Can American citizens sue Bush for lying, misrepresentation?

[Jara sang]

What about Senators and Congress, can we sue our representatives for dereliction of duty? I am fucking sick to death as to the direction this country is headed. Surely we must be able to take legal action against our own government. Republicans must be stopped, Bush must be stopped. What about a recall for the coked up, jack-off, baby killer Bush?

[mirandapriestly]

1. I've wondered about that myself.

it seems like a good idea. I know that there is a RICO case against him for 9-11, unless it got thrown out. But at least it is POSSIBLE. I would like to sue him for losing all the tax payer money, like several billion was lost in the Pentagon I read the other day. Why not?

[shraby]

2. He has immunity for lawsuits concerning decisions

he makes as President. I think it's in the constitution. Illegal acts like the warrantless wiretapping of U.S. citizens are a different matter though. Congress is supposed to hold hearings into that.

[ObaMania]

3. You probably could...

but it would be just as effective as he folks who served an indictment to the WH gates the other day.

What I'd like to do is sue the pants off of che*ney because now we are living the nightmare results of his secret energy meetings.

IMO, the energy thing is going to be he straw that breaks the camel's back and finally sends the middle class past the point of no return, thus eliminating us altogether.

That MFer needs to have his day in a court of law for all the destruction and hardships he's brought to the 'murkin people.

[rainy]

4. why don't we sue George Tenant for reckless endangerment

of our children for helping our pres. lie us into an illegal war. We could get mothers who have lost children to file for their loss.

[BlueStateGirl1995]

5. Sorry to disappoint

but it's highly unlikely.

"Can a sitting President be convicted of a criminal offense? Or, must he be impeached first, then tried?"

A. There is no easy answer to the question, as it is a matter of interpretation. I think most Constitutional scholars would agree that the notion of separation of powers prevents the President, and perhaps the Vice President, from being prosecuted in criminal court while in office. So for a conviction, the President would have to either be removed from office, or the trial would have to wait until his term expired. Where there is less certainty is if a sitting President can be indicted while in office. In 1999, there were rumors that President Clinton might be indicted by Independent Council Kenneth Starr while Clinton was still in office, but this never came about.

"If a President has civil litigation brought against him during his term in office must this be handled while he is in office? Or, can it be deferred until his term expires?"

A. A civil case can be deferred, and before 1997, most people would likely have guessed that any civil case filed against the President would be deferred. However, a Supreme Court ruling against President Clinton in 1997 allowed a civil case against him to proceed. The reasoning was that since the case against him concerned acts committed prior to his taking office, that the Presidency did not lend him a shield against such litigation. The decision would seem to leave in place the notion that a President cannot be sued for actions taken as President, protecting Presidents from frivolous lawsuits designed to tie up an administration's conduct of national business.

http://www.usconstitution.net/constfaq.html

BTW, this is a good site for kids in government classes...it really explains the Constitution in modern language. My students love it! :)

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

6. Hearts in the Right Place, But Of Course You Can't

It would be utter chaos if that were allowable.