To I or Not to I

Big Tent Democrat at Talk Left says trying to impeach is a waste of time. He rolls out the usual garbage:

...17 Republican Senators will NEVER EVER vote to remove President Bush no matter what...

1) It will NEVER happen ...

2) It is likely to have negative political ramifications for Democrats in 2008...

3) Impeachment would preclude discussion of of all other issues, most notably Iraq...

Last, and probably least, the progressive base and the Netroots would be utterly defanged and treated as completely irrelevant if it chooses to waste its time on pushing for impeachment...

But my ultimate bottom line is that the essential role the progressive base and the Netroots can and should play on ending the war in Iraq will be completely squandered. That is the part that I will find hard to forgive.


1)This depends on whether there is a "fire" underneath all the smoke from the Bushies various criminal activities. If there is, then convincing evidence cannot be unearthed as long as the President continues to defy subpoenas and pardon perjurers. If there are substantial crimes, then the Senate may find them hard to overlook.

2)This is the bottom line for most political professionals, but not for me. I go back to my comment on 1). If the crimes are there, the President's party will pay.

3)This is the argument I detest. Congress, Netroots, Progressives, etc., have so far made not a millimeter of progress on Iraq. Weakening (better, replacing) the President is the best hope.

My fundamental argument for impeachment is two-fold: the guy needs to go, and our only chance of finding out the details of the Bush criminality probably depends on the subpoenas incident to the impeachment. If he is allowed to shuffle off the stage like his father after pardoning all his co-conspirators, this plague of executive criminality will only become worse and worse.

It was a mistake not to remove Clinton - his perjury was ample cause. It will be a far worse mistake not to remove Bush.

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