Sheehan publicity stunt?

[question everything]

I don't get it:

If she does beat Pelosi this will be in Nov. 2008, the same elections that will end Bush's term in office. Can a former president be impeached?

[babylonsister]

1. IMO she's calling attention to impeachment, and it's working:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1280508&mesg_id=1280508

[Buzz Clik]

2. Exactly. The time for awareness and movement is NOW!!!

We're all disappointed in the sluggish, deliberate, and overly cautious moves by this Congress.

[pocoloco]

3. More power to her....

even if it gets a few panties in a wad here!

[5X]

4. Of course it is. Got a problem with that? n/t

[question everything]

5. No, nothing new there

I have always considered her a poor woman in a desperate need for something to fill her life - might have even been like that without the tragic loss of her son.

And when the whole world who admired here got tired of asking "how high" whenever she said "jump," she collected her ball and went home.. but not for long, of course.

You can bet that even if every whim of her got fulfilled, she would still be whining.

This poor woman needs help. On the other hand, since so many others go to Oprah and other places seeking the public attention to solve their personal problems why should she be different?

Have you watched the news recently? So many people in KS and OK losing their homes to the flood; the fire and heat damage in the west, the loss of crop in GA.. not to mention all the people with no access to health care, with no jobs, with no prospect for a decent retirement - there are real concerns for real people, Concentrating on impeachment and on Libby is a luxury that only political junkies with no worry in the world can afford.

[ludwigb]

6. Nonsense

I don't completely agree with her strategy, but at least she's doing something that matters.

Drawing attention to impeachment means you have to justify impeachemnt. You draw attention to the full extent of the Admin's crimes, and why they are unconstitutional.

[realbluesky]

13. WHAT PLANET DO YOU LIVE ON???

If you can't justify impeachment, you've not been paying attention.

I guess there would be grounds if lil george had a dick and got a blow job.

[wtmusic]

15. Agree 100%

but a little friendly advice -- all caps is the equivalent of shouting.

People will listen more if you don't shout.

[guruoo]

18. IMHO, her sometimes poor choice of tactics are a result

being a political rookie that fell victim to bad advice.
Her appearance at Congress is the best example
of this that I can think of. This apperance was a golden opportunity
to influence public opinion which was, I believe, squandered by bad advice
provided to her by (for lack of a better term) 'protest radicals'.

My 1st rule of effective politics: Don't scare the 'straights'.

[Fire Walk With Me]

8. "This poor woman needs help." Help being recognized as a true patriot, that is.

Have you taken the time and effort that she has, to work against this most dangerous of pResidencies? If so, congratulations, please continue using your highly visible name and agenda to pressure the country back into a Democracy.

[wtmusic]

9. She has a personal problem that can't be solved

namely, her son is dead. All I see from Cindy Sheehan is someone desperate enough to do anything to keep it from happening to other young people and other parents. Her commitment has made her a public figure. Either that, or she's trying to cash in on her own son's blood to get famous. All that fame will certainly help her forget about her dead son. :crazy:

Yes, people in KS and OK are losing their homes. Hundreds of people are DYING every day in Iraq. See the difference?

[noamnety]

10. Dr. Frist?

Is that you?

[Mz Pip]

14. I suspect

we're in the minority at DU on this one. As much as I would like to see Bush/Cheney held accountable for their actions, I highly doubt Cindy Sheehan is the one to make that happen. When she stomped her feet and said she was leaving I doubted it would be for long.

One thing Pelosi understands that Sheehan does not is that there just aren't the votes for Impeachment. I wish there were, but there are not. Many of our representatives come for districts that are far more conservative than DU would like to believe. The votes aren't there. We do have the power to do some checks on this administration but I doubt we'll really know the true scope of these guys crimes until they are long out of office.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[wtmusic]

16. If Pelosi were a real leader she would use her considerable power

to generate the votes instead of sitting back and decrying the situation. But she's not. So she won't.

[Vilis Veritas]

22. Could that change?

It seems to me that political will is required to ever get anything done. Without the will, you are right, impeachment is not an option.

However, unlike the late 60's and early 70's, there is not much media coverage of the activism that IS taking place. There is virtually NO MSM coverage of activist protest. When the MSM does cover it, the coverage is biased and more about the silliness of the ignorant protesters and not about how they were treated.

Will it take another Kent State? Melissa Etheridge called the college students out at Live Earth...I wonder if any of them were listening.

Will it take the spilling of blood on our streets (like Kent State) to give the current bunch on the hill the political will to take back the country and proceed to Impeach?

I am kind of rambling and I apologize...I a more than a little confused these days...

Peace...

[NaturalHigh]

7. She hasn't been in the news much lately.

Apparently, she needs a little attention. Even if she did beat Pelosi (and we know that will never happen), she wouldn't be the Speaker but just a freshman representative. She would have less pull than the lowest paid lobbyist on the Hill.

[wtmusic]

11. I wonder why she's so needy?

It's all about Cindy, idn't it? "Cindy" has to have the war end, so here "Cindy" goes grandstanding again about the big, bad war. Sheesh. You'd think someone's life was on the line.

[realbluesky]

12. PELOSI IS A LOSER

Pelosi has demonstrated her complete and total lack of leadership.

She is an embarrassment to the democratic party and needs to be replaced.

Shehan would be a good replacement.

Pelosi took impeachment off the table. SHE should be impeached for that reason alone. It is her duty to begin impeachment proceedings, and if she does not, she is not fulfilling her responsibilities.

It does not matter one little bit whether or not she has the votes to sustain impeachment. The democrats must go on record and into history saying that what is happening in Washington is not okay.
Without impeachment the democrats are writing their legacy to say that what the repubs are doing is quite okay.

Dems must bring impeachment. Let the repubs go on record (those who vote against it) and say that the bush administration did nothing wrong. Let the repubs bear the burden of the history of this era.

Without impeachment the dems are okaying this entire 8 year rape of America.

[Bitwit1234]

17. YES YES a former president and vice president can be impeached

And the congress has more latitude. They can be tried criminally...It would be easier for them to be jailed.......

[onenote]

19. maybe yes, maybe no

There has been, to my knowledge, only one impeachment of a federal officer "after the fact" -- ie after the person was no longer in office. In that case (William Belknap) a divided Senate decided that they could pursue impeachment even though Belknap had resigned, arguing that his resignation was intended to evade impeachment. If chimpy/cheney serve out their terms, the Belknap precedent would be easily distinguishable and, since its up to the House and/or Senate to decide whether impeachment after the fact where evasion is not an issue is permissible, there is a chance that they could decide that it is not. (BTW, Belknap was acquitted, not surprisingly so, since the number of Senators who didn't think after the fact impeachment was permissible was enough to prevent conviction).

[LittleClarkie]

20. Well, that's generally what any protest is

This time it seems to be working. It appears to be one of her more successful efforts.

[AlCzervik]

21. if she is going to run i wish she'd move up here to district 3 and take on Dan Lungren

he's my rep and he sucks on a whole host of issues from stem cell to the war.