Thanks to Alternet for making it clear that its editorial staff here considers acknowledging reader priorities as important a dynamic in delivering progressive journalism as impartial, investigative reporting.

In anticipation of any criticism to the contrary, I find it fair and understandable that Alternet would make reference to the recent (and not just a little 'spirited') uproar among readers, over Dickinson's case for foregoing impeachment, as an opportunity to ask for financial support for ongoing coverage of this important issue.

I'll definitely find a way to budget-in making a contribution in 2007.


Thanks and keep up the good work.
-DM, Yalta, Ukraine


PS: Was piece from Mother-J just laid in our laps to fire us up? I think, as so many of us hinted, asked and accused there in the attached comments section, its time for you guys to 'come clean'. ;))

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Impeachment and conviction are two separate parts of the process. The first part of the process requires sufficient evidence of "high crimes and misdemeanors", which in this situation has been made moot by public revelations of those crimes by the Bush Administration. The domestic spying scandal and various breaches of the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution are impeachable and in the public record.

Should the House fail to impeach Bush and Cheney, they would be establishing that lying about your personal sex life as Clinton did is a more serious crime to this nation than violating the US Constitution.

I hardly think this is the precedent we ought to be setting for future administrations.

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In anticipation of being the target of a major flame war, here's what I suspect will happen:

1) Due to public demand, the impeachment process begins;
2) Millions of dollars and thousands of man-days are spent;
3) The whole thing turns into the biggest political bunfight since we started walking upright;
4) Bush and Cheney get impeached, and all that righteous anger is satisfied;
5) The Congress and Senate thereby squander a chance to fix some of the more egregious mistakes so nothing much gets done;
6) No-one is really held accountable for any of the major crimes committed by so many of the Bush junta.

I really, honestly, don't get it. Why are y'all hollering for impeachment and ignoring the far more enticing, far more just, prospect of criminal charges? I mean, really, just how does impeachment punish anyone? So they get a black mark on their CV, so fuckin' what?

To those who insist that Bush et al deserve to be held accountable: what better way than in court? And how is a lengthy legislative process that ties up time and money yet doesn't impose any penalties 'holding them accountable'? What about all the other criminals in the Bush administration?

And one important question: is it necessary to impeach before criminal charges are laid? If not, then why not go straight to criminal charges? They're surely justified.

Now here's what I'd like to see happen:

1) Investigations, thorough, into matters, comprehensive. You have to have them anyway, right?
2) Dems lead the charge to act swiftly and decisively to fix some serious, urgent, major problems (Iraq, climate change, the minimum wage, the electoral process, etc);
3) Results of the investigations are thoroughly and honestly publicised so that even a cockroach will understand the enormity of the crimes;
4) Criminal charges are laid and a coupla dozen Bushies are led through the streets in chains. Preferably wearing pink party frocks, high heels, and lipstick. Thence to be taken straight to prison, where I'm sure they'll find a warm prison welcome;
5) Copious reparations to various groups, individuals, and countries, to be made from these guys' own personal fortunes, including their children's inheritances.

I expect a whole lotta flaming on this, but I'd appreciate it if you read my comment thoroughly first. I'm not in favour of giving these dickheads a free pass. I am in favour of really holding them accountable, instead of an expensive farce that just makes you-all feel that they've been held accountable.

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AlterNet has done a good and responsible thing by pushing the impeachment action for it can do more to bring America into compliance with international law and decent governance than any other action that I can think of. It is just the thing to lift America from being a pariah to being a great nation respected by all the peoples of the world. If Cheney/Bush are actually impeached and removed from office the whole world will cheer the American people and happiness will envelope the Earth.

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...I WANT THEM TO ALL GO TO JAIL FOR A REEEEEEEALLY LONG TIME! They deserve a LOT worse than a slap on the hand.

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I'm sure the house can pass the impeachment of Bush, but finding him guilty in the senate is another matter. With 51:49, the Democrats have a chance in principle, but unfortunately Joe Lieberman, (Independent) Israel, will probably vote with the Republicans, and Cheyney's deciding vote will get Bush off the hook.

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that a sitting president has immunity from criminal charges. the problem is that we have 2 years left in this administration and many will feel that we've survived 6 years already, so just let things time out. here's my idea....

1. do the investigations and file criminal charges against Cheney first while including his wife and family as co-conspiritors, which they are for supporting darth and his decisions publically ( yes they all have!)

2. impeach Cheney. this eliminates the 'swing' vote in the senate

3. while starting the impeachment process on Cheney, file criminal charges against Bush and his entire administration including every aide, secretary, cabinet member, undersecretary and even the white house chef, literally 'clean house'. include little laura and her staff for conspiracy, plus daughters for hatching up an escape plan for daddy

4. there will be few resources for Bush to hide behind, big daddy will be hamstrung with most of his team rooting around for bail money, and let's arrest b41 for conspiracy to boot

this should get our dear prez to run fast for Paraguay and we nab him with his own homeland security team at the border!

(just my pre caffine thoughts for the morning)

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You just made my day, no my week. Now this is democracy in action, if only the Democrats are as receptive to the ideas of their supporters. Maybe Tocoueville was right and it is not the great governing system of america but the great civil society and community groups that make this country great. All of us are the antidote to corrupt politics, all of us has a duty to stand up for what we believe.

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Let the congress get on with saving the New Deal and get Gonzales at DOJ to do his job by appointing a prosecutor to put these bums in jail. Bush has made an admission against his own self-interest to the entire world that he had been and is unlawfully spying on Americans. He tries to lay it off to the war he created in his own demented little mind by stating he was protecting us. All the while he took our rights away under the fourth amendment thinking he was King. This is a criminal case put together by the little weasel himself. I could be wrong but I think these fascists wouldn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of keeping a jury from doin' the do on 'em. Indict, prosecute, sentance and buddy them up with Jack "screw the indians again" Abramoff in the federal joint. Can I get an Amen!!

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We need to send a message to this bunch of lying criminal scumbags that we the people will not stand for the way Bush has shredded our Constitution, made a mockery of everything we have stood for all the while spouting pious nothings and has made us a laughing stock in the eyes of the rest of the world. He has taken away freedoms that date to Magna Carta and is poised to abrogate even more in the short time left before the new Senate and Congress convene in January.

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Bush has so offended the world community that I can see justice coming more clearly from that body than from our slap-on-the-wrist impeachment remedy.

I think America must stay focused on the good that we can do with a Democratic majority, and we have just two years to give the people some real relief: health care, alternate energy R&D that makes middle east oil mongering obsolete, campaign finance reform to return elections to the people.

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Reasons for the impeachment of George W. Bush as well as his removal from office and a criminal investigation of the entire Bush Adminstration:

1. Generation of false or misleading use of intelligence while planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression. (pre-911 war prep for Afghanistan, Downing Street Memo & other witnesses such as Powell's assistant secretary on pre-911 war prep for Iraq and further false and misleading use of intel of WMD and al-Qaeda connections).

(The planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression, a war in violation of international treaties, participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment)

2. Gross negligence in performing the duties required for the protection of the United States against attack of a foreign enemy. Afghanistan offered Osama bin Laden to US authorities with proof. There was none. All warnings from internal and external sources was ignored by the administration

(extraordinary gross negligence in the performance of their duties).

2. Allowing removal of evidence from the crime scene of federal jurisdiction due to interstate laws and national security.

3. Directing the murder, ill-treatment for any other purpose of civilian population of or in occupied territories of Iraq and Afghanistan, murder or ill-treatment of prisoners of war or persons in military custody or the implicit custody of persons of torture of prisoners sent to foreign lands , killing of hostages, plunder of public or private property, wanton destruction of cities, towns or villages, or devastation not justified by military necessity.

4. Murder, extermination and incarceration against the civilian population of Iraq and Afghanistan. Execution based on political, racial and religious grounds of the civilian population of Iraq and Afghanistan.

5. Directing of the use of illegal weapons against a civilian population:

* The use of cluster bombs in civilian areas. Several witnesses report children being wounded by these munitions lying in the street.

* The use of napalm, phosphorus, or other incendiary bombs.

* Attacks on a non-combative population, non-military targets and defenseless towns, villages, settlements and buildings.

* The natural environment was destroyed by air assaults that were disproportionate to the desired military objective.

* Allowing the plundering of civilian and cultural institutions. Charges cites the Al Beit Al Iraqi cultural centre in Baghdad being plundered, although American tanks were closely monitoring the area.

* Allowing the use of depleted uranium

6. Bypassing of FISA courts to spy on American citizens without probable cause.

7. Lying to Congress and Senate using false information to start a war of aggression

8. The willful disregard for upholding the oath of office of the Presidency of the United States of America
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

9. Selling off American property to foreign interests. (North American Union)

10. Murder of American military personnel using false information for waging a war of aggression.

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11. Murder of Americans, willfully disregarding knowledge of highly toxic dust after 9/11/01.

12. Willful stalling of the investigation of 9/11/01.

13. Misuse of public money in military and reconstruction contracts.

14. Willful misuse of Iraqi public money

15. Willful disregard for American lives in the Katrina disaster including gun confiscation to protect citizens to protect life and limb.

16. Lying to the Department of Defense, inadequate support of US troops

17. Use of propaganda through the media to lie to the American people about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

18. Withholding investigation of 2.3 Trillion missing from the Pentagon

19. Abolishing Posse Comitatus
.
.
.

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The obvious condition being that while the House can Impeach, the Senate will not convict ... the process would take more than a year -- and one way or the other Bush and Company will be GONE in 2 years.

Yet ... if there was any single idea calculated to confim the Fox News and Wingnut stereotypes about Extreme-Left Liberal Progressive Democrat Godless-Church Traitors -- the 'persecution' of a 'sitting president in Time of War' would be one of the best.

Frankly, it will be hard enough to keep the Democratic party committed to pursuing Speaker Pelosi's "100 hours" agenda ... much less standing firm against the provocative Court and Embassidorial appointments BushCo will be using to demonstrate "Democrat Obstructionism" ...

If we could manage to breach the wall of secrecy around Cheney's energy policy and the process that led up to it ... that would be a major achievment.

If we could send a series of moderately progressive, generally popular pieces of legislation (like the Stem Cell Reseach funding bills, or the compromise immigration bill) which Bush would then be forced to veto ... THOSE would be achievments.

If 'cutting off funding for the war' ( which is how a Democratic congress ended the Vietnam War when Nixon's 'secret plan' turned out to be a fraud and a deception ) even gets out of Caucus and into open debate, THAT would a COLLOSSAL achievement.

But, if there is one thing that Grover Norquist and Bill O'Reilly would WANT us to be doing ... 'blogging and demonstrating for impeachment' would probably be right at the top of the War Over Christmas List.

(It's not the best way to pry contributions to AlterNet contributions out of MY pocket, at any rate.)

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We need to address the intricacies of this whole thing. How does President of the United States Cheny sound?!!!! It is only 2 years to go and with the return of checks and balances and some adult supervision after rooting out the lunatic fringe neocons (all of them) from the White House, State Department and CIA, we could survive. After all this is just yet another case of failure by the wastrel son and a bail out by the doting father. This has all been predictable, although Bush has a way of beating out even my most dire predictions. I called Bush's Iraq war a disaster and a quagmire a month before it happened (I have Republican witnessess) and that was before the inept way the war was run and the incrediblely stupid decisions to fire the Bathists and the Iraqui Army. Better to have put them all on the payroll than what happened. The war was lost when we let them loot their country unchecked. That assured that we would never be taken seriously there. Pouring more in is just waste and denying the inevitable defeat. We need to follow the money trails and put a lot of those dollars back where they belong and put a lot of these people away. Clinton let the first Bush get away with the whole Contra thing in hopes of getting along. We can't make that mistake again. If you have not read the Baghdad Burning Blog do so for a dose of reality.

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Bush can't be brought down without a landslide of others who share the guilt. Beginning with a Supreme Court decision in 2000 that made him president, then a (surprise?) attack on our country which presented an opportunity, not a reason to go to war. The bodies continue to pile up. How do we explain NOT doing anything ? The election spoke volumes. Why stop here. We all have a constitutional obligation to protect our country. Messy? So what. Thanks, ANNA

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If staying the course is not an option, then Impeachment is also not an option--it is a requirement!

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I posted this in "08 Buzz" but thought it was suitable for this thread as well.

You guys better settle in and get comfy with the status quo, because at the rate things are going now you'll be living in a full blown fascist dictatorship headed by the de facto president GWB 'til 2012 and beyond. Given that most Americans will sit down and shut up when they are told, I find it exceedingly hard to believe that you'll kick up much of a fuss when "terrorist sympathisers" are rounded up and discretely tucked away in KBR "camps for the politically divergent". Let's face facts and drop this silly talk about impeachment shall we? Corporate America will never allow their golden boy to go down like that. He, along with Cheney, are the geese that lay the golden eggs for the likes of Halliburton, Exxon, Pfizer, etc. Remember this - impeaching Bush is tantamount to impeaching the true socio-economic elite, not only in the US but around the world.

You'll notice how Big Daddy & Co. stepped in to install one of their own if only to ensure the continuity of the Carlyle group and the heavy-hitting interests they represent. Again the American public thinks they can jump head first into a political game that has always been played so far above their heads that they can't even see the surface. To wit, '00 & '04 elections. Sure, you saw that the elections were stolen but what did you do about it? Absolutely nothing. So keep cheering for the "good guys" and continue believing that a ridiculous two-party system can actually affect any real change in the most ultra-corrupt political system that currently blights the earth.

What's so damn endearing about you guys is how you desperately cling to this Democratic fairytale - hope against hope. Forget actually creating viable, multiple parties or maybe even getting off your ever-fattening asses to do something proactive for a change. I forgot, Americans are strictly reactive, only taking action after the ball has been dropped. Oh well, better to eat Captain Crunch and watch trash tv while saving up to buy that shiny new Jet Ski!! Yeah!!! You go America. The world is no longer watching - they've long since given up hope.

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1) Thanks for Alternet's commitment to support the coordinated national project to impeach and remove President Bush and Vice-president Cheney that started in Philadelphia last Saturday!

The project's website is at www.democrats.com. As of this minute, 22,076 people have signed its impeachment petition. (Signing Button is on right; must click "sign here" to see the 10-point petition).

Even with cable, www.democrats.com sometimes takes as long as 5 minutes to load. It must be getting a gazillion hits. (Note: www.democrats.com is independent of the Democratic Party.)

Signing also sends an automatic email to your Congressperson, with both your name and the petition. We're starting to fill their inboxes.

www.democrats.com also facilitates Americans' organizing themselves into impeachment committees by Congressional district. An excellent tool.

I'm old enough to remember Nixon's landslide victory, the shock of the Watergate breakins, public pressure for impeachment, the disgusting revelations of the Watergate hearings, and Nixon's ignominious resignation.

While not knowing how our present impeachment effort will play out, I do know that our Republic is lost already. To recover it we must keep at impeachment and removal thoughtfully, persistently, and effectively.

2) I'm also a former federal prosecutor. So may I comment on the idea, expressed above, of skipping impeachment and removal, and going directly to criminal prosecution of the President and Veep?

The Attorney General, of course, heads the U.S. Department of Justice. The AG right now is Alberto Gonzales.

AG Gonzales therefore is ultimately the boss of every single federal prosecutor in the land, and this AG is in the Bush administration torture conspiracy right up to his neck. The chances of getting any federal prosecutor to convene a grand jury to investigate and, one trusts, indict Bush and Cheney, are virtually nil.

In other words, to prosecute Bush and Cheney in the United States, we need a new Attorney General. For a new AG, Bush and Cheney must be out of office. Voila! Impeach, try, remove. Then the new President appoints a new AG.

Nonetheless, the Military Commissions Act of 2006 has made it much more difficult to prosecute in the U.S. for torture by U.S. officials. This is one reason to support their criminal investigation and prosecution by Germany.

3) Germany also has jurisdiction to prosecute U.S. citizens for war crimes. That's because it has a universal jurisdiction to prosecute torture whereever committed, by anyone, against anyone.

As soon as Donald Rumsfeld resigned, the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York (www.ccr-ny.org) asked the German prosecutor to open a criminal investigation of Rumsfeld and other high-ranking U.S. officials for war crimes, including torture and holding people in prison indefinitely.

Note: The German prosecutor has discretion to accept this case, but need not do so!

If you want the German prosecutor to investigate and prosecute Rumsfeld, Gonzales, and some of their conspirators, including named lawyers responsible for the infamous legal opinions authorizing torture, go to www.ccr-ny.org; click on War Crimes Complaint Filed Against Rumsfeld (with photo); and then click on Take Action (with Rumsfeld photo) to send the email supplied. It's in both German and in English.

The stomach-turning Introduction to CCR's War Crimes Complaint and the Table of Contents are at www.ccr-ny.org. So are revealing statements by witnesses, including Janis Karpinski, and international law experts. If these aren't also reason enough to impeach, by the way, I cannot imagine what is. Sarah McKee in Massachusetts

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PURSUING IMPEACHMENT IS A DANGEROUS COURSE

ALTERNET AND OTHER ORGS ARE SPINNING A DANGEROUS COURSE BY GIVING PRO-IMPEACHMENT COMMENTS AN OBVIOUS PRIORITY OVER THOSE THAT OPPOSE IT. THIS IS THE TACTIC THAT KARL ROVE AND FOX NEWS HAS ENGAGED IN AND EFFECTIVELY SHUT DOWN HONEST DEBATE LEADING TO THE HORROR OF THE RECENT PAST. I CALL ON ALTERNATE AND OTHERS TO ALLOW EQUAL EXPRESSION OF BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE. NOT THE 10 TO 1 MANIPULATION OF FOX (10 COMMENTS THAT SUPPORT OUR AGENDA TO 1 COMMENT OPPOSED). BE HONEST, AN OPEN DEBATE DEMANDS A 10 TO 10 FORMAT THAT ALLOWS READERS TO SEE BOTH SIDES. THOSE OF US WHO LOOK TO YOUR WEB SITE ARE LIKELY MORE LIBERAL AND DO NOT REFLECT THE VIEW OF THE ENTIRE ELECTORATE. KEEP THIS IN MIND WHEN YOU FAIL TO ALLOW HONEST DEBATE. THESE TACTICS LED TO A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS.

