New Mexico Democrats call for impeachment of President Bush
No, it won't lead to anything, but... wow:
This isn't just some small town in Vermont populated by Ben and Jerry clones. This is a state party. Bill Richardson's state party. And give these Democrats credit: They're realistic enough to see that Bush likely won't be impeached -- Republicans control Congress and I'm not convinced that enough Congressional Democrats would even want to go there (I'm not even convinced that I would want to go there) -- but they're also concerned about the danger posed to American democracy by Bush's reckless and foolhardy presidency.
Republicans will argue that this is yet another example of Democratic extremism. Some Democrats may see it as a Feingoldian subject-changer, a weapon for Republicans to use against Democrats. Personally, I think all this talk of impeachment is rather premature and not terribly productive. But I also think that there needs to be a serious national discussion about Bush's abuse of power.
That would be the truly American thing to do.
The New Mexico Democratic Party is calling for President Bush's removal from office.
Party Chairman John Wertheim said Tuesday that delegates to Saturday's state party convention supported a call for the president's impeachment largely because of "perceived abuses of power and corruption in the Bush administration."
He listed as examples of abuses of power, warrantless wiretapping of U.S. citizens, the misstatement of facts preceding the invasion of Iraq, and the scandal surrounding the indictment of Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide in connection with the leak of the identity of a covert CIA operative.
"Everyone understands President Bush is not going to be impeached," Wertheim said. "But these abuses of power and corruption in the administration are deeply serious matters and there should be more talk about this abuse of power."
The one-sentence amendment, added from the floor to the platform's section on political and election reform, reads: "Resolved, that the Democratic Party of New Mexico supports the impeachment of President George Bush and his lawful removal from office."
This isn't just some small town in Vermont populated by Ben and Jerry clones. This is a state party. Bill Richardson's state party. And give these Democrats credit: They're realistic enough to see that Bush likely won't be impeached -- Republicans control Congress and I'm not convinced that enough Congressional Democrats would even want to go there (I'm not even convinced that I would want to go there) -- but they're also concerned about the danger posed to American democracy by Bush's reckless and foolhardy presidency.
Republicans will argue that this is yet another example of Democratic extremism. Some Democrats may see it as a Feingoldian subject-changer, a weapon for Republicans to use against Democrats. Personally, I think all this talk of impeachment is rather premature and not terribly productive. But I also think that there needs to be a serious national discussion about Bush's abuse of power.
That would be the truly American thing to do.
posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at
9:03 PM
3 Comments:
Although he didn't say it straight out, Brzezinski gave a speech the other day that more or less says that the decision making process has broken down in Washington.
Short of impeachment, there are ways to get Bush out of his bubble but the best chance of that is if Congress does it. Real investigations are just one way to get a president to clean up his act.
If Republican can't hold Bush accountable, new faces in Washington might.
By
Anonymous, at 9:35 PM
Z.B.'s a smart guy. He knows what's he talking about.
I don't necessarily support impeachment, but I do support censure. But you're right, Craig. It's time for Congress to hold the president accountable. And it can do that by investigation his most obvious abuses of power, beginning with the NSA wiretapping program. But don't look for that to happen, not with Republicans running the show. This is precisely why we need to elect a Democratic Congress this year. It's time for those checks and balances to be restored.
By
Michael J.W. Stickings, at 11:47 AM
I'm still firmly convinced that there is another way.
The administration is in the process of finding and charging those responsible for leaking Warrantless Wiretaps. I hope they find these people and charge them with a crime.
Once these "crimes" are in court, the logical defense is: "How can it be illegal to expose an action that is, in itself, illegal?"
See my post at: http://eclecticfloridian.blogspot.com/2006/03/leaking-illegal-government-action.html
By
CWhite, at 1:29 PM
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