Last weekend I was at a town hall meeting with my Congressman, Rick Larsen (D WA-2). During the Q&A he was asked if he would support impeachment hearings against George W. Bush. The short answer was “No” but in his explanation it became clear why this, as with all things in government over the past six years, it is Bill Clinton’s fault. Larsen said that he felt that the bar for impeachment should be set extremely high and that, while he felt the Republicans had lowered the bar significantly for the Clinton impeachment, he believed that impeaching Bush would only make the Democrats (paraphrasing) ‘appear to be seeking revenge and not justice and, therefore, simply returning the favor.’
Then, this morning, I am checking out the Seattle Times and find this from Times columnist Danny Westneat:
”Impeach Bush? Don't bother” – “…I'm with the "cowards" on this one. I'm with them because I was there in Congress covering the last impeachment for The Seattle Times. I saw the atmosphere become so hostile that Republicans and Democrats wouldn't even get on elevators together, let alone cooperate to do anything important.
Regardless of whether Clinton deserved to be impeached for lying under oath about an affair, there's no question the proceedings turned Congress into a dysfunctional mess…” He adds, ”Obviously, the war is vastly more important than Clinton's sex life. It should be investigated,…” but then, like Larsen, and even Jay Inslee (D WA-1), whom Westneat’s column is attempting to insulate from his more Progressive constituency because of his recent high profile anti-impeachment stance, he stops short of impeachment by concluding, ”But as with Clinton, it would likely cripple the very institution that, for better or worse, we're relying on to get us out of a war. It just isn't worth it.”
So there you are. Damn you Bill Clinton! Because you were impeached for sex, Bush walks free for lying to Congress, illegal wiretapping of American citizens, violations of international laws against torture and kidnapping – all of this while ordering thousands to their deaths in a “war of choice.”
It does make one wonder, however, what do you do if you actually discover something at the end of your investigation? I mean, think about it. All of these folks are saying we should ‘investigate the hell out of these guys’ but we should stop short of impeachment because THAT would “cripple the institution.” So that would suggest that they are saying our elected representatives should spend countless hours and untold amounts of our tax dollars conducting investigations that, even if they lead to wrongdoing, will be filed in the archives for future generations to review just in case they ever come up with a question of what constitutes “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
Look, there is not a louder anti-war voice out here than mine. I am livid that, after four years, the Democrats still cannot (will not) come together to demand an end to this tragedy. I still think they should be expected to do more than one thing at a time. Westneat remembers the gridlock in Congress during the Clinton impeachment. He seems to forget that the newly elected Republican majority in Congress, beginning with the House take-over in 1994, had instituted a policy of gridlock as a means to their ends of strangling government. The Clinton impeachment was just a side-show of distraction for the media. If a Democratic majority in Congress is not capable of performing all of their constitutional duties, then we are doomed before we start.
In the matter of impeachment there is only one standard that must be met. Because the Republicans did not come close to honoring that standard with the Clinton impeachment, it does not forgive this congress or any future congress from their obligation to the Constitution and the American people to measure every president against that standard. That standard? Has the president committed high crimes or misdemeanors resulting in significant harm to the country? So, to those such as Rick Larsen, Jay Inslee, Patty Murray, and any other elected Democrats who would call for “investigations to nowhere”, I would remind you of this treasured cliché’: Two wrongs don’t make a right. F ailing to act because the Republicans failed in their action not only sets an even more onerous precedent but, I believe it violates your oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution.
Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue
2 comments:
Chad,
In order to have a basis for impeachment you must make a case.
It IS nessesary to investigate in order to impeach. Remember Kenneth Star?
We (who have been paying attention) have already done our own investigations and come to a clear conclusion that Bush and Co. are corrupting our very democracy -- but the rest of the country needs to be shown the light... a la Monica Lewinsky.
Pound away for impeachment -- But do it calling VERY LOUDLY for INVESTIGATIONS! Call for an Independent Counsel immediately to investigate the too numerous to list here offenses!
Pissing on our guys cause they are covering their asses is counter productive.
CALL FOR INVESTIGATIONS! Call for an Independent Council a la Kenneth Star!
Michele,
The point of this post is that the investigations ARE moving forward but the folks like Pelosi, Inslee, Murray, and even McDermott are making statements like, "Impeachment is off the table.", "Impeachment would be a distraction.", "We don't want to look like we are seeking revenge."
People act like this is some sort of game or a political play. This is serious business. Impeachment is NEVER "off the table." If the investigations indicate that Bush has broken the law; violated the Constitution, Congress MUST impeach. It is not an option! It is their Constitutional duty!
As for "...a la Monica Lewinsky", when George W Bush went on national television and said, "For those who think we are wiretapping...look, it takes a court order to do that." and then months later, when it was revealed in the press that illegal wiretapping was taking place and Bush launched an investigation against the leaker of the news and denied DOJ investigators the proper clearance to investigate the allegations of illegal wiretapping, he sealed his fate as being in violation of the FISA law (which was sustained in Federal Court) and obstruction of justice. Both violations are impeachable.
As for Murray and Inslee throwing around their Federal weight when the citizens of the state wish to petition their government - Shame On Them! As private citizens, they have the same right as I to address their state representatives. As Federal electeds they need to keep thier noses in the Washington we sent them to.
Finally, as you well know, I came into this standing at the side of Howard Dean who, like me and so many others, were just as pissed at the Democrats who were enabling the Bush admininstration. And, like so many others, I have continued to hold my nose and pull the lever for a "D" even when I did not believe they would be much better than the "R" just to "secure the majority." Being IN the majority means nothing if they don't USE the majority to correct course.
Investigate, investigate, investigate, and WHEN the evidence in inescapable, IMPEACH - IMPEACH - IMPEACH! That is their job!
Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue
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