I AM IN TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH SPEAKER-ELECT PELOSI. THE NEW CONGRESS WAS ELECTED TO FOCUS ON THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAS BEEN IGNORED FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS

ENGAGING IN AN IMPEACHMENT VANDETTA TO PROVE A POINT DENIES THOSE OF US WHO VOTED FOR CANDIDATES TO DO THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE WILL SIMPLY IGNORE THE MANDATE THAT WE HAVE GIVEN TO CONGRESS. THE NEW CONGRESS MUST HEED WHAT THE ELECTORATE HAS DEMANDED. IF THE NEWLY ELECTED CONGRESS ENGAGES IN THE TACTICS OF DISTRACTION ACCOMPLISHED BY THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION (WHICH LED TO THE NEOCONS LOSING CONGRESS) THEN THERE WILL BE A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP IN 2008. THE ELECTORATE WAS "FOOLED" TWICE AND BUSH WAS RE-ELECTED IN 2004. THE ELECTORATE WILL NOT BE FOOLED TWICE AGAIN.

I BELIEVE THAT ANY ACTION ALLOWED TO HOLD BUSH AND CHENEY ACCOUNTABLE SHOULD NOT DISTRACT THE NEWLY ELECTED CONGRESS FROM THE WORK THEY WERE ELECTED TO ACCOMPLISH. LET A "SPECIAL COUNSEL" BE APPOINTED TO CARRY OUT THE TASK (NIXON,CLINTON). OR LET A NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL BRING CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST THE TWOSOME AND TREAT THEM AS THE COMMON CRIMINALS THEY ARE IN 2009. IF SUCH TOOLS ARE UNAVAILABLE TO US, THEN LET HISTORY TELL THE STORY OF THEIR EXECUTIVE ABUSES AND GIVE THEM THE "LEGACY OF SHAME" THAT THEY HAVE EARNED.

SHAME ON ALTERNET AND OTHER ORGS FOR JOINING THE TACTICS OF THE "DO NOTHING" CONGRESSES OF THE PAST FEW YEARS THAT USED DISTRACTIONS TO INTERFERE WITH THE "WILL OF THE PEOPLE". IF NOT, WE MAY WELL HAVE A PRESIDENT McCAIN, PRESIDENT ROMNEY OR PRESIDENT JULIANI (sp?) WHO WON'T BE INCLINED TO TAKE FORMER LEADERSHIP OF THEIR PARTY TO TASK.

THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR IS EXACTLY WHY I DETERMINED THAT AS AN INDEPENDENT I HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO SUPPORT THE POLITICS OF DISTRACTION IN WHICH THE DNC AND RNC CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN TACTICS THAT VALUE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PARTYS AND THE WISDOM OF THE PARTY LEADERSHIP TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PEOPLE AND THE WISDOM OF THE ELECTORATE.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!

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We need to remember the real war criminals ' the puppet masters'- CFR, Tri-Lateral-Commission, World Bank, IMF, and Bilderberg Group. Least we not forget the puppets who took an Oath before they swore to represent us Congress-The citizens of these states that combine to make this country U.S.,
The Siders Web is a good resource to read in how this whole Iraq Middle east s&&t started. Lets not forget Bush Senior and Clinton in these investigation into impeachment and war crime trials.
Just for a different perspective remember 9/11, there are 84 other countries who lost citizens in the WTC in 2001. I think these citizens/countries of the world need a voice also into these war crimes- it's not only us.

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Mother Jones published a couple excerpts from my response to "So You Think You Want to Impeach?" by Tim Dickinson. See "Impeaching Negativity" in the Backtalk section of the Nov/Dec issue.

------------------------- original letter -------------------------

Dear Mr. Dickinson,

In "So, You Think You Want to Impeach?" you use your review as a platform from which to tell Americans not to bother with impeachment; that it's not in the cards. (Effectively saying "it won't happen, so shut up."). But if you told people who are fighting to eradicate AIDS or poverty or hunger that "it won't happen, so shut up" I can't imagine you would expect -- or even want -- any of them to listen to you.

If you had argued that the charges against Bush and Cheney were baseless, your desire for people to give up the fight might be understandable. But when you point out that their attacks on the Constitution are blatantly self-evident ("hiding in plain sight") and that "the articles of impeachment write themselves," and then criticize the "tomes" for merely introducing unnecessary complexity, you simplify and strengthen the case for impeachment.

Your desire for people to give up the fight is apparently based solely on your pronouncement that the fight is futile.

Your blind assertion that "the American people would far prefer . . .two more years of the disastrous presidency of George W. Bush than to see the White House change hands in what could only be described as an administrative coup" can never be tested because the scenario you present is not necessarily the one the American people would face. As the threat of impeachment becomes real, Bush and Cheney have choices too. If they choose they can keep the Presidency in Republican hands.

If Bush and Cheney choose to be removed through impeachment rather than resignation, then the succession We the People established in the 25th amendment will govern and the Speaker of the House will take the office of the presidency. As long as the succession is in accord with the laws we established it reflects our will. Some may call it an "an administrative coup" but name calling can't change reality.

Of all the rationalizations for inaction, some form of "it won't happen, so shut up" is perhaps the most insidious. Failing to fight because "it's futile" is a self-defeating prophesy. The things worth fighting for will never happen if nobody takes up the fight. Fortunately for the nation, the question for Members of Congress is not "will we win?" The Congressional oath to uphold the Constitution is not an oath to win -- it is an oath to fight -- to "support and defend."

To fulfill their oath each Member of Congress must be on the lookout for threats (turning a "blind eye" is not an option). When they identify a threat, their First Duty is to notify us and tell us what they believe we must do to defend against it. (Not what they think we will do; not what they think they can do; not what they think other Members of Congress might do. Rather, they have a duty to tell us what they personally believe the nation must do.)

