Proposed LTTE. Opinions before I send it.

[Dr.Phool]

Although I’ve generally opposed the idea of impeachment of the President as too disruptive of the country, I’ve changed my mind. The first order of business of the new Congress should be the immediate removal of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. To avoid the appearance of partisanship, allow them to name agreeable replacements to serve out the remaining 2 years. If we are to remain a free republic, and regain our reputation in the world, this is a must.

This administration has committed more high crimes than can be listed on this editorial page. Not to mention misdemeanors.

The November elections were a complete repudiation of the war in Iraq. The President, in his infamous stubbornness, has decided to ignore the horrendous, though sugar-coated ISG report. When asked about the deteriorating situation there, “OK, it’s bad in Iraq. That help?” Then he laughed. It’s time to put this faith based foreign policy to bed.

As the minutes of a British cabinet meeting, the “Downing Street Memo” proved, they were “fixing the facts”, or putting together phony intelligence to justify this invasion.

We have an Executive Branch being run like the corrupt crony capitalism of Ferdinand Marcos’ Philippines. Science is ignored. The treasury is being looted. Incompetent and unqualified people are being appointed to high positions. Civil liberties are being trampled. New Orleans still resembles Baghdad. Environmental regulations are being ignored or repealed. They actually want to allow more lead released into our atmosphere.

It’s time to leave Mr. President. Go sit down and have a beer with someone who would actually want to have one with you.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. good post

though I would probably say New Orleans is still a disaster area. Hope they print it.

[Dr.Phool]

2. Good idea.

I'll change it.

Thanks

[yellowdogmi]

13. Don't change it.

The comparison of New Orleans to Baghdad brings home the point that he is responsible for both atrocities. It is a very well done letter. My only critique being that you may have reached too far. I normally try to stick to one issue. Trying to fit all of his misdeeds in one letter is difficult but you have done an extraordinary job with this piece.
:patriot:

[BOSSHOG]

3. I always look for brevity when penning a LTTE

- I would leave out the first two paragraphs

- and change the last one to read: Its time for Mr Bush to leave office my fellow Americans. Our best option at this point is the impeachment of the man responsible for the disasters listed in this letter.

Thanks for asking. Go forth and kick ass teammate.

[Dr.Phool]

6. I always try to shoot for brevity too.

But this condensed from an entire book.

The first paragraph is there to point out that I'm not trying to install Nancy Pelosi as President.

[BOSSHOG]

9. I would suggest

you don't need to point that out. The constitution takes care of what happens after impeachment occurs. bush has taken care of all the evidence needed to convict. You are asking for the right thing to be done.

[longship]

7. I agree. LTTE reads perfectly without the first two paragraphs.

Brevity is important.

[wicket]

11. I 3rd that

:kick:

[longship]

4. What you are proposing is unconstitutional.

There is no way that the House, Senate or anybody else can find "agreeable replacements" other than the third in line, the Speaker of the House, short of amending the Constitution, which explicitly states the order of succession of power.

In hind sight, the order is a real problem for any Congress which finds a need to remove both executives because of the inevitable conflict of interest of the Speaker being next in line. Of course, one could argue that the House does not actually remove, that's a power vested in the Senate. Regardless, with the opposition party in control of the House, it will be inevitably viewed by many as a strictly political attempt to grab power.

That's one of the reasons why I think impeachment is going to be a very difficult path for Democrats to tread down. I don't blame them for keeping it "off the table". However, I hope that the upcoming investigations make impeachment and removal a mandate so that this monkey can be taken off the backs of the Congress critters and put where it belongs, on the people.

That's our best hope. Then, it won't matter if we get President Pelosi.

[Dr.Phool]

8. I think a solution would be similar to Nixon-Agnew.

First Agnew resigned, and Nixon appointed Ford, who took over when Nixon resigned.

Fuck, let's bring back Carter and Ford. It would be a vast improvement.

[lyonn]

15. There you go, get rid of Cheney first, illness, replace him

nt

[angstlessk]

5. I have a problem critiquing this LTTE cause it is better than any I could think

up! It says ALOT in a short few paragraphs.

[ConservativeDemocrat]

10. Way way way too long

Word count on this thing: 268
Absolute maximum word count most papers will print: 150
Average accepted word count: 80

Plus you have problems with grammar, editorializing you're trying to pass
off as uncontested fact, and you try to cover too many topics.

Chance of publication: 0%

A well written LTE covers only a single topic with a few sentences.
That's it.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[Big Sky Boy]

12. Although I agree with you on every single point

The strongest case for impeachment is that the President has circumvented the Constitution.

It's not an exciting argument -- but it is the one that forced Nixon's resignation.

AmericanRhetoric.com has ranked the top 100 speeches made by Americans in the 20th Century and Barbara Jordan's Statement on the Articles of Impeachment before the House Judiciary Committee (July 25, 1974) ranks number 13 out of 100.

I strongly suggest anyone advocating impeachment read it and quote it... often.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barbarajordanjudiciarystatement.htm

She begins with a pre-emptive reply to critics who said Congress shouldn't be wasting time on impeachment proceedings, because there were more important issues... (sound familiar?)

She then lays out a case so convincing that even Nixon's strongest supporters realized a motion to impeach was inevitable. Ending with her most famous line:

"If the impeachment provision in the Constitution of the United States will not reach the offenses charged here, then perhaps that 18th-century Constitution should be abandoned to a 20th-century paper shredder."

I often wonder what Barbara Jordan would say today.

We know Bush is trying to shred the Constitution. It's time to take him to task over that.

[lyonn]

14. Your views are good and hopefully right

Been thinking similar thoughts, only a scrambled version. Too many repubs abandoning ship, bush rants are getting worse, Blair didn't look like a "best buddy" yesterday, patronizing seemed more likely.

Edit: I like your first 2 paragraphs, sets out where you are coming from, besides, this is a critical part of who is behind the report, and all the negitive talk from bush's buddies, they appear to be setting this whole thing up, the dumping of bush and cheney. I did mention how I scramble things? Ha