Impeaching Cheney: Step One

[NNN0LHI]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20070423/cm_thenation/1189256

The Nation -- That Vice President Dick Cheney is the ripest target for impeachment in the Bush White House is beyond debate.

Cheney was far more aggressive that President Bush in peddling manipulated -- or, to use a more precise term, "fantastical" -- intelligence before the U.S. invaded Iraq. And, once the war began, Cheney promoted the illusion that a connection had been found between Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network so recklessly that Bush, himself, was finally forced to correct his errant vice president. That puts Cheney at odds with the checks and balances requirements of the Constitution, and with the oath he swore to obey that document's demands.

Cheney personally coordinated efforts to attack former Ambassador Joe Wilson (news, bio, voting record), and Wilson's wife Valerie Plame, after the veteran diplomat revealed that the administration had cooked up a "case" for attacking Iraq that was in conflict with information that had been made available to the White House. That is an abuse of Cheney position similar to the ones that the House Judiciary Committee cited when voted overwhelmingly for the third article of impeachment against then-President Richard Nixon.

Cheney has been the administration's primary defender of torture, so much so that the consistently cautious Washington Post referred to him in an editorial as the "Vice President for Torture." That creates a conflict not just with the Geneva Conventions but with the 8th amendment to the Constitution's bar on cruel and unusual punishment.

[elocs]

1. There might actually be a chance to get 67 votes to convict in the Senate.

Sure, Bush would still be President, but first things first. President Cheney does not sound good.

[Senator]

14. They've Already Voted 90-9 Against Torture ... Now, They Just Have To...

... vote to convict The Vice President for Torture.

Only Impeachment can circumvent the "Rule By Signing Statement" that negated the McCain Anti-Torture Amendment.

Either that or declare the US a War Criminal Nation (as the DC Dem silent complicity current does) and be done with it.

=====

[MasonJar]

2. The buck stops at the Bush desk; they should be impeached

simultaneously.

[Disturbed]

3. I am anxiously looking forward to the Articles of Impeachment

regarding this vile VP.

[sofa king]

18. It's not as if Bush is actually doing his own job.

Visualize total success: Force the Vice President to resign while amassing a significant (but not complete) public record of his criminal wrongdoing. Let the President pardon him for the crimes we "know" about.

Then wait. Don't consider the President's replacement nomination (who at this point will have to be Condoleeza Rice because she's the only criminal co-conspirator of his not currently facing jail time). Wait about six weeks for the President's narcissistic personality disorder to spin him into total depression and neurosis, declare him mentally unable to conduct his job as per the 25th Amendment, and remove him from office before he can pardon anyone.

Then pressure President Pelosi to reveal the true extent of the Bush Administration's crimes; use the Patriot Act to hunt down and imprison every last one of the bastards wherever they run; revoke their citizenship, seize their assets and return it all to the federal government; dismantle Halliburton, Bechtel, General Electric, and any other corporation that was in on it all.

Then set down to the hard work of dragging our nation from the verge of financial, environmental, energy and moral collapse--without a single one of those rogues around to fuck it up, ever again.

[CK_John]

4. 4 out of 4 people I asked(in 30's), in the last week,did not know who was VP. n/t

[Ishoutandscream2]

9. Jesus. Boggles the mind, doesn't it?

[catmandu57]

5. Work from the bottom up

Darth is odious he needs to be gone yesterday, so does gonzo, so does kinda sleazy, and the rest of these incompetent no goodniks.

[ixat]

6. Without Cheney, Bush would be fairly harmless,

and I would love to see the bastard on the hot seat. I wonder, though, with all that the Dems have on their desks right now (2008 election, Iraq strategy, minimum wage, health care), how smart or fruitful would it be to spend political capital on an impeachment? I mean, we already have our high-level Republican scandal with the Gonzales snafu (and, dare we hope, Rove?); there are also, at last, new developments in the Cunningham corruption case. Will it be worth clogging the airwaves and legislative time with impeachment proceedings?

[Disturbed]

7. "Will it be worth clogging the airwaves and legislative time..."

Yes it will. The American people and the World need to be educated about this vile VP and the corupt Regime that is in power.

[ixat]

8. Oh, something tells me that the world already has

a pretty clear idea about the people who've been running our country for the past 6+ years, and most Americans are beginning to get it, too.

[Jcrowley]

10. Kick and Rec

[Kansas Wyatt]

11. Why does CNN keep parroting over and over again...

That only a very small part of the Democratic Party wants impeachment?

How do they know?

[lonestarnot]

12. Because they're I-D-I-O-T-S?

[TheWebHead]

13. they're just repeating Carville

the idea that only a small percentage of the Democratic base wants to impeach Cheney is laughable. If Carville and dems really want to push back on the impeach Cheney idea they should concede it is a majority belief, but that it would suck the air out of every other initiative they have, would intensify the Republican base who have become disillusioned, and if carried out would allow Bush to appoint one of the Republicans running now for president to give him the crediblity of the VP office.

[Lerkfish]

15. Dick Vader only has 11% approval, and is demonstrably treasonous. Impeach him first, THEN

hel'll turn on the others.


in my dream world. oh, I hope hope my dream comes true.

[NNN0LHI]

16. I thought I was dreaming when the Dems took control of both houses of Congress

Lets keep dreaming.

Don

[Lerkfish]

19. cool, let's keep dreaming until its reality.

:bounce:

[dweller]

17. "So Kucinich has picked the right target, for now.

Americans who understand that the threat of impeachment is the only tool of the Constitution strong enough to bring this administration back in line with the rule of law -- and, in so doing, to make possible the rapid end of the Iraq occupation and other worthy goals -- have their work cut out for them. House Democratic leaders remain resistant to the very mention of the "i" word.

Kucinich's decision to introduce articles of impeachment is an important first step. But to get the hearings and the votes that will be needed, the congressman and presidential candidate from Ohio will need cosponsors. What Kucinich has done is to give impeachment activists a place to focus their conversations with members of the House, but those conversations still must be held. And their message must be blunt: If you want to fix what's wrong in Washington, you must consponsor the articles of impeachment against Cheney.

There is an accountability moment coming. House and Senate committees are investigating, questioning, subpoenaing and challenging the Bush-Cheney administration. But accountability is about more than assembling a record of wrongdoing. It demands action upon that wrongdoing. And the founders left no doubt that the appropriate action when dealing with the likes of Dick Cheney is an application of the "heroic medicine" of impeachment."


k&r!
dp

[Kurovski]

20. K&R. (nt)