Hopefully you and others promoting the "Won't happen, so shut up" mantra will recognize that when principle demands action, outcome expectations do not enter into the decision to act. The choices are simple: you act or betray principle; silence is complicity. Whether or not the establishment continues to be immobilized by rationalization, we can hope that more and more ordinary Americans choose faith and courage over pessimism disguised as "realism." (Though not that many more Americans are required as the new Newsweek poll shows 51% want impeachment to be a priority in the new Congress.)

Sincerely,

Patty K

------------------

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TO MAKE MY POSITION CLEAR. MY ARGUEMENT IS NOT THAT IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN SO GIVE UP. I BELIEVE THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES THAT WILL SEE THAT JUSTICE IS DONE WITHOUT DISTRACTING THE PRESENT CONGRESS FROM DOING THE "PEOPLE'S BUSINESS" IN TWO YEARS THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS FAILED TO ACCOMPLISH IN SIX YEARS.

TAKE A LOOK AT MY POST "IMPEACHMENT IS DANGEROUS" ABOVE AND LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS. DEE

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I will be so glad when BUSH is finally IMPEACHED and JAILED.

Now that's time for a $20 million dollar celebration.

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Impeachment is a defensive act. It is about removing a threat. Just as a cop has the duty to protect the public by pulling over and taking the the keys from a drunk driver; members of Congress have a duty to protect the Constitution by impeaching and "taking the keys" from officials who are drunk with power.

"Getting even" (balancing the scales of justice; retribution) comes with criminal prosecution and punishment AFTER members of Congress have removed the power to destroy from the destroyers.

Message to Members of Congress: Just Do It!

When you convene the 110th Congress, introduce Articles of Impeachment, assign the resolution to a committee, and get on with it already.

You cannot escape with calls for "investigations." We know all we need to know. Incontrovertible Articles of Impeachment are already proven by the public record (if you question this, please read this DU journal entry)

{must investigate first} = {don't have a case} = {nullification of powerful case we HAVE}

Time Is NOT on our side.

The price of delay could be unimaginable. Any day we could see another terrorist attack; Bush could declare war on Iran or Syria or North Korea or Venezuela or even Haiti; or some completely unforeseen event could make it impossible to rescue our national soul for a long time to come.

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Like so many other threads, this one completely dodges the key issue.

Sellout Pelosi and her “impeachment off the table” choir stands squarely for the status quo: a craven DC red herring.

Virtually the entire Congress agreed to promote a nonstop 911 cover-up into a phony “war on terror”. This represents criminal fact as policy that any blogger with half a clue well understood as a sham before the first bomb drop from Eurasian to Mid East theatres.

The reality is that IMPEACHMENT opens the door to full and genuine investigation thru accountability that in turn could bring down the entire government. (In other words, no more LIMITED HANGOUT cover from a corporate poodle MSM).

And a criminal, unconstitutional government should be brought down in a real democratic republic. The fact we DO NOT have a democratic republic is the core issue at stake. What we do have is a cooked 3-branch puppet farce at work for organized corporate crime.

IMPEACHMENT is the first step in putting Washington and its temp sellouts on trial as one grotesque front for monopolist corporate mobsters.

Bottom line?

This is a systemic matter. We can no longer afford lapdog criminals running DC for their string-pulling oligarch clients.

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Both are 4 x 6.

I made a separate one for Pelosi because I thought I could put her address on the other side, but they don't let you customize that.

If you got the generic ones, you could send one to Pelosi, your congressperson, your senators, and give another set to someone else to do the same.

Get 'em here:

http://www.cafepress.com/fascart/2097421

The back of both is a generic postcard format with layout for stamp, address, return address, and room for additional comments.

To Pelosi:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035547307@N01/296843646


Send to:

Nancy Pelosi
2371 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515

District Office:

450 Golden Gate Ave.
14th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102

It would be nice if she had a half million or more of these waiting for her the first day she's Speaker of the House.



No name specified:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035547307@N01/296843641

Find your congressperson or senators & their addresses:
write your congressperson or senator

If you want to use or modify the content in a letter of your own, you can find the text to copy here:

http://professorsmartass.blogspot.com/2006/11/send-5000...

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. . .doesn't appeal to me.

A message the Democratic caucus:

I don't want my new minimum wage when the massive power of the American Presidency is in the hands of War Criminals.

I don't want affordable health care if "rule by signing statement" and Bush as unitary authoritarian executive is left unchallenged.

I don't care about breaking the link between law makers and lobbyists while Bush and Cheney wield evermore unconstitutional power to force the wishes of their tiny faction on the rest of us.

I don't care about enacting the 911 commission recommendations until habeas corpus is restored and the men behind nullifying it are removed from power.

As long as you allow Bush and Cheney to abuse their power by picking and choosing the laws they execute or enforce, you will not get my support to pass more laws for them to ignore.

The War Criminals Protection Act of 2006 was a landmark achievement in White House conspiracy to violate our Constitutional rights and commit international crime. Lifting the restrictions on stem cell research imposed by a small faction can wait until that act is struck down and Bush and Cheney are removed from office for leading the conspiracy.

With threats of "mushroom clouds over our cities," Bush and Cheney terrorized the American people into submitting to their criminal war of aggression. I cannot imagine how you think the United States can help to end the conflict and chaos that is spreading inhumanity and destroying lives in the Middle East if you leave governing power in the hands of the men who are responsible for the horrors.

I am one of the majority of sensible Americans who want SENSIBLE priorities. There is nothing partisan or radical about inaugurating a President and Vice President committed to fulfilling their oath to execute our laws BEFORE we worry about passing more laws.

BTW -- you don't even have to WAIT to engage the stakeholders in finding solutions to the critical problems we face as a nation. You and your staffers can fight to remove Bush and Cheney from power and design and pass legislation AT THE SAME TIME. Multitasking is the name of the game. Just make sure Impeachment never takes a back seat to those other tasks.

Impeachment IS Our Postitive Agenda!!

