Washington Post Editorial Page Editor Fred Hiatt must be on vacation. I simply can’t imagine Fred allowing this to be published on the front page of Sunday’s Outlook section:
As we enter the eighth year of the Bush-Cheney administration, I have belatedly and painfully concluded that the only honorable course for me is to urge the impeachment of the president and the vice president.
Former Senator and Democratic party standard-bearer George McGovern doesn’t pull any punches as he assesses blame for the disaster that has befallen the Republic:
Of course, there seems to be little bipartisan support for impeachment. The political scene is marked by narrow and sometimes superficial partisanship, especially among Republicans, and a lack of courage and statesmanship on the part of too many Democratic politicians. So the chances of a bipartisan impeachment and conviction are not promising.
Senator McGovern takes us right back to the source — the illegitimacy of this regime from the very start. Then he paints a damning, though truthful, picture of the crimes of Bush and Cheney:
From the beginning, the Bush-Cheney team’s assumption of power was the product of questionable elections that probably should have been officially challenged — perhaps even by a congressional investigation.
In a more fundamental sense, American democracy has been derailed throughout the Bush-Cheney regime. The dominant commitment of the administration has been a murderous, illegal, nonsensical war against Iraq. That irresponsible venture has killed almost 4,000 Americans, left many times that number mentally or physically crippled, claimed the lives of an estimated 600,000 Iraqis (according to a careful October 2006 study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) and laid waste their country. The financial cost to the United States is now $250 million a day and is expected to exceed a total of $1 trillion, most of which we have borrowed from the Chinese and others as our national debt has now climbed above $9 trillion — by far the highest in our national history.
Senator McGovern also eloquently explains why taking impeachment "off the table" is wrong:
Impeachment is unlikely, of course. But we must still urge Congress to act. Impeachment, quite simply, is the procedure written into the Constitution to deal with presidents who violate the Constitution and the laws of the land. It is also a way to signal to the American people and the world that some of us feel strongly enough about the present drift of our country to support the impeachment of the false prophets who have led us astray. This, I believe, is the rightful course for an American patriot.
Print one copy to keep.
Send another copy to your member of Congress. I’m sending a copy to mine.
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Impeach!
They are coming up the stairs now Teddy.
woohoo
Zed 2 Say hay Teddy I was wondering when this topic would be covered!
Enjoy the sun today? Just Wait tomorrow will be like the last few days! Dam there goes my tan!
I was just remarking downstairs, that Jack wants to know why Congress won’t impeach… Impeach the B*stards!
I voted for George McGovern. And have never had any regrets. Voted for Eugene McCarty too. Those were heady days. I was living and working in “the City” (SF) then. ;0)
We know the Drill.
Investigate!
Impeach!
Incarcerate!
And So.
Never happen unless we support Robert Wexler And (wow the republican congressman from Maine) Republican you say yep!
% %
Mike Huckabee 25
16
Rudy Giuliani 20
27
John McCain 19
14
Fred Thompson 12
14
Mitt Romney 9
14
Ron Paul 4
3
Duncan Hunter 1
-
Alan Keyes -
3
Someone else 2
-
None (vol.)/Unsure 9
9
Tom Tancredo n/a
1
latest Gallup shows Huckabee leading in the national gooper race. THAT’S NEWS.
I’m so sick of these too-little-too-late Ds. A pox on all their houses.
Want to talk courage and convictions? Lets talk about McGovern, McCarthy and Bobby Kennedy.
Hey I voted for him also but I was in Boston back then The true Blue State!
Hey eCAHN, how’s the powder? ;-)
Hey when did you become a wizard! Hope it works!
It’s wonderful to know McGovern is still “one of us”.
Hunter said today that he was going to win. Been smoking those funny cigarettes again.
A fabulous day. As it was my first of the season, took it easy. But got some nice soft powdery runs. Thanks for asking.
