Impeachment is a waste of precious time

[MrScorpio]

The most important thing for Democrats to do is NOT to punish another branch of government, but to fix things in their own.

Get the damned HOUSE in order.

By doing the IMPORTANT thing, the Democrats will do two important things in opposition to Bushevism.

One: Oversight. Some of the most outspoken Democrats are going to chair important committees, and will not hesitate to put Shrub in a tizzy.

Two: Dim Son has lost his rubber stamp. His Armageddon train is coming to a dead stop... And that will drive that megalomaniacal asshole out of his mind. Hamstringing, baby... Talk about MAKING HIM SUFFER!

It's about fucking time that we have a co-equal branch of Government engaging in the time honored tradition of creating checks and balances.

Time to roll up the sleeves and work, not engage in revenge tactics.

Turning His Ineptitude into a pitifully lame duck over the next two years is punishment enough in my book.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MrScorpio]

3. Can you tell me how you really feel?

Dude, get over it. It's not going to happen

[bryant69]

8. It's the 4th quarter and we're in the huddle

Nebernaube - "Look QB i have a plan, give me the ball and I will run straight up the middle for a TD and we will win."

QB Scorpio - "I don't think that will work - they have pretty tight D, particularly in the middle. You'd probably get about 5 steps before you got sacked. I think we need to run a flicker fleet right to get around that congestion in the middle."

Nebernaube - "Fuck you - I want to win this game."

Everybody wants to win and everybody wants to see the Bush's pay - but strategies based on wishful thinking are just stupid, no matter how desirable the end results might be.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. There Are Thirty Five To Forty Blue Dog Democrats...

Anybody that thinks Dems like Alan Boyd, Heath Schuler, and Gene Taylor are going to vote for impeachment knows not a thing about American politics. If a count ever got out of committee I doubt it could get one hundred sixty votes... Democrats aren't batshit crazy like Republicans...


And it would be just the fuel to help a moribund GOPU party in 2008...

[Oak2004]

75. That's not true

Impeachment proceedings in the Watergate affair were at first equally unlikely. Nixon had just won in an enormous landslide, was quite popular with a majority of Americans, and Democrats did not have the votes for impeachment without significant Republican defections.

But as evidence piled up, so did support for impeachment.

The circumstances are, I think, very similar. If anything, they lean slightly more strongly towards impeach-ability.

Let the investigations proceed. Take them wherever they go.

[Chiyo-chichi]

16. Flicker fleet?

Do you mean "flea flicker?" I just want to be sure what play we're running.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

17. Maybe He's Dyslexic

-:(

[bryant69]

19. Well this is based on my vague memories of having played

football in junior high some 20 years ago - so i thing it was fleet flicker but i could be wrong.

I am a poor typist, but I don't think I'm dyslexic.

Bryant

[Chiyo-chichi]

25. It's "flea" flicker.

I would have called the Statue of Liberty play, but I'm just a Wednesday morning quarterback.

[sarge43]

2. Agree

I'd like to see investigations into some of the most blatant corruptions. Not for revenge, but because the American people have said that's why they voted for change. Otherwise, what you said.

[gardenista]

4. You speak for me, Mr. Scorpio

Time to get to work and get this country back on the right track.

[KittyWampus]

5. Agreed, Democrats new refrain "let's roll up our sleeves and work TOGETHER"

at the same time... they somehow need to make it clear that does NOT mean bending over for Junior. Especially since he's so unpopular.

[blondeatlast]

6. I must agree. Let's save what's left of democracy and let the Chimp King stew

in his impotent little juices.

You summed up my feelings well in the last line.

[soothsayer]

7. If we don't tie them up with impeachment, they will continue imperial

end runs around the congress and senate

Keep them busy fighting for their lives, or executive order after executive order will make congress meaningless!

[cynatnite]

9. I say let's not go hunting for impeachment...

but if during the course of subpoenas and investigations more evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors come to light...

Impeach, Indict and Imprison.

[MrScorpio]

13. Good point

Pruning the branches.... I'm sure that Congressional investigations are going to uncover plenty of criminality engaged in by Bush lackeys and Bush-friends over the last few years.

Bring on the perpwalk of the Sycophants!

I expect plenty of those fuckers to see a lot of time behind bars



Remember what happened to all those Reagan midgets in the wake of Iran-Contra

[soothsayer]

18. Yes, yes! But we must go on the offensive. We've been complacent

in this erosion of the Constitution, and that needs to stop right now.

[blondeatlast]

32. I want to see the Constitution restored first. Then we can make the mofos pay.

My son's future is more important than revenge right now.

[H2O Man]

36. Impeachment is, in fact,

part of the Constitutional responsibilities of the Congress. It is one of the checks and balances of the federal government, and is not limited to the president. As defined by the Constitution, it has nothing to do with "revenge."

[bryant69]

33. Yes - let the investigation drive the impeachment

Bryant

[bunny planet]

46. That shredder truck at the Cheney compound was there in anticipation of

those investigations. That seems clear. And Cheney has said he won't appear even if he's subpoened.
Hopefully we can find out most of what they've been hiding but we can't let it distract us from all the really 'hard work' we'll have addressing Jr.'s clusterfuck domestic and foreign policies.

[bullwinkle428]

51. Absolutely the best approach to this!! Given the short attention span of

the average citizen, they need to have the evidence doled out to them in nice little bite-sized pieces...easily consumable.

[sampsonblk]

63. That's it!

Let's see what, if anything, comes out during normal oversight. In fact, that might be a good way to put it, when asked about impeachment. "I am going to do my job!"

[warrior1]

11. bush and cronies

can impeached even after the leave office. The democratic party has a lot of work to do. He does need to be impeached, but I support your right to your feelings about this.

Love ya Mr. Scorpio.

[goodboy]

12. Also, we want to unite the country, we need to unite the country and

Impeaching the bastard (no matter how badly we want to) will divide the country even further.

There will surely come a time when the boy-king and all his little jesters will have to face the consequences of their crimes.

and that time will come soon.

Until then, let us work together to undo the damage they've done, and move forward.

[xiamiam]

14. impeach and indict...and send the war profiteers to jail...sorry, but they must not be forgiven

for what they have done...they are criminals and must be treated as such...its not a waste of time to remove trash from society...and put them where they belong...i am not forgiving for the nightmare we've just witnessed...or the tens of thousands of young wounded...or the dead...or the destruction of iraq....or the reasons we went there...its not over..its just begun..

[JuniperLea]

15. Horse pucky

Since when is it a waste of time to put criminals behind bars where they can do less harm? Horse pucky... there is plenty of momentum and plenty of Democrats to get the job done.

It's time to stay strong, not to roll over and piss ourselves like a subservient dog.

This country can only heal after the rotten scab has been scraped from the wound and plenty of disinfectant has been poured into it.

[cali]

22. It's just not going to happen

Pelosi and other dem leaders have made that clear. In any case, you don't start with impeachment, you start with investigations.

[babylonsister]

61. I ditto the horse pucky. If not now, when? What's it for otherwise? nt

[Ganja Ninja]

20. It's better to investigate and expose him for what he is.

Bush is the poster boy for Republican corruption and incompetence. It would take at least 6 to 8 months before we could mount and impeachment hearing. Hey we aren't even going to be a majority for 2 more months.

I'm in favor of leaving him there until the next election. Perhaps we could start proceedings against him before the election and finnish them in time to impeach him (but not necessarily remove him) shortly before his successor takes office.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

21. Impeachment would cost us in 2008, time to help the working class & secure our country's future

[casus belli]

30. Well, it MIGHT help us. Look at how Clinton's impeachment affected later elections.

However, I don't think we should make a decision like that based on the potential political advantage or disadvantage.

[onenote]

68. how did Clinton's impeachment impact later elections?

I'd like some proof for that one.

[pdxmom]

23. Agreed. Let the Dems do the job they were elected to do...and most

importantly, let them do oversight.

