I think this would be a good frame.
Thanks to this post by jpgray.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1809146The reason bush et al continue their horrifically irresponsible, dangerous and downright sadistic behavior is we have EMBOLDEN them by not impeaching them.
We have EMBOLDEN them so much that they think they can abuse and ignore the rule of law and you know what? They can and they are. And who’s fault is it? Our elected officials
So now I am going to the world EMBOLDEN just as I have heard too many thousands of times from the very ones that we have EMBOLDEN when referring to their actions.
Forget about votes and political fallout we are emboldening our enemies by not throwing them out office or making them responsible for their actions in any way.
1. Failed impeachment.
Both Bush and Cheney deserve to be impeached and imprisoned. But if we lack the votes to win conviction (we may not even have the votes to impeach), we get a disaster. First, all ongoing investigations will suffer as the stakes become clear and beatable GOP candidates get a new lease on life. Why? When the most visible symbol of the GOP comes under the most aggressive Constitutional attack, it will increase their party's solidarity. Even those conservatives who fear connection with Bush and give us reluctant cooperation will drag their heels, and gung-ho Republicans will cleave to Bush even -more- than they already do. (No Nixon comparisons, please--his admin was imploding well before impeachment started.) To the media, it turns all Democratic claims and investigation of malfeasance by the administration into their ugly script of "politicizing the issues" and "partisan bickering." When the conviction fails to appear, the GOP can say "this president was found 'not guilty' of high crimes and misdemeanors." Tell me what -that- does to media coverage of ongoing investigations.