Login HereKucinich has Big Time in his sights:
Although Democratic leaders in the House and Senate have repeatedly expressed their lack of interest in impeaching anybody, the Democratic congressman from Cleveland last week sent an e-mail to his congressional colleagues that offered them a chance to scope out "articles of impeachment" he plans to introduce against Vice President Dick Cheney.
The public will get its first glimpse of Kucinich's plans for Cheney tomorrow at a Capitol Hill press conference, according to the latest news release from Kucinich.
Cheney's spokeswoman could not immediately be reached for comment. When asked last week whether Cheney had done anything worthy of impeachment, she said the vice president has honorably served the government for almost 40 years.
UPDATE: Cheney spokeswoman Megan McGinn's impeachment-related angst hasn't escalated since last week. Her response to today's Kucinich announcement: "The vice president is focused on the serious issues facing our country."
Thoughts?
(YouTube via Maru)
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Minds of the senate are slowly turning.
Jane!
Well, I guess I have to give Dennis props for thinking of us. For all the good it will do.
So impeach the bastard.
SWEET JANE!!
Would Rove take a bullet for this man?
“The vice president is focused on the serious issues facing our country.”
Well, maybe he oughta seriously think about stepping down.
I’m with Jay @ 4 Impeach the SOB then his little monkey.
The Vice President is focusing his sights on taking out as many people as he can before he goes down.
VJB @
6
Would ANYONE take a bullet for this man?
BTW, does Rove have Secret Service protection as well? Wonder how those folks feel about possibly having to take one for KKKarl?
Wondering if the timing has anything to do with Tenet’s book/60 Minutes appearance and the start of the Wilson’s civil trial.
Ya’ll, everybody and their dog keeps telling me ain’t no way it’s gonna happen. I can sorta see the Dems’ position on this considering all the information the documents they are going to have to pull out of this admin like teeth in hearing after hearing. It will take months and months and then it will be time for him to be gone. (World breathes deep sigh of relief).
I just don’t know what to think. If it’s logistically possible, I say, go for it, Kuch!
Now repukes have such a sense of humor. Why couldn’t previous administrations thought of something so hilarious. Ya, shooter’s aim was off, I’m sure his intended target was a rolling egg.
Smart man. Step #1 to impeaching Bush–get rid of Chaney so he can’t step up into presidency (do you think he could have planned for Bush to get impeached so Dicky boy would become President by default?)
Step #2: impeach Bush.
Kucinich is one smart man! Hats off to him.
Thoughts? I like Kucinich. As it stands now if Gore does not run, I want Kucinich. Gore/Kucinich would really be nice. Gore/Pelosi? Boy-girl howdy, would that be sweet too. We have so many talented and capable Dems who could lead.
about time!
Hit them from all sides….and keep hitting. It’s the honorable thing to do!
I’m all for impeaching Cheney before Bush, but is there enough time?
What about impeaching Gonzales first? That one is practically set up… and might have bi-partisan support.
Eugh, sorry for being too stoopid to pick up on the fact we’re talking about Cheney. Yes, that would be the way to go, now wouldn’t it. Cut off the head.
My thought is that it’s as good a place to start as any. I also think anyone even remotely interested in returning democracy to America, and keeping this misadministration’s actions from being set as precedent that you contact Kucinich’s office today to encourage him, and tomorrow after he announces this to support him.
Also, this would be the perfect time to rattle on Pelosi’s cage and point out that not everyone shares her incomprehensible stance not to impeach shrub and shooter despite a majority of this country supporting it (for lying us into Iraq for example).
I do love Dennis. One of the few with COMPLETE integrity.
OT EPU but this post is closer. Waxman is getting quite upset about lax WH security practices is seems.
realworld @
10 BTW: Here is the original link to Waxmans letter
na na na-na
na na na-na
che-ney-eh
goodbye!
It will be interesting to see how it will play out
Makes sense to go after Cheney first, removes him as an issue when debating whether to impeach Bush.
Also neutralizes him as a mouthpiece for Bush and neo-cons.
And it undercuts any attempted claim at a positive spin on history; we could take comfort in knowing our kids and grandkids (who won’t know immediately of his evil) will not look well on him.
Truth, justice, Kucinich is doing what the House of Reps is supposed to be doing!
Thank you, Congressman Kucinich!
Oklahoma kiddo @ 15
I’m with the Kiddo and Kucinich.
Impeach the lying arshole
They have more than enough on all of them I would think, what they don’t have is the votes in the senate to convict
The view here is that Kucinich has by far, the best approach to the Israeli-Palestinian situation.
AngryAmerican @ 19
I feel like the reason she doesn’t want to go there is that it if those two go, she would end up President by default (I can’t even think about it, I’m not allowed to have such happiness in this lifetime). All conservs would be jumping up and down like apes, frothing at the mouth and screaming about a conflict of interest.
This is also one of the top stories on “Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer”. They first covered Reid and how he’s bringing the bill which will require the end of the occupation by April 1, 2008.
Second story is Gonzo saying, “I’m not going anywhere”. Looks like the Cheney impeachment story will be next.
I hate to be a negative thinker, but I don’t see impeachment happening. It is deserving, but I don’t see it coming to fruition. That said, I’m very glad to see Kucinich pushing the issue. The crimes of Cheney should be disucssed openly and in the MSM, so good for Kucinich for bringing it.
Hitting the Bush government with challenges from every direction is a great way to keep them on the defensive and consumed with fighting off these assaults, even if none of them succeed. The more time and effort the Bush cabal spends resisting oversight or defending embattled personnel, the less damage they can wreak pursuing their corrupt enterprise. How many policy initiatives have we heard from Bush the Lesser this year? All it’s been is why troops need to keep dying in Iraq and what a great and honest man Abu Gonzales is.
I want to see the Bush government removed from power as much as the next person, but if they can be stopped from running amok for the next two years that’s a victory in itself.
Sad to say, but unless DK has the proverbial mushroom cloud for a smoking gun, it’ll all be for nought. Unless, of course, DK has been secretly preparing a case to take before the International War Crimes Tribunal to try Dead-eye on his crimes against humanity, in which case impeachment would be the least of Big Time’s worries. Can you say “Pie in the sky?”
AngryAmerican @ 20
Look, I don’t think that a majority of Dems understand what delicate position Pelosi is in. First, because she is the 3rd in line, she has a conflict of interest and cannot call for impeachment on her own.
Second, she said it was off the table — but that doesn’t mean the American public can’t put it on the table on their own via their states, or via the SENATE, which is where impeachment really happens.
It’s up to us to do the heavy lifting here, smooth the road, lighten the load. We should be beating the doors down on enough moderate Republicans to make them fear not voting with Dems for a veto-proof majority on impeachment of Cheney first — and if that feels good and they get strokes for doing it, maybe they will play ball and go the next big step.
The vice president is actually focused on the serious issues facing the pardon writers. It’s not easy to make sure that all of the bases and all of those needing pardons are covered.
The Decider’s going to have a sore hand from all the sigining when it’s all done. He may have to change his name to “the Signer”.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 27
Now, now, we can’t have someone like Kucinich in there. The man wants to create a Department of Peace. How looney is that? (heavy sarcasm, here, this idea has been referred to as “looney” by the media - what kind of country do we live in where the idea of a Dept. of Peace is considered “looney”?)
When this was announced a week or so back, looseheadprop went ballistic. She had a very good argument against doing it now. If someone can beat me to digging it out, it would be good to bring up her points and discuss them.
Canuck Stuck in Muck @ 32
It may be pie, but I’m hoping it will sway
public opinion…
Eureka Springs @
25
From your keyboard to God & country’s inbox!
Double Dings Eureka Springs!
That’s the first time I’ve seen the video clip. Don’t know how I managed to miss it in real time. It is incredibly tasteless. Only a R would think that has even a nodding acquaintance with funny.
