Dear Dems: Impeach Gonzales now or STFU.

[Hailtothechimp]

No middle ground on this. It's a binary thing for me.

Either he can get away with his bullshit or he can't. And each day that goes by and he hangs on, it looks more like he can.

If you can't impeach him, you surely won't be able to lay a glove on Cheney or Bush or anyone else.

[Fridays Child]

1. k/r

[MADem]

2. Democrats conduct full investigations before they begin impeachment proceedings.

It's REPUBLICANS who call for impeachment, do halfassed investigation after the fact, and then rush to a vote.

Let's hear from THIS administration's "Monica" and anyone else with information to share, and not do one of those sleazy "rush to judgment" moves. It needs to be clear even to the denial crowd that the action is overdue.

[Hailtothechimp]

6. No--A "full investigation" will run until early 2008

by which time it will already be the election year and so why bother?

Dems are just hoping to run out the clock until the end of the term, because I don't think they have the spine it would take to pull off impeaching Gonzo (or anybody else, for that matter).

I would love to be proven wrong on this, but I have no faith at all that I will be.

[MADem]

12. Oh, really? Are you scheduling the testimony? Why should it take so long?

I think they only need to speak to a few more folks at Justice, and a couple of sleazebags at the White House.

There's a lot of supposing in your remarks...sheesh...by your analylsis, Dems:

--Are running out the clock.

--Have no spine.

With cheerleaders like you in the party, who needs the GOP?

I can't wait to hear from BushCo's 'Monica' myself...just for starters.

[onehandle]

3. What? You're not enjoying the show?

17 more months of slow roasting all under the "umbrella" of the Bush administration.

Impeachments or not, the GOP is suffering.

I am enjoying.

[aquart]

4. Really misunderstanding the process, dear?

We don't have the votes. What part of that do you not understand about DEMOCRATIC process? This is NOT the Republican party. Or merely the Democratic party. This is the American Congress. People actually have to be convinced not just that an action is right, but that it is in their best interest.

And every one of them has a different best interest.

What we DO have the power to do, is sunshine the corruption. Day in, day out, we show the lying weenies for what they are. Day in, day out, they lie.

They believe that if they Clinton it out, it will blow over and they will be loved. Obviously, so do you. It is necessary to keep at it, make sure it does not blow over.

Democracy requires patience. Try to acquire some.

[Hailtothechimp]

9. Please don't patronize me.

If Gonzales simply rubber stamps something that Rove or Cheney or Bush concocted, then he isn't fit to oversee the prosecution of anyone for anything. Every defense lawyer in the country can now go before every federal jury and say "Look at this political witch hunt they brought against my client. You can stick it to Rove and all the others by letting my client off." It might just work.

What were the numbers: 268 Democrats prosecuted for corruption, and fewer than 100 Republicans in the same time period? And those are good odds for you? You want this to continue on for the next year and a half? I don't. So call me impatient if you will, but corrupting the judical process with rank partianship is something I don't have any patience for.

[Kagemusha]

5. People keep wishing for criminal charges but I don't see it.

Corrupting the DoJ is a political crime, not a felony; political crimes are solved through impeachment, if the will (and the congressional self-respect) exists. If they don't, it's likely legal, however wrong it is. Specific things like lying to Congress can be crimes but... it's really, really damned hard to convict people, and evading these laws is a well studied art dating back to the Nixon days. (The methods have been even further refined since Iran-Contra.) But the big stuff, it's simple: just because it's wrong doesn't mean that, short of impeachment, there exists any way to really punish it, even if it's offensive to democracy. A lot of things are offensive to democracy, but not much of it gets punished.

I never took seriously the idea they'd lay a glove on Cheney or Bush. The system's designed so that such things get resolved primarily and regularly at the ballot box. It's a long time to wait but, that's the way it's built to work.

[MannyGoldstein]

7. Silly You

The 'Dems' want Torquemada and the rest of the Bush gang around - they figure that it'll snag them another election, since they look great by comparison.

Impeachment will have to come from the Republicans.

[WCGreen]

8. I agree....

This endless theater playing out in the committee room on Capital Hill just reinforce what most people think about poltics....

[seafan]

10. I feel your frustration. As John Dean said, it's a matter of Congressional will.

Thus, if the 110th Congress, controlled by the Democrats, fails to get the information it needs -- and the public wants -- about the workings of the Bush/Cheney presidency, it will not be because it does not have the tools with which to obtain that information. Rather, it will be because it lacks the will to use those tools.

John Dean, December 29, 2006

[pocoloco]

11. And voter apathy will put 08 in jeopardy!

[Gregorian]

13. We should have a letter writing campaign. Every DU member.

As I have learned, only hand written letters really open the eyes of Congressmen.

If we had thousands of written letters hit a Congressman's office, it would rattle their cage.

Here's the information I found from an insider-

"Petitions and emails are largely ignored by elected officials. I dated one of Pelosi's aides. She gave me the break-down... Every 150 emails counts as one person. Petitions are even less effective. Write a letter. Each letter counts as one person. Be concise, make clear your position, and be polite... ie, don't come off as a wingnut... those letters are ignored are ignored all together."

[mr.alleycat]

14. Impeach who?

Congress can't impeach Gonzo, they can only put pressure the White House to fire him.

[mile18blister]

15. Congress can and must impeach Gonzo.

U.S. Constitution. Article II. Section 4.

The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.


This covers the head of the DOJ.

[Dinger]

16. My Thoughts Exactly K & R

[mile18blister]

17. Does Gonzo have any support in the Senate?

Other than Orin Hatch? Ranking Repug Specter wants him gone. Only 16 Repugs would have to side with Dems for conviction. Can anyone name 33 Senators who would back Gonzo at this point?

[Lost4words]

18. I predict! Nothing will happen to him, he gets a pass from the Dems

sorry, but I have seen it happen this way since Iran Contra, so I am not getting my hopes up.
Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again, Over and Over Again.
8643

[mr.alleycat]

19. I hear ya,

When I heard Hamilton was vice chair I thought another white wash.