07.06.07
To Impeach or Not to Impeach?
UPDATE: After this was posted at the DailyKos, I got a lot of responses and I realize that I made a lot of errors in my post. Error 1: The President cannot pardon the impeachment (although he might try, since the Constitution is his personal toilet paper). Error 2: Just because the Chief Justice presides over the trial in the Senate he cannot dismiss the trial. Error 3: Forgot to mention the importance of trying anyways regardless that there would probably not be enough votes in the Senate to carry out either conviciton.
Again sorry for my errors.
After the news of the commutation of “Scooter” Libby’s sentence by Mr. Bush, there has been a renewed call for impeachment among those in the liberal mainstream. And we’re not talking just the fringe of our side of the fence. We’re talking about those all the way to the middle and even some on the “right.” While commuting Libby’s sentence is not an impeachable offense there are many more for which BushCheneyCo. are probably responsible for.
This is where I’d have to break from my friends but only in the viability of an impeachment and the hopefully consequential conviction of either Cheney or Bush. While impeachment would be music to my ears, I fear that with all of the entrenched cronyism in the current administration, absolutely nothing would be accomplished.
Scenario number 1 and the one most discussed right now as a “two pronged approached,” Impeach the Vice President:
Vice President Cheney is Impeached. While this seems like a good strategy to prevent him from becoming president should Bush be impeached, Mr. Bush still has the presidential power of granting pardons. The house would vote for impeachment which is the equivalent of charging the person of a crime and Mr. Bush would pardon him and wipe the slate clean. Cheney could not be charged again for the same crimes and would remain the veep.
Scenario number 2: Impeach the President
George W. Bush is impeached towards the end of his second term. While the president can’t pardon himself, he’s already played the best hand any administration could have. In fact, the Republicans have allowed and helped the administration “stack the deck” just for this reason. Two words: Supreme Court. Mr. Bush has successfully appointed two of his cronies in the SCOTUS, Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justice Alito. In the event of the president’s impeachment, the Chief Justice presides over the trial as the senate president, a position normally taken by the Vice President but due to the possible succession of the president by the veep it would be a conflict of interest. The Chief Justice could call an end to the trial before it even began or came to a vote to get the two thirds required vote to convict. The President would return to his normal duties and pretty much chastise those who brought charges against him and sadly business would return to what is considered normal under this tyrannical administration.
Like I said before, while I’m all for impeachment I don’t think it’s possible to get any desired conclusion with this administration.