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Hey, I took 3 hours this morning writing my first ever comment on this forum, entitled Impeachment would be Suicide. It has not appeared even though I posted it hours ago. What gives? Are you censoring out the entries who do not agree with you??? Disappointed contributor to the discussion

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Free high-quality vinyl stickers - IMPEACH NOW ! - These stickers are made in America by patriotic Americans who love this country and the Constitution , and hope to see us all get our country back from the corporate and foreign interests ! Donations are greatly appreciated and will go back into more stickers ! Send a self-addressed , stamped envelope to:
Sticker Offer 19754 McKillop Rd. N.E. Scotts Mills , Oregon 97375

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"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
-President John F. Kennedy (assassinated by US CIA)

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The idea that congressional duties would be stymied by the impeachment process is ridiculous.
All that needs to be done is to appoint a special prosecutor to handle all the details and give him the power to do what needs to be done. He could be assigned to root out corruption in congress as well.
The impeachment process is important because it goes hand in hand with the removal of our troops from the warfare in Iraq. Without the leverage that impeachment brings, US involvement in the war can and will continue indefinitely.
The Republicans need to make sure that the efforts of the people to extract us from the war is futile; they must make sure that we know that our vote is futile. They will drag this war on as long as they can just to spite their sworn enemies (not Al Qaeda- the democrats). If we are still in the war in 2008, they will be able to claim their victory. This is the underlying white lie in the message: "Stay the course".
Today, McCain is using the voter’s message to justify increasing troop levels. But, in this insane war, the only way to increase troop levels is with a military draft! That would be an incredibly deep jab to an anti-war electorate. Imagine how would you feel if you knew that your vote against this war got your sons drafted and sent to become targets to distract the Shi-ites and Sunnis from slaughtering each other.
How many more would it really take to pacify Iraq? McCain say 20,000. I say 7 million, with a guaranteed 1/2 million injured or dead. The increased presence of US forces would fuel the insurgency. And, repressed guilt by Americans for American dead and wounded would manifest itself to fuel the war machine here at home as well.
This will be the legacy of the act of ruling out impeachment.
This is also the way to frame the debate regarding impeachment.
The fact is that as long as the president has veto-power, and as long as the republicans in congress have the ability to filibuster, the democrats in congress can't do much anyway. Impeachment is really Congress' most important task at hand.

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I've been thinking a lot abot impeachment. It is possible that reversing most, if not all, of Bush's [see Ronald Reagan], policies will cause far more suffering among the federalist, corporate and wealthy elite, than any impeachment and prison term. Though Bush/Cheney/Rummy/[insert neocon here], all deserve water boarding and then life prison sentences, to have them see all of their efforts torn apart by new regulations on business, new scrutiny of the military, single payer health care, worker and middle class pensions , near free education for all, investment in America's parks, senior centers, child care [well trained & well payed staff ], subsidies for the petroleum industries elimanated and sent to alternative energy industry, taxpayer funded elections,etc., etc.,etc.. What better neocon punishment and use of our legislator's time?

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I'd support impeachment of the President but not for the reasons spouted here in these boards. I want the S.O.B. impeached for lying about being a cconservative. Bush is NO conservative. He is a globalist who will sell American sovereignty in favor of an American continental version of the E.U. Please....PLEASE IMPEACH THE S.O.B.!!!

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Frankly, would rather see all of them beaten to death with a baseball bat. Nevertheless, these SOBs have set numerous legal precedents and if we don't impeach, then someone else will come along who is worse and take advantage of the Bush crimes to go even further. Pelosi is such a goddamn accesory and complicit in the Bush crimes that she thinks that is peachy keen, but the people, her constituents would prefer to see the nation restored to pre-Bush status. Cannot allow Bush to escape as it will simply allow things to deteriorate from here. Bush was already unimaginable, always thought it couldn't happen here. We cannot give these crooks like Pelosi to make all her vile dreams come true.

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So Alternet thinks those who want to preserve the constitution are impractical dreamers (idealistic)? -- "A slew of angry, idealistic, principled readers came down pretty heavily on the idea that impeachment should be off the table, and are raring to join a grassroots movement in support of impeaching both Bush and Cheney." Well, hell, if I'd known that, I wouldn't have bothered voting. Thinks for clueing me in, Alternet.

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C'mon, you 87% of the population; write, call, e-mail your Senators and Congresspeople, flood their faxes, melt down their telephones, break a popular-opinion tsunami over Washington! With Congress scared of its own shadow, and prostituted to corporations, this may be the ONLY way the Constitution, the rule of law – and America – can be saved.

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Yes we do need impeachment and then a criminal investigation, why. Two reasons.
1. So 'we the people' can learn what happened and then push congress to write laws to insure that the horror of the last seven years never happens again. Does anyone really think the Repubs are suddenly going to see the light. They will be around until they turn America into what they want. Remember folks those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it.
2. Criminals must be punished, if we are a country of laws. Especially white collar criminals for whom punishment/jail actually works very well. So jail time is an absolute necessity for the Bushie repubs especially Cheney and Bush. Also some others had a huge hand in all of this including, Ashcroft, Gonzales, Yoo,both Powells,Rice et.al.

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Please consider Peace.

It is reasonable to assume that there will never be peace in the Middle East as long as American troops occupy Iraq; only the people of the Middle East can produce peace in that region; "cut and run" is unconscionable.

One way to proceed is an American initiative for a Middle East Peace Conference. Invite all the nations and people to sit down at a peace conference table with us. Let them tell us to leave Iraq. It is then up to them to deal with the problem.

Bush has categorically dismissed any search for peace in the Middle East. We must impeach him to move forward.

Impeach For Peace.

