The Case for Impeachment Hearings

I was serving in Congress and on the Judiciary Committee for the ridiculous and politically motivated impeachment hearings of President Clinton. During that witch hunt Newt Gingrich, Tom DeLay, and Ken Starr wasted a year and a half on investigations and hearings about President Clinton's personal relations. However, this attempted coup d'etat by Republicans against President Clinton was not and should not be the standard of impeachment that was enshrined by the Founders in our Constitution.

First, impeachment hearings are only proper when significant allegations exist that the President or Vice-President, or others civil officers, committed actions - within their official duties - that constitute 'High Crimes and Misdemeanors.' The allegations against Clinton - involving a personal affair - never reached this threshold. The serious charges against Cheney involve alleged crimes that are central to his duties of Vice-President; namely war and peace, the widespread violations of civil liberties, and the security of the United States and our covert agents.

Unlike the show trial put on by Republicans against President Clinton, a proper impeachment hearing would involve a fair and objective presentation of the facts without hyperbole or political gamesmanship. The hard evidence that is presented at the hearings will be judged fully both by Congress and the American people. The evidence alone will determine the outcome, and if it is determined that Vice President Cheney committed "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" he should be properly impeached and put on trial before the Senate.

After the Democratic Party regained control of Congress, many - myself included - thought that it might be possible to meet President Bush half-way on the large issues facing our nation. Unfortunately, Bush has been nothing more than an ideological obstacle. He has vetoed stem cell research. He has vetoed efforts to bring our troops home from Iraq. He vetoed children's health care. So, the idea that we are somehow inhibiting Congress from passing our agenda by holding impeachment hearings - unfortunately - is a false argument.

Instead, I believe that we can both live up to our Constitutional obligation by holding hearings and pass a Democratic agenda. If President Bush perceives that the Democratic Congress is weak and unwilling to aggressively push our agenda - he will continue to veto legislation, such as children's health care - that is supported by a majority of Americans. The only way to move a progressive Democratic agenda is by acting through strength and following through on our core principles. A Congress willing to stand up to the abuses of the Bush Administration through impeachment hearings will demonstrate a strength of will that will more likely convince Bush to accommodate on issues such as Iraq, health care, and energy and environmental issues.

Today, I was joined by two other members of the House Judiciary Committee, Reps. Luis Gutierrez and Tammy Baldwin, who penned an online editorial with me calling for these impeachment hearings. In support of this effort I am releasing a call to action on video and launched WexlerWantsHearings.com. The full op-ed from the three Judiciary Committee Members can be read at this site. If we can get 50,000 or even more people to sign up in support of this effort I will report back to each and every Democratic colleague of mine the true power that exists behind this movement.

Comments

[VOTER]

Your Issues List is like a Christmas Gift to America.

GO FOR IT!

And if all of the information needed to hold hearings has been shredded by BushCo, then hold them accountable.

MARK THEM GUILTY! WITH OR WITHOUT THE PAPERS.

The Arthur Anderson Company was put out of business because of shredding Enron's papers.

[scooperss]

Ridiculous.

After all cheney and bush have done/continue to do you want to start impeach hearings "to convince Bush to accommodate on issues such as Iraq, health care, and energy and environmental issues."

I suspect you wrote this knowing you won't get 50,000 people to sign on. You have listed no reasons for impeachment but obstruction of the dem agenda.

Once again, here's someone ACTING like they're doing something, only to find out, it's all been nothing but a ploy to fool people into believing you're serious.

Join KUCINICH and then get back to me.

[avergejoe]

I'll tell you what rep,
why dont you guys stop the fcc from allowing further media consolidation,
they are meeting this tuesday,
then maybe we can believe the dems have our agenda.

[ChrisInTennessee]

The supreme court never had the authority to appoint a president - it was in fact unconstitutional for them to step in and name bush president. The Democrats did not lose the 2000 election - it was stolen by an illegitimate court that called themselves the supremes.

[angel66]

Gee, what a good idea. But when Kucinch introduces the actual bill...scorn and crickets from the HuffPo and the other so called progressives. Hear me Kos? Go "ugh" yourself.

Anyway. We're screwed.

[army193]

I signed the petition.

[researcher]

lost cause the die has been cast.

heading straight for fascism.

and the interesting part the people will demand it when economy tanks. i mean really tanks not a recession but the dollar bottom out.

must have a dictator to put things back on track but not without some waterboarding by some blackwater folks.

americans still have not realized our problems cannot be solved with two party system.

both parties imperialists at heart.

must clean house wash dc is a town of crooks. had to become crooks and sell their souls to highest bidder to win elections.

[HLM]

Now that you've kindly lent us your ear, Congressman, let me offer this scenario:

The morning after the November 2008 elections, no matter who the President-elect is, the Democratic-controlled Judiciary Committee entertains a motion to consider Articles of Impeachment of the President and Vice-President of the United States for High Crimes and Misdemeanors.

The Committee (still Democratic-controlled), without hearing witnesses or examining evidence immediately passes the motion(s) of Impeachment on to the Full Senate.

Of course there will be no Senate trial of either of the nation's Chief Executives; they will simply remain under the threat of trial until they leave office.

The point? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe under Impeachment, the power of the Presidential Pardon is suspended.

Imagine: No pardons for Rove, Cheney et al.

They can then be compelled to testify in any and all pursuant Congressional enquiries into the astonishing corruption and criminality of the current administration.

Not revenge. Redress.
A lesson for America and the world at large.

Just a suggestion.

Respectfully
HLM

[CrisOmg]

To see the reason I would like there to be impeachment hearings, watch Bush's reaction to the Mitchell Report (steroids in baseball.)

For the most part he says what you would expect him to say... However, watch him talk about what the responsible parties should do:

He says, "baseball players and owners must take..." I think he wants to say something like 'responsibility for what they've done to the game' but instead says, "the, uh..., Mitchell report seriously."

He pauses; and, you can actually SEE him opt out of taking responsibility. You can witness it happen in real time! (Remember, he was a managing general partner - part owner - during at least part of the "steroid era.") NOT taking responsibility is apparently something he deliberately thinks about.

THAT is what the impeachment hearings need to be about. What incenses me most about this administration is that there is never any hint of culpability for any action they take. Part of his duty (and I chose that word deliberately) is being responsible for the actions of his administration and he isn't doing that now any more than at any time during his nightmarish reign.

Finally, if you are actually able to make any kind of impeachment a reality, please don't fall into the trap of having it be even a little political. Because if you do, you will lose. You always do when it's political...

**As a side note, watch Cheney as the reporter asks Bush the question about whether or not the players mentioned should be punished. See that grin? You just KNOW he's thinking, "Hell YES! Let's waterboard those f***ers!" Then he'd do his evil automaton half-laugh that makes me wonder if my Sunday School teacher was right about the antichrist...**

[accountability]

Thank You Sir.
For quite some time now I have been likening the Dem's to an abused wife. Cowed by the abuses of the male figure/husband... and who tries to appear more cocky and arrogantly male than the mad king george? The Dems talk back, holler, make ultimatums and then get beaten, hang their heads, shoulders bowed and acquiesce to the demands of the abuser. They are living in fear of what they will do in the outside world if they ever leave the bully and get out on their own.

To top it all off the idea that the country... which is we the people... need to be protected from impeachment is absurd. Just like the "protection" an abused woman tries to shelter her children with in the long run it is ineffectual... thinking it will hurt us if we impeach the bastards is akin to a wire and mother saying she stays with the abuser for the children.

In our case it is not just pretending to be protective, it is condescending and patronizing.

The table Ms. Pelosi took impeachment off of is our table not hers.
When is someone in the Congress going to tell her that?

And when is someone going to tell her that not bringing an investigation and impeachment proceedings against those who would seek to destroy the Constitution iis as pernicious as being the actual perpetrator.

I've signed and will send the info out to everyone I know.
Thanks very much.

[SocialistDistortion]

Mr. Wexler,

We've heard this song and dance a million times already, yet you do nothing about it. Your first problem is the democrats slim majority, and if you count the blue dogs, you're actually still in the minority. Not to mention the speaker of the house has already said impeachment is off the table. You and I both know that as much as I would love to see Bush and Cheney impeached, it will never happen. Preaching here to the choir is nothing more than hot air.

The only thing that will remove Bush and Cheney from office would be if the following happened:

"Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, this is General Petraeus, and effective immediately, you are under arrest..."

[FearlessFreep]

"After the Democratic Party regained control of Congress, many - myself included - thought that it might be possible to meet President Bush half-way on the large issues facing our nation."

The power of wishful thinking.

[ptarantino]

Good work Mr.Wexler. Please put an accurate counter on your web page so we can watch the numbers grow, for those that signed up.

[kroses98]

Go to usalone.com for another longtime impeachment site.

Also go to democrats.com.

[3rdCitizen]

Congressman Wexler,
If more members of your party had taken this position sooner I would still be a Democrat instead of an independent. I know that, thanks to the cowardice of the Democratic party and the MSM, the effectiveness of right wing propaganda, and, most of all, the current dementia of our culture, seeking to hold the Bush administration accountable for its high crimes and misdemeanors is nothing more than tilting at windmills. But doing the right thing, even when it's doomed to failure in the short term, at least keeps sanity alive in the minority until one day, hopefully, our society finally shakes off this madness.
May you make Madam Pelosi ashamed of herself.