What will the Impeachment vote be tomorrow?

[tekisui]

Will it be only to send the Articles to the Judiciary Committee, or will any of the Articles be debated?

It is appalling to me that Kucinich can lay it out there, and give the spineless lot 35 options, 35 ways to go about it, yet he is being largely ignored. 35 DOCUMENTED ABUSES OF POWER! TORTURE! ILLEGAL WAR! TREASON! ILLEGAL SPYING!

Has Pelosi repeated her table bit, yet?

HOW CAN THEY IGNORE THIS?!?!?!?

[Warpy]

1. It will either go to committee, where it will die,

or it will be tabled.

Getting it to committee is the better option, since it can be pulled out quickly should Stupid try to start another war.

It's either that or hope for a military coup, something I don't think any of us really wants.

[gristy]

2. committee or floor vote?

[tekisui]

3. It will be a floor vote to send it to Committee or to table.

The table will kill it fast, Committee kills it slowly.

[napi21]

4. It'll be sent to the judiciary committee to die. The ONLY advantage

to what Dennis did was to get it into the Congressional Record for history!

[tekisui]

8. How in the world Conyers and the rest, save Wexler, in the Judiciary

Committee can rationalize letting it die in their committee, is beyond me.

Pick an abuse. Pick a crime. They are all there, just one could and should be grounds for Impeachment today. They are a sad bunch, too scared or too weak or too complicit.

[napi21]

17. Did you listen to Johnathan Turley on KO tonight?

Between Turley & Keith's other guests, they explained the reason why the Dems are passing on impeachment. I forget the exact #'s, but the Dem majority in the House is something like 44, but of that 44, there are 33-35 Blue Dog Dems who were all elected in Red or fairly Red parts of the Country. If they voted for impeachment, they would lose their election this year, and the Dems would lose their majority! Nancy believes it's more important to retain & expand that majority, and hopefully get a larger majority in the Senate AND a Dem President. As much as I would LOVE to have seern this idiot crowd thrown OUT, I can't say that I disagree with Nancy. What is the REAL PRIZE? Humiliating an already very unpopular admin., or regaining control of the gov't? Think about that.

[magellan]

20. I watched Turley and I don't remember him excusing the Dems at all

...except to say that their reasons were purely political and how horrifying a place we're in right now, where politics is more important than prosecuting an Executive branch for a list of crimes so long the Dems must find it hard to get to their offices without stumbling over another one.

And he's right.

[napi21]

23. Yes, that's what he said, it's purely political, but I honestly can't fault

the Dems for not wanting to risk losing a very strong chance of taking over total control either. It was a judgement call, and that's the decision they made. If they would have done the "right thing" and pushed impeachment in 2007, and lost the 08 elections as a result, what would they REALLY have accomplished? Getting Shrub out of office, risking Cheney as Prez, and getting the whole damn crowd back for another 4 years, just to be able to say "We did the right thing"?

[magellan]

27. They might just as easily have ensured a landslide by impeaching

You don't know. Neither do they. The Repubs FAILED to convict Clinton and they carried Congress and the WH in 2000.

And what's the difference between having a party in power that doesn't defend the Constitution and having a party in power that doesn't defend the Constitution? No error there. By refusing to hold Bush** and Cheney accountable, the Dems are as bad as the Repubs. I can't trust that any of them won't pick and choose what crimes get their attention and which won't.

[Truth2Tell]

31. "I honestly can't fault the Dems for not wanting to risk losing..."

I can.

I won't bother explaining to you what they would "REALLY" have accomplished had they followed the course you describe. It involves big concepts about values and whatnot. Whooosh... right over head.

[tavalon]

38. What I'm fearful of, is that when they get a supermajority in the congress

and a Democrat in the White House, that they will still behave just the same way and we'll finally have to face that we really don't have anyone on our side.

[Raster]

32. I watched Turley TWICE and in no way did he say anything excusing the complicit Congress.

[BR_Parkway]

41. And yet they wonder why their ratings are almost as low as Shrubs?

Red/Blue and every other color are sick of sending folks to DC who don't do their damn jobs and spend more time worrying about getting re-elected.

There are plenty of true conservatives in those red leaning districts who value the rule of law and would support this - but at this point, they don't know all the stuff that we do here on DU. If there were hearings with this info being reported, the general population would scream for impeachment and throw out any sitting Congressman who didn't support it - the same way they are backlashing against the war.

Don't forget, it was the same political geniuses who said that Obama never had a chance, that Rudy/Hillary was the 2008 battle - they don't understand the hunger for change from the status quo. So they don't get how much their stock in trade would go up if they'd uphold their Oath's and hold this criminal (mis)Administration accountable

[BurtWorm]

42. Or too aware that it's going nowhere.

Too aware of the odd effect of impeachment on a president or even a "president"'s popular support. Too aware of how weak impeachment is to deal with the actual crimes the Bushists have committed--basically pitting theater against grim reality.

[tavalon]

37. And, that is more than I expected

He did the right thing instead of the politically expedient thing. He is a patriot rather than a crass, spineless politician, something few on either side of the aisle can say about themselves.

[panader0]

5. I'm with you completely!

DK laid out the most scathing indictment I could imagine.

[jwirr]

6. Probably not good. I wish we had men and women in the congress

who would stand up for our constitution but I am afraid we do not.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. They are co-conspirators to the crimes of the Bush Regime

[tekisui]

9. I think you are right.

Otherwise this rally cry form DK would set our country alight, from Washington to middle America. They just keep sweeping the War Criminals Crimes under the rug. Disgusting.

[lordsummerisle]

10. Fear is the overriding consideration

for the House Democrats...

Fear of appearing weak/divisive in a time of war
Fear of not getting elected (or reelected)
Fear of reprisal(real or perceived)from the administration

This apparently trumps doing what is legally called for, not to mention what is right...

[Individualist]

11. not fear; it's complicity

[Raster]

33. Cowards and collaborators. Plain and simple.

[ben_meyers]

12. Same as the Cheney impeachment articles

The Repubs will call for a debate, and the Dems will fold like a house of cards.

[flvegan]

13. Whatever the outcome, it should speak very strongly to us all.

[hootinholler]

14. The smartest thing the republics could do right now

Is throw * - N - Dick under the bus by getting behind impeachment.

Just sayin there's a lot of pissed off republics around here.

-Hoot

[Killy]

15. Repubs

The Republicans must not realize the huge advantage they could create for themselves if they all started supporting this. I think Dennis did a great thing...but he could have opened the door wide for the Republicans revitalization if they had half a brain.

[Raksha]

18. Yes, that's what they would do if they were smart.

Unfortunately for them, Repukes just aren't very smart. Cunning and devious yes, smart no. And they are too arrogant to realize it...they always THINK they are smarter than they really are.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

16. It will go to committee. To vote against the resolution will show overtly how complicit they are.

[SergeyDovlatov]

19. It will follow the same pattern as with Cheney impeachment.

My prediction:

Democrats (and Ron Paul) will vote to send it to the committee and Republicans will vote against sending it to the committee and will insist on floor vote in order to embarrass the democrats and use as a political ammunition against them.

Here is a floor speech from the time of Cheney's impeachment:

Mr. Speaker, I rise, reluctantly, in favor of the motion to table House Resolution 799, Impeaching Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors, and in favor of referring that resolution to the House Judiciary Committee for full consideration. I voted to table this resolution not because I do not share the gentleman from Ohio’s desire to hold those responsible for the Iraqi debacle accountable; but rather, because I strongly believe that we must follow established protocol in matters of such importance. During my entire time in Congress, I have been outspoken in my opposition to war with Iraq and Iran. I have warned my colleagues and the administration against marching toward war in numerous speeches over the years, and I have voted against every appropriation to continue the war on Iraq.

I have always been strongly in favor of vigorous congressional oversight of the executive branch, and I have lamented our abrogation of these Constitutional obligations in recent times. I do believe, however, that this legislation should proceed through the House of Representatives following regular order, which would require investigation and hearings in the House Judiciary Committee before the resolution proceeds to the floor for a vote. This time-tested manner of moving impeachment legislation may slow the process, but in the long run it preserves liberty by ensuring that the House thoroughly deliberates on such weighty matters. In past impeachments of high officials, including those of Presidents Nixon and Clinton, the legislation had always gone through the proper committee with full investigation and accompanying committee report.

I noted with some dismay that many of my colleagues who have long supported the war changed their vote to oppose tabling the motion for purely political reasons. That move was a disrespectful to the Constitutional function of this body and I could not support such actions with my vote.

I was pleased that the House did vote in favor of sending this legislation to the Judiciary Committee, which essentially directs the committee to examine the issue more closely than it has done to this point.

[Hart2008]

28. Are the Articles of Impeachment against Cheney still in committee? n/t

[SergeyDovlatov]

29. I believe so. Wexler hopes that McClellan testimony will ...

help convince majority of the liberal and progressive Members of Congress to support impeachment hearings.

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/33711

[Hart2008]

30. Cheney walks the plank first. No Gerald Ford to pardon Junior! n/t

[SergeyDovlatov]

34. Good point. n/t

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Swamp Rat]

22. Support the troops. Enlist in the military tomorrow.

[gullwing300]

24. Does that mean something in English?

Just wondering...

[HughMoran]

25. "Us Democrats" don't call him "Slick Willie" - oooops

You made a mistake.

[Raster]

35. "Us democrats are just jealous that Slick Willy got impeached."

Surely you jest. What would you like on your pizza?

[Vickers]

36. Impeaching is hard work!

Welcome to DU yadda yadda yadda...

[Wizard777]

26. This vote will have a HUGE impact on my opinion and support of the Democratic Party.

[Killy]

39. Same here.

Same here. I'm going to be looking at the votes very long and very hard.

[Prophet 451]

40. It'll die

It'll either be tabled (insta-death) or go to Committee (slow death, unless Chimpy does something completely insane).

Not one article will be debated, not one investigation will be ordered, absolutely nothing will come of it. I don't like it, I understand the reasons but I think the pursuit of justice outweighs pretty much every other concern. Lord bless Dennis for trying.