Should we be calling for the impeachment of the Senate majority leader and the Speaker of the House

[madokie]

for dereliction of duty?

I know I mentioned this earlier but seriously don't we need to take the bull by the horns and do something about this wanta be tyrant almost dictator decider.

[maddiejoan]

1. I'm pretty sure

that there is no such ability to impeach a Senator or Congressman.

[madokie]

3. huh

[maddiejoan]

5. There is no mechanism

for impeaching a Senator or Congressman.

Is that clearer?

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Sure there is

It's called running against them, causing them to lose their seat.

[maddiejoan]

8. heh

[TechBear_Seattle]

13. Well, the problem with that is

No matter who runs against a sitting Congresscritter, that person will be declared "unelectable" and "party traitor" and "divider." Should such a candiate win in the primary, the incumbent will declare him/herself an independent and both major parties will rally around, ignoring both of the designated candidates in a desperate effort to keep cronyism in place; the incumbent will win in an astonishingly suspicious landslide and life will go on as usual. It is called "the reality of American politics" and it makes me :cry:

[RaleighNCDUer]

17. That's debatable.

Only one senator has ever been impeached, but the impeachment was stalled for lack of jurisdiction. It was never ruled if that lack of jurisdiction was because he was a senator, or because he'd already been dismissed from his seat by the time the impeachment was charged.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_in_the_United_States

OTOH, maladministration is not deemed a cause for impeachment - the fact that they are incompetant can't be held against them. They can only be impeached if there are criminatl charges that can be brought against them.

They can, of course, be removed from office by (I think it is) 2/3 majority vote, but that's also not something to be done except in extreme circumstances, otherwise if one party or the other gets too strong a majority they can just remove anyone they don't like - bad precedent.

Have to do it the hard way. Vote the bums out.

[madokie]

19. I'm all for that too, Vote the bums out.

you know in the climate that is the washington dc of today anything is possible. Personally I think the majority of the 535 in both houses are guilty of wrongdoings and with many rising to the level of criminal, but thats just me

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. nothing else has gotten their attention til now.

Oh wait.

They threatened to send a letter to the president. a STRONG letter.

[madokie]

4. jumping up and down screaming just ain't getting it any more

these two and especially Nancy is impeding the rule of law, plain and simple

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Yes

and yes.

:)

[L. Coyote]

9. Should we be worried about Fall 2008, the future of Roe v. Wade, world peace, etc.

Or, should we have a divisive moment and destroy Dem unity during the election cycle. Let me think ..... :rofl:

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Upholding the constitution. Not allowing the president to

break the law. Holding him accountable for MURDER. Bringing our troops home. Cutting defense spending. Repealing the Patriot Act and FISA.

Those are the things our elected reps SHOULD BE working on.

We are not lemmings. Dem unity is not going to save us from this administration.

[madokie]

16. couldn't be put any plainer ;-)

[RaleighNCDUer]

18. Sometimes we have to think beyond the next election cycle.

It's shortsighted thinking that got us here in the first place.

For what does it gain a nation to win an election and lose democracy?

[madokie]

20. yes it sure was shortsighted thinking

and that thinking was feeding on greed. We sure have a mess to clean up is all I know for sure. Are we up for it, I think we are. I'm certain that America is stronger than the bush/cheney duo. It's no longer an if, it is now, when

[JohnnyLib2]

10. No.

[sinkingfeeling]

11. Sorry, but neither can be impeached from their leadership positions.

[madokie]

15. Well you know what, I'm just now realizing that thanks to DU'ers

Hell I thought I knew that fore shore but :shrug:

[CK_John]

14. Both the House and Senate control the status of their members. n/t

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

21. No.

1. You can't impeach them.

2. They are not in dereliction of duty.

3. Though they aren't perfect, I'm proud of them both.

[Freddie Stubbs]

22. Only if we want to look foolish

Senators and Representatives are not subject to impeachment.