Question re: impeachment. Doesn't bush deserve worse?

[panader0]

When the Dems win in 08, and we will, can't buchco still be prosecuted for war crimes? Really, isn't mere inpeachment too good for bushco? The Hague is the real goal. Clinton was impeached and look at himn it didn't really hurt him, just an embarrassment. We need to shoot for winning in08 and then trials for war crimes.

[bdamomma]

1. alot worse, maybe he should be a private citizen again

and then prosecute him in International Court. Just my two cents.

[shraby]

2. After impeachment he can always have the criminal

charges brought and prosecuted. No problem...it's even in the constitution.

[bdamomma]

7. why can't they (ICC) go after for instance Rummy.

could they get him for being a war criminal also.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Becuase we do NOT recognize the International

Court, yes it is that simple. All runny has to do is stay in the territory of the US... and he will die a free man

[stirlingsliver]

3. Get Him Out Of Office First

First thing, Bush MUST be gotten out of office.

He is FAR TOO DANGEROUS to remain in the office of the President of the US.

Once he is out of office, THEN we can ship him to The International Court in the Hague to stand trial for War Crimes.

Then, once he is sentenced, he can be imprisoned in Guantanamo. With some of the people he denied basic human rights to serving as HIS guards.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. They can.

But if they're too chicken to impeach, I have to assume they'll be too chicken to prosecute for war crimes.

[Swamp Rat]

12. yep

[pocoloco]

5. Prosecution may be "off the table".

Who can you trust?? And why would you??

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Tell me, did we win in 1988? (Or did the Presidency of Walter

Mondale was soemthing I somehow failed to notice?)

No, I did not since Bush '41 was sworn in... but the feeling was that we sure were going to, why muddle the waters impeaching Reagan over Iran Contra?

You will have the same effect if there is no impeachment. The election is lost. I'm not being negative for the sake of... but history is a damn cold mistress

And those who refuse to learn from history are condemned to repeat it... and that ledge you see ahead of you is the repetition of history.

[pocoloco]

8. Americans don't vote for wussies!

The Dems need to show some balls and a backbone!

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. There you go

I told over letter to Chairman Dean exactly that.

Hell, I told him no money, no volunteerism, no vote.

Yes it is that damn simple

[bdamomma]

15. not vote, that will not accomplish anything, we were the first

democracy/republic to vote our servants/officials in why would anyone want to throw their votes away when other countries do not even have that the right to vote.

[TahitiNut]

14. The 'theory' that the Democrats automatically benefit from the atrocities of the GOP ...

... is widespread, even on DU. I find that 'theory' to be monstrous and disturbing - truly a corruption of blind partisanship. The suggestion that lives lost, communities destroyed, crimes committed, and civil rights abrogated should benefit a party that failed to exercise its authority to the maximum extent possible is detestable to me. It makes absolutely no difference that it might be a minority coalition (e.g. DLC) making such exercise moot - that's the price ALL partisans pay for hosting corruption.

[pocoloco]

16. Unconscionable!

[TahitiNut]

9. So, who's going to stop him from pardoning everyone in his cabal?

Impeachment, at least, will preempt that to some significant degree. That's just another reason why impeaching both Sneer and Smirk is needed.

Th U.S. is (arguably) not a signatory to the ICC, Smirk having 'unsigned' the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in 2002. Furthermore, the Senate never ratified the treaty so it's not binding under U.S. law.

President Bill Clinton signed the statute in 2000, but stated that he did not intend to request its ratification until several changes were made. On May 6, 2002, the Bush Administration informed the United Nations Secretary-General that "the United States does not intend to become a party to the treaty. Accordingly, the United States has no legal obligations arising from its signature on December 31, 2000." This was widely described as "unsigning" the treaty or "withdrawing" the United States' signature, although the United States in its letter did not use that terminology. The United Nations has not removed the name of the United States from the official list of signatories.

This makes any prosecution for war crimes exceedingly problematic. While Presidential pardon power extends ONLY to Federal statutes (not international law or state law or civil cases), it effectively forestalls prosecution and/or extradition.

The Court can automatically exercise jurisdiction over crimes committed on the territory of a State Party or by a national of a State Party. States Parties must co-operate with the Court, including surrendering suspects when requested to do so by the Court.

In February 2005 the Iraqi Transitional Government decided to ratify the court. However, two weeks later they reversed this decision, a move that the Coalition for the International Criminal Court claimed was due to pressure from the United States.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_Parties_to_the_Rome_Statute_of_the_International_Criminal_Court

[catmandu57]

17. Then it's up to us isn't it?

By us I mean the United States, to first impeach then imprison these monsters for the criminals they are.

[TahitiNut]

18. Yep. Unless and until we do, we're a nation of cowards and outlaws, imho.

As a nation, we have lost our honor and don't deserve self-governance. Democracy is, if nothing else, a "Do-It-Yourself" project. It ain't a spectator sport.

[jojo54]

13. It's just a damn shame that Bushco changed all the rules

and covered their asses by calling EP on everything, right down to the FOIA. That way, no public citizen can retrieve any records after this administration has completed running this country into the ground. Without any records, documents, emails, phone records, daily briefs etc., I'm afraid there will be no grounds for any kind of trial, civil or otherwise.

A damn shame for all these people who have lost loved ones in Iraq for this illegal war and this self-imposed DICKtator.