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We the people must IMPEACH Mr. Bush & Co., We must do it now. The media got Mr. Clinton impeached, they will not help us do the same for a republican. We buy news papers watch TV and tell our selfs that the news is not one sided, all news support Mr. Bush & Co 100%, some times they put on a show to cover their selfs up, but all good Americans can see the lies they tell us ever day. This is the biggest crimes the U.S.A. has ever made, yet the news just keeps on hiding the LIES THEY TELL US EVER DAY. Just to protect Mr. Bush & co. Mr. Bush & Co must be tried for war crimes, lies, torture and the killing of hundred of thousands of good people, both here in the GOOD OLD U.S.A. and all of the other places they have KILLED in. bigtime

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No! impeachement is not off the table. Bush is imoral, illigal, a traitor. He stole the elections and lied to the americans and congress, not about his sex life but about his war. He started an illigal and imoral war that has murdered thousands. His attacks one the enviorment and on the middle class make him a traitor. He is a danger to the entire world. impeach him and then try him for war crimes; I want to see him hang.

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I want to see Bush and Cheneys' heads on a stick!!!
Sic Semper Tyrannis!!!!!

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AIPAC won't let the Dems impeach Bushy. He's been their best Republican patron ever by giving Israel more money than ever before and a straight out licence to kill! Hell, he's doing a lot of the arab killing for them.

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After much thought & deliberation I have come to the conclusion that you , the USA Public, should SHOOT THE BASTARDS. Enough said

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A truly independent investigation of 911 will lead naturally to impeachment and criminal charges.

Let's do first things first.

Posted by Joe Craine

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If you want to take part in the grassroots movement to impeach Bush/Cheney, visit ImpeachForChange....

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making it futile.

Just get in there and govern.

Fix the flawed voting machines.

fix the campain fiance

get out of Iran

get us health care

Yadda yadda

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While I can understand the conciliatory tone Speaker-elect Pelosi is using, I believe she presumes too much about the intention of voters.

There are those who believe the Democrats were elected a majority on Nov 7th as a mere protest vote against Republicans--an emphatic, emotional, "send a signal" gesture about a wreckless war.

There are those who argue that "moderates" finally decided to speak-up in all sectors and voted to resist extreme Right-wing partisanship..inject a little gridlock into government, slow things up.

The Congress needs time to sort out the meaning of this mid-term election. It needs to hear from us and others. The Speaker-elect needs to hear a wider collection of voices than those in the Democratic caucus who are themselves still surprised to be in a position of influence come January.

My voice is lent to the support of impeachment. I believe my elected representatives have a duty not only to put the brakes on further middle-eastern adventures, but also to call our leaders to account for their criminal behavior. As others have noted, the precedent of a stained blue dress pales in comparison to the misconduct we have witnessed to date by the President Bush and Vice-President Cheney.

Impeachment is the only mechanism powerful enough to check the audacious adventures which are still in the planning stages for Iran (reported as recently as today by Sy Hersh).

Impeachment is the only thing we have left in the Constitution that permits the will of the people to resist wreckless, unrestrained, and unreasonable Executive power.

There is one other thing I want. I want my country to be the country I was raised to believe in. The one my mother taught be about. The one my teachers taught me about. The one that is honest with itself and with others. The one that takes responsibility for its actions and tries to make things right. The one with a conscience. The one that tries to be an example to the world of what is good about a free society.

We , as a nation, were given the tools in our Constitution to govern ourselves in a civil and just manner. We should not be afraid to do this. We have a duty to do this. Justice delayed is justice denied.

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Yay Alternet! I applaud your decision to keep the impeachment issue front and center! There is no reason why congressional committees should not be able to pursue investigations of Bushco crimes while other legislative action is taken (like passing minimum wage increases, election reform, etc.)! The result of the investigations will be to produce insurmountable evidence that the media and public cannot resist to ignore, producing support for punishing Bush & Co! Suddenly, impeachment will jump back onto the table, and these criminals will get their just due!

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We have an obligation to fulfill... to ourselves and to the world. We have the obligation to create a democracy.

Why is this important and what is at stake if we fail?

What we risk if we fail is the health and life of the planet, the good will of the world towards us, and our own integrity as a nation of people. Nothing will matter about America if we fail to get ourselves onto our right path.

It is not only important but imperative that we complete our promise to the world. We have declared ourselves a democracy for so long!! However, we do not have the system we say we have. Instead of a peaceful nation of people with a government that serves us and that leads by example, we have created and accepted a monopolistic corporatocracy. It is our government that ruins the environment and outlaws other viable cultures with greed, avarice and unprincipled force. We have allowed this by not doing everything we can to stop them and hold the responsible. The world needs to see us do this so they can know who we are.

Who will accept us if we do not unite with the rest of the world to make peace and beauty and a healthy sustainable sytem that serves the most precious planet home ever known?

We stand at a crossroads greater than any other in our history. Do we evole or do we stand as the prime example of the failure of the human species?

What will be our legacy?

Are we a people who looks the other way when criminals steal our government and act in ways that disgrace and degrade us? Or are we a people who lives honorably on a shared earth and sets an example as a true nation of peace and mutual respect for all life and future generations of all life that sustains this planet?

We are running out of time to act. We are out of time to decide.

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Bush and Cheney rumored to be co-authoring a book to be titled,
"SHOTGUN CHENEY AND THE LAME DUCK"

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As I posted on my blog on MySpace and elsewhere:

ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT:

The new House Judiciary Committee should immediately begin investigation into Articles of Impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for their roles in the planning and carrying out the invasion of Iraq to determine whether there are grounds to find the justification for starting the war were as claimed and accurate...or flawed, or false, or premeditated and an intentional series of lies and deliberate deceptions. And whether, if any, links to the circumstances surrounding the events leading up to, the day of, and following 9/11 can be found and determined to have played any part or role, or having any connection whatsoever to the circumstances leading up to the decision-making process to invade Iraq. And any connection that leads to evidence of 9/11 being, in any way, an inside job with foreknowledge, should constitute grounds for charges of treason and war crimes, and related charges.

