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It is time to consider impeachment of Bush
By DICK RUPPEL | http://www.lacrossetribune.com
If we’re lucky, 25 years from now historians will categorize the first years of the 21st century as just another low point in American history.
Yes, they’ll say, the Bush administration ignored the real problems facing the United States, divided the country against itself, attacked civil liberties, increased the number and suffering of the poor, fought an unnecessary war, diminished American stature and saddled the next generation with crippling debt.
But, they’ll note approvingly, the administration elected in 2008 recognized and reversed these trends. And now the United States is more than ever a leader for peace, economic justice, civil liberties and a more sustainable world.
Unfortunately, the odds of this pleasant future diminish each week Bush remains in office. Cataloging his failures is depressingly easy:
After the 9/11 attacks, Bush invaded Afghanistan but failed to follow through. Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida remain effective, and portions of Afghanistan are falling once again to the Taliban.
Bush’s war in Iraq has proven as self-destructive to American interests and to the Iraqis themselves as critics feared. U.S. soldiers and hundreds of innocent Iraqis are dying every week, and, despite the recent elections, Iraq is closer to civil war than to a stable democracy. The most likely outcome — an Iran-style theocracy — will benefit Iran, certainly, but not the US.
Our engagement in the Middle East is tied to our dependence on oil, and, after 9/11, Bush was in a unique position to lead us to energy independence, with enormous environmental, financial and security advantages. Instead, Bush remains silent while we import more oil every year, and oil company profits have been staggering.
Bush trumpets tax cuts at every opportunity. Yet these mainly benefit the rich and the super-rich, while Bush pushes for cuts to Medicaid, veterans programs, student loans, school lunches, child care, food stamps, cash assistance for the elderly and disabled, and more.
Bush based his re-election on the fact that he was a “war-time president,
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So you think we can ask our members of congress to seek impeachment.And ask them which they love more."WELL"they don't love our country. all they are,are Republicans. They have no mean what love is for {theirs)if anything.The Republican congressmans are as bad as their party you know that and i know that.That party is in the white house and in TEXAS!!!the washingtion post is as bad.They are the (TERRORISM)they are killing for the love of their supremacist.,their god pat Robertson. the one who want chavez died so they can get there hands on that OIL!?!!we don't need them to impeach,we are the impeach-er.impeach !!!NOW!!there no time.time is now.
Here's the article you wanted.
Steve
Professor,
Although, I would enjoy the spectacle of Herr Bush being held to account for his deceptions, naivite and arrogance, I fear that the tremendous energy that it would require for the American people to impeach him in 2007, unfortunately, would distract from the opportunity to place a Democrat in the White House in 2008.
As we know, time moves quickly, and while we exert our energies to move the American middle to a point of seriously considering removing a sitting US president, the months will slip past toward the summer and autumn of 2007.
Rather, given that the next Ameican presidential election is only 20+ months away, methinks it wiser to concentrate our energies, talent & resources toward ending the US military engagement in Iraq over the course of this year (which is a large political challenge in itself...), then aiming our ambition & intelligence in early 2008 toward ensuring that the Democratic Party is unified and organized throughout the country to take the White House back into our fold.
I do accept that the 'crimes & misdemeanors' of the Bush administration can make a justifiable case for impeachment -- but, we also know from both the Nixon & Clinton cases, how such a movement preoccupies the political landscape to the detriment to other crucial social & political issues.
Given the unlikelihood of achieving that aim in 2007 (due to the modest Democratic majorities and the fact that there is little likelihood of reasonable Republicans joining this cause...), I believe that it's best, instead, to move the whole American political landscape to ward the moderate left (and away from the extreme right...) in the 2008 elections through a winning Democratic presidential candidate.
The view from Kathmandu... your distant childhood friend, Keith