Nation article by ex-fed prosecutor builds case for impeachment.

[happydreams]

It's the nation magazine article showing a Bush admin criminal conspiracy to defraud Congress and the American People written by an ex-federal prosecutor.
Fine read.



"So what do citizens do? First, they must insist that the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence complete Phase II of its investigation, which was to be an analysis of whether the Administration manipulated or misrepresented prewar intelligence. The focus of Phase II was to determine whether the Administration misrepresented the information it received about Iraq from intelligence agencies. Second, we need to convince Congress to demand that the Justice Department appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Administration's deceptions about the war, using the same mechanism that led to the appointment of Patrick Fitzgerald to investigate the outing of Valerie Plame. (As it happens, Congressman Jerrold Nadler and others have recently written to Acting Deputy Attorney General Robert McCallum Jr. pointing out that the Plame leak is just the "tip of the iceberg" and asking that Fitzgerald's authority be expanded to include an investigation into whether the White House conspired to mislead the country into war. )

Third, we can no longer shrink from the prospect of impeachment. Impeachment would require, as John Bonifaz, constitutional attorney, author of Warrior-King: The Case for Impeaching George Bush and co-founder of AfterDowningStreet.org, has explained, that the House pass a "resolution of inquiry or impeachment calling on the Judiciary Committee to launch an investigation into whether grounds exist for the House to exercise its constitutional power to impeach George W. Bush." If the committee found such grounds, it would draft articles of impeachment and submit them to the full House for a vote. If those articles passed, the President would be tried by the Senate. Resolutions of inquiry, such as already have been introduced by Representatives Barbara Lee and Dennis Kucinich demanding that the Administration produce key information about its decision-making, could also lead to impeachment. ....

It can hardly be disputed, finally, that the Bush Administration's intentional misrepresentations were designed to interfere with the lawful governmental function of Congress. They presented a complex deceit about Iraq to both the public and to Congress in order to manipulate Congress into authorizing foreign action. Legally, it doesn't matter whether anyone was deceived, although many were. The focus is on the perpetrators' state of mind, not that of those they intentionally set about to mislead.

The evidence shows, then, that from early 2002 to at least March 2003, the President and his aides conspired to defraud the United States by intentionally misrepresenting intelligence about Iraq to persuade Congress to authorize force, thereby interfering with Congress's lawful functions of overseeing foreign affairs and making appropriations, all of which violates Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. "



http://www.thenation.com/doc/20051114/delavega

[Kagemusha]

1. As politely as I can say this, impeachment ain't happening.

And frankly, I can come up with a long list of reasons why it shouldn't, given the sort of messes like Tom DeLay's judge-shopping in Texas.

Beat 'em at the ballot box, people.

[happydreams]

2. What ballot box? We got no ballot box.

That system is thoroughly corrupt.

[Kagemusha]

7. You think impeaching a sitting Republican President will help?

You think (I assume this is indeed what you think) that they're cheating to win? Impeach Bush and next time they may not have to.

But no, seriously. If you think that the Senate is better than the ballot box for changing the party in power in the Oval Office well hey, that's a pipe dream. And even if you could, it'd be a renunciation of the value of presidential elections and of the American public directly voting for one of two (or as the case may be, more than two) options for the position of President of the United States. Upset as a lot of people are about the war, I do not think you will find much sympathy for upsetting the whole applecart, just as people found impeaching Clinton, even if he committed adultery and tried to hide it using his position and influence, to not be worth the trouble, a political judgment which was reflected in the outcome of the Senate trial.

If 70% had been for impeaching Clinton at the time then maybe it'd be different. But 70% weren't for impeaching him. If you can't swing the people behind you, impeachment will be an enormous waste of effort; even if the effort succeeded, it'd be near worthless in the end because of the cost of being seen to be second guessing the voters at the ballot box.

[ClassWarrior]

14. Yes. Immensely. Visualize IMPEACHMENT.

53% of the American people are for IMPEACHMENT if Bush** lied us into the war. You do think Bush** lied us into the war, don't you?

The people are behind us. And Dem Victory 2006 will make it all possible. President Pelosi has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

NGU.

[digno dave]

33. The wording of that survey question was quite leading towards

an pro-Impeachment answer.

[bleever]

40. I can see it from here. Take back the House in 2006, and it will

be done.


NGU.

