Why Not Impeachment? - By Robert Parry

[kpete]

Why Not Impeachment?

By Robert Parry
October 5, 2007


The disclosure that the Bush administration secretly reestablished a policy of abusing “war on terror” detainees even as it assured Congress and the public that it had mended its ways again raises the question: Why are the Democrats keeping impeachment of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney “off the table”?


After the Democratic congressional victory last Nov. 7, Washington Democrats rejected calls for impeachment from rank-and-file Democrats and many other Americans, considering it an extreme step that would derail a bipartisan strategy of winning over Republicans to help bring the Iraq War to an end.

That thinking got a boost on Nov. 8, the day after the election, when President Bush announced the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the appointment of former CIA Director Robert Gates, who had been a member of the Iraq Study Group and was believed to represent the “realist” wing of the Republican Party.

One Democratic strategist called me that day with a celebratory assertion that “the neocons are dead” and rebuffed my warning that Gates had a troubling history of putting his career ahead of principle, that he was a classic apple-polisher to the powerful.

The Democrats also missed the fact that Rumsfeld submitted his resignation the day before the election – not the day after – along with a memo urging an “accelerated draw-down of U.S. bases” in Iraq from a high of 110, to 10 to 15 by April 2007, and to five by July 2007.

In other words, Rumsfeld’s ouster didn’t signal Bush’s new flexibility on ending the war, as the Democrats hoped, but a repudiation of Rumsfeld for going wobbly on Iraq.

Even when the Rumsfeld memo surfaced in early December, the Democrats ignored it, sticking to their wishful script that the Rumsfeld-Gates switch marked a recognition by Bush that it was time to begin extricating U.S. forces from Iraq.

Those rose-colored glasses got smudged badly when Bush instead announced in January that he was ordering an escalation, sending more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq.

But instead of responding with their own escalation – and putting impeachment back “on the table” – the Democrats opted for a strategy of wooing moderate Republicans to mild-mannered legislative protests.

As an opening shot in this Nerf-ball battle, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid fired off a symbolic resolution to express disapproval of Bush’s “surge,” a meaningless gesture that Republicans kept bottled up for weeks making the Democrats look both feckless and inept.

more at:
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2007/100507.html

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Impeachment Will Have To Come From the Republicans

To the Congressional "Democrats", Bush is a perpetual Christmas - they get a new gift from him every day: they're more interested in re-election than in governing.

[ThomWV]

3. Oh, you mean just like the last time?

[MannyGoldstein]

6. Yep nt

[USA_1]

7. You Are Correct

The impeachment of Nixon came about because of Republicans who had the integrity to demand the truth and the correction of his faults. It's time for the good people of DU to write letters to Republican members of Congress (as well as Democrats) to commence impeachment proceedings.

[MannyGoldstein]

8. For Some Republicans, It Was About Integrity

For others it was about having a prayer of re-election.

Today's Republicans are to %$@#ing stupid to even figure out that the only thing that can save them is flushing Bush.

Of course, the Democrats are too %$@#ing stupid to figure out that if they don't make Bush withdraw from Iraq, than the horrible mess and spectacle will be remembered as coming in a Democratic administration.

[stimbox]

20. That only works if your Rep is a Puke.

It's time for our Democratic Reps to convince their Bushdog & Puke colleagues to commence impeachment proceedings.

[AntiFascist]

22. In more ways than one...

many Dems support, and want to continue, Bush's war efforts.

[kurth]

2. Don't worry, impeachment will come

after more polite letters and whereas resolutions.

Anyday now.

[KharmaTrain]

4. 67 Votes...

If Impeachment could put the brakes on this ugly regime and mess, I'd agree with Mr. Parry (who I usually do), but the Democratic leadership can't get anything passed the McConnell obstructions...not even giving our troops the adequate time to recoup. The GOOP is welded to this invasion and more fearful than the Democrats to stand up for what most know their constituents want and oppose boooosh/cheney. They fear "looking weak" and also losing power and profits. Many are signing their own political demises in the process, but have become captives to the bloodletting...afraid to look "weak" to their base who has been lied to and refuse to accept reality. The blood on their hands is so slippery they can't wipe it off other than on the Constitution.

There are 17 Repugnicans and Lieberman who are the ones who need to be "impeached" as they stand in the way of the Constitution...first by giving this regime the support to prosecute this war and put their party over country rather than impeach even the White House janitor.

[radfringe]

9. McConnell obstructions

then we will have to keep checking the bathrooms to see if McConnell has also been tapping his foot in the stall next to Craig

[KharmaTrain]

10. Pruneface Is Nowhere To Be Seen

Check the milk cartons...McConnell has been MIA since the Craig decision came down. He even cancelled a press conference to duck out on having to deal with this mess.

