Sen. Cardin Declines to Oppose Impeachment, Lays Out Case for It, Says Senate Must Wait for House

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Sen. Cardin Declines to Oppose Impeachment, Lays Out Case for It, Says Senate Must Wait for House
Submitted by davidswanson on Mon, 2007-07-09 18:37. Congress | Impeachment

Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland sent this note to a constituent:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the impeachment of President George W. Bush.

I share your concern over the continuing pattern of misconduct by Bush administration officials. As a new member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, we have begun to exercise our oversight responsibility under the Constitution to investigate and hold the Bush administration accountable for its actions.

This administration has developed a disturbing pattern of ignoring the system of checks and balances and separation of powers built into our constitutional democracy. I have strongly criticized the Admini stration for: misuse of intelligence in the Iraq war; the abuse, torture, and degrading treatment of detainees; the unauthorized surveillance of Americans without a court order by our intelligence agencies; and the use of Presidential "signing statements" designed to disregard or reinterpret laws Congress has passed.

On March 27, 2007 Federal Bureau of Investigations Director Robert Mueller came before the Committee to answer questions concerning the Inspector General's report on National Security Letter s under the Patriot Act. I asked the Director whether there were appropriate safeguards in place. I am deeply concerned by the substantial possibility of mistakes that can harm innocent individuals' lives without proper safeguards. On March 22, 2007, I vot ed in favor of authorizing subpoenas to investigate the firings of several U.S. attorneys. On March 29, 2007, Kyle Sampson, Attorney General Gonzales' former Chief of Staff, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. I aggressively questioned Mr. Sa mpson regarding his role in the firings of the U.S. Attorneys. On April 19, 2007, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. I questioned him extensively regarding his involvement in the firings of the U.S. Attorneys . Unfortunately, we were left with more questions than answers, but we are committed to holding the Bush Administration accountable for its actions.

On July 2, 2007, President Bush commuted I. Lewis " Scooter " Libby 's prison sentence. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I was shocked and greatly disa ppointed that President Bush had decided to commute the sentence of former Chief of Staff to the Vice President. President Bush repeatedly said that he would punish those who leaked classified information or who did not fully cooperate with the Justice Department's investigation into the leaking of Valerie Plame's name as an undercover CIA agent. President Bush has given special treatment to one of the Vice President's top political and legal advisors. The President has set a dangerous double standard that sends the message that high-ranking political appointees in the Bush Administration are above the law and do not have to face the consequences of their illegal actions

There are two Constitutional clauses that govern the impeachment process. Article I, Section 2, Clause 5 gives the House of Representatives "the sole power of impeachment." Article 1, Section 3, Clause 6 states the "Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments. When sitting for that purpose, they shall be on oath or affirmation. and no person sha ll be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the members present." Therefore, the House would have to adopt Articles of Impeachment against President Bush, before the Senate would hold a trial. As a United States Senator I would weigh the evide nce at an impeachment trial very carefully.

You can be assured that as a member of the United States Senate and as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I will continue to hold the Bush administration accountable for its actions. Again, thank you for sharing your concerns about this important matter.

Thanks for posting this!

commence.

They won't be donig the actual impeaching

whether or not there are enough votes for the house to do this is another question. i think it`s a question nobody in the house really wants to ask..

It's a form letter; I thought pretty lame. I wrote specifically pointing out Kucinich's resolution, said I encouraged him to be supportive to the concept now and not shy if it came to a trial. The response is lawyer-talk. But it certainly does not reject the idea.



Thank you for contacting me regarding the actions of the Bush Administration and proposals to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney. I appreciate knowing your views on these matters.

Removal of the President, Vice President or other federal officials by impeachment is one of the most serious constitutional responsibilities delegated to the Congress. Impeachment procedures are used very infrequently. This legislative mechanism has been reserved for carefully investigating and trying allegations of serious misconduct on the part of the President, the Vice President and civil officers of the United States. The House of Representatives has the Constitutional authority to determine whether to impeach and to draft articles of impeachment. Should the House vote to impeach an official and specify the grounds upon which impeachment is based, the matter is then presented to the Senate for trial.

On January 10, 2007, Congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for the Impeachment of Vice President Cheney for his role in disseminating questionable intelligence leading up to the war in Iraq. The resolution has been referred to the House Armed Services Committee for consideration.

I am troubled by many of the actions of this Administration. The American people are also concerned, as demonstrated by the mid-term elections. The new leadership in Congress is working for a new direction for our nation while reinstituting the Congressional oversight of the Executive Branch that has been sadly missing in recent years.

I will keep your views in mind as the fact-finding continues. Thank you again for sharing your views. Please feel free to contact me again with any concerns you wish to share.

:grr: