There has been a vigorous debate and able advocacy in the Mighty Corrente Building regarding the impeachment of Bush and Cheney. I had been somewhat resistant to the idea until I had the chance to read Federalist Paper Number 65 by Alexander Hamilton speaking of the jurisdictional limits of impeachment:
The subjects of [Congressional] jurisdiction are those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust. They are of a nature which may with peculiar propriety be denominated POLITICAL, as they relate chiefly to injuries done immediately to the society itself.
My prior reluctance to call for impeachment (political backlash) was dealt with by Mr Hamilton:
The prosecution of them, for this reason, will seldom fail to agitate the passions of the whole community, and to divide it into parties more or less friendly or inimical to the accused. In many cases it will connect itself with the pre-existing factions, and will enlist all their animosities, partialities, influence, and interest on one side or on the other; and in such cases there will always be the greatest danger that the decision will be regulated more by the comparative strength of parties, than by the real demonstrations of innocence or guilt.
Some (like me) lament the fact that if the United States had a parliamentary system, Bush would have been out long ago.
Clearly, impeachment is the cure for such distress.
I may be late to the party, but I did bring a handle of rum...
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welcome to the club, shane-o
i am glad you've come into the light. altho it's been made clear to me that we'll remain voices in the wilderness, for the sake of your own soul, it's good you're on board. it's a testament to your belief in democracy.
too bad the dem leadership doesn't share that with you.
That's Cuz the "Dem leadership" is of the same essential
quality--and class, bought and paid for by the CorpoRat elites--as those whom they are charged to supervise and regulate.
Funny how their interests just seem--o i know it's sheerest, merest coincidence--to intersect, innit?
As I said in one of my last posts at my old site...
Among 21st century America's most reviled figures from the previous hundred years is Lord Neville Chamberlain, the patron sinner of appeasement.
Imagine if America faced a despot who threatened our very way of life: our freedoms, our treasury, and even our good name. You'd have to be pretty low to appease that, now wouldn't you?
Vastleft, I'd Like to Read your post
The parallels are remarkable between the democratic leadership (as CD laments) and good ol' Neville- is there a place I could find your prior post?
But what do I know?
The Bill of Rights is a born rebel. It reeks with sedition. In every clause it shakes its fist in the face of constituted authority. . . . it is the one guaranty of human freedom to the American people. - Frank Irving Cobb
Actually, my previous comment was the full text of the post
But perhaps the theme should be expanded to get more specific on impeachment.
Our nation is lost to a coup of apathy when virtually all of Congress considers making our best effort to stop a lawless administration -- and to repudiate its monarchic precedents -- too gauche, too unimportant, or too much work.
To quote Senator Blutarsky, "Did we give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"
Toga, Toga
Perhaps they should take a page from King W. and do some "hard work."
I'd have to say that Pelosi, if she is a little squeemish (to be nice to her), does have a way out -- she can claim a conflict of interest (as she would become president if Bush and Cheney were removed) and then let some other people with some guts go on with what needs to be done.
As to the other "leadership" - I don't know what to do.
I say - to everyone out there - take a copy of the Federalist Papers Number 65 - and when your Congressperson is at home during the next four weeks, shove a copy in their face.
But what do I know?
The Bill of Rights is a born rebel. It reeks with sedition. In every clause it shakes its fist in the face of constituted authority. . . . it is the one guaranty of human freedom to the American people. - Frank Irving Cobb
I am so with you guys
And welcome to the party Shane-O, and pass the rum please kind sir :-) I want to know where the moral outrage in this country is. Why aren't people marching in the streets shouting ENOUGH! Tar, feather, pitchforks? Cowardly complicit Dems, and a treasonous MSM. I wish one of the front running candidates would take up this idea.
And Vast-Left, yes you do need to expand on the Neville Chamberlain idea, I read that over at your old place and realized you were on to something important. I look forward to reading it, more fleshed out.
Our nation is lost to a
Our nation is lost to a coup of apathy when virtually all of Congress considers making our best effort to stop a lawless administration — and to repudiate its monarchic precedents — too gauche, too unimportant, or too much work.
my biggest fear is that the Dems are NOT afraid, NOT lazy, NOT gauche.
my biggest fear is that they agree, in principle, with what the Busheviks are doing, and only oppose some of the tactical ways of doing it.
Note-to-self to write on Chamberlain/Impeachment
Will do.