoned him. The only stink that attached to Ford from Nixon was the pardon, and if Ford had remembered which countries were behind the Iron Curtain during the debates, he might well have won.


I would prefer to see them out now just to speed the end of the war and prevent an Iran war, but I wonder if the Democrats are remembering that and wondering if it's not strategically worth it to leave Bush & Cheney in place as albatrosses for the GOP.

[MrModerate]

1. Ford was an indifferent president aside from the pardon flap . . .

Whip Inflation Now, anyone?

The Bush/Cheney albatross is manacled to the Republican neck and whether they leave office gracefully or kicking and screaming will not detach the dead bird.

Impeachment would put a stamp of legitimacy on the illegitimacy of the entire Bush presidency. No waiting for history to condemn the feckless goniffs, we'd get our verdict right away!

However, it ain't gonna happen. There's not enough juice in the impeachment cable to electrocute anyone. Too bad, I was really looking forward to the tarring and feathering in Lafayette Park. I'd move back to DC for that!

[yurbud]

2. can they be criminally prosecuted once they leave office?

[MrModerate]

3. Maybe not under US law (any constitutional scholars out there?)

But I'm sure the World Court will retain its interest after he leaves office.

[WinkyDink]

4. Wouldn't the operative term, then, be "won"?

[yurbud]

5. that's a "half glass full" way of looking at. I was thinking Ford should have done much worse

with the taint of Nixon on him and being a middling candidate to boot.