"because the United States isn't going to withdraw." US official.

[rodeodance]

umm... guess we did not have an election a few weeks ago!


http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/12/13/saudi.sunnis/

In his meeting with Cheney, the Saudi king voiced strong opposition to talks between the United States and Iran, which has a majority Shiite population.

According to the senior American official, he told Cheney that Sunni Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, believed that talking to Iran was dangerous.

A senior U.S. official said the conversation between the two men reflects the "anxiety about the situation" and the Saudi concern about being left "high and dry" if the United States leaves Iraq.

But the official said leaving Iraq is a "doomsday scenario" that will not happen because the United States isn't going to withdraw.

"We are not walking away from it," the official said.

CNN's Elise Labott, Kelli Arena, John King, Elaine Quijano and Zain Verjee contributed to this report.

[mike_c]

1. the only way out is to impeach the chimp....

Period. Any road out of the quagmire must start with impeachment.

[Freddie Stubbs]

2. Yet Dennis Kucinich is arguing the opposite

He stated that impeachment would only prolong our stay in Iraq.

[hijinx87]

4. there's just no excuse for not remembering

what an incredible momentum killer impeachment is. we just saw it
a few years ago.

[mike_c]

6. there is no reason for that to be implicit, IMO....

The republicans USED impeachment to kill congressional momentum-- they tried to make political points with it. It killed momentum because the bill of impeachment against Clinton was nothing more than cheap political grandstanding.

Bush, on the other hand, is a stone criminal. His impeachment would be more like Nixon's resignation-- exposing his crimes for national debate would create an anti-neocon backlash that would last for several years, and likely CREATE momentum for change.

[hijinx87]

9. the reasoning (or lack thereof) behind it probably isn't the point.

impeachment is flatly an agenda killer.

I will forego the next 40 replies to this topic (having
been through it too many times over the past couple of
months), and simply say that I hope that if the democrats
in congress choose to go that route, that I turn out to
be completely wrong.

[Sam1]

7. The last attempt at impeachment

was artificial. It was ginned up out of nothing by the republicans. It had no popular support. Notice, however, that because of overwhelming popular support the mere threat of impeachment was enough to force Richard Nixon to resign.

As I have said before, if impeachment is to come it will come from the people and it will be irresistible. Honest, open, and well conducted investigative hearings will determine what happens.

The congressional committees will do well to hire good general counsel with skills of examination and cross examination and let them have at it.

If the Senators and Congressmen grandstand and ask the questions it will not be at all effective.

[mike_c]

5. DK is the best candidate for America, IMO, but I disagree...

...with that assessment. I think events will overtake Bush quickly now and it will become increasingly clear that he and his cronies are entrenched in a disaster they are utterly incapable of managing. The only way out is to remove him from office. I have every confidence that no matter what his statements on the matter, if a Bill of Impeachment was brought through the Judiciary Committee and debated on the floor of the House, Kuchinich would vote in favor of passing it to the Senate for conviction.

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. So, you believe that he will do something contridicting what he has said?

:shrug:

[mike_c]

10. no, I believe he will do the right thing....

I don't think he will seek to initiate a bill of impeachment-- that would be inconsistent with his stated objectives, but I cannot imagine that he would vote against well supported articles of impeachment assembled by congressional counsel and properly brought through committee to the floor of the House. Calling for impeachment prior to that point is reckless-- and little more than pointless grandstanding-- for any congress member. It has taken me a while to understand that, but it's true.

[hijinx87]

3. * is going to force a showdown

and dare congress to not fund the war effort.

this is going to get messy.

[SOS]

11. The Republicans will be unelectable in 2008

if things in Iraq deteriorate for another 2 years.
The pressure to end this fiasco will come from within their own party.
It's already started.

It's sort of amazing to look back over the last 5 years.
Bush went from from a 90% approval rating shortly after 9/11 to the guy who singlehandedly destroyed the Republican Party.
If the price were not so high, it would be laughable.