Impeachment: If Not Now, When?

Polls show that 74 percent of Democrats and the majority of American adults support impeaching Cheney. “Never in our history have the high crimes and misdemeanors been so flagrant, and the people of our country know it,” writes local author Richard Behan.

Kucinich has targeted Cheney first, but investigations will implicate the president as well. For the first time in the history of the Gallup Poll, 50 percent of respondents say they “strongly disapprove” of the president. Richard Nixon had reached the previous high, 48 percent, just before an impeachment inquiry was launched in 1974. With these numbers, why aren’t Bush and Cheney gone already?

The vice president is accused of:

- purposely manipulating intelligence to fabricate a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction in order to justify an attack on Iraq;
- deceiving Congress about an alleged relationship between Iraq and al-Qaida;
- threatening aggression against the Republic of Iran, absent any real threat to the United States.

These violations of the Constitution and international treaty are just the tip of the iceberg. More articles of impeachment can be added at any time, and ample evidence to convict is on the public record. Representatives need to introduce articles regarding:

- illegal war, in violation of both international treaty and the Constitution;
- widespread domestic wiretapping in violation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a felony. Bush already has admitted to this;
- condoning torture in violation of federal laws and international treaties;
- rescinding habeas corpus, the cornerstone of Western law since the Magna Carta;
- obstruction of justice regarding U.S. attorney firings;
- subversion of the Constitution, abuse of signing statements and rescinding habeas corpus.

It’s astounding that our representatives to Congress carry on with business as usual knowing that Americans lack habeas corpus and a working code of law. I want my representative, Dave Reichert, to block the doors of the House until habeas is restored as a basic human right in this nation!

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/11/25/5416/