Howard Dean was da Bomb on "This Week" today

[JCMach1]

Dean: No Impeachment Plans for Bush

In an exclusive Sunday interview on This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Dean dismissed the idea that Democrats would seek to impeach President Bush if they won back control of Congress — a possibility floated by Republicans looking to galvanize their base...

Dean said DeLay was himself pointing fingers over ethics issues while ignoring his own problems. "There was one name that he left of the list and that was his own," he said.

Dean He also said Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., who is accused of improperly using his influence to direct business toward a favored company, should resign immediately that if indicted.

"There are individual congressmen who have made mistakes," he said, while insisting Republicans had more to answer for.

Dean promised that if Democrats take the House in November, "within 100 days, we will vote on real ethics legislation.

"No more free trips, no more free lunches," he promised. ... http://www.abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/ThisWeek/story?id=1933534&page=1

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. I loved how he answered, "Yep." to the Jefferson question.

Straightforward, no rambling sentence...none of that. I think he made it very clear that it is time to clean house across the board.

[JCMach1]

2. The man who should have been president right now

:(

[ScreamingMeemie]

5. We were just going through pictures of the "Super Bowl Party" he

attended here before the primaries... It is still so heartbreaking for those of us who worked very hard. :(

[WiseButAngrySara]

6. Nope, Gore and Kerry both should have been and simultaneously,

actually were and are!

Only in the world of B*shit, are these kinds of incongruities possible.

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. Gore, definitely yes.

:hi:

[WiseButAngrySara]

10. I am still a Kerry lover, too!

:hi: back at 'cha!

[babylonsister]

3. Whoever's dirty needs to be punishedt, whether

Dem or repug, lobbyists or prez and anyone in between. Throw the bums out!

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

4. LOL, George S. is so used to the prevaricating answers of the repubs

that it seemed to catch him a little off-guard.

He (George) kept accidentally saying "Speaker Pelosi". It was a fun thing to watch.

:loveya: Howard Dean...MKJ

[bklyncowgirl]

22. Poor George seemed a little disappointed.

I guess he was expecting some sort of defense of Jefferson. Good for Dean. I for one like straight answers and that, quite frankly, was the right answer.

If they're crooked they have no place in our government.

[dennis4868]

7. Does Dean Have a Spine?

No Impeachment? WTF?

Is there a Dem with a spine?

[Malikshah]

11. It's called leaving one's options open and controlling the conversation.

He knows full well that Strephie wants to nail his ass to the floor with some grand headline re: impeachment.

He knows that should the evidence be there when the time comes, he and others will not hesitate to bring down the corrupted house around the regime's ears.

He knows that the media is the enemy and not to be trusted.

And, no-- this ain't no frikking chess game folks. It's war. A la Sun Tzu.

"When you are near, appear to be far away." "When you are strong, appear to be weak"

All warfare is deception.

[last1standing]

12. Before you can impeach, you must investigate.

It doesn't matter what the media reports say or what we know is true. If the president is accused of a crime, the congress must investigate the charges THEN proceed to possible indictment and prosecution. Anything else would go against our judicial system and our constitution. Didn't we learn the consequences of unjustified impeachment from the Clinton fiasco?

Dean and the rest of the Dems are perfectly right in not calling for impeachment now. By calling for investigation they can say to the country that they just want to get to the bottom of the scandals and other problems. Once they have done so, THEN is the time to start impeachment proceedings - when they have the facts before them and the ability to show they have thoroughly researched things. If they did it now, they would look partisan and shrill.

There are times the Dems can be accused of not having spines, but this is not one of them.

[dennis4868]

14. I'm sorry.....

but anyone who says that the entire Bush crime family (murderers) should not be impeached is not patriotic and does not deserve to be in office. Dean should have said we will seriously investigate all of Bush's crimes and them impeach. Instead he runs away from it like a spineless jellyfish.

[last1standing]

16. To push investigations is Pelosi's job.

And she has come out swinging on that very thing, calling for investigations. Dean's responsibility is to get Dems elected...Period. He's working his ass off to do just that but going onto a "news" talk show and saying he's going to impeach the president is not going to help. It would only shore up bush's* base and cause some independents who were disgusted by the Clinton impeachment to either stay home or vote repub just to keep that from happening again.

I understand your desire for impeachment - I share it, but the only way to get there is in steps. Win the House/Senate, investigate all scandals, present proof to the American people that high crimes and misdemeanors took place, THEN and ONLY THEN present articles of impeachment. To do anything else in any other order would run against our judicial system and constitution - the very things we're trying to protect from these repub thugs. It would also look partisan and shrill which never goes over well in an election.

Honestly, Dean didn't run away. He's moving methodically toward the goal we're both seeking: Honest, progressive government.

[Ksec]

17. Patience grasshopper

In due time.

[Cha]

20. You so don't know

what you're talking about.

[JNelson6563]

15. Do you have a clue?

Yeah, let's give the rethugs something to whip their base into a frenzy over.

God how I marvel at the political neophytes on this board!!

[Cha]

19. Dean has more SPINE

than you'll ever know. Don't worry about Dean..He knows what he's doing..

[patrice]

9. Don't go for impeachment now. Voting Reform is what affects everything.

Then people are concerned about Jobs. Education. National Security. And Immigration. Health Care.

And Re: Iraq:

If Not Now, WHEN might the Troops in Iraq re-deploy and/or come HOME. If Not NOW - WHEN? - Think World Chess here please. What's the plan?

AND DO NOT BOMB IRAN. The stress could provoke violent revolution amongst the young. *, GO TO THE U.N. and try to fix what YOU broke. Many Americans love the World.

Work with Courts of International Justice on so-called "Just War" moral critique of various things like Darfur : Iraq, the Mideast, and all Other long standing ethnic and religious killing.

These things would be better foci for our efforts than Impeachment. Though I appreciate Impeachment's attractions as something for us to talk about and inform ourselves.

[Ksec]

13. Hes mastered the short answer

When they get huffy or start the bully tactics, Dean understands how to take the interview back away from the media person, who has probably got a book hes trying to sell. The sooner they learn the art of smackdown, the sooner they can get on to whats really important, issues and whats best for the country.

[stevietheman]

18. Impeachment is inevitable if Dems take back Congress

Why? Because if the people demand it, Dems will have to do it.

[cyberpj]

21. "YEP." To quote the man himself. Made me damn proud. nt