So... about that impeachment motion Rep. Kucinich filed last November...

[0rganism]

The one against Cheney, that he had to pull procedure to get to the floor... It got referred to the House Judiciary Committee, yes? It's all ready to go, if someone decided to dust it off? They could even amend it in committee to add a few more names to the indictment, right? The draft is already there, it has 8 cosponsors on committee already, it wouldn't take more than a month or so of hearings to get the ball rolling full speed again...

It's time to make the move. If we're very lucky, it's not too late.

[Selatius]

1. You're gonna have to talk to Pelosi for that song and dance. She says it's off the table.

Frustrating.

[0rganism]

2. how long ago was that?

Events have progressed a bit since then. If she wants to take some heat off the DNC nomination process, this is one item she may consider putting back on the table.

[frog92969]

3. As she was reaching for the gavel I believe.

She should be off the table.

[KharmaTrain]

4. He Lost His Bid For A Nomination...

And almost lost his House Seat. Dennis sure has been quiet lately. His problem is/was he's not on the Judiciary Committee. Rob Wexler has picked up this ball and we'll see where it goes.

Also, the reason it's "off the table" (what an overused slam) is that there wouldn't be enough votes for a conviction. A failed impeachment would exonerate booosh...and prevent any future investigations into this regime's criminality. I'd love to see this regime gone yesterday, but I want it done right...and also in conjunction with war crimes trials.

Sorry kids, impeachment is a non-starter...and has been as it wouldn't suceede. It's not Pelosi...and she can't wave a magic wand to make this happen...especially since she'd be the one who'd directly benefit. There are plenty of other Democrats in the House who also weren't interested in impeachment. If the votes were there, Pelosi couldn't stop it...and I doubt she would.

Let's see what happens after this regime is gone, can't pardon itself, hide behind "executive privilidge" and faces its fate as the worst regime in history.

[chknltl]

5. I believe there is a different reason she took it off the table

When it comes to reasons for impeachment, Washington DC is a target rich environment. Legislators have to tread carefully for fear of treading on this or that reason to impeach this or that member of the bush crime family. The problem for Madam Speaker is that she knows that impeachment hearings will implicate a lot of Democrats as well. Now I for one am in no way against taking out crooks via the guidelines in our Constitution but I think that Representative Pelosi fears the costs may be a whole lot higher than is palatable.

For instance: 'Torture-gate'. Easily impeachable offenses there, yet when it started making the rounds, the repukes fired back with: "The Democrats knew full well what was going on!" After that statement was made, we got a whole lot of crickets from our Democratic leaders regarding further investigations. How many of our Democratic leaders knew about this? To what extent did they condone this crime against humanity? Who knows! One thing is for certain, we got hamstrung right quick and backed off.

I am thinking that this is the REAL reason impeachment got yarded of the table...they weren't worried about votes, they were worried about saving their own members. In my heart I believe the rat bastards in the bush administration found ways to implicate members of our party...possibly important members!

As many here in the DU have pointed out re: not having enough votes, those votes were less important than having the investigations. What was important was letting the American voters see what crimes were committed and by whom...if the crooks got off the hook due to a lack of votes then those same crooks AND their enablers would expect to get the hook and more in the next election! Being the party of accountability is imo better than being the party of spineless guppies which is how we are seen currently.

The very pardoning of soooo many crimes on capital hill has brought us to where we are today. An argument can be made that the Ford Pardonings set the ball rolling for the very woes we now face with the bush Presidency....well to be honest I heard this argument on either NOVA-M or Air America Radio the other day and it made sense then. Speaking of which, much of what I wrote above came from a Capitol Hill insider in an interview on the Randi Rhodes Show a couple of days ago too.

[KharmaTrain]

7. There Is Still Plenty To Investigate

First of all, it's not the Speaker who heads impeachment. Gingrich and then Hastert stayed away...it was DeLay...the "Majority Leader" who was the catalyst. In Watergate, it was the Judiciary Committee that did all that heavy lifting along with Senator Ervin. Most people would have to google long and hard to recall who was the speaker then (IRC, it was Carl Albert). The problem is that if there is an impeachment, the Speaker sits as third in line...moving up to two and then one...and be assured that not only the Repugnicans but the corporate media would view this as an attempt to overthrow an "elected" government. I'd be more pissed with Steny Hoyer who has been a lot more tolerant of this regime's crimes and continues to try to "reach across" (such as in FISA).

The facts remain, there aren't the votes, period. An acuittal in the Senate (which is all but assured) would exonerate this regime. I could see Darrel Hammond dressed up as booosh and reprise his role he did with Clinton following his acquittal saying "I'm Bulletproof". In the meantime, many of the real criminals in this regime would slip away.

Again...impeachment is political...not criminal. It only addresses abuses of power, not the crimes themselves. Yes, investigations must continue...we've only just scratched the surface there. Most of what we've learned so far has been through the largess of many of these crooks, but little has been pulled out in open testimony and in evidence that could be used in either a criminal trial or impeachment.

If there's anyone who wants justice served here, it's me. I won't be content until I see not just booosh and cheney, but Rumsfeld, Feith, Rove, Wolfowitz and others held accountable for their war crimes. Impeachment doesn't address this. Also as long as this regime gets away with broad abuse of executive privilidge (and a judge more than happy to uphold it for them...look up Judge Bates) they are openly ignoring Congress and will continue to do so. Also, any indictment at this point will be "Scootered"...a quick pardon that could easily shutdown many investigations.

Were some Democrats complicit with this regime? Investigations will out. If there are, then they must be held accountable as well. I've long been frustrated with Hoyer, Rockefeller and Blue Dogs who did go along with this regime and surely have their motives.

I trust the words of a Congressman Wexler...a member of the Judiciary committee over some "insider" sptting out the latest beltway scuttlebutt. I also have a lot of faith in Chairman Conyers...a man whose been through two impeachments and knows what this procedure is all about more than any other man alive...far more than any insider. Lastly, I have a lot of faith in Congressman Waxman who has been quietly building an impressive amount of evidence and is facing the same obstructions the Judiciary is. The best way to remove that obstruction is for a Democratic president and large majorities in both houses...then not only can justice be served, but impeachment can follow as well.

BTW...Ford only pardoned Nixon...not anyone else. Boooosh has shown he won't hesitate to pardon any and all who are protecting him. 1-21-09 things change.

[zeos3]

6. First Impeach, then...

(I really can't stop putting this pic up every chance I get)

[hokies4ever]

8. Bush would just pardon him right before he leaves office

[0rganism]

9. Bush can't pardon anyone if he's impeached

The only way to prevent him from pardoning all his criminal buddies is to add his sorry ass to the impeachment resolution.