Reply #13: sending the resolution to committee kept it alive (barely)

[onenote]

DS thinks that the five who voted against sending it to the committee are right because DS isn't bothered by the fact that if the resolution hadn't been sent back to committee it would've gotten one hour of debate and then been voted down overwhelmingly in a bi-partisan vote. Maybe he thinks that there would be a benefit in getting members "on the record" on whether to impeach. But the fact is that there was no chance -- none whatsover -- that a majority of the house was going to impeach cheney after one hour of debate. And even co-sponsors of DK's resolution concede this.

Thus we know what would've happened if the motion to refer had been defeated. Any further chance of impeachment hearings/investigations by Judiciary would be dead and gone, never to come back. If the whole house had voted and rejected DK's articles, it would be game, set, match on impeachment.

On the other hand, by sending DK's resolution to committee,the impeachment process still clings, albeit barely, to life. There is absolutely no guarantee that DK's resolution will get a hearing in Committee, but at least its a possibility. In addition, the door remains open for the committee to pursue impeachment through the more common procedure, which involves presening a motion to the full House seeking authorization, funding etc. for an impeachment inquiry by the Judiciary, which could then lead to articles, drafted and approved by the Judiciary Committee, being sent to the floor for consideration. Do I think this will happen? Probably not. But if the co-sponsors of DK's resolution hadn't jumped ship and supported referral over immediate consideration, DK's resolution, and any future consideration of the impeachment question would be dead and buried.