Should Bush and Cheney be impeached?

[carnie_sf]

[Independent_Liberal]

1. Yes they should. 1, 2, 3 cue the naysayers.

"It will never happen."

"They'll get away with it."

"Boohoo."

"Let's sit back and be miserable."

There, I said it for you. So take your hands off the keyboard.

[Clovis Sangrail]

2. "should" be impeached and a reasonable expectation are very different

I guess I'm a naysayer because I recognize that there's no way they'll be impeached in the time left.

[nichomachus]

4. Actually, they can be impeached after leaving office

I think it's vitally important to let the country and the world know that what these criminals did won't be tolerated and that they will be held accountable.

[Clovis Sangrail]

10. if they're no longer in office I don't think it's called 'impeachment'

it's just being tried for a crime.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment#United_States

[nichomachus]

19. OK -- works for me. See you at The Hague? Save me a seat.

However, the matter of post-office impeachment is still open. It has happened once before. And it would raise interesting legal arguments.

http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/01/15/bush-legacy-post-term-impeachment/

Still, it would be good theater and the process would accomplish the same thing.

[Clovis Sangrail]

30. interesting read - thanks

I agree with the article that it's paramount to hold officials accountable not only for our sake but the sake of future generations, but I don't know that I agree with impeachment after leaving office.
It's a walk through a legal minefield that doesn't have to be taken.
(not only was Belknap an anomaly - it was unsuccessful)

A conviction in criminal court would have as much, if not more, of an effect on the actions of future politicians.
I think it would do the citizenry (and the politicians) good to see that even an ex president has to answer to the same court system as the rest of us.

[Thothmes]

31. Have to agree with th sentiment

If Lyndon Johnson had spent his last years in a European prison for his hand in the Vietnam war, maybe the current administration would have thought twice before invading Iraq.

[Independent_Liberal]

5. This post was a matter of "should."

Not whether or not we can actually make it a reality. But the truth is an impeachment of both could be completed in a day. I was told 15 minutes is how long it would take for the House to hold a vote on it and that any argument to the contrary is just silly defeatist babble. That's what a group from the National Impeachment Resources Network said in an email I got recently.

[Clovis Sangrail]

12. I think that's a pretty unrealistic timeframe

I would expect the deliberations leading to the hearings and the hearings themselves to take at least as long as they did for Clinton.
IOW: much longer than 15 minutes or even 1 day

[Orsino]

13. "It will never happen."

But yes, it should. Should have. Long ago.

Won't. x(

[dbonds]

3. Not just yes, but HELL YES!

[dkofos]

6. If we can't impeach them can we render them to the Hague??

After they are out of office of course.

[Motown_Johnny]

11. that makes the most sense to me also.. kinda late to start impeachment procedures

[dkofos]

14. Impeachment would keep him from pardoning the rest of the criminals.

Like rove

[emanymton]

22. Yes. Rendering To The Hague Is Always An Option.

.

Even if shrub issues pardons to himself and his many cronies, he could be sent to the Hague for trial. The leaders from Yugoslavia learned this the hard way.

.

[Sebastian Doyle]

7. Absolutely

Obviously, at this point, it's not about removing them from office. But there must be an official record that THESE FUCKING BASTARDS BROKE THE GODDAMN LAW, REPEATEDLY. And impeachment proceedings would restrict Chimpy's ability to do some really stupid things that President Obama (and the rest of us) would be stuck with.

Remember that Chimp's entire pResidency (at least to him) has been all about trying to do better than his daddy. Daddy invaded Iraq, Chimpy had to destroy it. Daddy left the economy wounded, Chimpy has to leave it mortally wounded.

Poppy also left NAFTA and the Somalia clusterfuck as "going away presents" to the Clinton administration. Arguably the Koresh situation in Waco as well, since the FBI case against that child molesting psycho had obviously been going for months before the actual raid on the cult's compound.

So what's Chimp gonna do to top that? Hopefully not much. We should do all we can to make sure that's the case.

[omega minimo]

8. yes, so all the idiots who think they shouldn't understand why they should

[az chela]

9. They also should be charged as WAR CRIMINALS

and spend the rest of their life in ABU Graib

[Heathen57]

15. IMO, here is what should happen.

I voted for impeachment, but that is just the first step. Right now that would do very little except to prove that the Congress was doing their job and would publicly reveal all the crimes they committed.

The next step is to try them in criminal court for Treason among other things. This would show the world that we, as a nation, have the integrity to punish those who looked down on the laws of this country. Our standing would improve in the world since the hypocrisy of the Bush administration would be dealt with.

Finally, we should turn the whole bunch over to the world court in the Hague. Their conviction and subsequent punishment would help show that it wasn't the US as a whole who did these crimes, but rather a small group that were in power at the time.

If this nation was founded on the concept of laws and that no person is above those laws, we must do what is right and try these bastards. Impeachment would be just the first step.

[northernlights]

16. impeachment is barely a slap on the wrist

and Congress has more important things to do at this time, such as working as quickly as possible to undo as much damage as possible in as little time as possible.

