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Dear Auntie Pinko,
I have been trying to come up with a reason why a more concerted effort hasn't been made to impeach Bush. Although I believe he should be impeached, I think I might have found a reason not to impeach him. The problem is the domino affect. If Bush is impeached, and I do believe there is more than enough proof, then Cheney would also need to be impeached. I believe they both have committed the same crimes against the U.S. Rumsfeld is also just as guilty and should be removed.
For these reasons, I don't believe any congressman would challenge this with our troops being deployed overseas. Not only has this never been done, it would be very bad timing with our military fighting.
I would appreciate your thoughts.
Jay from Colorado
Dear Jay,
You may have a point, there. Among other reasons, the prospect of having to hold not just Mr. Bush, but whomever might replace him in the Constitutional succession, to minimal standards of legal behavior and responsible public service would be some can of worms for Congress to open, especially while the Republican Party still controls the majority. Diogenes and his lantern would have a very tough time in today’s Washington. (He’s the ancient Greek philosopher who, among other things, was reputed to have pursued a long and unsuccessful search for an honest man.)
I would like to think that a concern for the morale of our men and women in the military would be a factor either way, but I am afraid there is little evidence that our current crop of elected officials regards “the troops” as anything more than backgrounds for photo ops or specious justifications for bad legislation. If our elected officials really cared about the well-being of the men and women serving in our military, they would be holding Mr. Rumsfeld accountable for his bad decisions in setting military policy and spending priorities. They would be asking questions about why military contractors are making such vast profits off boondoggle projects that do little to increase the safety and effectiveness of our troops, and why service personnel and their families are being asked to pay for their own transport for medical treatment and other outrages. They would be funding the VA to provide effective mental health services for veterans and their families as well as research and treatment for health problems subsequent to chemical exposure and depleted uranium exposure. They would be having serious and substantive discussions with the Pentagon about the ‘poverty draft’ and recruitment/training/promotion procedures.
So I’m afraid I do have to doubt that the effects of their decisions on deployed military personnel is a big factor in the discussions about whether impeachment proceedings should be initiated against Mr. Bush. However, they’re more than likely to use that as a justification for their actions if it will help them win points or at least cover their losses.
What are the big factors, then? Well for the comparative minority of Representatives who put the Constitution and the well-being of the Republic before their own ability to get re-elected, the factors probably include the effects of a vicious, protracted, chaotic partisan battle on a citizenry already deeply polarized and riddled with disaffection at both ends, as it were. From that standpoint it is a no-win situation for them, as the Americans who are boiling with frustration over their failure to act will vilify them just as energetically as the Americans who are furious about an attempt at impeachment, and the ones in the middle will simply want the endless toxic bickering to quit deadlocking the political process. Making a decision to pursue articles of impeachment under such circumstances could look like a pretty dry deal even if your primary concern was doing what is right under the law and the Constitution.
For the average run of elected Representatives, whose primary and overriding concern is their ability to get re-elected in two years, the big factors are likely to be the wishes of their major campaign contributors first, with ‘how it will look to the voters’ as a not-too-close second. It’s very easy for us here on DU to feel as though the groundswell in favor of impeachment is sufficient to support our Representatives in holding Mr. Bush accountable under the Constitution, but that’s a tough sell to Washington, where money (and voting machine manufacturers) talk a LOT louder than netspeak, bumper stickers, and e-mail petitions.
At this point, our best hope is that the election results of 2006 will be too emphatic for the Republicans to successfully cheat, manipulate, or spin, and too clear for the Democrats to ignore. When the American people show that they are paying attention, and that they care for the Constitution and the rule of law, and are disinclined to continue electing Representatives who don’t share that concern, they might be forced to make a few gestures at reform. From small gestures mighty tides can turn, especially when momentum changes in several places at once. That’s why, although I’m feeling very cynical indeed about conditions right now, Auntie is actually cautiously optimistic about the long term. We may still have some very difficult and maddening times to live through, but I have confidence in my fellow citizens, especially those here on DU.
Thanks for the question, Jay, and keep working to help make positive changes in Colorado!
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