Kucinich: Republicans 'didn't call my bluff' on Cheney Impeachment [w video]

Source: Raw Story

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), whose impeachment resolution against Vice President Dick Cheney was kept temporarily afloat on Tuesday -- largely with the help of House Republicans -- says the measure was no bluff.

During an appearance on CBS's Early Show, host Harry Smith told Kucinich that Republicans had "basically called your bluff" in wanting to debate the impeachment of Cheney on the House floor.

"They didn't call my bluff," Kucinich shot back. "I was fully prepared for debate -- with a three-inch thick binder annotating the violations of law and the violations of the Constitution committed by the vice president which would justify an impeachment."

Smith responded that Kucinich had "certainly called the bluff of the Democratic leadership," adding that the congressman did not have the support of Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), who had introduced a motion to kill debate on the subject, nor Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

...Kucinich said his impeachment resolution had little to do with the lack of support he was receiving from fellow Democrats.

"Harry, you have to remember there are millions of Americans who are part of a national movement to defend the constitution," said Kucinich. "And they understand that the vice president made a false claim for war and is trying to beat the drums for a war against Iran and they're calling for action to be done."

...

Read more: http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Kucinich_Republicans_didnt_call_my_bluff_1107.html

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What Kucinich have they been paying attention to, I wonder.

Love that guy.

that? Of course, he's prepared!

And I also doubt that anyone thought the repuke votes were to call out that debate.

The republicans were going after the ENTIRE democratic party, not just one man. And a "NO" vote (meaning no tabling) might look good in the upcoming elections when many might have a tight fight for re-election: They (the repukes) can show themselves distancing from the Bush regime.

I assure you, there were some people thinking he started that whole thing unprepared to debate.

Shocking, huh?


FWIW I saw their votes as attempts to distance themselves from the toxic misadministration as well.

and not just DK. Repukes would have to be stupid to think DK would pull that manuever and not prepare to back up his cause.

I just think the title of the article is very misleading.

What bluff was that, Harry? One you pulled out of your ass to make a "point"? :crazy:

I like to read instead of watch.

"Let me tell you something," concluded Kucinich. "In Washington, the truth is an unidentified flying object. And it's time that someone stood for the truth. The American people demand nothing less."

I think I disagree with that part of his statement.

Zinger because that's the way everyone should feel and Dennis is appealing to their higher nature!

and the other half would be running for the hills, not the presidency!

:shrug:

truth is antimatter to most politicians.

snidely says "Congressman Kucinich...who claims to have seen a UFO...blah..blah." They are using that UFO to taint him...and his come back of 'truth in Washington is a UFO'...was :rofl:

The UFO business is just the latest tool used by the Republican MSM to discredit him.

It actually surprised me when they trotted that one out. They wouldn't have any need to if Dennis wasn't nipping at someone's heels.

back with whatever to the US corporatemediawhores cause they're too damn obvious. Our smartest Dems are doing that now.

in office..and Dean another one not in office..oh, is that what you mean..just in office?

ZINGER!

The Democrats that ran from his privileged resolution are Identified and wish they were not! I have to send another $33.30 to Dennis he is the real deal! Just don't fly in no small planes DK!


Colbert "Did you shrink that constitution down your self?" Kucinich " No, No, No George Bush already did that!"
Got Fascism Yet?

Fascism Accomplished!

But you can look here for them over here http://www.philosophersguild.com
They sale all those things and more

Got Fascism Yet?

Fascism Accomplished!

Karl Rove lives.

when the saw that Dennis didn't have the support of the Dems and saw that Kucinich wasn't going to win the vote, they started to change their votes ...

Another ass putting words in the mouths of those he interviews.

not even be able to bear watching!

same old, same old. same old story.

the repukes come on with the same old crap, "we'll make them look like fools" rap, and the scaredy cat dems run for cover.

when they saw the Dems moving to table Dennis' impeachment motion, after first breathing a sigh of relief, the pukes figured, the dems got nothing, lets make them show their hand and look even worse, so they bluffed by switching votes and saying, in effect, "you want to play impeachement, then put your cards on the table"

Dennis of course wanted and intended to have an up or down vote, no doubt he was prepared to offer his evidence for impeachment. but the dem leadership, for whatever reasons they've been scared to impeach in the past (I have my own theory and its not the 'scared of how'd it be spun in the MSM' bullshit. they'd spin it the pukes' way no matter what. they don't need facts remember, they just make shit up) were still afraid and scrambled to avoid debate and a vote. thus folding to the repukes bluff. and looking even more like scared fools.

