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Kucinich Introduces 35 Articles of Impeachment Against Bush Email Print

By Bill Hare
06/11/2008 01:40:21 PM EST

On the evening of June 9, Congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced 35 articles of impeachment against George W. Bush.  

These articles introduced in the House of Representatives include lies concerning the claimed existence of Weapons of Mass Destruction and the deliberate use of those untruths to launch a war against Iraq in contravention of the U.S. Constitution and international law.

Kucinich's effort also included the approval of illegal unapproved wiretapping against U.S. citizens.

Congressman Robert Wexler of Florida was one of the co-sponsors of Kucinich's effort.

In a statement released by Congressman Wexler's office June 10, Wexler expressed his pleasure that Judiciary Committee Chairman Congressman John Conyers of Michigan joined in supporting Wexler's effort to obtain live testimony from former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan.

From the time of release of McClellan's book detailing the developing pattern of Bush's pro-Iraq War policies leading up to actual conflict, McClellan has been agreeable about testifying.  The event will occur June 20 at 10 a.m.

Kucinich had previously introduced articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney.  The issue had been referred to the Judiciary Committee for investigation.

The problem with the earlier effort against Cheney and the current one concerning Bush is the opposition of the Democratic Party establishment.  

The House leadership beginning with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as well as Steny Hoyer and Rahm Emanuel has consistently opposed impeachment efforts.  Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid has also consistently taken the same position.

As Georgetown University Professor of Constitutional Law Jonathan Turley stated on Keith Olbermann's program June 10, members of Congress have taken oaths of office to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution.  

They are duty bound to act in the face of the commission of "high crimes and misdemeanors" perpetrated by officials serving in the executive branch of government.

It is one thing for the nation's framers to take a position and another for those elected to serve that same government and enforce the U.S. Constitution to override partisan political considerations and perform duties toward which there is an abiding obligation.

Kucinich and Wexler, along with the other principled legislators who have stood with them, including Barbara Lee of California, who spoke out with courageous truth and determination in the face of pressure to pass the original so-called "Patriot Act", are to be credited for their courage and insight.

The verdict of history will register positively for those who took the correct and principled course of action.  They are the vigilant defenders of the U.S. Constitution and will be recognized for their courage and insight.

The verdict of history will register every bit as decisively, and in a negative manner, toward those who chose to do nothing in the face of the destruction of rule of law in the United States amid a hungry war mentality enforced with dictatorial tenacity, steady and consistent abrogation of the Bill of Rights, and brutally torturing prisoners of war in contravention of international law.


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Kucinich Introduces 35 Articles of Impeachment Against Bush | 2 comments (2 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
There is no impeachment because... (none / 0)
THE VOTES AREN'T THERE!  Unfortunately, the American people did not QUITE wake up enough in 2006, particularly in the "red" states, to give the Democrats the veto-proof two-thirds majority needed to get legislation past Bush, which is also the majority needed for impeachment in the House and conviction in the Senate.  This is only possible if enough Republicans go along (and despite some of their public comments in the past about Bush's Constitutional rights issues, they WILL NOT VOTE against their party); conviction in the Senate would require at least 25 of them to join in (without losing even ONE Democrat).

So, any attempt at impeachment and successfully removing Bush and/or Cheney from office (and we would NOT want Bush gone and Cheney left in!) is doomed from lack of votes, REGARDLESS of the evidence.  Nancy Pelosi and the other leaders knew this back in 2007, when our one-vote majority in the Senate was temporarily (and, thankfully, not permanently) lost because of Tim Johnson's stroke and illness.  Furthermore, since both previous impeachment attempts in our history have been blatantly partisan attacks, VOTERS, including many independent swing voters, would be suspicious of any impeachment that even "smells" like a partisan attack (imagine in 2007: House impeaches and Senate ousts Cheney, Senate holds off confirming his temporary replacement, House impeaches and Senate ousts Bush; PELOSI becomes the first female President!  Republicans say that she ONLY pushed it to accomplish that feat, and Dems lose Congress even worse than in 1994).

Sadly, enough voters are true believers in Bush, and would not admit he committed crimes even if he stabbed puppies and prayed to Satan on live television, and enough other voters are skeptical of political attacks, demanding an extraordinary level of proof that an attack is NOT partisan, that the result of a high-profile impeachment attack, particularly in the last year of this Administration, would be NOT ONLY to guarantee the election of John McCain, but to lose BOTH Houses of Congress and our party's credibility for a generation.

However, reading the Articles of Impeachment into the Congressional Record as Kucinich has managed to do preserves the record for history and as evidence for any prosecutor (under a new President) who wants to go after now-civilians Bush, Cheney, and the rest of the gang.  After all, impeachment is not the actual punishment; it is the means to remove bad officials early, so that they can, if appropriate, be prosecuted as private citizens.

I would have preferred the 2007 scenario above, but without the votes, and the support of the American people, it would not have been possible then, and is not now.  I know the polls show a low approval rating, but for impeachment to work without backfiring on the party that tries it, you need about 90 percent of the public feeling that the President's actions are not just bad policies, but actual CRIMES, and that just is not happening.

Violence is the last resort of the incompetent. -- Mayor Salvor Hardin, in "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov

by DaneelO on 06/16/2008 09:34:51 AM EST

Constitutional duty (none / 0)
mandates that impeachment articles be filed.  I have pointed out in previous articles that vote counting can lead to a false conclusion.  With Bush at an all-time low point of 27 percent according to the latest NBC News-Wall Street Journal Poll Republicans concerned about hanging on to their own hides would not be eager to spring forward to defend him.

As Robert Parry and other impeachment proponents have said, once the ghoulish story came out of all the tragic offenses people who had been previously silent or relatively muted would be in arms and Republican bigwigs would be scared out of their skulls as they were with Nixon, who in the preceding election had garnered over 60 percent of the popular vote.

That time Barry Goldwater told Nixon in the White House that he would have to resign.  This happened after Republicans started losing seats they had held since the Civil War and that were considered absolutely safe.

As for Cheney, Kucinich had earlier submitted articles of impeachment against him, as was fitting and proper.  If one ever went whether in an impeachment proceeding or resignation situation, the other would do the same.

You are correct that the investigation could provide invaluable assistance in the future should it be used properly.

Thank you for your informed and detailed response.  We hope you will keep on visiting our site since we will seek to keep up with all the major events.      

by Bill Hare on 06/16/2008 03:24:26 PM EST

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Kucinich Introduces 35 Articles of Impeachment Against Bush | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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