A Tale of Two Conyers by David Swanson

[DemPower]

Congressman John Conyers, "The Constitution in Crisis", December 2005:

"In brief, we have found that there is substantial evidence the President, the Vice President and other high ranking members of the Bush Administration misled Congress and the American people regarding the decision to go to war with Iraq; misstated and manipulated intelligence information regarding the justification for such war; countenanced torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and other legal violations in Iraq; and permitted inappropriate retaliation against critics of their Administration.

"There is a prima facie case that these actions by the President, Vice-President and other members of the Bush Administration violated a number of federal laws, including (1) Committing a Fraud against the United States; (2) Making False Statements to Congress; (3) The War Powers Resolution; (4) Misuse of Government Funds; (5) federal laws and international treaties prohibiting torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment; (6) federal laws concerning retaliating against witnesses and other individuals; and (7) federal laws and regulations concerning leaking and other misuse of intelligence.

"While these charges clearly rise to the level of impeachable misconduct, because the Bush Administration and the Republican-controlled Congress have blocked the ability of Members to obtain information directly from the Administration concerning these matters, more investigatory authority is needed before recommendations can be made regarding specific Articles of Impeachment.

Congressman John Conyers, November 2006:

"As many of you also know, I have agreed with Speaker-to-be Pelosi that impeachment is off the table. Instead, we agree that oversight, accountability and checks and balances – which have been sorely lacking for the last six years – must occur. I have nothing but respect for those who might disagree, but that is where I come out.

"Having devoted a considerable amount of time and attention to detailing the many abuses of the Bush Administration, I firmly believe that we have brought these matters to the attention of the American people and the mainstream media, and that their verdict was reflected in the elections on November 7. I consider the now famous “basement hearings” and the issuance of my “Constitution in Crisis” Report to be among the watershed achievements of my more than forty years in Congress."

-- Congressman John Conyers, November 2006

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http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=16756

[bryant69]

1. I'm surprised nobody had a response to this

I would say you have to take a different approach when you are in power, as compared to being out of power.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[silverojo]

2. You can't impeach until you investigate

When the American people start hearing about the putrid filth that gets exposed to the light of day during the investigations, then THEY will be screaming for impeachment. That's when it'll happen!

[John Q. Citizen]

3. We may get impeachment, but the Repos won't vote to convict. It takes 67

votes in the Senate to convict and remove, and it ain't going to happen.

But we do need to investigate.

I will be watching.

[Independent_Liberal]

4. Quit assuming it would be a party line thing.

I know you may find it hard to believe, but there are some Republicans in there who know the difference between right and wrong and when they are presented with enough evidence, they'll want to move to save their party and dump Bush.

[John Q. Citizen]

6. I think they already know the truth. Heck if I know it why wouldn't they?

Impeachment isn't about justice, or about crime and punishment, it is essentially a political solution to a problem.

How many presidents have been impeached and removed in our history?

Guilt or innocence isn't the standard. Right and wrong isn't the standard.

heck I happen to believe 9/11 was an inside job. Assuming I am correct, it doesn't then follow that justice will be done and whoever it was that was responsible on the inside will be brought to justice.

I'm all for investigating, impeaching and convicting both bush and Cheney. I just don't think, realistically, the Repos will see it like that. Especially with a media that won't push Americans to demand it.

[Independent_Liberal]

8. But if investigations go forward and the stuff that's revealed really has...

...the attention of the public and if the public makes the demands for impeachment loud and clear, public opinion is ultimately what will have an impact. The impeachments of Johnson and Clinton were solely about politics. The movement to impeach Nixon began as a grassroots movement. Once investigations took place, the public demanded action and it became a bipartisan thing. The Dems didn't have a 2/3rd majority then, but Nixon resigned because he knew the Senate would convict him.

[John Q. Citizen]

9. We had a press that was pushing it. And the Repos wouldn't have gone along

if Nixon has just said he was sorry.

Firing the special prosecutor was really what did him in.

Also, i don't remeber what the majority was at the time, but it was a lot more than 49 + 2 independents, one of whom is Liebermann.

[Independent_Liberal]

11. Another thing to remember...

...when the investigations, oversight and hearings get underway is all the Republicans in Congress who are under investigation. I'm talking about the ones involved in the Abramoff and MZM scandals who about to be indicted. Both of those scandals find their way to the White House. Not only will we be able to find many guilty parties in the executive branch, but also in the House, Senate and Judicial branch (yes, there's some criminal activity and corruption surrounding Judges on the Federal Courts). Being in control of the Committees means we have the ability to do ethics investigations into these corrupt Republicans and expel them from office. We can give the ones in the Senate a plea agreement and tell them if they want to get re-elected in 2008 and stay out of jail, they can vote with us on the impeachment and therefore they won't have to worry about the Dems ever having a margin bigger than 60 in the Senate under a Democratic president after 2008 (like a filibuster proof or veto proof majority). Whether or not you agree with me, I'm just throwing out some ideas. That's all.

[Kansas Wyatt]

5. I can understand his position to take it off the table.

First of all, it will take an enormous amount of time to actually get anything done with it, while BushCo & Republicans, Inc. will scream bloody murder the whole time and attack the Democrats with accusations of partisan attacks and witch hunts, while the country goes to Hell. The Democrats will be portrayed as getting nothing done, but fighting and witch hunts. In truth, this is the typical BushCo & Republicans, Inc. guilt projection tactic to blame their opponents for their guilt. In 2 years, they can render the Democrats as the party that can get nothing done in Congress, because the Dems will be stalled and fought every step of the way, and let us not forget that all Democrats are not above getting their arm twisted to stand down.

Yes it is very important to nail everyone who has been involved in BushCo's criminal activity, but the Dems are hedging their bets on the White House, Senate, and House of Reps in 2008, instead of risking getting caught up in a fight that could stall their momentum and delay their efforts to begin fixing and doing what BushCo & Republicans, Inc. have been destroying and ignoring. Besides, the Democrats can still put a spotlight on all of BushCo's activities, just with oversight and showing it for what it is to the American people.

[Horse with no Name]

7. Because at the time he wrote the first one

We were in a Constitutional Crisis.
Our government was a one-party rule and the best that you can do at that point is yell and scream and hope someone listens and tells one person...who tells one person...who tells one person....ad infinitum.
We were a party who was excluded our rightly place at the table.
The immediate crisis has come to an end. We are back to a Congress that will exercise oversight. With oversight there will be investigations.
After investigations, it will be determined CONSTITUTIONALLY what the next step is.
Many have forgotten that our Constitution is not vague about these things since it hasn't been used in recent years.

[ThomWV]

10. Events Will Overcome Intentions And Impeachment Will Be Back On The Table

Oversight hearings will disclose information that will demand impeachment.