The Crucible of Impeachment: If Not Now, When? By Robert Weitzel

[Demeter]

Original Content at http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_robert_w_061221_the_crucible_of_impe.htm

The Crucible of Impeachment: If Not Now, When?



"When once a republic is corrupted there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption . . . every other correction is either useless or a new evil."
--Thomas Jefferson

How much more egregious does the abuse of power have to be-can it be-before members of Congress take seriously their oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic?"

The Constitution is barely seven paragraphs old before the founding fathers gave the people's elected representatives the power to impeach the president and whomever in the executive branch for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors."

Unfortunately, they could not give their descendents' representatives the political-dare I say the moral-guts to use that power.

What better, more patriotic, thing can an elected representative do for the country than to temper the Constitution and, consequently, the Republic itself in the crucible of impeachment when it is so obviously warranted?

But the Framers never intended impeachment to be either extreme or rare. It was meant to be used forcefully and unapologetically and as often as necessary to check the excesses of power or wanton corruption of the temporary occupants of the White House.

That it has been so rarely used has led us to the unconscionable level of abuse by the Bush administration. They proceed as though they have nothing to fear, as if the Constitution is powerless to hold them accountable. It is this lack of fear that is sounding the death knell of our democracy; the final taps at the twilight of the Republic.



Authors Bio: Robert Weitzel lives in Middleton, WI. His essays appear in The Capital Times in Madison, WI. He has also been published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Skeptic Magazine, Freethought Today and on the web sites, commondreams.org and smirkingchimp.com. He can be contacted at: [e-mail]

[Independent_Liberal]

1. K&R!

[pnwmom]

2. When investigations have actually been completed.

When there is a reasonable chance of conviction in the Senate -- as opposed to a trial that lets Bush off with a "not guilty" verdict.

[pokercat999]

3. "They proceed as though they have nothing to fear,"

Trouble is they do have nothing to fear. Most members of congress accept bribes (an impeachable offense) on a regular basis in many forms including campaign donations, trips, lunches etc. We need to clean house from top to bottom, sure a few good ones will go but MOST are actually criminals. But they should have no fears either this system will NEVER change.