There’s this:
Twilight Zone by Gregory Cochran. Really interesting point: it’s in The American Conservative.
And it actually would explain so much.
Gnome de Plume @ 36
Time is of the essence.
Give Monica immunity.
Tell the fuckers to stick it, no
more playing nice with this crew.
It’s not about the environment, but John Kerry signed it…
Lurita “Cookies” Doan is facing more scrutiny. Delicious.
TPM Muckraker: 25 Senators demand WH answer questions regarding Doan’s activities
Note that Wyden’s letter lists both “legal and ethical violations”. Are they pressing for legal action? Me thinks so. Pass the cookies & milk.
It’s about damned time.
From the moment when the Executive Office of the Vice-President refused to release the information about the Energy Plan that Cheney lead, Cheney has consistently compromised the safety and security of the United States for personal interest. There’s nothing redeeming about him, or his tenure as Vice-President.
As for Madame Speaker Pelosi, I’ve always thought that impeachment is very much something she would entertain, but that she wanted to manage expectations. I’m more impressed with her management of the House all the time.
OMG! I just watched the video before heading back into the archives. I can’t believe they (CNN, the WH and all) thought that was funny! What did the little kids think happened! And then Va Tech a week later. We truly live in a bizarro world.
Gnome de Plume @ 36
This comment thread is what you’re looking for…
Rayne @ 33
Minor correction — Impeachment is what the House of Representatives does.
As I understand it, impeachment is the equivalent of being indicted by a grand jury. Once the VP is impeached/indicted the trial happens in the Senate.
If the Senate convicts, the VP is no longer VP.
Just smiling thinking about chimpy’s nerves if they impeach dicky boy..
isn’t it a beautiful day?
Let’s go.
The issues are all there:
1. Secret energy policy-making
2. Carving up Iraq alongside the oil companies
3. Enriching his former employer by warmaking
4. Lying to the American people about Saddam’s
a. WMDs
b. ties to terrorists
c. imminent threat to America
d. grave and growing danger to the world
5. Continuing (up to the present day!) a-d
6. Doing business, at Halliburton, with Iraq and Iran
7. Putting his daughter Liz and son-in-law Philip Perry in multiple positions of power in several Federal agencies (nepotism)
8. Being unresponsive to classification reporting requirements over his entire tenure
9. Obstruction (Libby)
10. Obstruction (911 inquiry)
11. Obstruction (Iraq reconstruction inquiry)
12. Treason (IIPA Plame)
13. Foreign agency (House of Saud)
14. Promulgating from the OVP an extra-constitutional and unconstitutional VicePresidency (per his ex-CoS and current CoS)
15. Shooting an old man in the face
16. Douchebaggery
Start now, allow other investigations to proceed apace, call him and his myrmidons every day to answer the charges on Capitol Hill.
CNN just announced the articles of impeachment. Wolfie was interviewing John Murtha and interrupted him to ask him about it, now he is talking of Bush Fatigue.
Please, God. Oh, pleeeze.
Is DK grandstanding or will he have a solidly prepared, well documented case?
Republics will throw Cheney under the bus if necessary. They will claim it’s health related.
I love it! Divide the WH team: start impeach proceedings against the least popular man in government, push Rove to resign through the emails/Hatch act, and watch the disintegration on TeeVee. GOP lost in the weeds for 2008.
The impression here is that Kucinich really believes what he says. So rare.
We need a couple of good polls that show a majority willing to consider/supporting an impeachment inquiry — not let DK hang out there by himself and have the Dems run away from him while the rightwing ridicules him. Blitzer et al can then bless/legitimize the effort.
As for waiting for “mushroom cloud” — Cheney is about as radioactive as you can get. And the good thing about going after Cheney = Bush supported/enabled all of his impeachable offenses.
Question: should Gonzales effort by simultaenous? I think that one’s ready to go in the oven.
