Where Congressman Jerrold Nadler Stands on Impeachment, Iraq, FISA

[babylonsister]

Where Congressman Jerrold Nadler Stands on Impeachment
Submitted by davidswanson on Sun, 2007-08-12 19:45. Congress | Impeachment

By Jacob Park

Rep. Nadler attended a meeting of the Village Independent Democrats Thursday night in Greenwich Village. I was there, along with several other NYC impeachment activists.

Nadler spoke at length about the Iraq war, warrantless surveillance, and impeachment. He said that the Democrats will have their last opportunity to stop the war during Bush's term when it comes time to vote in September on the Iraq supplemental providing funding for 2008. The Democrats are saying they will vote against the bill unless it sets a date certain for beginning and ending a withdrawal, and only if the funds are to be used for the following purposes the process of withdrawal, diplomatic negotiations, and reconstruction. He said that if Bush vetoes the bill that they will keep sending it back to him and saying that he is the one who's not funding/supporting the troops--not them. And that if the Republicans are sufficiently scared of the electoral consequences of continuing to support this war that they override Bush's veto, then this strategy will succeed. He didn't explain why such a strategy wasn't tried in May, when plenty of people were advocating for it.

With regard to the recent legislative debacle involving warrantless wiretapping, Nadler said that the original Democratic House bill provided pretty much everything that they had been asked for by the Mike McConnell. But then the White House started smearing the Democrats with charges of being "weak on terror" and demanded major new changes, providing the administration with what Nadler termed "carte blanche" to spy without warrants or FISA court supervision. He said that Pelosi and Conyers thought the demands were outrageous but they decided to approve them anyhow lest they be--you guessed it--smeared with charges of being "weak on terror."

When it came time for Q&A, Nadler was bombarded with questions about impeachment, which took up probably 90% of the conversation. He said it would be "emotionally wonderful" to impeach Bush, Cheney, and Gonzales. That they are all three "richly impeachable" and have committed any number of impeachable offenses. And that impeachment is "morally justified and legally defensible." But he concluded that it would be "self indulgent" because "impeachment does nothing without a conviction in the Senate. And barring some unforeseen cataclysm, that's not going to happen." But that if he thought it would happen he'd be the "first in line" to start impeachment and that he's open to having his mind changed.

He went on to say that if the Judiciary Committee moved forward with impeachment they would spend the rest of the year doing what they're already doing--investigations. (He neglected to mention that their investigations have been stymied at every turn by the administration's open contempt for the Congress and refusal to comply with subpoenas.) He also said that an impeachment inquiry would probably be held in February, just when the presidential races will be really heating up, and that the most important thing for people to be focused on is getting a Democrat elected in 2008. And that anything to give substance to the Republican argument that Democrats were being "ideological" would backfire on the Democrats. Instead, Nadler suggested trying for a criminal indictment of Bush and Cheney after the election. He also mentioned the possibility of pursuing charges of inherent contempt against Miers et al. in the meantime.

The audience wasn't buying any of this, and Nadler was taken to task for placing political expediency above the Constitution. And it was pointed out that he couldn't know whether or not the evidence would be sufficient to persuade the Republicans to convict without holding an impeachment investigation and trial.

more...

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/25718

[liberalnurse]

1. The outrageous, contemptible behavior

of *bush/cheney is an abomination to America. That said, I see us so very deep in the mud pit created by the republican controlled nation, that we won't be able to Impeach them in a timely fashion. I hope we can proceed after the 08 Election. More than swift justice for this crime family, I want a Democratic President and Democratic Congress. We must have these vital positions to rescue a disabled America.

I can live with this decision as I am prioritizing the needs of the many over instant gratification of taking this administration to trial. They are worse than Nixon...10 fold! When I think about it....this current administration was spawn from the Nixon cabal....The Impeachment of Nixon only cut the head of the snake....