Am I hearing this right? The Republicans are talking about impeachment?

[leftyladyfrommo]

I was listening to Hagel on George Stephanopolis yesterday morning. Hagel was furious with Bush. Especially about his going it completely alone on the war thing. Said he wasn't a dictator. And I think he actually was talking about impeachment.

I couldn't believe it. Wouldn't it be something if the Republicans impeached their own president. My gosh. That would be something for the history books.

Then the Novak column about Bush being all alone up there on the hill - like no other president in history.

Man, this might really get good.

[The Count]

1. Hagel is rattling the cage now and then. Before MSM can say "maverik" he'll be

yanked back on the plantation again....(See McCain)

[bdamomma]

3. oh yea, they will lean on him again

like keep your mouth shut Chuck, we are dealing with the Bush Crime Family as you know.

[NewJeffCT]

5. I know - for all of Hagel's anti-war rhetoric...

He toed the party line when it came to the Senate merely passing non-binding resolution a month or so back...

[sasha031]

6. Hagel say's one thing

Then takes his marching orders from the RNC, I haven't seen to many do this, what ever he says, means the opposite.

[NewJeffCT]

2. Old Vulcan Saying: "Only Nixon Could Go to China"

And, Nixon's presidency was brought down when a group of Republics went to the White House & told Nixon that he faced impeachment if he didn't step aside...

[mmonk]

4. Ironic, no?

[leftyladyfrommo]

8. Well, David Brooks has been talking about how angry the Republicans

are with Bush.

With good reason. He has manages to completely destory their party. And has done incredible damage to absolutely everything he has touched. It is kind of amazing that one adm. could have done so much damage so quickly. We really need to learn from this whole thing and move to protect ourselves from sociopaths like this in the future.

[307 MMS]

25. Texas

I predicted when Bush was elected that he'd do to the country just what he did to the state of Texas. And that gas would be sky high with oil men running/ruining the country. When Bush left as governor of Texas, he told a reporter just before he got into his limo that the mess he created was "not my problem, next guy's problem...now I gotta go". Oh, he's gotta GO, alright. But he'll stretch the Iraq mess out for the next prez to clean up, my other prediction. Unless we find enough angry, patriotic Repukes to impeach Bush & Cheney at the same time, forget it.
He killing that party.

[rosesaylavee]

7. Sure, the publicans are going to impeach him,

take credit for saving the country and put another one of their own in the WH in 2008.

Sorry, just my fear talking this morning.

[leftyladyfrommo]

11. I really don't think Bush will get impeached. I think he will just

be walled off and isolated for the completion of his term.

But if he continues to act like a rogue dictator they may not a choice but to force the guy out.

[TwilightGardener]

15. I am hoping for impeachment because that's what

Chimpy and Big Time deserve. But I expect that the GOP in Congress are just going to keep carefully shuffling along like the dutiful robots they are, not saying much of anything either in terms of support or derision for Chimpy, and hope that nothing else blows up before Nov 2008.

[asjr]

14. My fear speaks to me daily. I feel

the Republicans will wait out the clock. Some will talk "tough" but will let Bush finish his term. There has been enough on the table to impeach him many times over and nothing is happening.

[INdemo]

24. That's correct... its just talk..the corruption within the Republican power

group runs pretty deep..They are still Republicans and whatever they say about this President is just self serving political talk.They would never ever seriously bring the impeachment issue forward.
When a Republican votes against his own amendment this should give us the clue as to how Republicans would act when push come to shove...

[Botany]

9. As I posted over a year ago ... When the end comes ....

..... the repugs will lead the charge. The level of corruption and greed
that is this administration is massive. Repugs very soon will have to either
jump into the life boats or go down on the ship.

[bdamomma]

13. the same thing happened to Julius Caesar, Caesar's own party

took him down, apparently there are people in this administration/regime who do not know their history.

[rosesaylavee]

28. Et tu Rovus?

Darn, the Ides of March are already passed. But of course you mean taking down' in the more generic sense as in 'removing from power'?

:)

[bdamomma]

10. here's chuck's comments from Raw Story

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Hagel_There_are_ways_to_deal_0325.html

just a snip from the article

Hagel added, "This is not a monarchy."

"And you think that would be appropriate in this case?" Stephanopoulos asked.

Hagel hedged a little bit, "I didn't say that. I didn't call for it. I didn't predict it. What I was saying, I was laying out options here. No president can dictate to this country, nor should he. This is a constitutional form of government. We have three equal branches of government. No president is bigger than the other two. There are three co-equal branches of government. Article 1 of the Constitution is not the presidency. It's the Congress."

Psst...Chuck inform the Mr. Bush that there are three equal branches, oh by the way, inform Tony Snow too.

[qwlauren35]

12. THIS is why I've been waiting in the wings on the candidate issue.

Nothing will win over the independent/fence-sitter vote like a Republican who would consider impeaching the president.

McCain is imploding, Guiliani has "questionable morals". Moves like this will definitely give Hagel increased visibility.

FINALLY, the race gets interesting. IF Hagel passes the "morality" test with the Christian Right, he could get anointed, even without giving up his "disloyal" position. Enough people are disgusted with Bush, enough intelligent Republicans feel embarrassed about him.

So now, I find myself wondering, will the our front-runners stay in the front? Can Clinton or Barack beat a strong Republican candidate who is likely to distance himself from the current administration??? ESPECIALLY if/as they give in on the Iraq bill?

Yup... it's getting interesting.

[TwilightGardener]

16. He can't run as a GOPer--you don't launch a (successful) campaign by

suggesting impeachment for your GOPer president. 'Pugs will never, ever forgive or forget that.

[Heidi]

17. Latest Breaking News thread | Hagel: Some see impeachment as an option

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2780971&mesg_id=2780971

[ecstatic]

18. I saw this coming.... Why is it that we can't deliver Bush his final blow?

Why are we always letting repugs take the lead?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=2951164

[PFunk]

19. I think the repugs are eventually going to impeach him to keep him from totally destroying the party

Thanks to him the're chances of gaining anything in '08 are sunk. But they will use the years afterwards and the fact it was they (and NOT the dems) who did the did to help resucitate them for '12.

[meldroc]

30. This is the Democratic strategy.

Pelosi's not stupid. She knows that she would be able to push on her own and get most Democrats to vote for impeachment, but she would have difficulty just getting a simple majority in the House, and getting a 2/3 majority in the Senate to vote to convict would be impossible.

So the thing to do is loose the hounds. Leahy in the Senate and Conyers in the House have been able to dig up enough evidence in just two months to leave Gonzales twisting in the wind and put Rove in danger. That's not half bad. All they have to do is keep Gonzales-gate on the top of the Congressional agenda for a few weeks. Watch the White House squirm, and watch Congressional Republicans scramble to distance themselves from the President. The plan all along is to wait for the Republicans to demand impeachment. Hearing Hagel making the call for impeachment is a very good sign. That means in a few more months, we very well might get impeachments, AND convictions (or more likely resignation, followed by Bush & Cheney and their cronies slinking out of the White House in disgrace.)

But the only way to see that happen is to go for a bipartisan impeachment. The Democrats just don't have the votes to do it themselves, but there might be enough Republicans with enough scruples to recognize they need to start policing their party.

[conscious evolution]

33. And a good plan it is.

And when rover aand gonzo are gone Rep. Waxman is waiting in the wings to take on cheney over haliburton.
Plus the Plame affair is far from being over.
Add in the up coming aipac trial and one can readily see where the next six months are going to be very interesting indeed.

[Jacobin]

20. Bush* is far more damaging to the republics in 08 than he is to dems

Which is why it would behoove them to seriously consider leading the impeachment charge.

[Blackhatjack]

21. Impeachment is unlikely, but Resignation is real possibility....

When enough career Repubs realize that Bush will just further decimate the Republican Party by staying in office(and thereby threaten their positions), they will make a trip to the White House and inform Bush "it is time to go" just like they did with Nixon.

It may still be a while, since there are still Republican Senators and Reps 'carrying water' for Bush, ignoring the inevitable. However, more and more Repubs are 'distancing' themselves from Bush, and not just by remaining silent. As we learn more they have begun to realize that the size of the unrevealed corruption will dwarf anything exposed thus far. It is at that point that Repubs will realize that the acts of the Bush Administration cannot be defended under any possible scenario.

The real wildcard here is Bush just may 'refuse' to resign, and actual impeachment proceedings may begin. But even an idiot can count votes where the likely outcome will more than 4 to 1 against him.

Of course, throw all this out when we attack Iran.

I think many on Capitol Hill realize the gravity of this situation, and Repubs are truly in a dilemma.

[leftyladyfrommo]

22. That's what I wondered. I think Bush would just refuse to resign.

That is kind of what all this "go it alone" rhetoric is kind of like. He just refuses to pay any attention to anyone. He is the decider and that is that.

He has the oddest personality. No many people are so completely bullheaded as he is. It is just simply his way or nothing. And he is not going to give an inch on anything.

But I am glad that he and his cohorts have lost all of their credibility. No one believes a word they say anymore.

[cooolandrew]

23. See Dems did have plan it's just subtle..

... their plan was to hold enough hearings that republican voters wouldn't stand it no more and demand that bush is removed. There was plenty to get them going.

[BoneDaddy]

26. If the republicans have any hope of winning in 08

they have to come out against Bush, if they are smart. Hagel is just protecting his future which might include a bid for 2012 run. This way, historically, he will look like he knew what was going on. I don't trust these guys as this is just politically saavy to do and they may sacrifice Bush in the process.

[TwilightGardener]

27. Hagel will be too old to run in 2012, and I don't even think he

will be a Senator then--he's probably going to be challenged for his seat by another 'Pug out here and may very well lose, given how mortified the GOPers out here seem to be with his constant outspokenness against this admin. I'm not sure what his motives are here--maybe he's just nuts?

[BoneDaddy]

29. Maybe

One thing I have noticed is there is a rather large group of Paleo-conservatives (Pat Buchanan) who have been against Bush for a long time. I think Hagel is in that camp...but who knows with this crowd.

[Initech]

31. They'd do it if they knew it could screw us by not beating them to the punch.

[Hamlette]

32. One reason only, he will take power from them, they don't think he's done anything wrong.

they just see themselves being the minority again.

Remember, the GOP want's power to set aside the New Deal. They hated FDR and everything the stood for. They were so close with Bush. They had all three branches of government and they thought they could pull it off. Then they looked down at the t-shirt they were wearing and it said "I'm with stupid."

All the "smarts" in the GOP couldn't coverup for Brownie, Iraq, Gonzo, Walter Reed and a million other instances of incompetence.

(The real problem is, their policies are wrong and they refuse to admit it. Instead they say it is because Bush is incompetent.)