my hunch is, and I think if we'd seen a vote happen, regardless of the effectiveness of debate on either side, the vote would have split down party lines in the end. I really, really don't think any dem would go on record as supporting Cheney with the coming election looming. I think if the dem leadership, had the balls to call the repukes bluff, we'd have impeachment going to the senate right now.(it only takes simple majority to impeach and 2/3 to convict) It may fail there of course, we got nowhere near the votes in that chamber, but the point is to bring the evidence to light in a trial and to do the right thing in the eyes of the world and for the majority of people who support impeachment.

does not want to try it not because they dont think he is guilty but because the republicans enmasse for the most part would either filibuster it or vote no and either way at the end of it the democrats end up with egg on their face and look like failures.
I think it would have made more sense to wait until after the elections and then prosecute Bush and Cheney under current law as civilians, considering the sheer number of laws they have bent and or violated while the republicans watched their backs and even cheered them on they should end up with alot of jail time.
Course thats assuming the next president does not issue them pardons though Bush could pardon Cheney himself as his last act which I am betting is what he will do, look at how he protected Libby after all.

in the House.

there WILL be a next President?

And the leadership folded anyway. They walked away from a darn good hand.

don't look for truth and justice to be done when it comes to their own party members they've voted for and with come hell or high water. They are up to something imho. Any ideas on what that something might be?

any "bluff calling", they are the ones who called Nancy's bluff. Think about it. How many times have they called the dems (other than those like Dennis) bluff. How many times have they outmaneuvered them. They have convinced Nancy that impeachment would be a bad idea for the dems by making them look too radical to the people of this country.

Dennis is not afraid.

that Dick Cheney has done nothing wrong, or at least nothing worse than the Democratic members of Congress who voted to rubberstamp the war. The Republicans know very well that this war is an albatross around their necks, they'd love to slip it around the Democrats' necks as well. Any discussion of impeachment hearings would bring out a "You were for this, too!" from the Rethugs, and the DLC members know it.

One thing's for sure, Dennis is not just going to get UFO questions at the next debate. It's about time somebody who is against the war stood up and was recognized. Hillary's not just vulnerable on the issue of whether or not undocumented workers get drivers licenses, she needs to be held to account on her responsibility for the war, as well. Too bad Senators Obama and Edwards have not been able to take her to task on that.

I believe the Dem leadership believes that ultimately the impeachmnet would fail, and that therefore all the effort and time and lack of progress on other things would not be worth it. You may disagree, but that is a reasonable viewpoint, and this IS politics after all.

We expect our leaders to sacrifice their positions in the name of a principle, after which they can no longer fight for ANY principle through the government. Then we get frustrated and disillusioned because our government leaders aren't effective.

Quixotic. Designed to fail.
Football teams don't go for 4th and 2 every time, or better yet in this case 4th and 15. They punt and try to rally next time, because the chances of failure are great and the consequences too costly.

I mean, I'm all for pushing the agenda, and I don't understand all of what they do up there either, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see what is going on with this one. There is no evidence that impeachment will succeed. There is substantial evidence that impeachment will fail. A failed impeachment process has significant negative consequences. Those negative consequences could easily outweigh any "principled action" to make people feel good.

Until you and I convince enough voters in red districts to pressure their Rep to vote for impeachment, it is WE who have failed. How much are we willing to sacrifice until we succeed?

I do like the football analogy! Well, you've definitely given me something to think about. As soon as I sober up from the great ale I've been sampling, I will join you on that path to political enlightenment! :D

They NEVER go for it on 4th and 2, or 4th and 1, or even 4th and inches.

Hell...they punt half the time on 3rd and a foot.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=j4BKE5-Ioy4

Don't discount the possibility.

:)

It is the destructive polarization that I disagree with. If we can get enough support to convince those guys to go for it, that's great. But just because they don't doesn't necessarily make them spineless, traitors, cowards, weak, and failures.