People warned me that if I voted for McCarthy, we would have war. I did and you know, they were right!
Now Kiddo we certainly could use someone like Bobby Kennedy. I was in Germany when he was assassinated, that why one of the reasons I didn’t accept a job offer there when I was getting out of the Army. Sometimes I wish I had stayed. Decisions decisions Shit!
It is obvious to me why there will be no impeachment and conviction. Both pelosi and reid are really rethugs who need to be dims to keep their positions. pelosi came from a real Democratic background, but after marrying, becoming rich, and moving to SF, she knew that she couldn’t be elected as the rethug that she became. reid realized that he could move up faster as a dim while really espousing rethug views. Before the 2006 election pelosi never gave any indication that impeachment would be “off the table.” That move caught everyone off guard. Now Conyers, who wrote a paper on reasons for impeachment is dancing away from it. He must have been threatened about espousing that view.
As long as the DINOs pelosi and reid are in control, the rethugs will control the Congress. Stupid Holds by rethugs are honored while good ones by Democrats are overridden. We need to remove them.
It’s better than sex… *g*
I remember him from back in the day (too young to vote, though). I, too, am amazed it snuck into the WaPo. Every voice for impeachment is a song in my heart!
Now thas taking things too far!!
I think my most appropriate response is no response. *g* back to you.
Primary for “Clean Gene” and McGovern in the General?
It takes two thirds of the senate to vote to convict to get the bastards out- it ain’t gonna happen. I have no interest in impeachment unless the bastards are out.
TSF,
Already working to incorporate Sen. McGovern’s remarks into an upcoming speech by AK-AL U.S. House candidate Diane Benson. Glad you see the importance of his remarks, especially the part of why it is so important – even this late in W’s “game.”
Damn straight, George!!!
Bob in HI
I like that “Every voice for impeachment is a song in my heart!” Catchy we have to get a song written about that as it’s central theme!
McGovern talks; Lahoma and I listen.
Impeach
Indict
Imprison
Good Catch TSF I am wondering if the internal dynamic of the paper has changed? From giving cover to the GOPers to something that will improve circulation among us 70%ers.
If so that would be news.
Man those Ron Paul supporters are not to be messed with, so learns Sean Hannity:
http://rawstory.com/rawreplay/?p=425
- Tom
Obviously, ya never had a fresh bowl of virgin powder… *g*
http://impeachmenthearingsnow.blogspot.com/
http://petitiononline.com/Conyers8/petition.html
http://petitiononline.com/pelosi08/petition.html
Sign the petitions,Use the “contact a friend” feature on the website, call Rep. Conyers & Speaker Pelosi and send copies of the petitions to your representatives. Thank you.
P.S. Rep. Wexler’s petition is also on the website and if you are in Rep. Nadler’s district call his office to urge his subcommittee to support impeachment hearings
Pro war coverage on a war we are losing has hurt circulation for all newspapers, news media etc.
The first to go negative on the war would get a huge response if they kept it up.
It’s amazing how satisfying the truth can be. George McGovern is a truth teller.
“The political scene is marked by narrow and sometimes superficial partisanship, especially among Republicans, and a lack of courage and statesmanship on the part of too many Democratic politicians.”
Are you listening Obama and Hillary?
How about the first “viable” candidate to speak out for impeachment?
I’m thinking that they should at least talk about retroactive impeachment. Cheney and Bush may start having some document campfire parties otherwise…
Wait! They may figure that they need to do that anyways!
Maybe that’s the deal? “We won’t impeach you and you don’t cancel the elections and don’t destroy everything that you haven’t burned to the ground yet.”
A—fricking—-men……!
I love George McGovern.
-G
Although they will never be impeached because legal time and stonewalling are synonymous with Fred Fielding. BUT,
the act of impeachment brings the present admin to the judicial realm since we effectively have no DOJ willing to do anything.
Living in Hawaii, how are you so into the ski karma? A prior incarnation?