I'm enjoying watching the GOOP flush their entire party...constipated with their own hypocrisy.

:hi:

[radfringe]

12. lol...

check the bathrooms and the CLOSETS

[Senator]

24. 90 Votes...

...is what the McCain Anti-Torture Law garnered. Which was then negated -- impeachably -- via "Rule By Signing Statement."

A single article of impeachment over torture and war crimes may not get McConnell or Lieberman to stop defending the indefensible, but it could well get 17 others to fear their own trip to The Hague.

---

[PATRICK]

5. In short

optimists who haven't seen the victory lake wildly hard assessment out of soft clay. Gates is a stooge by nature and weak. One plan follows another on Bush II terms.

The key to everything, especially this flawed reasoning of moves, checks and stratagems is that nothing matters as long as Bush remains safely POTUS. That is proved when he continues in general to get his own way no matter what popular support or stooge falls off the board temporarily.

Bush, the coward, relies on his personal invulnerability to consequences and in the simple denial of failure by persistence and increase in power. He even feels guaranteed to be perfectly safe out of office and for the plans and dynasty to continue- under threat of collapsing America if necessary. I see absolutely nothing short of a real impeachment threat to shake him down and certainly nothing from a softer dynasty stooge from the distantly senile, out of power Poppy.

Any Dem achievement or stand anywhere that avoids this is a victory of the lie that will hurt the Dems much more than Bush. Oh yeah, and what what about us, the people literally under the bus?

The lateness in the game means he is so deluded and possibly power mad that reaching the heart of the coward becomes more dangerous. That is because of the delay itself not the wisdom and necessity of impeachment. Neither is impeachment success guaranteed so as to frighten George enough not to make desperate moves. Nor is impeachment success guaranteed in any case, but the results of doing nothing in such cases are almost always worse than defeat, especially for the people lacking engaged dutiful representation of any sort.

[pretzel4gore]

11. let's have a national/international 'hold our breath' day...

the whole charade is about buying time til youngster bush can waddle off the woild stage. And meanwhile criminality continues, outraging the put upon masses, who end up with the cheque. So why not give the national futility a real form, and stage via DU and other prog blogs a 'hold our breaths until we're bright blue and then dead and gone' day? That'll teach them! Imagine if 20 million or so loyal citizens just ...died! Sure the Dow would gain a few points, but the market for such things as $2.50 cafe nores and dental floss would disappear with us, and the pain of mr pig would be really really nice to see!
fucken right.
Vetrans day (November 11) Armistice Day, would be a perfect day for the 'im angry as heck and refuse to subject myself to this nonsense anymore!' crowd to show the nudgewinkers that we're onto their game, and they'll wish they had just jailed that president bush rather then see the population of their supporters drop so precipitously....
:hide:

[Robson]

13. If we only knew

and impeachment proceedings are the only way to find out. Apparently either Nancy Peloisi doesn't want to know or she doesn't want us to know. Perhaps many in DC look at themselves as elite members of a prestigious club where coverup is more important than rancor and honesty.

[Octafish]

14. The DEMs don't because they are AFRAID.

Remember Wellstone?
Remember JFK, Jr.?
Remember RFK?
Remember MLK?
Remember JFK?

It's conspiracy and evidence shows the Bush Machine is in the middle of it.

[snappyturtle]

17. Amazing ! Of course nothing much amazes me anymore with this

administration. I'd like to see papa bush drug into hearings.....but those don't yield any action.

I do think the Dems are afraid but wouldn't you think then en masse they could come forward and expose so much that even the dummies in the country would realize that something drastic has to be done?

However, if nothing has been done by now I don't see it ever happening. Paraquay won't let us extradite, will they?

[Buns_of_Fire]

15. Memo to Democrats: There IS no "bipartisan strategy"

There is right, there is wrong, and you can't be "a little bit pregnant."

70% of Americans know it.

What the hell is THEIR problem?

[ClayZ]

16. K and R

"At some point, the congressional Democrats may have to face up to the hard choice before them: either put impeachment of Bush and Cheney back “on the table” or accept that the United States has ceased being a constitutional Republic governed by the principle that no man is above the law."

[307 MMS]

18. Nailed it

Plain and simple...you nailed it, bigtime. And this fucker and the vp should've been baked a long time ago. What the hell happened to "our"? country!!!???

[WillyT]

19. Big K & R !!!

:kick:

[stimbox]

21. K&R

:bounce:

[snappyturtle]

23. kick!

:kick: