Bush: Another Nixon?

[JPZenger]

The following are excerpts of the Articles of Impeachment filed against Richard Nixon, before he resigned. Let's compare those reasons for impeachment to the Bush Administration's conduct.

1. Agents of Nixon's Re-election Campaign broke into the Democratic National Party Headquarters . (Vs. Agents of the Republican Senate leadership recently broke into computer files of the Democratic Senate leadership.)

2. Nixon Administration officials, using powers of his high office, delayed and obstructed investigations of unlawful activities and made false or misleading statements to investigators, and withheld relevant evidence from them. (Vs. the Bush Administration has delayed, impeded and obstructed investigations by the 9-11 Committee.)

3. Nixon misused the CIA and other Federal agencies to engage in unlawful activities. (Vs. Bush Administration mis-used intelligence information to justify a "preemptive war," and identified a "deep cover" CIA agent for political purposes.)

4. Nixon made false or misleading public statements to deceive the people of the United States into believing that a thorough and complete investigation had been conducted with respect to allegations of misconduct of Administration officials. (Vs. Bush Administration gave false and misleading public statements to deceive the public into supporting a "preemptive war" in Iraq)

5. Nixon misused the FBI and other executive personnel, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens. (Vs. Bush Administration violations of constitutional rights under the Patriot Act, such as holding a U.S. citizen indefinitely without charges).

6. Nixon has failed without lawful cause to produce papers and recordings that were subpeonaed by investigators. (Vs. Bush Administration has avoided providing subpeonaed information on 9-11 to the full 9-11 Committee).

"In all of this, Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States. Wherefore Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office."

[Shanty Oilish]

1. Yes but

Nixon was his own Rove.

[unblock]

2. bush is worse

on the other hand, imagine what nixon could have 'accomplished' if he had the press behind him 1000% the way shrub has the media acting like the emperor actually has nice clothes....

[ithacan]

3. Mark Miller in Bush Dyslexicon makes that comparison

and shows very convincingly the strong similarities between Nixon and Bush.

[cornermouse]

4. That was when Congress was not obsessed with

sex, religion, and gerrymandering. They've changed drastically since that period in time.

That's also why Bush is not the only one that needs to be voted out of office.

[Gringo]

5. Nixon was far more competent, more intelligent and more ethical.

He shared some of Bush's character traits (paranoia, inferiority complex) but was a much better president. I still doubt whether Nixon ever OK'd the break-in personally (but he knew the people working for him were thugs, so he was responsible either way.

Reagan, though far more charming, presided over a much more treasonous and corrupt administration, one that actually armed our terrorist enemies, then gave the money to right-wing death squads in central America.


I think Bush has much more in common with Reagan, minus the charisma, although Reagan seemed much more intelligent to me.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

11. I would agree with Nixon being more intelligent and competent...

...but Nixon and the term "ethical" were about two continents apart.

[H2O Man]

6. The strange thing was...

...that Nixon had some good qualities. Bush has none. (In 1960, Nixon could have protested the election. He would not have won anyhow, but he did not want to demean the system. I am NOT comparing this to Gore, who won, and was correct to challenge the Florida vote. Also, as president, Nixon did more to increase federal support for traditional Native American's religious freedom than any other previous president. Perhaps his Quaker background.)

[Leilani]

8. I agree

Nixon did some good things.

He was terrific on the environment.

And I really don't think that the Nixon Admin is anywhere near this gang in terms of misusing the system.

Another thing, no one in Nixon's group profited from anything financially. This gang has been shoveling money (our tax dollars) as fast as they can to their corrupt supporters, & actually redistributing the wealth of the county to the very top.

[Gman]

7. Please don't dignify Bush by comparing him to Nixxon

I thought that NEVER in my life would I say that I'd rather have Nixon than another president. I find myself saying it now more and more. To those not around in the 70's you just had to be there to understand the absolute extremeness of that statement. Nixxon was supposed to be a once in 500 year phenomenon. An aberration. And Bush is actually worse than Nixon ever hoped to be.

[charlie]

9. Nixon was at least recognizably human

Much of his paranoia was driven by his distress from a lifelong notion that he didn't "fit in." As trite (and bizarre) as it may seem to say it, Nixon felt unloved.

Dubya, on the other hand, is near reptilian with his imperious self-regard. He may be dumber than a bag of doorknobs, but he could give a shit, he'll gladly burn the country down because he knows he's right, and better than his critics. He's far more dangerous.

[H2O Man]

10. Nixon was evil...

..in many ways. His manner of conducting the Vietnam war was terrible. He violated the US Constitution. (Read "The Imperial Presidency" by A. Schlesinger, Jr. for details.) However, a close examination shows that Watergate involved an effort by the extreme right to force Nixon out of power ... the efforts of the "new" left and student activists alone did not force the process alone. Look close at who "survived" the short democratic lull, only to regain power for an extended period. There are several bush administrators who were powerful in the Nixon, Reagan, and Bush#1 administrations. The imperial presidency is a process ... this administration is part of a process put into motion long, long ago.

[John_H]

12. I wear an old campaign button that says" Nixon. Now more than ever"