A thread that bears repeating: Bush/Cheney can be IMPEACHED AFTER THEY LEAVE OFFICE! [View All]

[robertpaulsen]

It seems that with the recent events of contempt charges passed against Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten (perhaps Rove will be joining them soon?), our Democratic Representatives, especially John Conyers, are finally listening to the progressive voices raining down their phone lines demanding the administration-at-large be brought to justice. Is it too late for impeachment to be put back "on the table"? For those who think, with only 340 days left before they leave, that it is too late, I'd like to resurrect this nugget of wisdom I bookmarked from kpete:

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kpete Donating Member (1000+ posts) Thu Jul-26-07 07:04 PM
Original message
ITS NEVER TOO LATE TO IMPEACH THEM ALL!-You can't impeach after they've left office?-OH YES YOU CAN!

Edited on Thu Jul-26-07 07:14 PM by kpete
IMPEACHMENT IS NOT A WASTE OF TIME


IF BUSH IS TRYING TO RUN OUT THE CLOCK - HE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO RUN FAST ENOUGH

Forget those who say there are more important things to do OR there simply aren't enough days in the calendar.

You can't impeach after they've left office? - OH YES YOU CAN


- Folks - its never too late, do not listen to those who say there is not enough time. We are complicit when we do nothing. Congress needs to take action. Subpoenas and special prosecutors will hopefully help get to the truth (the truth that you and I have known for years). They want time - I am in no hurry, as long as in the end, this criminal administration pays for the atrocities they have committed. kpete

Conyers mentioned this in San Diego - I believe he called it "retroactive impeachment" I have been trying to research it since last week - found this today:


A Second Impeachment?

During his first impeachment and trial, Clinton defenders argued that only public acts of a constitutional proportion could give rise to impeachment removal. The pardon controversies appear to meet that very high test. And that's significant – for even ex-Presidents can be impeached.

While contemporary impeachment actions have targeted only sitting officials, the history and text of the Constitution, as well as early constitutional practice, envision and allow impeachments that occur even after an official leaves office. Indeed, certain early state constitutions followed longstanding English practice by only allowing post-officeholding impeachments.

In 1787, for example, the English Parliament began its famed impeachment action against Warren Hastings for misconduct occurring while he was governor-general of India – two years after Hastings left that post. During the same year, in Philadelphia, delegates to the Constitutional Convention debated whether to allowed impeachment during the official's tenure in office, or only afterwards. The Framers decided to allow both. And Congress has explicitly affirmed its jurisdiction to institute impeachment proceeding against an ex-official.

http://writ.lp.findlaw.com/commentary/20010227_williams.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=1443261

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So keep up the good work everyone! Keep those letters, phone calls and emails coming!