At this point we will not vote for Obama or Hillary in the primary. We will vote in the direction of the Democratic nominee in the “general”.
And it’s good to know that Mr. McGovern has been listening to what I have been saying all this time!
Nancy, Harry, I’m looking at you….
It’s the response from W they’re worried about, not the response from readers. The MSM is fully & thoroughly cowed by the bullies in the WH.
Is that like Virgin ICE. Having played a lot of hockey back when my body would/could heal quickly. You remember that don’t you?
new SurveyUSA automated survey of likely primary voters in South Carolina (conducted 1/4 through 1/6) finds:
Among 579 likely Democratic primary voters asked to choose between three candidates, Sen. Barack Obama leads Sen. Hillary Clinton (50% to 30%) in a statewide primary; former Sen. John Edwards trails at 16%. Among African Americans (51% of the sample), Obama leads Clinton 69% to 23%.
Among 658 likely Republican primary voters asked to choose between six candidate, former Gov. Mike Huckabee leads former Gov. Mitt Romney (36% to 19%) in a statewide primary; Sen. John McCain trails at 17%, former Sen. Fred Thompson at 11%, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani at 9%, Rep. Ron Paul at 5%.
(Pollster.com)
That result in South Carolina would probably knock out Edwards and would give the gaggle of gooper also rans reason to rethink what they want to be when they grow up.
Bush and the media thought they could use their Jedi mind tricks and fool everyone by waving Gen. Petreaus around as cover.
It’s already come undone.
Now McNuts is running around blabbing about ‘one million years’ of occupation.
Normal people see that as lunacy.
-G
Maine’s Blue Dog Democrat, Rep. Michael Michaud, is also calling for Conyers to impeach Dick Cheney:
http://www.opednews.com/articl…..aud_wr.htm
It would be great to see a Blue Dog Democrat Impeachment Bandwagon! ;-)
I’m well traveled, I’ve Skied up and down the Rockies from Taos up to Banff, the Austrian Alps, Killington and Smuggler’s Notch… *g*
Finally a McGovern post!!!!
Impeach Now!!
I’ve read somewhere that half the D primary voters in SC are clack.
You forgot to add:
Inflict Pain
Sounds like a good life. I’m not complaining either. I may even ski in the east this year, as there is finally some real snow. Haven’t skiied where I learned & have great nostalgia for, Mad River Glen, for at least a decade.
Hillary is crying (literally) won’t help; Bill is yellin’; Donors are holding their money and Hillary realizes she may not even get within double digits of Obama.
The train done left the station and it be runnin’. No more Pelosi and Reid Clones in the White House. Hillary is just one more Pelosi.
Two of my happiest votes too…
make that “black” not “clack”. Geez, c isn’t even next to b. *hangs head.*
“It takes two thirds of the senate to vote to convict to get the bastards out- it ain’t gonna happen. I have no interest in impeachment unless the bastards are out.”
You, like Pelosi, Hoyer and Reid, have no faith in our Consitution and don’t seem to understand the process.
FIRST, you start the impeachment. This means investigations, with subpoena powers that are superior to normal subpoena powers.
SECOND, you keep the investigations going in the House until Republican senators start to peel off. Pile up evidence for crime after crime. Establish guilt in public hearing after public hearing, on CSPAN until the majors are clamoring to provide coverage of the sensational details. Watch as the knees of Republicans up for re-election start to wobble. Then, and only then, after counting noses in the House to ensure enough Republican votes for a bipartisan result,
THIRD, do you send the Articles of Impeachment to the floor of the House for a vote. Then, and only then, with a bipartisan majority, do you send the Articles of Impeachment on to the Senate for action.
FOURTH, you keep the debate going in the Senate on the Articles until enough Republicans flip. This is not rocket science. Even Harry Reid should be able to figure out how to do this.
