Progressive Dems - please take the bait and impeach!

Could it be that the Republicans have opened the door a tiny crack for the possibility of Impeachment of Cheney, if not both Bush and Cheney?

Could it be that the Republicans believe that Impeachment would work to their political advantage and are therefore willing to step aside and let the process proceed for their own crass political gain? Could this really be true?

Yesterday's events, and Conyers' statement about the status of Impeachment in the Judiciary Committee seem to suggest this may indeed be the case. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2222225

If true, this would seem to mean that Democratic progressives are now in the extrodinary position to Impeach if they are willing to break with leadership and press forward despite the conventional Democratic establishment wisdom.

To be sure, it's fairly clear there is no altruism in the Republican position, so such an Impeachment would involve an alliance of pure convenience, rather than of shared goals. I suspect that in addition to painting the Democrats as do-nothings, the Republicans also hope to open a rift in the Democratic caucus and the progressive left.

If this is indeed the case, I pray that the remaining truly progressive and uncorrupted members of our Congress seize this opportunity to make their move. I pray they fall willingly into this poorly conceived Republican "trap". I pray they open the rift.

Could it be that this is the moment John Conyers has been waiting for? Could the silence, the coyness, the frustrating lack of motion for the last year, have all been a waiting game for this opportunity? Do Conyers and the other remaining patriots have the guts to break with leadership on this?

Such would be the boldest move of Mr. Conyers career, as well as of the other members whose assistance this would require. But we live in desperate times and only bold moves are likely to save us at this point.

Are there any leaders left in our neutered Legislature willing to call this Republican bluff? The beauty is that it no longer would take any Blue Dogs or triangulating centrists. Just the gonads to act - at long last - on behalf of the people of the United States of America.

Allow impeachment to proceed with an "innocent" verdict guaranteed to follow.

It gets impeachment out of the way and allows for things to get worse. Bush and Cheney will do what they need to do to stay in power.

that once the Impeachment train leaves the station it will be very difficult to stop. The investigation, the media coverage, the revelations sure to follow, will press even the most lame-ass Democratic Senators into a corner they cannot escape.

If the nasty realities of the Bush administration were really and truly laid bare for all to see, it would be really politically tough for any Democrat to acquit.

I think a lot of people don't understand how detrimental it would be if Bush and Cheney are acquitted.

We need to stop letting the fear of losing drive our decision making process. Really, if we keep thinking this way we have already lost.

They need to be convicted and removed from office, that is the only way there is going to be change. At this point, there aren't enough votes to convict, so impeachment would end up turning into a victory for Bush.

proceedings, but after. And after the truth of what these bastards have done is placed - at long last - directly before the people of America - it will nearly impossible for any Democrat - not to mention many Republicans - to vote to acquit.

edit: spelling

There is evidence out there, for all to see and not one Republican has stepped up to say what Bush and Cheney has done is wrong, so it's not even realistic to think they would vote to convict.

until it's been repeated ad nauseum by the mainstream press. We need to put on the Grand Impeachment Show and do so in a way the media can simply not ignore. We need to lead! That means driving the message like we own it. Make the sickness of the crimes of this regime a matter of common cultural understanding. We can do that if we overcome our fear of trying.

1) No impeachment, Bush ends term, gets turned over to International Court for War Crimes

2) Impeachment- Acquital- cannot be turned over to International Court

What's best for Bush?

turning Bush over to an international War Crimes Tribunal is far less likely than an impeachment conviction in the Senate.

Much more likely is:

3) No impeachment, Bush slides out of office and sees his image gradually restored, ala Nixon, as a new President Clinton - still living in political fear of a RW media boogey man - pushes for "national reconciliation" and neo-liberal consensus.

he died ostracized and isolated. Nobody sought his counsel. I imagine Bush will have the same sort of existence, regardless of what happens.

"President Reagan's campaign strategists received advice from former President Richard M. Nixon several months ago that led to a decision to target Ohio as one of the main states in Mr. Reagan's re-election effort...."

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A06E6DA1E39F936A25752C1A962948260&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/N/Nixon,%20Richard%20Milhous

"Reagan also prepared by consulting his old adviser Richard Nixon,..."

http://books.google.com/books?id=vkUbP1G1hmkC&pg=PA672&lpg=PA672&dq=nixon+reagan+advise&source=web&ots=Z8M3VHwO-_&sig=mAOK1Gy5m_9taO8FWW8NAwbs6sA

"Clinton called Nixon repeatedly seeking advice on everything from foreign policy to time scheduling..."

"Behind the scenes, Nixon continued to advise Republican leaders how best to "get" the Democrats..."

http://www.consortiumnews.com/archive/clinton4.html

"former President Richard M. Nixon has been quietly advising George Bush on campaign strategy..."

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE2DE133AF936A2575AC0A96E948260

foreign policy or campaign strategy, which by the way, appears not to be publicly sought, but "quietly". Can you honestly ever see any future President asking bush for foreign policy advice? :rofl: They may go to Rove for advice on dirty deeds, bush doesn't think up his own dirty work as Nixon did. bush will for our lifetimes forever be known as the worst President in history. Nixon won't hold a candle to him.

How do you make this stuff up? What you are claiming here is really off the wall. Can you list any source that backs up your claim about "2)"?

it will be "partisan witch hunt" led by the looney left of Media Matters, George Soros, MoveOn.org and Michael Moore.

if one piece of evidence is even questionable, that will be all that is focused on for weeks (see Dan Rather's 60 Minutes report on Bush and TANG) and the person that introduces that evidence will be censured or reprimanded by the House.

what everyone is afraid of.

But I don't buy it. The media can be manipulated by us as well as them. We just need to have the guts to do it. We have to take them head on. The press loves a narrative of the falling mighty. And don't overestimate the love out there for this regime. FOX and a die-hard minority notwithstanding - most of the media would get with the program if we pressed it like we really meant it.

This would be a new tack for our feeble Dems, no doubt. We have all, including the media, become accustomed to the Dems rolling over. But I know we have it in us. This is a fight we can win. We just need to stop fearing FOX News. Like every bully in history, they are bound to blubber away and cry when the day comes that someone finally hits them back.

Dem leaders want impeachment as bad as Dick and George. They want an imperial presidency, and shun our Constitution, and their duties, in the process.

:hi: Love yer vids!

I'm starting to think there are a lot of Naderites here who think that having repubs in power is good for the progressive cause.

of the Democratic leadership to keep the Republicans in power... so they can snipe at them for political gain for the next year. Much easier to act like they have no power and play the blame game. Lives for power - must seem like a fair trade to our leadership. Tough sell when you have to face mothers of dead soldiers though.

Pot, meet kettle.

who like to see Repugs in power I am not among them. Nader is certainly a popular strawman around here.

just to Perry's comment, I apologize if you took it that way..:hi:

:hi: