,,,,,,We’ve been hearing all these noises coming from the Democratic leadership that impeachment would be a distraction and would tie up the business of the Congress. I don’t buy that. What is more important than standing up for democracy? But censure wouldn’t tie up Congress. And still the Democratic honchos are sitting this one out. So what’s their excuse?
It can’t be that they don’t believe in censure. After all, 29 Democratic Senators were on record in favor of censuring the President—when his name was Bill Clinton. Dianne Feinstein introduced the bill to censure Clinton back in 1999. Idon’t see her signing on to Feingold’s bill, even though the Clinton’s besmirching of his office does not compare to the grievous soiling of the Constitution that Bush, Cheney, and Gonzales have been engaged in. Here are the names of some of the Democratic co-sponsors of Feinstein’s bill who are still in the Senate:
Daniel Akaka
Byron Dorgan
Richard Durbin
Daniel Inouye
Joe Lieberman
Ted Kennedy
John Kerry
Herb Kohl
Mary Landrieu
Carl Levin
Barbara Mikulski
Jay Rockefeller
Charles Schumer
And yes, Harry Reid.
Where are they now? They’re nowhere to be seen. One footnote on the Clinton censure: even 9 Republicans were in favor, including Pete Domenici, Mitch McConnell, and Olympia Snowe. So don’t let any of them—Democrat or Republican—say that censure is somehow unthinkable or unconstitutional. Back in 1999, they not only thought about it; they did it. But now, in 2007, when Bush, Cheney, and Gonzales are assaulting our very democracy, all of these Senators have gone into hiding. They are letting Bush, Cheney, and Gonzales carry on, with impunity, like some Argentine junta. And they are setting a terrible precedent for future reprehensible lawlessness at the highest end of the executive branch.
http://www.progressive.org/mag_wx080707
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