[happydreams]

18. Why do you frame it as an either--or situation?

Why does seeking impeachment hamper voting??

[FogerRox]

24. They are criminals and need to be treated as such

Senator Corzine told me on friday he thinks impeachment is a good idea, I agree with him.

[BlueStateBlue]

36. Yet another reason for me to vote for him on Tuesday! n/t

[NJCher]

26. utterly ridiculous argument

But no, seriously. If you think that the Senate is better than the ballot box for changing the party in power in the Oval Office well hey, that's a pipe dream.


Completely ignores the fact that we have a system and the system must be employed. Impeachment is for the wrongdoing of a president.

In case you're not aware of it, this thug's illegal actions have killed hundreds of thousands of people and we happen to be "responsible" because the world thinks "we" "elected" him. Not only does the thug need to be prosecuted for his illegal actions, he needs to be exposed for rigging the elections. This is the only way we will regain our reputation.

Simply voting the bastard out, assuming it could be done, doesn't accomplish near what an impeachment would.




Cher

[NJCher]

27. Hey foger

That's good news!

:toast:




Cher

[FogerRox]

30. NJ CHER WAZUP____

Just got back from the Corzine -OBAMA rally--- Corzine was shouting about cleaning up- NJ politics--- HE WAS SHOUTING

[NJCher]

34. I'm making sure all my students get out and vote!

Distributed voter registration forms earlier in the term!




Cher

[Joe Chi Minh]

39. Take no notice. It was a reflex post in utter panic.

Too infantile for words.

[Stevepol]

38. I think what was being referred to by the 'ballot box' was the DREs.

We don't have a democracy anymore when the vote is being counted by machines that are clearly rigged so the ballot box means nothing anymore.

It will be interesting to see if the upcoming CA referendum turns out to support the amendnments being submitted to the voters. Only one of them is even close to being popular. They're all the brainchildren of right wing zealots and are aimed at destroying the Dem Party in CA. Ahnuld may have come in partly as a result of getting rid of Kevin Shelley to prepare the way for this take-over by using corrupt voting machine counts.

But if these initiatives pass, when the polls show such overwhelming disapproval of them, that will be a sure indicator of fraud, if the result of the 02 Ga election and the 04 general election don't show that clearly enough already. We'll see.

[napi21]

3. As much as I want Shrub gone, I tend to agree with you.

I don't want the Country to have to go through another impeachment. Even if the Dems manage to retake Congress in 06, we have enough major problems right now that need attention, and an impeachment would stop everything else.

I'd rather see Shrub be a totally impotent Pres for the last 3+ years!

[Wordie]

4. Whether it should or it shouldn't, with the Republicans in control of both

houses of Congress, it is unlikely that it will. No matter how valid the reasons.

[ClassWarrior]

15. That's why we need Dem Victory 2006. Then we can Visualize IMPEACHMENT.

What are you doing to elect a Democratic Congress?

By the way, we only need the House to IMPEACH.

NGU.

[Wordie]

16. Oh Yeah!

But in any case, 2006 must come first. Then we can think about other things.

And I must say, 2006 keeps looking better and better! :)

[TNMOM]

5. the impeachment proceedings, may or may not

topple the chimperor -- but it would further weaken him and the thug party for next election, making them easier to beat.

Anything that exposes this adminstration's evils and thereby turns more people against him -- gets my vote.

Impeach Bush now!

[Kagemusha]

8. See there's the problem. You really think it'd weaken him?

Or it'd make a "he's an SOB but he's our SOB" rally around the Presidential seal effect?

I tend to think the latter.

[TNMOM]

12. dude, we haven't EVEN started yet... and his numbers

are tanking.

I do believe impeachment proceedings will weaken him. The scandals already have.

Hey -- look what happened to the Democrats after Clinton (and he was a GOOD president).

We have to act like an opposition party. Give them hell.

All hell, all the f'ing time.

[FogerRox]

28. I'm nor willing to wait--HAving the majority in the house means power

the power to investigate-- if that leads to proving criminal activity----- that can be proven in court---

[AntiFascist]

17. I completely agree, and besides it would be the right thing to do nt

[longship]

10. Impeachment proceedings *will* begin.

It might not be on a timetable with which many here would be happy, but it's downright inevitable. This administration is doomed.