AND ABOUT 9/11:

This new Congress should open up a whole new investigation into all the events and circumstances surrounding 9/11, perhaps forming special committees and staff to begin this work in earnest. There are far too many unanswered questions and scientific fact and circumstances that flatly do not fit the "official" explanations, and questionable if not deliberate omissions of fact, in the original 9/11 report. We need all evidence that can be obtained from FBI and other sources that have been withheld to be subpoenaed and brought back for a thorough investigation. This would include subpoenas of any and all persons known to have had any connection to 9/11, such as the president's brother, Marvin Bush, who is said to have been with the security company that locked down and ordered vacated the twin towers very uncharacteristically just before the occurrence of 9/11. Others would include all military and non-military personnel on duty or on watch, including the Vice President of the United States, said to have been involved in the shutdown of our military preparedness to intercept unidentified threats, and which strangely failed on the day of 9/11. These and all other connections, even remotely connected, such as the financial put options on American and United Airlines stock, and other related events occurring just days before, indicating there were persons who knew the circumstances were about to occur beforehand, the people, the collapse of the twin towers as the first in history to do so because of a claimed "fire"...all of these things to be completely reexamined.

REPEAL OF THE MILITARY TRIBUNALS ACT

This act s is an unconstitutional assault on American freedoms from false arrest and seizure by the government without habeas corpus and the ability to defend charges, even if they are false and unprovable charges. It has NO place in America! The shocking revelations that are still coming out of Guantamano and Abu Ghraib should tell us the depravity to which the U.S. has fallen, that not even a handful of Republicans in Congress took offense at the cruelty and did NOTHING! Instead they blindly followed Bush and passed this abomination! And THAT is what is so fatally wrong with our two-party system! It is the cover-your-ass mentality for the sake of "party unity" that sows the seeds of destruction of America! When party loyalty is placed above the good of the country, and these people are too blind to see it for what it is, we are in grave danger! And THEY need to be held accountable even beyond the election results.

REPEAL OF THE PATRIOT ACT

For the same reasons above, and would require the dismantling of the Department of Homeland Security in its present form, if not its elimination, and a complete investigation and oversight into our entire intelligence community.

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Let me just start by saying that Bush and Cheney deserve to be impeached. I don't know what exactly is involved in the impeachment process, but I see a few problems with the idea.

1. The process of investigations, etc., would take up most of the next two years, thereby not allowing the Democratic House to get anything else done, and probably getting them all voted out of office in two years.

2. Unless we can impeach Cheney as well (and at the same time), we will end up with a brief period of President Cheney, and I don't think anyone wants that. Again, not sure of the rules and regs regarding double impeachment.

3. Impeachment pretty well does away with the possibility of criminal prosecution after the bastards are out of office, particularly since the likelihood of any of their war crimes ever going before the ICC is slim to none.

4. The long, drawn-out impeachment process will surely divide this country in deep and possibly irreparable ways, and regardless of the outcome, will more than likely just make everything worse.

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...or at least skim it. For God's sake ,I' m shocked at the ignorance about the process of impeachment displayed by way too many of you. Impeachment is NOT a substitute for criminal prosecution, nor does it preclude later criminal prosecution. It is a constitutionally prescribed method for removing any Federal official accused of high crimes and misdemenors- a short way of saying that they violated their oath of office. It is , inherently, a political process. It's supposed to be that way. It's a safetyvalve feature of the constitution that allows the representatives of the people, Congress, to nullify an election - of the official accused of aggregious conduct.
I'm not an attorney, but I'm 99% sure that a sitting President may NOT be indicted for criminal behavior. Therefore, those of you that want him to be hauled off to the Hague, and other such ideas, should get onboard the bus to push for Congressional hearings. BTW, that's exactly what the Dems are going to do. It's a slow process- it will NOT take 2 yrs, however . It's a necessary beginning to purge this country of the authoritarian Neocon threat to our liberty. Once the ugly facts begin to cascade from the various Cong. committee hearing rooms, the PUBLIC sentiment to oust Bush( first, and maybe ONLY him) will come to a boil. I suggest reading about the watergate hearings ,or the impeachment proceedings of Nixon. Seriously folks, use 'the google'. Educate yourselves. You only diminish your own cause when you say ignorant stuff .
Peace.

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Firstly,Deeschumann, you need to quit yelling, you can easily state your point without shoving it down our throats.

Impeachment as a function was setup for one reason, namely to take a president from office that had participated in High Crimes, namely those actions that go against the US Constition,
are felonies under federal law, and/or is a threat to the safety and security of the US nation.

Bush, Cheney and their cabinet have, by extensive evidence, done all of these. As such, it's not about "getting back at them", it's about upholding the sanctity of the presidency and the immense power of that position in this country and the world. The actions of the George W. Bush and his cabinet have put the US and the world at risk of increased sectarianism and violence on a scale not seen since the second world war. Their lies and deceit and cronyism are pushing this country into moral, economic and social bankrupcy.

It is our duty as American citizens to push for impeachment to stop these reckless ideologues from destroying our country and our world as we know it. It is our duty also so that future presidents understand that they cannot violate our basic laws with impunity, that they are NOT above the law. This was the reason that Nixon was impeached, not some vendetta by some left wingers who wanted vengence.

Lets show that our country does have some good left in it. Lets take these rats, hang em high for treason and rebuild our country around the idea that we are a functional member of the world community, not it's despotic and corporatist fascist leader.

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There seems to be a complete skirting of the issue that 911 has been completely disregarded in the reasons for an impeachment or any domestic crime accountability by the Bush Regime.
There is no greater importance of reason to impeach or to make accountable the whole of the responsible parties which are far deeper than simply lying etc.

Unfortunately American society as a whole is being lead away from the deep inquiry that should be addressed, probably for fear it would cause a national as well as global collapse of creadibility and trust in the United States as a guiding light of freedom in the world.

There are probably no readers of Alternet that are not unfamiliar with the Solid evidents that points towards true involvment and obvious cover up of evidents focusing attention to the facts that this Government and the military industrial, and financial/Oil complex that is pushing our world.
But that mass of the population here in the USA that has it's head in the sand or simply in denial or disbelief that those that where "put" into the power seats have screwed this world up as bad as is has been, well these are the people that are the sheeple. Those that hide from the truth, those that hide behind the American flag instead of protecting it here at home from tyrrany here within th homeland.
Unless the truth of 911 is brought to the top of the heap of foundational lies that has the people in the dark, there can be no truth worth saving the people from because America has already been lost.

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