If Bush had used the 14th Amendment, DU would have called for impeachment

[krawhitham]

Just saying

[FreakinDJ]

1. Yep - but like many other impeachable offenses - it didn't happen

so what makes anyone think Obama would be impeached for staving off an economic melt down

[Drale]

2. I doubt it

There where many many illegal things that he did that warranted impeachment but you can NOT impeach a president for using the Constitution because if you do that you might as well just throw out the entire document.

[elleng]

5. Right. Thanks

[William769]

3. Fail.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

4. Hark! Beyond yon move-forward breaks!

[trumad]

6. thats implying

That the dems would pull the shit the repukes are pulling.

[Ozymanithrax]

7. Republicans might, but I don't think most here at DU would.

My problem with it is this...
If successful, it puts more power in the hands of the executive branch. Long term, I think that is bad. It may be the only solution, which I expect Republicans to test by going to the Supreme Court to stop Obama from (1) unconstitutionally usurping Congressional power to raise funds; (2) use of an executive order to violate a law.

I don't think either merits impeachment as there are remedies less than impeachment that would be sought first.

[creeksneakers2]

8. Any extraordinary powers Obama claims

can also be claimed by a future President Michelle Bachman.

[tishaLA]

10. exactly.

[TwilightGardener]

15. Please, as if anything Obama does or doesn't do will ever keep future

Repub presidents from overreaching when the moment comes. They don't need precedent.

[Lint Head]

9. I called for his impeachment the day his was installed by the United States Supreme Cowards.

[damntexdem]

11. Nonsense. There were many other, real bases to call for impeachment, which many of us did.

If Bush had not been able to get the debt limit raised, we would likely have snickered; but we would likely also have noted that the U.S. could not be allowed to default on its debts. And we likely would have cheered Dubya's use of the 14th Amendment as a Repuke president striking a blow against a law that could be used to foster GOP calls for limited spending.

Actually, the very idea that the situation could have been as you suggest is itself ludicrous. It's a red herring by someone who, for whatever reason, wants to close off an option to the Democratic administration.

unrec

[woodsprite]

12. He didn't know there was a 14th. He stopped counting at 10

just like Moses. With his cowboy boots on, he only has 10 fingers to count with .....

[Phx_Dem]

13. My thoughts exactly. They (and I) hated it when Bush rammed shit

through with no regard for anyone outside his base. It really pissed me off tha the didn't give a shit about anyone who wasn't one of his base.

Do I want President Obama to do the same? FUCK NO! That would make me as big a fucking hypocit as many others right here on DU.

[peace13]

14. By invoking the * name I guess it is fair to say that...

lying our country into war, stealing the citizens blind, killing innocent Iraqi people,dismantling the National Guard..well none of that is impeachable either. I don't compare anything that * did to what is rational or legal! My happiest day would have been if he had only invoked the 14th amendment and left the rest of us to live the lives we could have had.

edited to add...and how could I have forgotten, stolen two elections!

[Tarheel_Dem]

16. Exactly. I keep reminding people that there won't always be a Democrat in the WH.

How much do we really want the executive to skirt the Congress? In a couple of years, we might be having this same discussion about Pres. Michelle Bachmann, and that's scary as hell. :scared:

[frylock]

17. if bush had engaged in a "kinetic miltary action" in libya..

DU would have called for impeachment.

[Vinca]

18. Bush was never in this position.

His wars were unnecessary, but stopping the country from going down the economic black hole is a bona fide emergency and Obama is stuck trying to reason with lunatics.

[Bluenorthwest]

19. If Bush had ever face so much as a whiff of resistance in the

Congress to anything he ever did, we might have an idea. But he always got his way. No matter what. Even Obama voted for every war dollar he requested, voted along with him on the Teri Schaivo debacle. The Constitution is the law of the land, it is there to be used, in fact, Presidents swear to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. Some have said 'if you don't use it, you lose it'.
And as for myself, if Bush ever made use of the Constitution, I'd have been surprised as hell. I am not sure he knew it exists. If he faced this sort of madness, I'd have supported his use of the law of the land. It is the law of the land. The bs in Congress is treasonous and irrational theatrics by a handful of freshmen in the House. We are a nation of laws, not at the whim of fools and self serving chumps because we have the Constitution. And the will of the people. Which is how it is supposed to work. Let it work.

[thesquanderer]

20. not impeachable

It is not a certainty that Obama does not have the authority to act unilaterally here, it would not be a crime of any sort. The action would be challenged, it might ultimately lead to a Supreme Court decision either validating or rebuking the effort, and hopefully by then, a better solution will be in place... but either way, I don't see it as impeachable. Unlike, say, approving clearly illegal surveillance on American citizens... or torture... or rendition... or taking a country to war against a non-threat with no approval from Congress...

I do think Obama would be on shaky ground on Libya though, with that lame defense that what we are doing does not constitute "hostilities" -- we'd certainly consider them hostilities if we were on the receiving end of them...

[treestar]

21. Absolutely!

[thelordofhell]

22. He wouldn't have to

He would have just slashed Social Security and Medicare to the bone.

[Whisp]

23. bush would have done it for asshole reasons, because he's one gigantic one

Obama is a good man, or at least as good as the repugs and moaners allow him to be.

[high density]

24. I agree, but I don't recall the Democrats under Bush refusing to raise the debt ceiling. NM

[totodeinhere]

25. Bush should have been impeached and removed from office for any number of reasons.

We wouldn't need the 14th Amendment to call for his impeachment.

[Tx4obama]

26. Invoking the U.S. Constitution is NOT a 'criminal offensive'

'To impeach' means to bring forth 'criminal charges'.

In order to impeach there must be a CRIMINAL CHARGE.

If President Obama uses what is written in the U.S. Constitution it is NOT criminal.

I wonder how many times I'm going to have to point that out here in DU ;(

[Union Scribe]

27. Maybe, but that would require someone tell Bush there were that many.