Finally, you trust the process and hold the process long enough at each stage. The process is the key. If November 2008 comes and you’re not done, ’sOK! Watch the Republicans squirm as they try to defend Bush & Cheney against Article after Article. Hit’em hard on the campaign trail about their collusion with the Bush, Cheney & Co, crime syndicate.
Chances are, if this is done, a committee of Republicans are going to march over to the WH and tell first Cheney, and then Bush, that the gig is up. There will be a stately little dance whereby Cheney resigns for health reasons, a Gerald Ford figure is appointed to take his place, and then a few weeks later Bush resigns like Nixon did, allowing the Gerald Ford clone to reign for a few symbolic months.
So, please, none of this defeatist tripe about it can’t happen. It CAN happen. and it SHOULD happen.
Bob in HI
I read about that last week. He was calling for Sen Collins to join him! Lets see thats one republican maybe two. Thats a start about thirty to go. thats if the Dem Senators suppot Impeachment. We can hope but. The best way would be for some federal judge found him guilty of a felony, forces Impeachment proceeding, I remember my civics class correctly.
yes it is. :)
Re: Hillary’s chances. She is still very viable until after Super Tuesday. Has good chances in some of the big states with primaries then.
A daily waterboarding! “It’s just like swimming”
I’m beginning to like those Ron Paul supporters more and more. Don’t tread on them. Lesson here – never underestimate the meek and mild. I think they can tar and feather.
Thank you McGovern. It isn’t that Americans haven’t shouted, written letters and put up websites addressing impeachment. I just want to remind Nancy and Harry that by letting the clock run out and sweeping impeachment under the rug, they are really playing with a boomerang and so it shall return to them. It’s nasty when it does.
OT: (but not really)
Friday, January 11. A day to wear an orange arm band or place a ribbon on a tree outside your home. From ACLU:
“The first prisoners arrived at the U.S. prison at Guantánamo Bay on January 11, 2002. Guantánamo quickly became an international embarrassment. It has made a mockery of our laws and values for six long years. We won’t allow seven; this is the year we are going to end the national disgrace
Nationwide, the ACLU has set January 11th as a day of protest, declaring that it’s long past time that we put an end to illegality and close down Guantánamo.”
I agree.
On the keyboard. I’m a little slow this afternoon.
Been there done that!! Hate it. But it does show that your human.
Yeah!!! And they can’t pardon anybody while being impeached either!!!
Hugh’s on the radio – livestream here just click on livestream
Good point!
hey gang! hugh’s on the radio right now.
I’ll take that as a compliment. *g*
Oh yes…waterboarding is a summer sport according to the neocons! By “inflicting pain” I was thinking more in the line of a botched hemorrhoid surgery like Glenn Beck just went through! LOL Oh ya, that right there would make ole Darth cry for his mommy.
Impeachment should have happened long ago, but unfortunately it’s not going to. If for no other reason that Congress perceives it would show weakness in a country whose foreign policy is already trainwrecked by idiots, who are mired in an occupation that is building hate for Americans exponentially, killing thousands of Americans who are not the sons and daughters of the elite and affluent, displacing millions of Iraqis. Soon there will be over 4000 dead in Iraq, about 50,000 who can’t walk or see after Iraq who can’t get adequate care in the VAHs, and billions of dollars that should go for education in a poorly educated country and health care in a country that delivers health care very poorly and erratically.
you got that right!
Hugh’s gone now.
Boy which end top or bottom.LOL
It has to happen because otherwise precedent is established for the next non-constitutional monarch of either party and our democracy is well and truly dead.
Hugh was just on MY radio locally… GREAT job!
uh oh, there’s an echo on the toobz.
When I heard him on the radio this morning say that he had 8 hemorrhoids removed, I said to myself, “Wow. I didn’t know Glenny Boy had 8 heads! Everything is making sense now”. ;-)
Impeach Now.
Slightly o/t: is this really the time to be asking the new presidential hopefuls if they will appoint bipartisan cabinets after the neo-cons have ripped us blind? Perhaps a better question is what qualifications and alliances would be more credible and worthy beside party affiliation?
I heard panel being promoted on the Snoozehour this p.m. (after getting ticked about Edwards being slighted AGAIN).
From a NYT article on same:
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes……-oklahoma/
woo hoo!! hope hugh will join us in the comments… that was great!
and katymine – you rock for making that happen!
I am smiling. Have decided that I am not a very nice person. :) :)
And put an end to the absurd MCA as well.
Impeachment is a long process, but I think it makes sense to impeach these bastards during an election year. What better way to drive the rats off the side of their sinking ship!
Oh good one! can hardly type LOL
Okay…here’s a scenario how. New President issues a new Executive Order after reviewing the Cheney-Bush documents that terminates the right of the prior President and VP to block release to Congress and the Judiciary. The hard evidence of crimes discovered are so egregious, from the manipulation of the 2000 and 2004 elections…to the ordering of torture and the stovepiping and false body of evidence to initiate the Iraq War, that post hoc impeachment is inevitable.
Bush has pardoned most of his cronies, so they are immune from any criminal retribution. But the public is incensed with the lies.
Republicans in the Senate want to make a clean break from Bush and his actions after the massive defeat in the 2008 elections, so act to support impeachment of Bush Administration officials ( a la Nixon in 1973). Most will go along with the impeachment because Bush can no longer retaliate against them and they need to appear “steroid free”. The punishments, at least from impeachment, seem low cost to the Senators (blocking the Bushies from future office, pensions and acting as lobbyists or Corporate Directors of companies receiving Federal contracts)~ and most don’t want to be associated with the scandals. They need to clean up the party of the Abramoff types and Bush legacy. The evangelicals, Neo-Cons, and paleo-cons…along with the Paultard libertarians will begin to fight for the scraps left over of the 2008 debacle…and one way to do so is to look “moral”. The GOP’s survival will be seen as hanging in the balance by some. And they may actually want to block the power players associated with Bush from re-entering the party.
I’ve been told by the neocons every day for years now that I’m not a very nice person. See, you’re not alone in the “not nice” category. I would have felt bad about Glenn’s botched surgery and what he went through if it was my father who went through it instead of him. See?
He must be lonely now.
-G
O/T;
Did anyone see this?
Are they wearing brown shirts? I can’t tell. As you sew, so shall ye reap. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
Unfortunately, he’s headless and still talking. Dammit! *kicking trash can across the room*
;-)
It’s a nice bookend with the billo Obama staffer video.
Jeesh, I hope Hannity gets used to it. The worm is turning on these people.
They are lucky there aint no Bastille.
-G
Too bad our Democratic Congress is taking a “holiday from history.”
I missed Hugh. What’d he say?
Anyone can do this….. give me the information and get it out there… I call in frequently about all the great things going on here on FDL and the firepups
It’s so wonderful watching these people trying to cope without a script handed to them by the administration. The Bush administration can take Fox PR with them when they leave…
Hi, I’m back. Survived I think.
Maybe if we didn’t call it impeachment. How about in-apple-ment or in-orange-ment or in-mixed-fruit-salad-ment? Maybe then it would be more palatable to Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats.
impeachment
Well we just disagree on this. I don’t think that there’s a snowball’s chance in hell that the house will vote to impeach- let alone that the senate will vote to convict. It would be a long distraction that in the end will serve to solidify the position of the criminals.
Wish it were different but it is not.
What’s really scary to me (if I’m not mistaken, that is) is as of right now the republicans are the ones who pushed Dennis Kucinich’s Cheney impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee where it now sits. History will show that it was the Democrats who did nothing. Even Cong. Tom Allen who voted against using force against Iraq in the beginning didn’t vote in favor of this resolution! Jees.
“It has to happen because otherwise precedent is established for the next non-constitutional monarch of either party and our democracy is well and truly dead.”