If he gets impeached then Fitz can get him for outing a spy. No pardons when you are impeached. …..Emptywheel?……
Go Kucinich!
Murtha just replied to Wolf Blitzer’s posing the question of what he thought of Kucinich’s Cheney impeachment announcement tomorrow by saying it wasn’t a good idea. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised but it saddens me nonetheless for at the very least I would hope the old warrior general Murtha could have deferred comment until his colleague Kucinich goes public tomorrow. Sigh.
puppethead @ 31
YES — your first paragraph reminds me of Joe Wilson’s description of how the sanctions and inspections were consuming the scientists and managers of Saddam’s WMD programs (had they existed as Saddam wished all to believe).
Just the activities required to respond on so many fronts will seriously contain the amount of damage BushCo can do. Cheney, being an independent actor, partisan mouthpiece, and base cheerleader, is especially crucial. Democrats must consume the office of OVP in this impeachment inquiry.
1,495 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON..
Citizen Hamsher and the Firepup Patriots:
Shit yeah…impeach that bastard and in the process break those notes loose on the meetings he had on oil policy and planning for the war in Iraq. Hell yes…start impeachment on Darth Cheney and keep Waxman on investigations into the security at the White House. Waxman’s investigation into security breaches in the White House can be the issue that enables the existing special prosecutor to breach the firewall that so far has stopped at Scooter Libby…this one will lead directly to impeachment of the Chimpenfurer.
KEEP THE FAITH AND HIT ‘EM WITH EVERYTHING YOU GOT…IT’S ALL THEY UNDERSTAND!!
Douchebaggery, Teddy @48? You gotta gives us a spew warning on that stuff..
Thanks BDU. Here is what I was looking for:
You see the problem is with jury selection. The jury for impeachment is the Senate by a 2/3’s majority. So unless or until you have a whole big chunk of disguted Republican Senators who cannot be blackmailed or bought by Cheney willing to vote honestly, you have no hope of winning the verdict.
You have to build this prosecution brick by brick, just like Watergate until there are enough Rep. Senators willing to vote for the truth.
Kunick is suffering from premature indictment syndrome. I’m sure hteres a blue pill for that too.
I’m sorry, but to do it now looks immature and reckless and he runs the risk of making Leahy and Waxman and Conyer look as if they are silly as he is.
This kind of cheap grandstanding is totally counterproductive and if he is this incometant he should just STFU.
Serious people are trying to do a serious credible and meanigful jub and this yahoo comes along to play for a little attention.
He’s a fucking saboteur!!!
scarecrow @ 55
Republics will decide that Gonzo should go to try to change the subject.
I have 2 Kucinich for President “04 bumper stickers still stuck on my car… I worked for his candidacy as well.
I HOPE that he has better press people in charge this time around.
As long as he doesn’t sing “16 tons” during the presser, it’ll be ok. Doubt much will happen, though. Sorry to say.
puppethead @ 31
Yes, let’s keep these asswipes busy. Even if we don’t suceed, it prevents them from doing even more damage somewhere else. Also, will be good for 2008!
scarecrow @ 55
Why not? Since one is handled (for now) by the Senate and the other in the Peoples House.
Is anyone beside me wondering who might be feeding stuff to Kucinich?
Maybe he has someone on the inside that’s given him the info on the email and other items of interest to the Democrats?
lolo @ 49
There’s more to this than whether or not it’s productive for Kucinich to do this. It’s now changing the manner of discourse in the media. Just like Reid’s (likely well-planned) comment that the Iraq War is lost, the narrative is changing from pro-Bush to embattled, lame-duck government. This kind of framing and “working the refs” is how the GOP always pushes their messaging, it’s good to see the tables turned.
Sure, we’ll continue to see the likes of Chris “Tweety” Matthews enthralled by the bulge in Bush’s pants, but the more talk like this out in the open the harder it becomes for Rove to control the message. This is how you get the country to admit the emperor has no clothes.
********* Pass The Popcorn Alert*********
James Carville to pontificate on Chenney Impeachment on CNN
lolo @ 69
Mr. Matalin is damaged goods: all credibility gone.
Gnome de Plume @
36
I agreed with LHP’s points at that time, but last Thursday changed everything. The Dems have the Reps by the short hairs and it’s a good idea to keep hitting them from all sides. Watching Bush continue to defend his partners in crime will sour the public, and they in turn will pressure their members of Congress to impeach him.
lolo @ 69
Send that jerk back home to his lovely old lady..
lolo @
69
Mistress Mary letting the gimp out of the basement?
Badwater @ 63
And why is that bad? The current math in the WH looks like this:
Repubs want AG to go, plus
Dems want AG to go, plus
Public wants AG to go, plus
Media is ready for AG to go =
___________________________
Gonzo gets endorsed by Bush and says he’s staying.
WH has it’s own math: no crony left behind who’s not under indictment. Indict them.
Won’t happen, says Candy Crowley. It’s just an “article of faith”: from the left wing of the party. Majority of Democrats don’t think the American people voted them into office in 2006 to conduct impeachments. Besides, Americans are sick of impeachment after the Clinton thing. If you can’t impeach a guy as popular as Clinton was, how can you impeach Cheney?
Whew. Glad we don’t have to worry about that. Crowley always helps me come to my senses with a dose of “spent-my-day-in-the coffee-shop-cause-I-can-always-just-wing-it-with-Wolfie” wisdom.
OF COURSE those bastards should be impeached, and I have no patience with folks who argue that impeachment would “suck all the oxygen out of Washington.” (They say that like it’s a bad thing.)
As the old, pre-MADD drunk-driving PSA used to say (I’m dating myself), “If he’s sick, let’s help him, but first let’s get him off the road.” Bush and Cheney may be the first Prez/VP pair with actual DUIs on record, and those offenses are dwarfed by many orders of magnitude by what they’ve done drunk on power.
Kucinich has the best approach to pretty much every issue, including, IIRC, the only straight-up single-payer health plan under consideration among presidential candidates.
That’s why Democratic Party leaders and media elites ignore him with such desperate urgency.
Kucinich and Gore. Very rare finds these days. Almost political throwbacks.
lolo @ 69
Impeach Carville, too.
VJB @
6
Rove wouldn’t take a bullet for Fuckwad ……
Impeach the DLC.
Cheney is the poster boy for the reasons the articles of Impeachment were written in the first place.
From Waxman’s letter:
“A White House official left [Sensitive Compartmented Information] material behind in a hotel room during a foreign trip with the President. Although the CIA recovered the SCI material and reported the incident, the White House Security Office did not investigate, seek remedial action, or discipline the responsible official,”
I’m curious to know if this is just a single but important example of breaking protocol or if the contents of the information recovered by the CIA bear any significance to answering broader questions of Congressional interest. Which presidential trip?
eCAHNomics @ 51
Gotta wonder. I’m a little skeptical myself. Kucinich will be a guest on “The Situation Room” tomorrow afternoon - interesting viewing, I’m sure.
TeddySanFran @
48
Ya know what TSF, it’s almost as if the Dems are reading FDL. *g*
Just to be sure though, everyone please e-mail this list to your members of Congress.
Badwater @ 70
I know gonna watch him sssssssssspin
scarecrow @ 74
And why is that bad? The current math in the WH looks like this:
Repubs want AG to go, plus
Dems want AG to go, plus
Public wants AG to go, plus
Media is ready for AG to go =
____________
Gonzo gets endorsed by Bush and says he’s staying.
WH has it’s own math: no crony left behind who’s not under indictment. Indict them.
It’s not bad that he’d be gone. It’s just always disappoinging to me that Republics put their party way above our country and are dishonest about it in the process.
realworld @ 21
Only Administrative Sanctions for Andy Card and the others? How about Treason charges for knowingly walking around with devices that could be hacked out the air? They do not mention encryption?
DC should STFU and keep his powder dry for bigger things in the future. You know, the strategy that worked so well for us with Alito.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 80
All in good time, my pretty, all in good time.
scarecrow @ 78
lolo @ 69
********* Pass The Popcorn Alert*********
James Carville to pontificate on Chenney Impeachment on CNN
Impeach Carville, too.
707!
Karen M @
18
Naw ….. let him resign. That’ll be quicker. Then we can get after the real thugs. A criminal trial can follow for gonzales after the impeachments.
The Veep cannot duck inquiries by claiming he’s too busy. He has only two constitutional duties: waiting for Shrub to be unable to preside over the US, and voting in the case of a tie in the Senate. Having him in a House hearing room answering questions all day, everday could really work out very well for him. Just in case there’s a Senate tie. Since he no longer has that fancy office that Charlie Rangel took back.
There is no more unpopular elected officeholder in American politics in my lifetime, perhaps ever. When two-thirds of Americans say they want the Bush regime over, they mean get Cheney outta there.
Will TradMed poll on Kucinich’s idea? Now that it’s on the table?
Um, folks? That vid up there? It’s satire. You didn’t see it in “real time” because it didn’t happen. Cheney did not shoot (nor even pretend to shoot) someone dressed up as an Easter Bunny at the White House Easter Egg Roll. It’s faked.
And obviously the kids were in on the fake. C’mon.
CNN: Bush 41 makes surprising comments about Jeb’s political chances after W’s record.
ralphbon @ 76
;0)
blech. where’s Carville? Pimping Jeb now for president.
Mandrake @
29
she could recuse herself and turn it over to Murtha ….
BDU @ 62
While I admire LHP’s thinking, I disagree with her argument, given the current context.
The articles of impeachment drawn and voted on for President Clinton were based on partisan politics, and were political street theater of the worst sort. In the case of President Nixon, there was what was obviously a criminal issue, however minor, with which he was directly associated. It was only a matter of time until he would have been forced to stand trial.
I think Cheney pretty clearly falls into the latter category, and so does Bush. It’s only a matter of time before what’s unraveling at DoJ entangles one or both of them in a way that demonstrable could lead to a grand jury indictment. And the only real way out for either of them would be resignation.
In a sense, what’s being pushed is not impeachment, but creating enough pressure and discomfort to make both Cheney and Bush resign.
Now, that leads to the ultimate need for a truth and reconciliation commission for the Executive Branch’s actions from 2001 - 2007, but that’s another discussion.
CNN: Jeb Bush is on everyone’s short list for running mate for 08.
Be still my heart!
The impeachment of all of them need to be timed so that nobody gets a pardon and everyone is eligable to stand trial for war crimes.
ITMFA!scarecrow @ 78
lol, w3rd :)
bob 75 LOL!
lolo @ 69
CNN PRESENTS … (Tall) Tales From The Cryptkeeper …
eCAHNomics @ 99
Why wait until ‘08? Dump Cheney. Insert Jeb.
landofthefree @
30
the times they are a changin’ …..
has anything ever happened that you didn’t see coming ?
Jane Hamsher @ 73
heh, heh
My 82-year-old Carmel neighbor who served several terms as a very genteel officer of the League of Women Voters will love your comment. She calls Barbara Bush & Mary Matalin an embarrassment to their gender. And now to my printer to share your comment with her.
OT - Huckabee calls Gonzales a distraction
Eureka Springs @ 90
Impeach Carville, too.
707!
My theory is we should make James prove he’s not a Bush official. Maybe he can get Victoria to defend him!
Badwater @ 104
As the story just finished on Hill & Bill asserted, isn’t that illegal since JFK & RFK?
scory @ 98
I wasn’t exactly endorsing LHP’s viewpoint, just pointing out where it had been discussed last time.
Furthermore, the news last week is that he was drawing simultaneous articles of impeachment for Shooter and Decider, so this news being just for Shooter changes the dynamics as well.