Buzz on the Impeachment Front ...

At YearlyKos, after the candidate's forum, I attended the Chris Dodd breakout session and asked a question about impeachment. I left unimpressed with the answer. Here's the exchange:

As you can see, there wasn't any room for wiggle; Dodd was opposed to the impeachment of Alberto Gonzalez.

Fast forward two weeks.

According to the DesMoines Register, August 18, 2007:

About 35 people attended the event, where Dodd also said he leaned toward supporting impeachment of U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

That was in response to a question about whether Dodd would work to impeach President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Gonzales.

"Alberto Gonzales -- I gotta tell you, if your question would have been just about Alberto Gonzales, I would've been a little less secure in my answer to you," said Dodd, who said he didn't support pursuing impeachment of Bush or Cheney. "The president and vice president of the United States, I just don't want to go down that road. Gonzales -- I'm open to you convincing me that this is one we might want to move on."

If you want to see impeachment of Gonzales move forward -- a process that will almost certainly reveal high crimes and misdemeanors in the Office of the Vice President and Office of the President -- I suggest you start telling Dodd to lead on the issue.

Full disclosure: I am not a Dodd partisan (I'm strongly lean towards Edwards), but when possible, I do enjoy the company of two of his key outreach people, Matt Browner-Hamlin and Tim Tagaris.

Comments

[gopindrag]

History will point at us and laugh. We drafted articles of impeachment for a 5 minute blow job and took impeachment off the table despite nearly 7 years of impeachable democracy bustin'
crimes. This administration is not "what happened to America." These guys recognized what had become of what used to be America and took advantage.

[ThomasDoubting]

If these bastards are not impeached and indicted they are not leaving.
Imagine Dick Cheney turning over the keys and walking off into the sunset.
Help Dennis Kucinich throw the bums out. Support H.R. 333

[peterg76]

Gonzales' crimes are so painfully obvious that they would be obliged to carry through with the impeachment. Then they'd have to do their actual jobs.

[Justaminute]

If only we could only impeach our entire government and start over. We should be calling for a constitutional convention. Party loyalty has replaced loyalty to the People as well as the Constitution.

Town hall meetings should be held in every city in America. We should decide who we are first. We don"t want our children to go in the military, but it"s OK for someone else"s children to go. We have taxes on whom? Our law seems to be written by lawyers, and they represent those who can afford to pay them. Do any of us feel safe in our retirement? Pollution. The list goes on. Do Michael Moore"s movies surprise anybody? Let"s all take an anti-depressant and kick off our problems to another generation again.

[Dvmx]

Democrats, and Republicans for that matter, for whom impeachment of Bush and Cheney is "off the table" are betraying their oath to uphold and defend the constitution; like it or not, it is their duty to impeach. Period.

[Between Brady and Llano]

Since you are an Edwards fan, why aren't you attacking him for not supporting Impeachment of Bush & Cheney. Unless he changed the last I heard he was only for censure. And certainly he is a good enough lawyer to know that the articles of impeachment against Cheney, as currently drafted, are bogus. My own belief is that Republicans are trying to smear Congressional Democrats as ineffective so they have a chance to take back Congress. Their strategy is to convince independents that their is a pox on both our houses, then divide and conquer. Karl was spreading the message that Pelosi would impeach Bush before the 2006 elections.

[syllepsis]

This is what Edwards had to say on impeachment:

Former Sen. John Edwards, who is on the road in western Iowa, is being asked about impeachment at almost every stop on the campaign trail.


In Perry yesterday, a question about impeachment drew the loudest applause. But even though Edwards (D-N.C.) says he believes President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney "have engaged in illegal conduct," he adds that he is "not personally for" that tactic.


He tells voters he can understand their frustration with Bush and Cheney, but he thinks the newly empowered congressional Democrats should keep holding oversight hearings.


During the Clinton impeachment drama, he says, "nothing happened" and legislative work came to a standstill.


At a stop in Onawa, Edwards added that whoever becomes the Democratic nominee can tie the GOP choice to Bush and Cheney and said he will label that candidate as "George Bush on steroids."


"We're going to hang George Bush and Dick Cheney around the Republican nominee's neck and they're going to have to carry them the entire way," he said.


-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Posted on August 14, 2007 11:50 AM

Edwards will never get my vote. Tying Bush and Cheney around the Repubs' necks ties them around ours as well. And note, this 'lawyer' admits that Bush and Cheney "engaged in illegal conduct,' but then compares it to Bill Clinton's impeachment.
This is inexcusable on Edwards' part.

[hamilton2018]

I suggest a new campaign to provide motivation for the Democratic Party to seriously pursue impeachment: no impeachment hearings=no votes in 2008

[syllepsis]

That is the equation I follow, and is the only sensible course, when you consider the magnitude of impeachable offenses that have been committed.

[Macready]

Most of the Democrats are owned body and soul by the same corporations that own the GOP . . . they are giving us "bread and circuses" . . . keep the plebs happy . . . spin them a tale or two or four . . . move up primaries . . . get them hooked on election fever . . . meanwhile at the grassroots level they don't have the guts to impeach -- they won't take the Constitution back from the abyss . . . they won't move on Iraq . . .but can criticise the Iraqi government that is operating without an infrastructure because the US government has taken it out . . . but nevertheless . . . the talk and that is all it is folks talk goes relentlessly on . .. if a candidate asks for your money tell them impeach first . . . check will be in the post after you have done your duty . . .

[syllepsis]

Those posters who say that the rule of law should be the paramount concern are correct.
If Dodd is in thrall to pharma and oil, that's too bad, but the last I heard, even pharma plutocrats have to follow the law. I want impeachments, not utopia.
We can deal with the pharma and oil slaves next. What is happening with the White House is the equivalent of industry 'deregulation': Government has gotten out of the job of enforcing its own laws. Impeaching the nation's top law enforcement officer is the best way to reverse this. If the Dems (including Dodd) fail to impeach, they are no more deserving of office than the Repubs.

[Wilson33]

More wasted time by the Democrats!

It's almost like you all are off crying somewhere because you just can't find anyone in the Bush Amdinistration to impeach. It's pathetic!

[rmreddicks]

Impeachment? There ain't gonna' be no stinkin' impeachment. If you want some real "impeachment" you better get locked and loaded. They're going to be coming after you before we ever get after them.

[heretical_eggs]

I am about ready to sell everything, move to some rural location in Europe or South American where I can raise goats or weave baskets in peace.

I watched the neo-cons play out this god awful soap opera "impeachment" of Bill Clinton years ago over him lying about a blow job, and today we have criminals in similar government positions who need to be in jail for high crimes and misdemeanors. And nothing will be done.

I hear Spain is nice.

[Macready]

Did it . . .just wrote to Senator Dodd about impeaching Gozno and the big dick . . . I cannot fathom what serves as rational thinking when the Dems keeps saying they don't want to go "down the road to impeachment" -- it beggars belief.

[2FedUp]

Unfortunately, I've lost perspective dear reader, so don't expect this to make sense. Too much has happened for me to try and make sense of things. I don't have the intellect, or inclination to argue about what I may say here.

I hate our government. The list is so long of their wrongs that to relate them would drain me of energy to keep writing. People should replace their "Proud to be an American" bumper stickers with ones that say "Ashamed to be an American", because what this administration, more than any other, has done has completely changed what America was originally supposed to stand for. It's a shameful legacy. The latest release (whatever) is just another shit-covered slice of the American lie.

People are so self-centered they can't see beyond the end of their nose. God forbid reality interrupting their favorite TV show about "reality" or the latest Hollywood gossip. I vomit upon the masses for allowing this to occur.

The mainstream media refuses to tell the truth about the monstrous lies spewed by government because they are controlled by it. People who care about truth, justice, and the American way know this to be true, but are almost powerless to effect change. We are not a free society. Society has been controlled and manipulated ever since technology presented the means to do so.

Our society is at a historical junction. Whether modern society has been so blinded and corrupted by comfort to continue ignoring reality, or to validate the existence of others less fortunate, will not only define our humanity, but portend our future. The choices we make now are crucial. This corrupt administration has not only been unwilling, but incapable of making rational decisions.

Our governmental system demands impeachment for all who have violated their public oath to defend the Constitution; otherwise, it will set a precedent for future leaders to disregard the rule of law.

[shamus1970]

I've had a running google "impeachment" news alert set up to email me once a week with news updates about impeachment for the last two years. this week came back with only two hits.
Is this movement lost?

[photon's feather]

Familiar with this site?

http://www.usalone.com

Impeach Cheney petitions and caps:

http://www.usalone.com/impeach_cheney_cap.php

Get others to sign the petition!