Exactly.
Bob in HI
Re: Wexler’s campaign to impeach Cheney: I received an email from Wexler the other day and I went to contribute, but the link went to the Re-elect Wexler site. I’m now uncomfortable contributing because I want my contribution to be applied specifically to impeachment. I don’t want it to go into a big ‘ole pile of money that Wexler then decides how to spend.
Does anyone know how he’s handling contributions?
Have long suspected something like this. Thing is, the bigger the threat, the worse it is to knuckle under to it imo.
And as for “bipartisanship,” I’ll say it again: Lincoln waited until the Civil War was all but decided for the Union to start talking about “malice toward none.” With impeachment and anything else smacking of accountability off the table, we’re still in the early phase like when McClellan was holding the troops hostage.
Not to get all bellicose or anything, but my feeling about how grave the threat to the Republic has been and is.
Hugh, you did great!
I do remember Nancy making ONE statement to this. She said something to the effect that if impeachment happens it won’t be called that. In my heart I keep thinking she means it will be called INDICTMENT. Hey, I’m a girl and I can dream big every now and then! Trust me on this. ;-)
Gee didn’t didn’t you forget “Extraordinary Rendition” to the Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity! If I remember correctly no statutory limits!
NH is an interesting place. We declared independence 6 months before the rest of the rebellious rabble and we also have a right to rebel in our state constitution.
It is fitting that much of the unwinding of the mighty wurlitzer is happening here.
-G
Great video!! they deserve such treatment to bad they didn’t tar and feather him and Murdoc!
How do you feel about Mitt reciting NH’s motto Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death?
Made me cringe, I’ll tell you. He flunked my audition.
Wild….The rule here is “Don’t eat the yellow snow”. Hannity must be wondering what has happened…the right-wing that he spawned (along with Mann Coulter and Flush) have started eating their parents! Hannity isn’t bat-sh*t crazy ENOUGH!
They’re already pretty solidified. Impeachment would be a recognition both that there is a Constitutional crisis and that at least one branch of government was still willing to do its Constitutional duty. The ability to investigate under impeachment would also trump all Administration attempts at stonewalling. I should point out that at the time Nixon’s impeachment investigation began only about 25-30% of the country backed it. The current numbers who support impeachment of Bush and Cheney are considerably higher and once an investigatio begins there is no telling or predicting its result.
Hardballers just want to talk about the demise of Hillary- none of em want to talk about the mess that is the gooper nomination battle. Why’s that?
may i have mine with a cherry on top?
… and btw, great job hugh! it was such a blast to hear you on the radio! gonna have to follow katymine’s advice and find a way to see if we can get you on other programs.
Impeachment??? Got that covered: The Spoliation of America!
aw gosh *blushes*
thank you so much for taking the time to write this up. i wasn’t really understanding the point of it either even tho it seemed important to do. i really get it now. thanks again.
I would like to point out that the website I posted earlier:
http://impeachmenthearingsnow.blogspot.com/
has a lot of good information which would be useful for those who are not convinced that this is a necessity for the survival of our democracy. In addition, the petitions/letters are calls for impeachment hearings, that is, beginning the process, and getting the evidence before the country.
http://petitiononline.com/Conyers8/petition.html
http://petitiononline.com/pelosi08/petition.html
Gitmo remembered Friday 6th & Market @ federal courthouse in Philly,Pa. I’ll be looking for you. I’ll be the guy w/
a 3′ X 6″ sign proclaiming “this war is a damn lie ” in bright orange letters.
I’m too lazy to “Google” this. I know McGovern is 85, but is McCain older than McGovern? Also, did Bush have a baby by a black prostitute? Or was that McCain? Plus, did Nixon ever play with Checkers? And finally, is it a coincidence or just chance that my initials, “MC”, begins “McCain” and “McGovern”, and all three of us have eaten at McDonald’s? Kinda creepy.