If, in the course of this oversight, they are able to show the people high crimes and misdemeanors, then let the public sentiment and outcry control where they go next. Let the system actually work, and don't go looking to overreach. After last night, I have faith in the people.

[casus belli]

24. I completely agree.

While an impeachment might give us some sense of satisfaction and revenge for taking us down a dark dead-end street for the last 6 years, it would distract us from the many issues we have before us in fulfilling our promises to the American people who granted us this opportunity.

I DO, however, think that some commitees and investigations need to be conducted into quite a few issues, not the least of which is the misappropriation of our taxes by Halliburton/KBR and other contractors in Iraq.

[adamuu]

81. well said. right on. n/t

[H2O Man]

26. I respectfully disagree.

One of the purposes of the House is to investigate wrong-doing in the executive and judicial branches of the federal government. To say that one of what the Founding Fathers intended to be among the most important powers of the legislative branch is a "waste of precious time" is simply wrong. The fact that the nation -- including the Congress and the public -- were knowingly lied to, in order to push the administration's war in Iraq, would seem too obvious a reason for citizens to want the House to investigate. To confuse that Constitutional responsibility with "revenge" indicates a lack of familiarity with the responsibilities of the House. Perhaps what is important now is for citizens to demand such an investigation, and not insist that it results in the impeachment of any one person. Properly done, it seems more likely that a thorough investigation would lead to VP Cheney, rather than Bush.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

55. Impeachment is almost inevitable once the House starts investigating

There will be numerous investigations because it is the job of the legislative branch to keep tabs on the executive.

As soon as that cat is let out of the bag, it's going to have a life of it's own and I don't think it will be possible to stop it. The committee hearings will draw media attention and MSM will be forced to do it's frickin' job for a change.

Also, as H2O man stated, it is for the good of the country.

Besides, if we can expose to the average American how criminal and fascist this administration has become, we will guarantee a shift in the electorate that will go way beyond 2008.

There won't be impeachment hearings in January of 2007, but the investigations that begin in 2007 will eventually lead to an impeachment or more likely, Bush's resignation. The blue dog democrats will turn on Bush, followed by members of his own party as his crimes are publicized.

It'll be Nixon all over again and may take a while to gain momentum, but once this process begins, it is very powerful.

[H2O Man]

60. Correct.

I think that we can accept that those expressing anti-impeachment beliefs are sincere. But they are uninformed, misinformed, or simply ill-informed about what "impeachment" means.

The first error is saying that the Congress has more important things to do. The Founding Fathers put the Congress first in the Constitution, because it was intended to be the "first" among separate but equal branches. Impeachment is one of the primary tools granted in order to stop corruption in the executive and judicial branches.

Those who claim it is intended for rare use are clearly unfamiliar with the writings of George Mason, Ben Franklin, and James Madison. That is an ignorance that we can ill afford, if we are serious about keeping our Constitutional form of government.

More, there is rather hollow speculation that if the democrats investigate crimes -- and the lies that brought this nation to war in Iraq are surely worth investigating as crimes -- that the party will somehow "lose" in the near-future elections. Again, this degree of ignorance is a luxury we cannot afford. Let's take a brief look at recent history:

{1} The House began to investigate Nixon. It is beyond debate that the House and Senate would have completed the impeachment process, had Nixon not resigned. If we look at the elections that followed, democrats gained in strength, while republicans suffered from the exposure of the tue extent of the administration's corruption.

{2} Democrats opted not to begin impeachment proceedings against Reagan, when the Iran-Contra hearings uncovered evidence that absolutely, by law, called for impeachment. They were sincere in their belief that it would damage the country, especially coming so soon after Watergate. I would challange anyone to make a case that this helped the country, or to point out how it helped democrats in the presidential elections.

{3} Many people believe that the Clinton impeachment was "revenge" for Nixon. This is in part true, though it certainly isn't the full story. Hopefully, as mature adults and responsible citizens, we can distinguish between the issue of Clinton's sex life, and Cheney's death wish. The failure to recognize the vast differences hardly seems like a strength to me.

[some guy]

66. I will add in here

that if the House had thoroughly investigated the Nixon administration, even after he resigned, it might have been possible to imprison some of his appointed personnel, GHW Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld...

It might have avoided the whole Iran-Contra thing; failing that, a thorough investigation of Iran-Contra might have brought imprisonment for those same three officials.

I would really like to see thorough investigations of ALL GW Bush appointees, so we as a nation can avoid whatever imperialistic ambitions might come from the GOP in the future.

[H2O Man]

71. Good points.

It might serve us well to view impeachment as similar to the medicine that our Founding Fathers prescribed to deal with the infection of corruption on the political body of the nation. Just as with antibiotics, it is important to take the entire prescription, or the disease will mutate and come back, we might recognize that our failure to complete the prescription allowed Watergate to mutate into Iran-Contra, and Iran-Contra to mutate into the Bush-Cheney administration.

We really are not going to be in danger if we have faith in, and follow the directions of the Constitution. It seems curious that anyone who is a progressive and who has respect for the Constitution would take the stance that we should not rely upon that Constitution in dealing with this administration.

[onenote]

69. I doubt it.

The fact is that investigations will establish little more than what currently is known. There would have to be some new "smoking gun" that would undermine support for chimpy and cheney among their own party faithful and cause moderates who are more interested in looking forward than backward, to devote the political energy to the effort. And there will be no such smoking gun. The president will claim executive privilege and resist Congressional demands for documents. And the SCOTUS will uphold chimpy's claim. And a lot of newly elected Democrats who are from areas that are conservative/moderate by nature are not going to put themselves at the forefront of a battle over this issue.

Not going to happen.

[Maven]

72. You're missing one important fact.

There's plenty of evidence already in *existence* that simply hasn't seen the light of day (in Congress, at least) and the public simply isn't aware of.

Think we'll be hearing more about the Downing Street Memo, for instance?

I do.

And there's more evidence out there. BET on it. Evidence isn't just a piece of paper. Evidence is testimony, too, and testimony will come with subpoena power. Building a case doesn't always require a "smoking gun."

[Habibi]

27. Agree and recommend.

I don't want to see our resources tied up with this. I want some actual progress that has meaning in people's lives.

Yes, investigate. Yes, provide oversight. If more wrongdoing comes to light, then make a decision. But no revenge.

Wow. It's amazing how winning has made me so calm. :-)

[MrScorpio]

28. Let me point something out

Impeachment out of the box is something that no one can either support or perform

But...

And get this, once the appropriate committees gather concrete/air-tight/slam-dunk evidence of impeachable offenses directly committed by Commander Bunnypants himself... Laissez bontemps roulez, baby!

No margin for error

[DoYouEverWonder]

35. With the DEMS in control

and a number of ongoing investigations such has Plame, Abramoff, and Halliburton, there may soon be overwhelming evidence that will force Congress to take action. Or better yet, Bush will end up going the way of Nixon and resigning has new 'evidence' comes to light in the next few months.

[mom cat]

29. I respectfully disagree. Bush and Cheney are guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors.

Not addressing that leaves two dangerous men in power who want to get us into WW III. Bush and Cheney believe in the unitary executive and he will still have the "power" as commander in chief. They both have to go before they destroy the world. We can't afford two more years of those megalomaniacs having power to conduct their wars of aggression.

[USA_1]

34. True - But Here's A Question ...

HOW DO WE KNOW IF BUSH IS NOT CURRENTLY PLANNING ANOTHER WAR IN ORDER TO SHORE UP HIS POPULARITY RATINGS FOR THE NEXT ELECTION IN 2007?

[USA_1]

31. Impeachment & Working Together ...

... how about having both?

[Blue_Roses]

37. Agreed!

nt

[GeorgeGist]

38. Yeah baby...

it's the Dems time to say 'phuck the constitution' and the 'geneva conventions'.

[Vidar]

39. I disagree.

[maine_raptor]

40. As of this moment, Impeachment and Removal from Office is off the table.

And not because Nancy says so, either.

A simple majority in the House is enough to Impeach a President, but it takes 2/3 of the Senate to remove. So until you have a solid 2/3's, Bush is in office until 2009.

To get that, you need some more Dems in the Senate or evidence so overwhelming that enough Repugs join the Dems.

Let the House do it's work (oversight and investigation), and then, to quote the Emperor Claudius;

"Let all the Poisons in the Mud Lurk Out."

[Wilber_Stool]

41. One of the reasons we're here at all is

because we didn't impeach Raygun. Republicans should be given a choice. Either join us in impeachment or be investigated and go to jail. I think we might find they are very cooperative. We have to use all of the leverage we have.

[davekriss]

42. I don't think so

There needs to be the example in history when a Presidential administration is so flagrantly anti-Constitutional, so criminal, corrupt, and immoral as this one: It NEEDS to be impeached so future party apparati think twice before appointing potential future tyrants. The example and pain has already been given to the rubber-stamp Republithugs as they've lost power; the example needs its exclamation point of impeachment and criminal proceedings at the federal level.

Having said that, the needs of the suffering -- from the "cannon fodder" stuck in Iraq (GHWB's purported words from another decade), to the homeless and working poor, to senior citizens forced to decide to buy drugs or food -- these needs need to be met first.

[bigtree]

43. If Bush does not respond to the clear message from voters

to pull out of Iraq, then I will, and many others will, insist on his impeachment.

[Lyric]

44. Why not have our cake and eat it too?

If we push full-throttle for impeachment, we're going to look like angry petulants who are holding up the business of repairing our damaged government for the sake of revenge, in the eyes of many moderate and swing voters--voters we NEED to turn a victory into an utter rout come 2008.

However, we also NEED to uncover and reveal the festering corruption the GOP left behind in Congress. The American people DESERVE to see the truth of what they've been doing.

Therefore, I propose the following. We investigate ethics violations. We investigate corruption. We make sure that those investigations are not impeding us from going about the real business on Congress--running the nation. And when we find evidence of corruption, lies, cheats, scandal, etc.--we release it ALL to the public, and vote for censure after censure after censure, while informing the American people that WE have more respect for the office of the Presidency than Clinton's Republican Congress did. We shall censure him, but not impeach. I suggest this approach for several reasons.

1. It gives us the moral highground. In the eyes of the public, we remain classy, gracious LEADERS instead of angry vengeful upstarts, especially when juxtaposed with what the Republican Congress did to Clinton. Remember how disgusted the American people got with the impeachment hearings and the endless investigations? We want to avoid having that happen to us. We do NOT want people to start feeling sorry for him, and that is precisely what will happen if we try to impeach.

2. Bush will lose serious "leadership" status. His Presidency will appear to be something he kept only at the mercy of the Democratic Party. He will be perceived as weak, pathetic, and useless--in other words, he'll be shown up for what he REALLY is. And the Repubs won't be able to claim that we're concentrating more on revenge than governance, so they'll lose one of their biggest 2008 hammers.

3. Censure is more humiliating. It's far worse to be a highly damaged President still in office than to be given the mercy of being a civilian again, and being able to walk away and forget it all. Even if we have enough evidence to remove him from office, I doubt if we'll have enough to send him to prison, so I'm not willing to hand him his walking papers just yet. I want to see the jerk squirm helplessly in office for a couple of years, under intense media criticism and scrutiny. After six years of being abused by that man, we deserve THAT much. Let the White House become more of a prison than a palace for him.

In the meantime, we keep passing legislation, we keep governing well. We give the people the change that they so obviously wanted. We throw bill after bill at Bush and if he continues to veto, we can claim obstructionism and try to override. If the Republican Congresspeople refuse to cooperate, we go public with their refusals and show them up for the hypocrites that they are. They'll look like a bunch of snivelling sour grapes who are desperately clinging to any last scrap of power they can get, and we'll look like the hard-working patient leaders that are trying to do the will of the American people, while being interfered with by a bunch of whiny losers.

[Leopolds Ghost]

58. Excellent suggestion

Unfortunately when was the last time DLC played smart?

They fought Dean's strategy tooth and nail.

[mistertrickster]

45. I agree. Don't impeach. Let law enforcement prosecute for crimes.

Congress can stay above the fray.

[elehhhhna]

76. yep. DU Meetup next year at the Hague, anyone?

[The Backlash Cometh]

47. You have to impeach if the investigations turn up information that

warrants it. You keep giving these Republicans a pass and it will send a message to their constituents that what they do is not high crime, but politics as usual.

Listen to me, there are Republicans out there who think these chaotic blips are normal and that the Republicans have the right and responsibility to tear up everything that the Democrats work so hard for. If you want to protect the middle class, make their safety nets fool-proof from these market and political fluctuations. Send a message that tampering with the system will send dire consequences.

Don't be a bleeding heart now, like you all were with the Iran-Contra. It's only escalating. The next time WILL be Armageddon.

[barbtries]

48. i disagree

they are criminals. they need to be gone and the sooner the better. as long as the bushies have power too much is risked. two years of lame duck dom is no where near enough for the harm that has been done. not even close. justice waits for these murderous war- and powermongers.

[smoogatz]

49. If Bush has committed high crimes against the American people

(which he has), the only legal recourse available is to impeach and convict. And then hand him over to the hague to be tried for war crimes. If he's allowed to walk, then our legal system and the Constitution are meaningless.

[kster]

50. Military out of harms way, PBHC, taking back our AIRWAVES

PRIORITY 1 2 and 3.............

[madrchsod]

52. no time to impeach

many more important things to do

[Xenotime]

53. You are so wrong...Impeachment MUST happen.

They pResident needs to be held accountable for his failure in lack of leadership on numerous occasions.

[Jcrowley]

54. That means

ignoring the Constitution. I believe an oath was taken. Maybe that doesn't mean anything anymore.

[Pooka Fey]

56. Oh for fuck's sake

Why don't we all just join hands with these perps and sing Kumbaya?

You may be able to look the families of the all those who have been killed, kidnapped, and tortured by Bush's malice and incompetence (9/11, Iraq War, Katrina) in the eye and tell them it's a waste of time to investigate and impeach him, but I can't. I think you have confused the concepts of revenge and justice.

[In Truth We Trust]

57. Bullshit, IMPEACH each and every one of the fuckers! Rule of Law you know.

[KingFlorez]

59. I agree

I think the goal should be to try to fix things. Control of the House means Bush has to listen now, because Democrats will set the agenda and he has to work with them if he wants anything done.

[youthere]

62. Amen! n/t

[porphyrian]

64. That is the stupidest, most ignorant statement you can make.

While there is some validity to the idea that postponing impeachment is tactically intelligent, there is simply no question at all of whether or not we should impeach - it is a Constitutional imperative. The highest ranking officials of our government have broken our laws and defied the Constitution they swore to uphold. As a nation of laws, if we do not impeach, our laws and our nation are rendered meaningless. If we believe in our Constitution, we must impeach, period.

[Catherine Vincent]

65. I only want impeachment if he's guaranteed an ejection.

Which means the Senate would have to vote to impeach. If that is not guaranteed, then it will be a waste of time. I know Bush, of all people, deserves to be impeached unlike my beloved President Clinton.

[RagingInMiami]

67. There are almost 3000 Americans dead in an illegal war

Not to mentions hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqi civilians. There is overwhelming evidence that shrub deliberately mislead us into this war.

It's not necessarily about "revenge tactics" -- although I for one believe in payback -- it's about restoring credibility in the world as to what our country supposedly stands for.

I say begin impeachment investigations immediately. This "turn the other cheek" and "let's not stoop down to their level" is what has kept the dems down these last few years.

Impeaching the idiot king sends out a message to all future presidents that illegal wars will not be tolerated.

[onenote]

70. Agreed.

[4theheart]

73. First things first!

We need to do the peoples work FIRST and get CONCRETE things done, fix health care,create a livable wage for workers, encourage stem cell research. Lack of progress on these goals could result in the deaths of MILLIONS not just thousands!! I'm not opposed to the idea of impeachment but FIRST things FIRST. The impeachment and subsequent trial will be a LOOONNGG process, and confirmation in the senate (to actually remove him) I believe is far from certain (I guarendamnTEE you liberman won't vote to remove him) So let's focus on what CAN be done, because that's why the people (in my opinion) elected the democrats to power. They're tired of statements and repudiation (like censure or impeachment) They wan't IMMEDIATE benefits in their daily lives,in many cases for pure survival. So lets focus on the things that can do to make a mesurable differnce in this country. The BEST way to overshadow bush is to make better domestic and international polices that the american people will approve of. He'll face a fate much worse than repudiation to him, he'll become IRRELEVANT.This isn't a choice between being strong or weak this is a choice between JUST being strong and being strong AND having a measurable impact on the lives of ordinary americans. They gave us this chance now, let's show the people that their trust was well placed!

[adamuu]

85. that is a measured approach and a realistic expectation.

which is difficult, considering just how messed up things are, how hard we've all worked, how stressed out we've been, and how much we want to see these guys strung up.

but it is a very mature and rational approach. and i agree its probably why the people voted for the democrats.

kudos.

[crispini]

74. I would like to agree with you in a limited sort of way. BUT....

One of the things I am most pleased about is our newly found ability for OVERSIGHT. I think that by telling us that they want a divided government, one of the things that the House will do is keep an eye on those idiots in the executive branch. So I think we SHOULD hold investigatory hearings on various things, and I think that if any of those investigatory hearings lead to finding an impeachable offence, then we should look into that.

I am not interested in impeaching him for political revenge's sake. I am only interested in impeaching him if and when things come out that demonstrate conclusively that he ought to be impeached.

[Tom Joad]

77. Yeah. Its like a cop arresting a burglar (as he commits the act)

What the cop can do more constructively is to tell him how to burglarize better, with less waste of resources. Burlarize, with better management!

But arrest the burglar? Just think of the court costs, the paperwork... just a distraction. The cop and the burglar should work together for the good of the community!

[redqueen]

78. INVESTIGATIONS first...

if those lead to more, so be it.

[Downtown Hound]

79. Bigno! Let's see what we can come up with first

The Republicans spent tens of millions of dollars investigating Clinton and all they ever turned up was that he got a blowjob from another adult. This administration is so wracked with scandal there's got to be some serious dirt out there somewhere.

[adamuu]

80. I agree. changes will be quiet and voluntary. * forced to cooperate.

there are certain things that HAVE to be investigated, such as where did the iraq money go?
however, the dems will use the real ugly stuff, such as impeachment, as leverage.
as long as * behaves, they'll lay off the real ugly hearings. No doubt he deserves to be strung up, but this is beside the point. This is how the changes will happen. quietly and voluntarily.

[AntiFascist]

82. Again, this is not about making him suffer!!!!

There are very important corrupting forces at work on the political establishment. Obviously, the American public is waking up to this fact, but we don't know exactly what the nature of it is. Simply blaming it on the "Armgeddon Train" is not good enough, that's how its been sold to many amongst the Bush flock, but there is much more to it than that. Impeachment proceedings would shine a light on this that may force more out into the open. If not, then it may rear its ugly head at some point in our future.

[spuddonna]

83. I disagree. Justice is not revenge, and the American people want justice...

If the investigations that SHOULD have happened over the course of the past 6 years yield evidence of wrongdoing, then anyone guilty should be held accountable. If that means impeachment, then do it. If it means criminal investigations, then do it.

If we walk away from the checks and balances of governance, then we are no better than they are...

[Gwerlain]

84. I agree, but I think...

there are more important things to do first if we want to win in '08. Pelosi has it right: fix the lobbyists, then middle class tax cuts, minimum wage update, and medical coverage improvements. Let shrub try vetoing that, after it passes in both houses. If he don't go along, THEN it's investigate/impeach/indict/imprison time. They've got the stick... they should use it to get OUR business done first.

[earth mom]

86. Who are you to say NO to the will of the people?!

It's NOT about what YOU want, but what the majority of THE PEOPLE want!