Why it isn't a choice to investigate and impeach, if that is where the facts lay

[debbierlus]

I am a bit troubled to read some of the posts on DU stating we should forego impeachment.

I understand the arguments against it. I understand the desire to 'move on'. I understand that people want to focus on the business of the country and not get 'caught up' in investigations and political bickering. How tempting....how easy....We have work to do, we can't get bogged down with the hassle of oversight.

This isn't a choice of what we WANT to do, but what we need to do, so this country can truly move forward. And, more, it is our moral OBLIGATION to undergo a serious scrutiny of our political system and our collective indifference to the actions of a corrupt government. The American people have stood by and allowed our government to slaughter over a half million innocent people. We have stood and watched a nation dissolve into utter chaos - chaos we unleashed upon people who posed us no threat. Yes, a small portion protested in the streets. And, a few fought even harder then that....Mostly, we have been arm chair quarter backs mistaking criticism of a policy with true dissent against that policy. The first requires only observation, the second requires direct action.

This war has shown the sheer arrogance of the American people from day 1. The lack of questioning, the ease of yielding to a murderous policy, the indifference to death when it is not American blood. Only when cost of began to be felt in American lives and dollars, did we see the support for the war wane. Maybe, it wasn't such a good idea. Let's leave, and move on.

If America really wants to move on, we have to grow up. We have to stop believing that good intentions substitute for our real world actions. It means that we don't just get to make a huge mess and destroy millions of lives without consequence. We don't get the luxury of just 'moving on'.

One, it is unjust to the millions of lives, we have destroyed. THEY deserve accountability more then the American people do. They deserve to have this country demand justice from those who perpetrated these crimes against them. All the people...the men, women, and children who died, the people who lost their sight or limbs or sanity, the people who lost their homes, the girls who have been sold into sexual slavery...And, our own troops who were used as pawns and bore the weight of this entire war for our nation. THEY deserve justice and accountability.

Second, if we do not demand investigation and accountability, we will never heal this lurking cancer. We can't run from this - and, if we try, we will inevitably be faced with another Iraqi quagmire at some future date. Every person who has ever been to a twelve step knows that one of the things required to heal is 'making amends'. A alcoholic must go back and try to make right to those he/she wronged. This isn't just for the people who were harmed by the behavior of the recovering person. No, it is a means for the recovering person to move forward by confronting the reality of what they created, and understanding the real world consequences of their actions. In this way, they become stronger and less likely to repeat the mistakes of their past. It is a process of humility and courage. We must undergo the same process. Retreat is hiding.

Third, it is imperative because those who would seek to start another Iraq must learn that there are severe consequences for such treason. Yes, we have a democratic Congress NOW. What happens when the power shifts again? Will the same people and twisted philosophy dominate us, again? What will they take away from realizing they stole our treasury and committed mass murder with no consequence? No repercussions?

Ultimately, investigations/& or impeachment is not about seeking revenge on the Bush administration. It is just a first step in examining what we are as a nation rather then just seeing ourselves as what we wish to be.

[TahitiNut]

1. Tutucratic heresy!

:evilgrin:

[mmonk]

2. I'm with you.

[BOSSHOG]

3. And investigations at this point would be neither time consuming

nor difficult. Most of the legwork has been done. Its now at the point of confirmation. With the evidence just barely below the surface, impeachment would seem inevitable and bush and cheney and rove and the rest of the criminals know it. bush being the morally bankrupt, selfish "conservative" scum that he is was not campaigning for gop candidates for two weeks before the elections, he was campaigning against giving subpoena power to dems.

[Bobbieo]

5. Debbierlus - We don;t have a Democratic Congress

until January 6th, 2007!!!!! Can you hold off until then?

[ellenfl]

6. there it is . . . bushco was AFRAID of what a dem congress

would/could do. i think they are scared poopless. at least dubya is.

as for speaker pelosi's campaign promise of no impeachment, she can just use the same rationale dubya used when he was confronted about his campaign lies . . . (to paraphrase) "that's what you do when you are campaigning . . . but i'm telling the truth now!"

it's that old goose/gander thing. :evilgrin:

ellen fl

[longship]

4. A clarification on what many of us are saying.

I can only speak for myself however I have heard similar sentiment from many DUers who have been arguing against the impeach now crowd.

Investigations must come first. Then, if revelations turn public opinion, like it did in Watergate (and like it did *not* for the Clinton impeachment), we could easily obtain a mandate for impeachment from the people. If that happens, impeachment is not only possible, it is likely to succeed (as in resignation or "guilty" in a Senate trial).

The one thing we all learned about Watergate and the Monica Lewinsky affair is that when you impeach with the people behind you, it works, otherwise it doesn't.

We cannot trade impeachment for victory in 2008. That would put us right back where we've been the past six years. That's why all Dem Congressional leaders are saying "impeachment is off the table". They are afraid of it, with very good reason.

But if there's ever a day like Oct 20, 1973 when 50,000 telegrams hit Congress calling for impeachment, it can and will happen. We have to investigate first, and convince the people that this is the course to take.

If you think we "need to impeach" you had better start contacting your Congress critters, both Republican and Democratic. Start writing LTTE's. Ask for investigations, and support impeachment if you want. If Democrats are the only ones calling for it, it will not happen, nor should it.

[Independent_Liberal]

7. I like the way you think my friend.

BTW, Tom Noe was found guilty today by a jury. Many of those investigations by the DOJ are about ready to bear fruit. Stay tuned. Major revelations coming.