There Is NO REMEDY SHORT OF IMPEACMENT To Protect Us From This President (The Nation)

[kpete]

posted January 25, 2007 (February 12, 2007 issue)
Impeachment: The Case in Favor
Elizabeth Holtzman

.....................

Our country's Founders provided the power of impeachment to prevent the subversion of the Constitution. President Bush has subverted and defied the Constitution in many ways. His defiance and his subversion continue.

Failure to impeach Bush would condone his actions. It would allow him to assume he can simply continue to violate the laws on wiretapping and torture and violate other laws as well without fear of punishment. He could keep the Iraq War going or expand it even further than he just has on the basis of more lies, deceptions and exaggerations. Remember, as recently as October 26, Bush said, "Absolutely, we are winning" the war in Iraq--a blatant falsehood. Worse still, if Congress fails to act, Bush might be emboldened to believe he may start another war, perhaps against Iran, again on the basis of lies, deceptions and exaggerations.

There is no remedy short of impeachment to protect us from this President, whose ability to cause damage in the next two years is enormous. If we do not act against Bush, we send a terrible message of impunity to him and to future Presidents and mark a clear path to despotism and tyranny. Succeeding generations of Americans will never forgive us for lacking the nerve to protect our democracy.

more at:
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070212/holtzman

[madokie]

1. there is no alternatives if we want to keep our country ours.

[Vidar]

2. I love to see it in print. Thanks kpete.

[Palladin]

3. First Cheney

then neocons....Volunteers of America

[JacksonWest]

4. Impeachemnt is our duty.

Period. It doesn't matter if we don't have the votes-it's the right thing to do.

[kentuck]

5. Exactly..

And how could those Repubs that voted for impeachment against Clinton now say they were not lied to by this Administration....although that would be the least of the charges against him.

[GOTV]

8. They need not say anything...

... they can, and will, just vote to acquit.

[kentuck]

9. But that does not mean that we should not say anything...

We could put political "heat" on all these candidates, in my opinion. The Republican Party is very fractured at this time. No one is in a safe seat.

[GOTV]

11. We should say a lot of things...

... but we shouldn't take any actions that leave Bush acquitted.

We should be entirely focused on stopping the president - and that means getting 67 Senators to throw him out on his corrupt ass.

[Hubert Flottz]

20. Meanwhile, the plans to invade still other countries goes forward

"Give The pResident a chance" and he will screw us AGAIN...

[GOTV]

22. Absolutely! Everyday that our Senator count is less than 67 is a day too long....

... and spending time on anything but bringing Senators around is spending time helping Bush wreck the country.

[Hubert Flottz]

25. What better way to bring them around than to present ALL the...

evidence related to Bush/Cheney's MANY crimes. Once the repub's voters at home see what's really been going on, they will bring the pressure to bear on any repub who refuses to uphold the rule of law. Sitting on our asses and waiting for Gawd to move them is going to yield NOTHING...is more of NOTHING, what you want. Can you prove to me, that the repubs in congress will not change their minds once the truth starts coming out.

Nobody would have EVER moved against Nixon had the facts not been presented to the people. I remember! Every day Bush rambles on unchecked, the hole we are in gets deeper by leaps and bounds!

[GOTV]

31. Do you have evidence not already submitted? I don't.

> Can you prove to me, that the repubs in congress
> will not change their minds once the truth starts coming out.

I can't prove anything at all. All I can say is that the truth that is already out has not convinced them.

Would you rather hope that the Senators will come to your rescue than do something to force them?


> once the truth starts coming out.

Where will you get this "truth"? That's the issue. The impeachment process will not make new truths come out.

> Every day Bush rambles on unchecked, the hole we are in gets deeper by leaps and bounds!

Tell me what checks Bush Impeachment? Or Conviction? Choose wisely because there is only one correct answer.

[Hubert Flottz]

34. "The impeachment process will not make new truths come out"

Maybe not BUT...once the known facts start to be laid out to Joe Six-pack in terms he can understand, instead of being glossed over by FOX and CNN and the Republican congress, who no longer has the power to hide the truth...the Repubs who are up for reelection in 08 will stop covering Bush's ass and protect their own asses! On top of the facts that are known, more facts will develop as the case moves ahead. New truths are already starting to surface in the Libby trial and as the congressional investigations get started I believe a strong case against Bush/Cheney will get stronger. The fact that the democrats control the congressional committees NOW, means that the whole truth WILL finally come out shortly.

