Suddenly, Impeachment Hearings Are Looking Like a Strong Possibility

[babylonsister]

Suddenly, Impeachment Hearings Are Looking Like a Strong Possibility
Submitted by dlindorff on Thu, 2007-11-08 17:29. Impeachment

By Dave Lindorff

You wouldn’t know it if you just watch TV news or read the corporate press, but this past Tuesday, something remarkable happened. Despite the pig-headed opposition of the Democratic Party’s top congressional leadership, a majority of the House, including three Republicans, voted to send Dennis Kucinich’s long sidelined Cheney impeachment bill (H Res 333) to the Judiciary Committee for hearings.

The vote was 218 to 194.

Now the behind-the-scenes partisan maneuvering that preceded that vote was arcane indeed, with Kucinich first exercising a member’s privilege motion to present his stymied impeachment bill to the full House, only to have Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrange for a colleague (Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-MD) offer a motion to table it. The Republicans, anxious to embarrass the Speaker, threw a wrench into that plan, though, by voting as a bloc to oppose tabling. Since Kucinich already has 22 co-sponsors for his bill, it was clear that the tabling gambit would fail. As soon as that became apparent, rank-and-file Democrats, unwilling to be seen by their constituents as defending Cheney, rushed to change their votes to opposing the tabling motion. In the end, tabling failed by 242 to 170 with 77 Democrats supporting a pleasantly surprised Kucinich.

In order to avoid a floor debate on the merits of impeaching the eminently impeachable Vice President Cheney, Pelosi and her allies then moved to send Kucinich’s bill directly to the Judiciary Committee. They were joined by three Republicans, including maverick Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-TX).

Now the hope of the Democratic leadership is that this means Kucinich’s impeachment bill will continue to be safely bottled up in a subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee. But it may not work out that way for them.

Whatever the explanation, this impeachment bill has been endorsed by a floor vote of the full House, with bipartisan support.

For the Judiciary Committee to sit on it now and not schedule a hearing would be a gross travesty of parliamentary procedure and custom.

more...

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/28531

[MrCoffee]

1. that's a quality spin job...

now is the time to increase pressure on the House Judiciary Committee to take up H. Res 333 and begin investigating the WH and the Office of the VP.

[shadowknows69]

3. It's time to ramp it up on squeaker Pelosi

So she'll allow it.

[LakeSamish706]

8. I'm hoping that Pelosi is History come 2008 along with Hoyer... they both suck... n/t

[MrCoffee]

10. don't forget Conyers and Jerrold Nadler

Nadler is the chairman of the Judiciary subcommittee with jurisdiction.

[LakeSamish706]

14. There really are allot of them that we need to see gone... They are...

no better than the Republicans in my view... Reid pisses me off big time as well, he seems to stand in the way of many things as well.

[H2O Man]

18. Nadler ....

It is very important to contact him.

[MrCoffee]

22. IMO...he's the one to focus on. Chairman of the subcommittee w/ jurisdiction

Rep. Jerrold Nadler
2334 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Tel. [phone]

[H2O Man]

23. I spoke with

his office today. I'll have another conversation tomorrow.

I think you are right .... we should have everyone calling/faxing/e-mailing him.

[Selatius]

2. Do you guys think the bill will die in the Judiciary Committee?

The cynic in me tells me yes, but not without a hefty fight within the committee and A LOT of backroom dealing.

[LakeSamish706]

4. If it does, Kucinich can just bring it back up again .... n/t

[madokie]

5. I don't think so

and I sure hope they don't kill it

[MrCoffee]

7. it was languishing quietly there since April...

but DK (in an utterly brilliant tactical move) shot a huge spotlight right on it. Wexler (who sits on Judiciary) and at least one other Rep. said that Judiciary should take up the resolution.

there's a chance, however slight, that it may move. a chance is more than it had before.

[PATRICK]

9. Unless the public awareness grows

it will most likely die. Or you could hope for a legislative quagmire feared, and thus created, by all parties that would give the people more time.

[MrCoffee]

11. that's why DK's quesiton of the privileges was BRILLIANT

there is now public awareness where there was none before.

[asdjrocky]

26. There is awareness here...

Problem is, no one on the "ountside" seems to know about it.

[flashl]

21. The public is aware. Activists are not waiting for the MSM ...

Status of Impeachment in States

[kelligesq]

13. Yes unless

we keep the pressure up on the judiciary committee members and
start e mailing the MSM, best bets prolly
Dobbs and Olbermann - KO already did quite a piece on it.

Maybe if many of us send Wexler's statement to the news shows
- they'll get him on and we can get some speed on this. 

So far Matthews ignored it...push
and maybe with enuf push we can demand Russert get Wexler and
Kucinich on on his Sunday show

nothing happens unless there's a squeaky wheel - guess we have
to start squeaking loudly 
very loudly

[RufusTFirefly]

16. Like the proverbial falling tree in the forest

The problem is that if they do succeed in smothering it in the judiciary committee, will most people even hear about it?
After all, if it's not on the news, it never happened.

[Fredda Weinberg]

19. I'll be happy w/hearings and a supportive vote

This is for the history books.

[Crabby Appleton]

25. Yes, DOA

[The Stranger]

6. The democratic "leadership" are complicit in Cheney's crimes by covering for him.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cha]

17. Defeatocratic! Go along to get

along..for WHAT?

[shadowknows69]

15. Someone should tell the repubs

that if they offered Cheney up it would be the best thing they could do for themselves. Both side hate this man. Is he that much of a thug that people are literally afraid for their lives? Wouldn't surprise me.

[Beam Me Up]

20. Me either.

The question is, if it isn't just Cheney himself, who wants to keep this man in power and why?

[spanone]

24. kick for positive vibrations

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