The strange thing about Kucinich and Impeachment....

[revolutionnow45]

There was a group of us that were pressuring him to start impeachment proceedings of Bush after the start of the war in Iraq and he was tone deaf to our efforts.

When the downing street memo came out which proved the war was all based on lies, again David Swanson and others pressured Kucinich to introduce articles of impeachment. He would not listen, would not support us.

It was not until 2008 that Kucinich introduced articles of impeachment...pretty fucking useless at that point!!



Now, for the life of me, I cannot see why he doesn't see the difference here.

Iraqis did not want us to help. They pleaded with us to stay away. It was clearly a war of lies for other purposes, evidenced by the months of propaganda and just outright fear mongering connecting it with 9/11.

Those bastards should have been impeached immediately and millions of Iraqis lives could have been saved.


Libya on the other hand...the protesters were begging for help for two weeks. They were about to be slaughtered. They are grateful for the air support and feel it has helped their efforts.

The only thing they don't want is boots on the ground....Kucinich could better spend his energy making sure that US does not put troops on the ground as per the protesters request.

[Tx4obama]

1. K & R n/t

[flvegan]

2. Did Kucinich introduce new articles of impeachment recently?

I know he pushed for Cheney's in 2007, then Bush after that. Anything since?

[XanaDUer]

3. Bush could be impeached and still stay in office

Clinton did.

[arcane1]

4. "would not support us"? Really?

He was one of the VERY few who were supporting us during the Bush years. Certainly more supportive than "impeachment is off the table" Pelosi.

Agree or disagree with his opinion on Libya, but don't try to rewrite history so that he's a non-supporter of the left.

[revolutionnow45]

5. Were you pressuring Kucinich to introduce articles of impeachment in 2003?

Did he listen?

He offered all kinds of really bad excuses not to.

Why is he so ready to impeach this time?

[elehhhhna]

7. Because THIS Prez & VP won't anthrax his ass.

[revolutionnow45]

11. He always struck me as being courageous

He stood up to the patriot act, led the effort against Iraq....but he would not consider Impeachment of Bush for years.

[NorthCarolina]

18. I believe Kucinich said Obama "COULD" be impeached for intervention in Libya...

speaking "technically' in accordance with Constitutional requirements. You imply Kucinich said Obama "SHOULD" be impeached. There is a clear and very distinct difference between "COULD" and "SHOULD". Please link me to your source that indicates Kucinich has called for Obama to be impeached (ie, where he specifically said Obama "SHOULD" be impeached). All the sources I have searched that provide the full context of Kucinich's statement demonstrate that he used the word "COULD". Since you apparently have concrete proof that he stated Obama "SHOULD" be impeached, I ask that you please provide me with that link.

[AnOhioan]

20. +1 When Dennis actually introduces an impeachment bill...

then the haters can bitch.

[revolutionnow45]

24. why would he even bring up the word? Illegally wiretapping people, maybe, but helping people

who asked for air support from the UN?

[JVS]

28. The interesting thing here is not that Kucinich said it could happen, it's that the republicans...

are playing this very poorly. When the republicans impeach Obama, it's going to be over some kind of really stupid shit. I'm guessing either HCR as some kind of violation of the 10th amendment or even some birther BS. What's ironic is they would probably be able to really get a lot more traction by going after torture or war crimes. Circling the democratic wagons wouldn't be easy if those were the issues around impeachment.

[NorthCarolina]

31. Well said.

Somebody HAS been paying attention.

[midnight]

22. Do you have any links to all the bad excuses that were given?

[ReggieVeggie]

36. Why do you keep pushing this nonsense?

Why was Kucinich the only one responsible to push impeachment? Why do you say he's "ready to impeach" when all he said was this action could be an impeachable offense? Where is the ire for the do-nothing Democrats who actively squelched calls for investigations and impeachment? Where is the ire for Obama who thought it more important to "look forward" instead of holding Bush accountable?

You seem awfully concerned about Kucinich's specific efforts in this matter.

[revolutionnow45]

6. I don't appreciate being accused of rewriting history

I hope you will answer as to your part in pressuring Kucinch to take action against Bush and the Iraq war and the responses that you received.

[arcane1]

8. On the contrary...

Kucinich did, in fact, introduce impeachment. That fact is indisputable. I signed his petitions, and all the others I ran across, for more than just 2003.

You claimed "He offered all kinds of really bad excuses not to" even though he did. What were some of these excuses? I don't need "all" of them, but at least some.

[revolutionnow45]

25. wait until the 2004 election, that will fix it

we don't want to hurt Kerry's chances.

Strangely when the elections were stolen in Ohio, Kucinich offered very little assistance to people fighting the election fraud at the time.

[bobbolink]

9. Thanks for accurately getting the difference... you are the first one I've seen actually mention

that!

:yourock:

[smokey nj]

10. In June of 2008, Dennis Kucinich introduced 35 articles of impeachment against George W. Bush.

Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdrLuF1cCIk

[revolutionnow45]

32. years after being asked and stalling

http://talknation.org/2006/01/07/an-interview-with-david-swanson-2/

[smokey nj]

34. The name Dennis Kucinich appears only once in that transcript and not in the context that you imply.

[DefenseLawyer]

12. I'm sure he plans to mount a futile yet lucrative primary run

Just because I like a lot (but not all) of the things he stands for doesn't make him any less of a typical politician.

[H2O Man]

13. legalize Lonnie Anderson's hair

[Canuckistanian]

14. Very astute observations

The only thing I remember about Kucinich during the Bush years is his LOUSY timing and choice of targets.

His heart is in the right place, but his political effectiveness is marginal.

[Shagbark Hickory]

15. ((Raspberries))

[mmonk]

16. He had his sights on Cheney.

Thought he had a better chance going after him first.

[wuushew]

17. Remember though the IWR gave Bush the ok to be an asshole

the impeachment was over the failure to comply with the language and spirit of the resolution. Impeachment is unfortunately not on the obvious wrongness of premptive war but how the President violates U.S. law.

The case against Bush got stronger and stronger as his clusterfuck mounted. Even then with 35 articles of impeachment it failed.

Obama just started a war against Libya without Congressional approval. I don't think the facts or weight of evidence will increase given more time. Lets get cracking.

[DainBramaged]

19. WTF Dennis, WTF?

+1000

[L. Coyote]

21. It was Kucinich who was brave enough to impeach Bush.

[revolutionnow45]

26. Brave? In 2008?

We were pushing in 2003. He made excuses. Kerry lost. Pushed it off on Conyers who wanted to Censure. Conyers stalled stalled stalled, eventually had people thrown out of his office for asking him WTF.

Why so quick to suggest this, knowing the GOP can't wait to Impeach Obama.


You want an impeachable offence, impeach the pres and entire congress for allowing illegal wiretapping. They did not change the constitution so it IS ILLEGAL!

That is all we needed to Impeach Bush at the time, but Kucinich would not do it...until 2008....

[mmonk]

23. Dennis believes firmly that the executive branch must go to Congress

before committing US forces to a conflict. I happen to agree with that interpretation. It's still a congressional duty to declare war.

[LWolf]

27. While you criticize him for waiting until '08,

please find me another Democrat, just one, who was willing to step up at all.

[revolutionnow45]

29. got nothing

and that is sad.

If he is the best we can do, what does that say about our party?

[LWolf]

37. It says everything.

What's really sad is that his efforts, and he, is so under-valued in his own party. The party wants actors who look good on screen and can give eloquent, emotion-tapping speeches. Not people who actually stand and work for the masses.

[upi402]

30. Impeach Cheney, April 2007

Introduce Articles for those asshats all day Dennis. Obama is doing a fine job internationally, though he's proved he's no friend of 90% of workers at home.

[SoCalDem]

33. Dennis likes to get on tv.. Saying controversial stuff accomplishes that.. n/t

[Bluerthanblue]

35. DK was party to a suit against Bill Clinton in 1999 over the Kosovo

war-

It claimed that Pres. Clinton had violated the WPA- the case was dismissed for lack of standing, and an appellate court affirmed this decision.

The other Congressmen with DK were:
Tom Tancredo R, Bob Schaffer R, Joe Scarborough R, Mark Sanford R, Tom Petri R, Ron Paul R, Charlie Norwood R, Donald Manzullo R, Marcy Kaptur D, Walter Jones R, Phil Crane R, John Cooksey R, Dan Burton R, Roscoe Bartlett R, Bob Barr R, and Tom Campbell R.

If this suit was dismissed- and that was affirmed on appeal, what is the point of his statement?

There is much I admire and respect about DK, but his "warning about impeachment" is really disappointing and self- serving- imo.