If the House sends charges up to the Senate we could see a long line of Republicans marching to the White House to put pressure (lots of pressure) on Bush and Cheney to resign to spare the Senate from being forced to choose between
- Voting to defend torture, abuse of signing statements to usurp legislative power, and the fascist fantasy of "unitary" authoritarian power. (Unitary Executive Hillary anyone??)
or
- Voting to hand the keys to Pelosi.
If the House impeached Monday, we could see Bush and Cheney resign and hand the WH keys to a successor confirmed in emergency session by Friday. (President Danforth anyone?)
Of course, the White House outlaws could refuse. There may be enough fascist minions in the Senate to save their asses, but contrary to beltway "conventional wisdom" (almost always the opposite of reality), resignation or removal is not just possible, it may be probable.
Consider:
- Republican Senators voted 90-9 to pass McCain's anti-torture amendment. Bush attempted to nullify that law by scribbling a statement exempting himself.
Even if more than 18 of the 90 are willing to defend the blatantly unconstitutional notion that the Office of the President has absolute power that renders Members of the Senate powerless, they are not going to be happy about being forced to do it. Even those who buy the fascist "unitary" fantasy aren't gonna want to give up their power (these guys have pretty big egos).
- Twenty-one Republican Senators are facing the voters in 2008. Even if more than 18 of them are willing to defend torture, most of them are already scrambling over each other to "distance" themselves from the Pariah in Chief and his minion. They will not be happy campers about being forced to "stand with" them. They'll be doing everything in their power to escape that fate.
It may just be Bush's signature on the signing statements and Executive Orders, but both he and Cheney declare themselves an intolerable threat every time they publicly invoke "unitary" authoritarian power. You can't impeach one without the other.
We have plenty of proof that they are actually committing War Crimes at Gitmo and in their secret prisons overseas, but even if we didn't have proof, the signing statements and claims to absolute power prove willful intent to nullify the principle of consent, which is the SOLE moral principle on which our Constitution, and therefore the nation, is founded.
The grounds for impeachment are crucial. Their claim to absolute power is the intolerable violation. They are openly daring Congress to challenge that claim as they violate Title 18, Sec 2441 (War Crimes) and FISA. The case is incredibly simple. Bush and Cheney condemn themselves with their own words and orders. The basics are already well-known to the public. There is no legitimate defense. By going after the claim at the center of their war on the Constitution, the Congressional leadership become champions of the People's Government and the Constitution (pretty inspiring stuff).
The outcome doesn't actually matter.
Impeachment even without removal is a victory. It is a declaration that reminds Americans that they are the sovereign power in the USA. That declaration transforms the dynamics and puts us back us back on the path to creating a "more perfect union." Even if we "lose" we live on to fight another day. If the 110th Congress fails to impeach and remove, 2/3rds of the 111th could set the record straight by impeaching and voting them guilty "in absentia."