Starting a war based on lies is cause for impeachment I'm guessing. That is just one charge, there's torture, illegal snooping and some other things that, IMHO, will in the end, constitute "High Crimes"...If Clinton's sexual dalliance and perjury charge did.

[ProudDad]

38. I know how it worked in '73-'74 against nixon

The hearings PUBLICIZED the crimes, public opinion forced the Congress to Impeach.

Same thing could happen again.

[Jackpine Radical]

28. However, an impeachment followed by a successful conviction

is to be preferred to a loud fart in the wind.

[mnhtnbb]

6. Bushco MUST be held accountable and prevented from further

damaging the country--and rest of the world.

[GOTV]

7. Only conviction stops the president, for that you need the Senate...

... how will we get them?

Only 55 voted for cloture for the very popular minimum wage bill.

[Bandit]

10. Nothing ventured nothing gained

:shrug: Surprises happen all the time...

[GOTV]

12. So let's venture, but let's not leave to chance what we could have control of n/t

[Hubert Flottz]

26. People are dying...we are not talking about plastic toys in a sand

box...

[GOTV]

30. That's right. So don't mess around with half-way solutions. Only conviction is acceptable...

... and for that we need 67 Senators.

[ProudDad]

39. Didn't convict nixon

but 'twas enoough and did serve...

[GOTV]

13. Oh yeah, rec btw.

[Swamp Rat]

14. Like I have been saying EVERY DAY since November 2006 ...

[Swamp Rat]

15. Good! Now this thread has 5 recs!

[LaurenG]

24. Buddy, you have been saying it longer than that!

:thumbsup: :D

[deepthought42]

16. EXACTLY!

What is the point of having impeachment in our Constitution if we do not at least attempt to use it against Bush/Cheney? They are exactly why we have impeachment in our Constitution: to stop madmen like this.

[porphyrian]

17. I'll kick that. - n/t

[mopinko]

18. yeah, the rule of law. remember that one? the rule of law.

whenever that phrase runs through my head, it is in henry hyde's fat, drooling voice. the rule of law. this is about the rule of law. too bad you are not around to choke on those word, henry.
when we do impeach them, i sincerely hope that at least one dem senator is smart enough to just dig up one of those stupid speeches from the clinton lynching, and read it verbatim.

[ginnyinWI]

19. Cheney's been acting like he's asking to be impeached

Outrageous lie after outrageous lie to the American people. His title shouldn't be vice-president but Minister of Propaganda. Nobody believes him any more, as is the fate with liars.

I think * is a true believer in his "cause", though--he's simple enough to believe what he's told as long as it fits with his preconceived notions. He'd need to be impeached over actions he believed to be legal (because he wanted to believe), while Cheney knowingly committed them.

Either way, there are ample grounds for getting rid of both. All it takes is for the GOP to become fed up enough to get on board.

[tandot]

21. now that would make a great bumper sticker

There Is NO Remedy Short Of Impeachment
To Protect Us From This President

[Raffi Ella]

23. I keep hearing about a "No Confidence" vote

and the msm talks about the crimes of this (p)Resident as if it's a given...it just keeps coming back to "IMPEACH HIM" for me.

Truly to God it is the only just and righteous conclusion to his time in office!

[earth mom]

27. Impeach! Impeach! Impeach!

And Thank You kpete for your tireless pursuit of justice and truth! :applause:

[Generator]

29. There are many problems with this

and there are many more with not impeaching. Never in history have we been in such a quandary in this country. Some say we must impeach if only successful-remember Bill Clinton WAS impeached, that's what they say-he wasn't removed but the call for impeachment is on the record. As many say-even loudmouth Rosie O'Donnell-whom I love-it should be on the record that at least one of our representives tried. This president must be impeached to preserve the rule of law, of the constitution, for those us-some of us literally nothing but housewives or retired people with no power, no riches, no fame, who can see that this is the time in history that demands justice.

For once all these precedents are set, what of a future president? For all his failings and his idea of being a quasi- dictator, Bush isn't even that bad. Imagine someone with the ambitions, the intelligence of a Joseph Stalin being president in 2012-and how much farther it could be taken.

And then the Cheney factor. If Bush is impeached, we have Cheney, and we know Cheney must be impeached too. He is as much if not more of the reason for all the dismantling of liberties and lies as is Bush.

What to do. History is watching. The time is now. And yes, I fear for the future-someone much worse than Bush and Cheney. I wish those that represent us think of the future-not their career now or even in a few years, but the real and near future, the essence of what this country is about. It is in grave danger.

[GOTV]

32. In the same way impeaching Clinton did not prevent worse crimes committed by a pres...

... failing to impeach Bush will not make worse crimes more likely. THere's just no such connection as Bush shows.

I think Bush should be impeached but I don't want some half-assed job like the Clinton impeachment that so many seem to be happy with.

[Generator]

33. Some interesting logic there

Clinton didn't commit any crimes againt the constitution. Bush has. What do you think law is constatnly based on, precedent. The precedent of so much that Bush has done will be set if it is not called out as wrong. One major reason for the justice system existing is to stop further and worse crimes from being committed in the future. OF course a really evil fuck would study how much Bush got away with now to see how much could be pushed in the future. SEE: Nixon being pardoned. Imagine if HE had been held to account. NO DICK CHENEY. There is a thing called doing the right thing-damn the conseuqences for me personally. Oh it might ruin my chances for president! That's what matters. No what matters is lives now, and standing up for this country. Otherwise it is a mockery. It is dead.

The reason the Clinton impeachment was half assed because it was all political. It had no basis. The irony here is this is the dead opposite of political. It's to stop escalation in Iraq, war with Iran, war with Syria. It's to stop that future Stalin from thinking our liberties can be trashed and no one will stand up to him.

[Morgana LaFey]

35. With the Libby trial, we may have reason to impeach Cheney

first.

Big smile.

[mayflower]

36. True. Pelosi Needs To Break Out The Articles Of Impeachment Before Bush Nukes Iran

[robertpaulsen]

37. Investigate. IMPEACH. Indict. IMPRISON!

:kick:

[Senator]

40. She's Right ... You Know That?

Or does anyone imagine some other option that actually DOES SOMETHING?

Maybe if they launch their non-binding resolutions down Pennsylvania Ave they could cause a nasty paper cut. Or if they hit them with the power of their purse, they can force them to beg the Saudis for a few billion (tip money to them) to make ends meet.

Gonzalez smirks at Leahy's quaint notion of habeus corpus.

Cheney dictates to reporters what the reality of his interview questions will be.

And The Decider keeps opting for one more fig leaf over his limp legacy, bought with another hundred or thousand soldiers' lives.

Meanwhile Pelosi, Reid and the rest cling tightly to their tattered issues-laundry-list pacifier and suck for all their worth. And the Euphemedia does the same within the confines of their '08 HorseRace "safe place."

All in all a rather pathetic display.

At least Bob Dole knew he was impotent.

--

[Eurobabe]

41. I want these evil bastards OUTTA the WH

before they do something stupid with Iran. Period. Congress better get their shit together quick and repeal Bush's wartime powers act.

The pattern, rhetoric and set-up is becoming a nightmare dejavu scenario, but this time the stakes are much graver. If Bush thinks he is going to take out Iran, he is sorely mistaken. You think the ME is fucked up now? HA!

Bush/Cheney are a dangerous lunatics and need to be handcuffed and dragged from office.

[maine_raptor]

42. Sit back and enjoy the show.

It's coming. Bush's "decision-maker" mentality and Cheney's sneering countenance are driving the bus here, folks.

Congress is made up of Congress-critters and each one of them has a certain egotistical stake in their own personal constitution-given powers. The shear unmitigated gall with which these two run the Executive branch is going to be the grease for the wheels. Don't forget that one of the big turning points of the Watergate Hearings was Eichmann's bold assertions. Sam Ervin did NOT cotton to that. Can we expect less for this gang?

The hearings will start soon and "all the poisons will lurk out from the mud". But it will be the smugness and arrogance that will be their downfall.

You watch.

[malaise]

43. It's coming to that

Can't wait.

[reprehensor]

44. Viva New Mexico!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=50463&mesg_id=50463

[mmonk]

45. There are three who should be subject to inquiry:

Cheney, bush, and Gonzo. There already is on the table PLENTY of evidence. It doesn't have to be a long drawn out process just to request an inquiry.