We all want to blame someone for the difficulties we face, but it's hard to deny that the country is divided. We have a lot of work to do before that changes, and I really want to resist making enemies of those who see that.

trying and they had nothing to go on, but long shots. We do have more to go on than long shots, but Democrats lack the perseverance to do it even with evidence and some do seem to be bought off or threatened and I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt in not being dinos. The polarizing came with too many Democrats allowing the republicans to walk all over them and our country. If they believe, vote, and protect the republicans then they should be republicans and not Democrats. They'd certainly have the lieing and deceiving part down pat and doing it better than many repubicans seem to be able to do.
The real source of the problem is not the Democrats though, as it is the republicans committing the bulk of all of this crap that some Democrats seem to want to ride the tide with for whatever reason. The republicans are to blame, period, no question. That is the problem and the answer lies in rooting out the problem all of the way. We must be the antbiotic and it must go the entire course or the infection will come back and come back stronger and more resilient than before with immunity to the first cure.
LEAVE NO CRIMINAL BEHIND.

Bill Clinton's popularity remained strong (strong enough to make Hillary's run possible). Many here would say that Al Gore won.

"Harry, you have to remember there are millions of Americans who are part of a national movement to defend the constitution," said Kucinich. "And they understand that the vice president made a false claim for war and is trying to beat the drums for a war against Iran and they're calling for action to be done."


Eat your own words, nancy, at your own table!

they are NOT representing the American people

What in the hell did we ever do to deserve this Congress?!

Luv your name, madamesilverspurs!

yesterday and was chuckling at him. Here's a guy who is willing to stand up for the Constitution and doing absolutely the right thing and he's made fun of - on a nominally left-leaning show. It's shameful.

It came off to me sounding as though he wasn't taking Dennis seriously.

got the evidence stored. Either that, or have a decoy handy.

He didn't amass a three-inch thick binder just to amuse himself. If he's as smart as I think he is, he'll force the Dems to take a position on this, not only because it's right, but so the voters will know who stands for impeachment and with the Constitution.

I get so tired of Dems being always on the defensive. They seem to cage each position and each action based on what the repukes will do and whether it will make them (the Dems) look bad. Too much time is spent reacting instead of acting.

Hey, you cowards! We elected you to uphold the Constitution regardless of how, um, uncomfortable it is. Stand up and fight for what this country is all about. Join Dennis and bring Darth and the whole * evil empire to account.

And they are lying in waiting....If a Dem wins the WH and this Bush corporate economy for the rich inevitably comes crashing down from debt, inflation and lack of tax revenue, like we've never seen in our lifetime (unless your over 80 years old) guess who will be blamed....the next president, a democrat, just the way Jimmy Carter was blamed for the world recession he inherited and it put Reagan in the WH and 12 yrs of repug presidential rule....as the repug plan to run Bush crime family member Jeb in 2012....If you don't believe republicans are always steps ahead of the Dems, then you haven't been paying attention or your ego just can't accept it.

calculating. I don't know of any republicans that are good people that don't have an alterior motive to go along with anything good they seem to be for.

:scared:

...KNOCK ON WOOD!!!

He's far from stupid, our Dennis.

;)

for years.

You don't talk truth to power in DC without getting on lots of baddies' shit lists.

And now with him gettin more attention, I'm sure he counts on the danger increasing.

Gotta love that kind of integrity.

Watch DK's Presidential numbers pick up. :bounce:

I know it is really only of tangential importance to what is being discussed, but DK's effortless brushing aside of Smith's "gotcha" line was a joy to behold.

Jam it right. up. their. Backside.

and I highly doubt that was the cause of their strange voting.

any support.

IMO

Kooch is on fire. Love that Dennis.

"adding that the congressman did not have the support of Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), who had introduced a motion to kill debate on the subject, nor Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)."

WTF why would he do that? He deserves to be voted out and imprisoned as an accessory to the crimes of the Bush admin, as does every one else that is cimplicit in the rape of our country, our consitiution, and our freedoms.

hoyer and pelosi are doing. It is obvious to us and we'll make them pay for it eventually as they know their political careers are over when their terms end.

their are millions of people who demand the Constitution be protected - amen Dennis!

ol' Harry doesn't like getting pxwnd! lol... Harry is a corporate shill I'm thinking? right?? lol

EXCELLENT JOB by Dennis is under 2 minutes!

He's a great man...

Was disappointed that Jon Stewart hit on the "UFO" bit ---

and offered no support that I saw re the impeachment . . . ?????

How about Olbermann -- did he do anything on Kucinich and impeachment of Cheney --- ????

MEANWHILE . . . LOVED Kucinich's line . . .


"The Truth in Washington, DC is an unidentified flying object ---" --- !!!!!


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His questions were all framed to belittle the congressman and the democratic party. If he gave a damn about justice or the constitution he would have been sympathetic to Kucinich's single handed act of courage.