The Republicans have made it politically difficult to impeach

[Ignacio Upton]

While we are being told that impeachment is off the table, I believe it is lip service for the moment, because in all honestly, I can't see the majority of the public supporting impeachment until more evidence comes out during hearings. One of the reasons why the public is hostile to impeachment at the moment is because they don't want to see a second Presidential impeachment within a decade. That has never happened in America's history, and psychologically it would be traumatizing. Also, part of the reason why our leaders are hesitant to openly support impeachment is because they remember what happened to the Republicans in the 1998 midterm elections, in that they LOST seats in Congress for pursuing what was viewed as a partisan witch-hunt.

[casus belli]

1. Bottom line is, if we do this as our first line of business

America sees revenge as the motive.

[NMDemDist2]

2. two new polls show Americans ready to impeach if wrongdoing is

shown

I saw a thread today from two different polls, one was from downingstreetmemo.org

you may want to look at their site and see if they have it over there


Investigate, Inquire and then Impeach

[Ignacio Upton]

3. We can agree on this

But this proves that investigations need to come first. We should start out on corruption in Iraq, prewar intelligence, and abuses of Presidential powers in areas like signing statements and the wiretapping program. After that, we should investigate secondary scandals, like Cheney's energy task-force, and even Jeff Gannon's access to the White House. There are other things, but I can't think of anything else off the top of my mind.

[Mythsaje]

4. I think investigation of Corruption in congress is important too.

We might be able to knock out what few remaining powerhouses the Republicans have left.

[Ignacio Upton]

5. That too

Like I said, there are so many things that need to be investigated that I can't remember things beyond what have been mentioned within the last three days.

[Occulus]

8. DEEP investigations

As deep as possible.

One of our first acts should be very public and very lengthy testimony by Sibel Edmonds. Get her WHOLE story on the public record.

[Erika]

6. Clinton's "impeachment" was a political act

and it harmed so many just for political harrassment by the GOP. It turned our stomachs. W might gain from this. He, indeed, may be a war criminal and fully impeachable, but Americans are sick of the process.

Indeed, Clinton was prosecuted and persecuted for a sex act with a consenting adult, but W well may get a way with criminal war acts without a scratch just because impeachment is so ugly.

[Ignacio Upton]

7. Sadly this is what might happen

Had the Republicans not tried to impeach him in '98, I think the will power for impeachment would be much stronger. People don't like the idea of having two impeachments in such a short time-span. To many, it makes us look unstable and like a banana republic, even if the reasons for impeachment are justified in this case.