Hand the facts over to a team of lawyers and put them in prison.
I want to see them behind bars dressed in orange. Nothing less will do.

[Solly Mack]

17. Jailed for the remainder of their lives

and not just them either

[20score]

18. Then jailed.

[emanymton]

20. Yes!! The Only Hope For Justice.

.

And before they issue pardons to themselves and their cronies.

Article II Section 2 reads:

"...he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment. ..."

This could be read that while shrub and Co are under impeachment, they cannot issue pardons!!

.

[Hippo_Tron]

21. Of course, but it won't happen until Americans understand that abuses of power are crimes

[abbiehoff]

23. Other -- All of the above

[understandinglife]

24. Restoring the rule of law in America requires that they be indicted and prosecuted.

High crimes - intentional lying to the American people to launch a war of aggression on Iraq.

High crimes - the torture of countless numbers of prisoners.

High crimes - the countless violations of FISA.

Just for starters.

Period.

[Raster]

25. YES! Successful impeachment would most likely remove Secret Service protection long after they have

left office. Let cheney* and bush* spend their ill-gotten gains ensuring their own safety and security, instead of the American taxpayer picking up the tab. In addition, it would show the world that the U.S. is indeed guided by the rule of law and NO ONE is above the law.

And finally, impeachment would probably also remove their diplomatic passport and credentialing status. This would allow other countries to prosecute for war crimes at will. bush* and cheney* should spend the rest of their un-natural lives in prison, or at least having to watch their backs until they die. The misery and death brought about by these two criminals cries out for justice.

[zorahopkins]

26. They Should Also Be Tried As Criminal!

Impeachment and removal from office should be just the first step.

They should both be tried as criminals, and, when found guilty, be thrown into jail for a very, very long time.

They have committed crimes against the American people.

They should then be sent to The Hague to face criminal charges brought by the International Community.

They have committed crimes against humanity, and they MUST be held accountable.

[Frosty1]

27. Impeached and Prosecuted

:thumbsup:

[Individualist]

28. Impeach, indict, imprison!

[bvar22]

29. Yes, Yes, YES....Tomorrow!

The chief reason is that IMPEACHMENT will hamstring the Bush Administration and possibly derail some of the last minute "gifts" the Bush gang is planning to hand to Obama.

Impeachment could also interfere with blanket pardons.

No Executive Privilege during impeachment, so they will be forced to testify.

IMPEACH NOW!

[Edweird]

32. Um. ... Duh? Impeach. Prosecute. Tar and feather.

[carnie_sf]

36. Great minds think alike

:toast:

[MrSlayer]

33. They should have been impeached in 2002.

Actually they should have never been allowed to take office but that's another question.

[swishyfeet]

34. No. Time to move on. Bush is gone in 2 months.

Last year I would have said ABSOLUTELY, but it's too late. Impeachment would only further the divisions in our country and Obama would be blamed for it.

Bush is a failure. 75% of Americans know it and impeachment isn't going to convince ONE more person and jailing a former president now isn't going to magically repair the damage that's been done.

I'm ready to begin forgetting about the last 8 years.

[Independent_Liberal]

41. Move On = Come Back and Do It Again In the Future Anytime

I've heard "move on" repeated over and over. Well, no. We AREN'T moving on! There won't be a future if you don't rectify the past.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

35. Yes, They Should. No, They Won't Be. No, We Shouldn't Try.

[Independent_Liberal]

40. Wrong, we should try.

If we don't at least try, we'll look complicit in the crimes.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

42. No We Shouldn't And No We Wouldn't.

The truth is, if we did, we'd look like a bunch of morons.

[Independent_Liberal]

43. I've heard that hundreds of times.

We'd look like morons for wanting to put a stop to torture, war crimes and crimes against humanity?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

44. You Wouldn't Be Putting A Stop To It.

Bit silly of you to think you would be.

It would be the most grandiose exercise of failure ever. Yes, people would view it as such.

Waste. Of. Time.

[Independent_Liberal]

45. I still say you're wrong.

It. Would. Not. Be. A. Waste. Of. Time.

It would be showing the rest of the world that we spoke out against what was going on and didn't approve of what was being done in our names. It would also help us see once and for all who's in favor of a totalitarian state and who's in favor of a democracy.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

47. You Say Lots Of Things That Aren't True. No Biggie.

[Independent_Liberal]

48. What I say isn't true? Could you elaborate?

[TahitiNut]

37. Impeach. Remove. Indict. Convict. Imprison. (Rinse Repeat.)

:grr:

[madokie]

38. Damn strait they should

sent to The Hague too

[Lorien]

39. We are either a country that believes that the same laws apply to all or

we are not...and if not, what kind of country does that make us?

[DemoTex]

46. Vote #101 for "Impeach the Bastards" here!

Disgrace .. cashier .. convict.

[tomp]

49. $100 says obama's not going to go after them. nt

[Dangerman]

50. Hell yeah!

:mad: