-Caveat Lector- http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-enrich030603.asp
March 6, 2003, 9:00 a.m. Impeaching Bush Congressional Dems ready to avenge. By David Enrich Ever since President Bush's controversial victory in the 2000 election, die-hard Democrats have dreamed of revenge for the Clinton impeachment. Now, as the country braces for war, some liberal Democrats in Congress are preparing to introduce articles of impeachment against Bush and perhaps members of his Cabinet, according to lawmakers and congressional aides. Over the past few weeks, some of the most liberal members of the House have discussed the possibility of impeaching Bush. Talks have intensified this week, lawmakers say, largely because war with Iraq appears imminent. At least one senior House Democrat has produced a draft impeachment resolution. It accuses Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Attorney General John Ashcroft of more than a dozen "high crimes and misdemeanors," including bombing civilians in Afghanistan and constitutional violations in the domestic war on terrorism. The resolution also charges Bush with "threatening the independence and sovereignty of Iraq by belligerently proclaiming an intention to change its government by force while preparing to assault Iraq in a war of aggression." A congressional aide provided the resolution's text on the condition of anonymity. White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said he had no comment on the impeachment resolutions that are being discussed. Rep. Danny K. Davis, a Chicago Democrat who has discussed impeachment with his colleagues in the congressional black and progressive caucuses, said a resolution probably would be introduced in the event of "a full-fledged military effort" that occurs without new congressional war resolutions. "There are some [lawmakers] who obviously are more eager to jump hard, and then there are others who probably aren't even thinking this way at all" about impeachment, Davis said. "I'd probably be in the middle." Could Bush become the third president ever impeached? Not likely. Even some of the lawmakers and aides involved in the impeachment effort say they don't expect to actually impeach the president. Instead, they say their goal is to express their outrage with the administration's foreign and domestic policies. Lawmakers sometimes introduce resolutions outlining articles of impeachment for purely political reasons, said Stephen Hess, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Brookings Institution. "This is more than frivolous. It's just political pap," Hess said. "Impeachment is not the appropriate vehicle for political argumentation, and that's what this is." Among the most vocal proponents of impeaching Bush are former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark and Francis A. Boyle, a law professor at the University of Illinois. They both helped craft an impeachment resolution that was introduced in Congress against the elder President Bush on the eve of the first Gulf War. Clark, the founder of the far-left International Action Center, also once advocated the impeachment of then-President Ronald Reagan. Working independently, Clark and Boyle say they have distributed sample impeachment resolutions to small groups of antiwar Democratic lawmakers and their aides. They say they expect at least one lawmaker to introduce an impeachment resolution in the House. "It's under active review by several members of Congress," Boyle said. "It's going to take someone with courage, integrity and a safe seat to do this." Few Democrats involved in the impeachment discussions will talk about them publicly. Rep. Maxine Waters of Los Angeles would say only that she and other members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus are "considering a lot of different strategies ... by which to create a real voice of opposition to war." "The evidence of an imperial presidency almost grows daily," said another Democratic lawmaker, who said he would vote to impeach Bush. But some of the war opposition's usual suspects have rejected entreaties to join the impeachment campaign. "I'm not interested. I think it would be destructive for this country. This country needs healing, and that's why I'm running for president," said Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio, the Progressive Caucus chairman. Boyle said Kucinich's refusal to be involved in the impeachment planning was politically motivated. "I think Kucinich might have done it if he had not decided to run for president," Boyle said. "I guess he concluded that might hurt his run for president." But Kucinich is not the only antiwar Democrat steering clear of impeachment. "There have been people asking, and I have so far declined," said Rep. Jim McDermott of Washington, who was widely condemned last year for visiting Iraq. "It's really premature until we go to war. Then we'll have to see." - David Enrich, a reporter at States News Service, covers Washington for several newspapers. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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