March 08, 2006

Persuasion Needed for 2006, Not Impeachment

Lots of people are talking about impeachment.

Garrison Keillor proposes it, saying "Impeach him and let the Senate hear the evidence."

We see articles almost every day by very thoughtful people on AlterNet, CommonDreams, Truthout, Buzzflash and other websites and blogs advocating impeachment.

In my home state of Vermont, five towns (we just had town meeting day) voted to impeach Bush. Lewis Lapham at Harper's magazine has editorialized in favor of impeachment. And, of course, Rep. John Conyers has been leading the effort in Congress to demand the House of Representatives investigate impeachable offenses by the President. The list goes on and on. There are alot of people working on this issue. Way too many.

No doubt there are sufficient reasons to believe that this administration has committed impeachable offenses which need to be investigated. No doubt the alleged offenses committed by this Bush/Cheney government far exceed the alleged offenses the Republicans used to stampede the Congress into impeaching Bill Clinton and put him on trial in the Senate.

"No one died when Clinton lied" pretty much sums up the difference between the two cases. But I worry that this campaign to impeach Bush looks a little too much like "tit for tat," that too many Americans are going to feel like it is partisan revenge. Let's put away the nuclear option for now and persuade Americans why we must overturn Bush's control of Congress. There are enough good and justifiable reasons to do so. We need persuasion, not impeachment. We need to win in November, not feel moralistic and virtuous.

A letter to the International Herald Tribune says that if Bush were the CEO of a corporation, he'd have been out of the job a long time ago. Wishful thinking, at best. Bush is the CEO of the United States government and he has delivered astounding profits and benefits to the corporate syndicate that owns and operates this country, otherwise known as the shareholders of the government. Bush's allies in Congress appreciate all he has done for their clients. They are not going to impeach Bush.

The Senate can't even get one committee to hear evidence about alleged illegal wiretapping by the NSA. Does anyone really believe that the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and United States Senate are going to impeach George Bush and then put him on trial with this current Congress?

Stand up, go directly to the House and Senate candidate you can support, give money, make calls, get your friends together to work with you, walk the precincts, get out the vote, register people, put up signs, host fundraisers, talk to undecided voters, talk to Republicans who have concerns about Bush, persuade, persuade, persuade.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good. Your argument is clear and persuasive. Impeachment, or even proceedings to begin an impeachment, would warm many a bruised Democratic heart. But we can do another season without warmth. We need change and repair. BushCo has nearly ruined not only this country but the entire planet. His ilk must be removed from power, and when we can set the country on a sound path again, that will be the time to try him. I hope there is a seven-year statute of limitations for ex-presidents to guarantee us the time to assemble a case for criminal negligence.

Now the question is this: why do Democrats eat their young? Consider the case of Paul Hackett, the first charismatic face to rise from the muck. Why was he sacrificed?

nightquill said...

Very nicely put, Stephen. I'm persuaded. There's so much to be angry about, but anger marginalizes and we can't afford that....

Mark Prime (tpm/Confession Zero) said...

Nicely worded my friend. Nicely worded. Support first then let the chips fall where they may. Undone Trembling