Bush's Last, Best Hope: the Democrats

[RBHam]

A Popular Groundswell for Impeachment
By DAVE LINDORFF

The prevailing "wisdom" of our corporate media is that impeachment of President Bush is a left-wing fantasy. As a result, there is virtually no coverage in the media of either the majority sentiment for removing Bush from office or even of the key issues that make this president a poster child for impeachment.

Take the several polls by Zogby International on the impeachment issue. Last June, Zogby polled Americans across the country and found that some 42 percent favored impeaching the president if it were found that he had lied about the threat posed by Iraq in order to justify an invasion. That is a higher percentage of people in favor of impeachment than there ever was for the impeachment of former president Bill Clinton during his entire impeachment ordeal. Yet the poll was not mentioned by any major media news organization.

In November, Zogby repeated the poll. This time, 53 percent of respondents from all over the nation said they thought the president should be impeached and removed from office if he lied about the war. That poll to was totally blacked out.

A third poll early this year found 52 percent of Americans saying Bush should be removed from office if he broke the law and had the National Security Agency spy on American citizens without court warrants. Well, of course he did do that-the president has admitted he did so and says he will continue to do it--so the latest poll was really saying that 52 percent of Americans think he should be sent packing.

That poll too was largely ignored by the major corporate media.

more...
http://counterpunch.org/lindorff03072006.html

[Dr Fate]

1. Who is stopping House hold name Democrats from bringing up impeachment?

Why does the author of this article expect Republican "journalists" to lay out a case for impeachment?

Someone please tell me why this is the job of TV talking heads as opposed to Democrats with media access.

[Kolesar]

2. Lindorff's Lugubrious Malaise

"it's the Democrats fault!" "the poll numbers are there, its the DNC behind the scenes snuffing the impeachment"

So which Republican-controlled house of Congress does Lindorff think the bill should be introduced in???

[Dr Fate]

7. First, DEMS need to introduce the case to the public, via TV shows...

...thus confronting Republicans and forcing them to defend why Bush should NOT be impeached.

"We are not in power" is not an excuse for not talking about Bush's various impeachable offenses and inserting talk of it into the echo chamber.

If you recall Clinton's impeachment trial, Republicans were not too frightened to go ON TV saying "the I word" looooong before any bills were introduced to congress.

I would love to see Democrats with media access going on TV and asking: "Using the Clinton standard, I'd love the Republican on this show to explain why what Bush did is NOT impeachable...I thought lying was impeachable- is it not? etc, etc"

[European Socialist]

12. If you don't watch C-Span--you'd never know there was an opposing...

party. The message isn't getting out.

[Dr Fate]

13. well, swing voters dont watch C-SPAN anyway.

In my mind, what they say on those TV shows gets more play than anything they say on CSPAN.

[European Socialist]

14. agreed.

[grytpype]

11. And he's misrepresenting the Zogby poll

the question was "should Congress CONSIDER impeachment" not should he be impeached, big difference

[Stand and Fight]

3. Recommended! n/t

[Why Syzygy]

4. Are there no attorneys in the House?

Set up the PAPERS! Get it rolling! But while they are at it, they better go ahead and include Cheney. And whoever else is up the line.

[davidwparker]

8. Rep. Conyers is working on that. Friday's C-SPAN2 had a town hall

hosted Harpers Magazine and moderated by AAR's Sam Seder dealing with the case for impeachment. You can watch it at C-Span's website. It was good.

[Avalux]

5. Uh - we don't control the House or Senate

Even with poll numbers in impeachment's favor - won't work until we get back Congress. Did this guy even think of that?

[Dr Fate]

9. How is that an excuse for not talking about it or bringing it up?

If you recall the Clinton era, Republicans were not too frightened to go ON TV and use the "I word" long before any bills were introduced. It has to be inserted into the echo chamber and be in the news first.

One of the GOP tactics was to go on TV and box in DEM guests and get them to try to explain why he should NOT be impeached, thus echoing the charges against Clinton.

Why cant our DEMS with media access do this too, whether we control Congress or not?

Considering that lying is officially an impeachable offense,I'd love to hear DEMS grill Republicans for the excuses they have for not impeaching Bush.

"We are not in power" is not an excuse for failing to publicly make the case against Bush's high crimes & misdemeanors.

[Avalux]

10. It's not and your'e right.

I'm looking for an excuse I guess; there really is no reason why they can't be speaking out about it.

[leftofthedial]

6. the senate democrats have never let king george down

why would they start now?

[RBHam]

15. thursday kick.

shit is meant to be disturbed.