In spite of the number of unmovable hard-liners still in Congress, ChimpCo has gone to the bank too many times. The people are no longer buying his line. Lincoln was right, you cannot fool all the people all the time. Chimp's fooling days have ended. They may get a few more initiatives through Congress by political skullduggery but their days are numbered.

In spite of all of last summer's season of Chimp discontent, there is amazingly more to come. Fitz isn't finished. The torture issue is yet to hit big. Make no bones about it, it's going to be huge even without the pictures. There are so many skeletons in the WH closets it could keep the justice system going for some time. We've only scratched the surface. By the time this is all said and done, people will be saying that impeachment may be too good for them.

What I worry more about than nothing happening to bring ChimpCo down, is if things go to Hell in a handbasket through unforseen events. People talk about bird flu, another terrorist attack, or hurricanes. We already know that these would be bad. I'm more worried about some unforseen international crisis, maybe not even of our own doing. Or, it could be any event, natural or otherwise, of some global impact. Consider a situation which would require somebody to make critical, informed decisions at a critical time. Without anybody governing such a crisis could get out of hand quickly. We may be wishing we had the flu pandemic instead.

In spite of the opinion of some that nothing is going to happen to remove ChimpCo, we have to keep pushing our Congress critters to make it happen. We can no longer afford to keep these imcompetent fools in power. They must go, and the sooner the better. We have to keep beating the Impeachment Now drum.

[heidler1]

11. I agree, however once the Democrats have a majority in the House,

hopefully in 2006, it would be possible to get a majority vote to impeach. Of course it would die in the Senate, but the truth would come out and it would put the Republican's feet to the fire so as to keep them from going overboard again for a while anyway.

[FogerRox]

29. IMHO we have 48 or 49 votes in the Senate--- RIGHT NOW

[Southsideirish]

20. Thanks a lot for the nay saying but I think we are on the side of the

angels on this one.

[upi402]

6. resolution of inquiry -yes, where is it?

Any DINOs in the house?
The Dems should be chaining themselves to the doors of congess.

WWND?

[MnFats]

9. Some may have forgotten: He's a f*****g criminal.

if there were any justice in the world, Bush would be removed from office, tried and sentenced to prison. You all know there have been numerous criminal acts by this president. He commits them with impunity because Congress is populated largely by pimps and cowards.

[A Simple Game]

13. You are so right.

Regardless of any harm an impeachment would do to the country, and I don't think it would harm us one bit, a criminal needs to be punished.

If for no other reason that to give a warning to the next would be criminal this bunch of criminals need to be punished. Sooner the better.

[upi402]

19. Impeachment would reassure earth that we are not zealots

and other countries would see that we can recognize shit in our ears and find a Q-Tip dammit.

[A Simple Game]

21. You have a way with words. n/t

[choie]

22. so wait a minute....

this president, along with his bastardly bunch of neocon christo-fascists, commits war crimes, and we shouldn't initiate impeachment proceedings??? If lying to get us into a war isn't the time for impeachment, then when the hell is it called for? ?? We have blood on our hands because of this president - and he should be made to answer for these crimes in front of all of us. And we must show the world that these crimes will not be tolerated. If we don't, justice will not be served. Waiting until the 2008 election just won't cut it. If the dems can take back the House next year, we will have a chance to impeach him. We must have justice..

[A Simple Game]

23. I agree with most of what you say.

But I'm not sure the this bunch of Democrats will try for impeachment even if they do take back the House next year.

Just wondering, did you mean to reply to my post?

[FogerRox]

32. upi--- UR so right

[il_lilac]

25. It can only give us some credibility back

These criminals must be impeached or we are as guily as they are. I was ecstatic that my senators finally used the word impeachment in a response to one of my many calls to impeach. We must push this!

[lyonn]

37. My thought also

That is the only way to regain respect and dignity around the world, to legally throw this bunch out and admit our government made a mistake by lying to everyone. Damn, that still makes us look pretty gullible. The rest of world was protesting this war before it started, they didn't think we were doing the right thing way back then.

[FogerRox]

31. Fucking criminal--- ------ ----- YES

[KoKo]

35. "Deceit & Misrepresentation?" Let's call it LYING TO CONGRESS!

I know that legaleze often couches phrases...but FGS! This whole Administration Conspired to LIE to Congress.

Using legalize takes away from the full weight of what was done. :shrug: