Suddenly, Impeachment Hearings Are Looking Like a Strong Possibility

[kpete]

Suddenly, Impeachment Hearings Are Looking Like a Strong Possibility
by dlindorff
Thu Nov 08, 2007 at 09:39:31 AM PST
Kucinich, by bringing his Cheney impeachment resolution to a floor vote in the House, has shaken up the politics of impeachment, and looks like it may end up putting Cheney in the dock.

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

The Democratic strategy for the 2008 election has been to do nothing overly confrontational, to pass no significant legislation, to collect lots of money from corporate interests, and to hope that the Republican Party, saddled with an unpopular administration and an unpopular war, will implode.

The strategy, however, is proving to be a disaster, as public support for the Democratic do-nothing Congress has fallen even below the president’s record low numbers. Just running against Republicans, Bush/Cheney, and the continuing war risks seeing Democrats go down to defeat in ’08.

It is awareness of this looming electoral disaster that underlies the growing restiveness among rank-and-file Democrats in the House, all of whom have to face the voters in less than a year’s time.

As recently as a month ago, it didn’t look like impeachment was in the cards,

Now it’s starting to look like we Cheney’s going to be put in the dock.

more at:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/11/8/123533/273

Lindorff writes that Carol Shea-Porter, a first-term Democrat from New Hampshire and Stephen Cohen (D-TN), a member of the Judiciary Committee who is a co-sponsor of the Kucinich resolution are also calling for prompt action by the Judiciary Committee.

[nancyr]

1. I won't hold my breath.

[PATRICK]

2. When that kind

of story makes it to the mainstream it might actually become self-fulfilling instead of obstinately opposed.

[NewJeffCT]

3. Unfortunatley, they've already wasted 10 months

with the length and breadth of the crimes of the Bush Administration, we could have a non-stop stream of incriminating testimony that drags on well into 2008, and beyond.

If they had started in January or February, they could have been wrapping up soon.

[seemslikeadream]

4. Dave Lindorff is a good friend of Larry Johnson

And that's good enough for me to listen to him

[Kolesar]

5. El Wrong-O

The strategy, however, is proving to be a disaster, as public support for the Democratic do-nothing Congress has fallen even below the president’s record low numbers. Just running against Republicans, Bush/Cheney, and the continuing war risks seeing Democrats go down to defeat in ’08.

Public dissatisfaction with "not ending the war" is not going to make the public vote for the 'pukes.

I am beginning to sound like a broken record.

[underpants]

7. public dissatisfaction breaks down as such

1/3 can't stand DC/Congress/POTUS anyway at least not in the present form

Most of the right doesn't like that they lost the rubber stamp
and most of US don't like them NOT doing what they were not only elected to do but what needs to be done.

Of course the way these sudden side by side comparisons to W's numbers imply is that the public doesn't like the Democrats. The election in Va. two days ago shows that the Republicans have NOTHING to run on (immigration hate failed horribly)

[Kolesar]

9. Thank you for illuminating the story on Virginia and immigration...eom

[underpants]

11. More here

Prince William county is in NoVa and they are the ones who passed the ridiculous law/measure/ordinance that allow police to enforce immigration laws and allows them to suspect basically anyone they want. Thisis HUGE that they lost there-clearly there was no public support.

As EJ Dionne very aptly wrote a few weeks ago-the 'burbs are now blue and the Republicans are now only the party of the South.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3058062&mesg_id=3058062

[Kolesar]

15. The Democrats ran and won on the environment

According to the WaPo article on the VA races. Oh, happy day.

Democratic supporters of J. Chapman Petersen, who beat state Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis, the Republican incumbent, in Fairfax, said they had long hoped that a candidate would come along who could match her on the issues. "Chap's a good Democrat," said voter John C. Wasley IV, a librarian who has lived in the area most of his life. "Transportation and the environment were the big issues for me, and Chap's on the right side of both of them."

[underpants]

16. Growth too

everyone is worried about growth. Amazing how informed people are getting...okay maybe they got theirs and want to keep everybody else out.... :shrug:

[Tatiana]

13. Great analysis.

P.S. I miss the moving underpants :(

[underpants]

14. :-)

[Mme. Defarge]

10. What if, instead,

they simply don't vote?

[rurallib]

6. Let's see: Democrats talk tough, threaten action, capitulate

I will take a very much wait and see attitude.

[magellan]

8. The Dems could easily pull their ratings out of the dumpster

...if they wanted to. But I think they're content to be seen merely as the "lesser of two evils". That's shameful, not to mention increasingly risky for '08; according to a pollster on the CM this morning, Americans are turning their backs on that equation. They want a hero, and they aren't finding him/her among the leading candidates from either party.

[Fly by night]

12. Thanks, Rep. Cohen (D-Memphis), for standing up for America.

Tennessee a red state? Hardly.

Think Orange State (think the Ukraine in 2004)