Question about Impeachment

[JamesA1102]

It takes 67 votes in the Senate to convict in an Impeachment.

What 17 GOP Senators are going to cross party lines, alienate their base and vote to convict Bush?

[TreasonousBastard]

1. None, so far. n/t

[JDPriestly]

2. It will depend on the evidence.

Why do you suppose Bush is withholding it?

[JamesA1102]

3. And you really expect GOP Senators to

objectively judge the evidence. Impeachment is a political prodcedure. Evidence is not going to matter.

[radfringe]

4. you are assuming their base is not in favor of impeaching

two months ago we would have assumed NO REPUBLICAN would come out calling for an exit from Iraq - yet we are seeing some of them doing just that

could it be because they don't want to alienate their base who are now upset about the course in Iraq?

same thing could happen with impeachment.

Senators and Representative hold their seats at the pleasure of the people, and the people ain't pleased

[JamesA1102]

6. And right now over 62% of the people don't think

there is justification to Impeach Bush. http://www.pollingreport.com/bush.htm

[Poiuyt]

24. Depends which poll you believe

http://americanresearchgroup.com/

Question:
Do you favor or oppose the US House of Representatives beginning impeachment proceedings against President George W. Bush?

Favor - 46% Oppose - 44%

[madokie]

30. I am in favor of impeachment

[KharmaTrain]

12. Parse The Numbers Further...

Most the Senators are from Red states...where, sadly, boooshie's popularity isn't as bad and the push for impeachment isn't as strong. These goons only care about their base...as they haven't had to face a serious Democratic challenger. If anything a vote to convict boooshie would be a sign of betrayal...and could trigger a primary challenge.

It's easy to the the term "the people" around as some easily understood or manipulated toy...but the devil is in the details.

:hi:

[radfringe]

14. his speech today

should alienate a few more republics

and he's pretty much said he's going to drag things out until Jan'08 so he can cut and run as he dumps it on someone else

that is not going poll well

[KharmaTrain]

15. I Wish It Were Jan '08

I know it was a typo...i make my share of 'em

The game is such a charade...they'll say one thing in front of the mikes but we know where their votes will be on cloture...they're so damn scared of their own base vs. the majority of the country and think they can play both ends. Unfortunately the corporate media enables them.

Cheers...

[JamesA1102]

17. You're right

The corporate right-wing media does enable them.

[Greyhound]

5. Don't you defeatists ever get tired of repeating the same thing over and over?

To not even try is the one course that will yield results we are sure of. History will not be kind to those of you that cower and whine and do nothing because there is no guarantee of a conviction.

It will ensure that the Republiks will retain the power to stifle any improvement in the disaster that has become of our nation.

We will, as always get exactly the government that we deserve.

[JamesA1102]

9. I'm not repeating anything.

I'm asking a question. One that you seem to be unable to answer. So instead of trying to divert the issue, why don't you go review a list of GOP Senators and then come back with an intelligent answer.

[Greyhound]

21. Apparently you don't, at least not yet. n/t

[MonkeyFunk]

10. it's not that there's no guarantee of conviction

there is a guarantee of acquittal, and that would hurt us.

[Greyhound]

19. No there isn't. That's the problem with this whole stupid topic, everybody thinks

they know what will happen. That's why we have rules and processes, the deeds are done and it's not, in any moral sense, a matter of choice. They've committed just about the most serious crimes there are, they must be prosecuted.

History will never forgive them if they don't try.

[JamesA1102]

22. Yes but the crimes must be proven first

And even then the evidence must be so overwhelming that 17 GOP Senators will have to be convinced to vote for conviction.

Now can you list any GOP Senators that would be likely to vote to convict?

[Greyhound]

23. Depends how many want to continue to be Senators after the case is laid out.

You may have the power of reading minds but I don't.
:kick:

[spanone]

7. maybe a shitload after sept.

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. When all the EVIDENCE comes out and the crimes are exposed, the will have no choice but to

IMPEACH.

[onenote]

11. so let's get the evidence out there -- don't need an impeachment inquiry for that

We should be pushing Conyers to reintroduce his select committee proposal from 2005. When he suggested it,he pointed out: "In Watergate, for example, the Congress did not begin matters as an impeachment inquiry, but investigated matters through the Ervin Committee and referred impeachable evidence to the Judiciary Committee."

That's a sound course of action. Lower the volume on the impeachment rhetoric and start laying out the case.

[JamesA1102]

13. Very good points

We should make investigation the goal. If those investigations lead to evidence that justifies impeachment, then Congress will have no choice. This is what happened in Watergate and Nixon was forced to resign.
With Clinton impeachment was the goal so the GOP took whatever weak justification was available and they failed to ever get all their own Senators to support it. We shouldn't make the same mistake they did.

[dkofos]

16. If we play it right, any repube senator that is up for election in 08.

[JamesA1102]

18. Depends on what state they are from

Senators from Northern and Western states may be vunerable. But those in deep Red states in the south are not.

[Swamp Rat]

20. Their base is turning against the war and Bushler.

If repukes want to keep their seats, they better impeach Bushler ASAP.

[JamesA1102]

25. It's been a week since I asked this question.

And yet no one has been able to provide the name of one GOP Senator who would vote to convict Bush.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

26. Conviction isn't as important as the process. The House memembers have to uphold their

oath of office and start Impeachment proceedings immediately.

As to the Senate. Once the case for Impeachment is made, you are going to have Republicans cross over. They do want to retain their seats, don't they? If they are still lockstep with Shrub and Darth Cheney, their political lives will be on the line. Watergate never would have happened if it wasn't for Republicans not only crossing over but supporting Impeachment.

[JamesA1102]

27. Without Conviction, what's the point?

Without a conviction it's just a feel good exercise for the left, the way Clinton's impeachment was for the right.
You say once the case is made GOP Senators will crossover. Care to list a few that will.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

29. Please watch Bill Moyers Journal on Impeachment, and then get back to me.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1332753

[JamesA1102]

31. I've seen it.

And it still doesn't answer the question of what 17 GOP Senators will vote to convict.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

32. Were you on this planet during Watergate? With overwhelming evidence

and having the strong desire to keep their Senate seats, you had Republicans leaving the sinking Nixon ship.

[JamesA1102]

33. Yes they had overwhelming evidence

and the Dems has a much larger majority in the Senate so there were fewer GOP Senators to convert. There was also 2 years of investigations leading up to impeachment with many of the President's staff either indicted or convicted of crimes.
So far very little has been investigated and only Scooter Libby convicted of a crime. The situation now is not like Watergate.

[MonkeyFunk]

28. that's the

"inconventient truth" that the impeachbots don't want to deal with. They live in some fantasy world in which 17 Republican Senators would vote to remove Bush just cuz.