Considering that many of the incompetent ideologues who have made such a hash of the Bush II Presidency are retreads from earlier conservative Administrations, we had best give some thought to preventing the worst bunglers from rising again like some awful neo-con revenants in any future GOP Presidency.
A few of those I would rather not see return, in no particular order: Wolfowitz, Bolton, Feith, Libby, Rove, Rice, Negroponte, Brown, Allbough, Tenet, Griles, Ashcroft, Mueller, Hadley, Chertoff, Boykins, Gonzales, Chao, Rumsfeld, Armitage, Bremer, Cheney, and, of course, Bush himself. I’ve undoubtedly forgotten to mention many who richly deserve impeachment. Heck, I would like to have most of them impeached. Age may take care of a few, but there are plenty of hale and hearty idiots who will colonize the think tanks and lobbying firms and then continue to plague the public sector, failing upwards in the inimitable GOP elite fashion, for years to come unless we do something about it.
I suggest that we consider post-term impeachments all around. Normally, people think of impeachment as a way to remove an official from office, but impeachment has the effect of preventing the impeached person from ever holding a position of trust, honor, or profit with the Federal government ever again. Thus impeachment, even after an official has left office, is useful in preventing travesties such as Admiral Poindexter’s or Dick Armitage’s rehabilitations.
There is clear consensus among legal scholars that although impeachment has yet to be used in this fashion in the United States it is Constitutional. The practice was, and continues to be used in England, from whence we drew the institution. The English practice is specifically limited in several particulars in our Constitution, but, significantly, not in regards post-term use. Finally, the Senate voted during impeachment proceedings against Secretary of War Belknap in 1876 that they had the power to proceed post-term after Secretary Belknap resigned.
Of course, Democrats would need majorities in the House and Senate to succeed. A Democratic rallying cry for the 2006 and 2008 Congressional races could be to post-term impeach key members of the failed Bush II Administration, thus protecting the government from their incompetence and venality in the future. This Administration is becoming unpopular enough that running against it, even as it is out-going in 2008 could net electoral benefits.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Eric Berlin
Michael -- You'd like to impeach Bush and others, but you haven't laid out why. In any event, Democratic minority status in Congress prevents the Dems from doing much of anything, let alone holding impeachment trials because they don't agree with the administration's policies.
The best course of action for angry Democrats (and I'm one of them) is to concentrate on '06 and '08.
2 - Joanie
Thanks for pointing out that Michael neglected to give his reasons for wanting the impeachments. I thought maybe my addled (liberal) Republican mind had somehow failed to comprehend or missed something he'd written.
3 - MT
America has enough problems at this moment in time. Impeachment of all those mentioned (who DO deserve to be discarded) would only distract us from what should be attended to immediately. Those who voted for Bush were sufficiently warned in advance that he was not qualified but wouldn't listen. Now they're saddled with him until '08. Let's make the best of it -- but don't expect too much.
4 - Dave Nalle
If this is the level of quality of thought left-wing attackers continue to level at the Bush administration then we might as well prepare for a THIRD term.
Let me summarize this post "Waaaaaanh, Bush is the Devil, Bush is Hitler, Bush is a Chimp".
dave
5 - Victor Plenty
I hear that, Dave. Posts like this are one reason I so seldom bother to argue against extreme leftist positions. It's just too much like shooting fish in a barrel.
If the Democrats want to win elections, let them do it by being morally better than the Republicans, as they so often claim to be.
Cheap vindictive gestures like "post-term impeachment" will only hurt their chances among voters like me, who still care more about helping our nation than hurting the imagined enemies of somebody's ideology.
6 - Dave Nalle
I've been listening to Air America for the last two weeks, Victor. I now realize that the Democrats are doomed. If their own extreme wing doesn't split off into another party, they're going to maginalize the entire party to the point where Bush could be caught with a dead girl AND a live boy in the Lincoln Bedroom and the Democrats still won't be able to beat his chosen successor in the next election.
Dave
7 - MT
Dream on Dave. After Bush's performance, it'll be a long time before your beloved right wing repubs get in office again. Americans are finally waking up and what they're seeing is not to their liking. People like you are history.
8 - D L Ennis
Mr. Berlin”...concentrate on '06 and '08.” I couldn't agree more. This same old trash being written over and over again is getting might old! I'd like to see something fresh, looking forward in the political column here at Blogcritics. It's really gone way beyond ridiculous!!
D L
9 - Silas Kain
The majority of middle of the road Republicans must rise up and take back the party from the ultra right wing crackpots. For some strange reason Democrats seem fearful of getting their knickers in a twist over these crazed fundamentalists. If the GOP were moved even a hair toward center that might cause Democrats to take notice and start getting involved in the process. Insofar as G.W. Bush is concerned, I have never bought into this whole compassionate conservative propaganda of his. He's about as conservative as a lesbian nun on retreat in a fishing village. His political machine has used the ultra right to its advantage. He pandered to the people who were nuts enough to shell out the cash he needed to get into office. Let me remind you that he is the son of Barbara Pierce Bush more so than a chip off the old Geroge Herbert Walker Bush block.
10 - Dave Nalle
>>Dream on Dave. After Bush's performance, it'll be a long time before your beloved right wing repubs get in office again. Americans are finally waking up and what they're seeing is not to their liking. <<
This last sentence is at least true. People aren't liking the Republicans, but they are liking the Democrats even less. Overall faith in the party system is as low as it has ever been, but despite - or perhaps because of - the efforts of the extreme left, that public wrath is firmly focused on BOTH parties.
>>People like you are history.<<
You mean people who believe in freedom and equality? That's certainly bad news for the country.
Dave
11 - Dave Nalle
>>Insofar as G.W. Bush is concerned, I have never bought into this whole compassionate conservative propaganda of his. He's about as conservative as a lesbian nun on retreat in a fishing village. His political machine has used the ultra right to its advantage. He pandered to the people who were nuts enough to shell out the cash he needed to get into office. Let me remind you that he is the son of Barbara Pierce Bush more so than a chip off the old Geroge Herbert Walker Bush block.<<
Nice to see that someone else realizes this, Silas. Plus, his dad is a pro-choicer from way back, and clearly looks on the religious right with patrician disdain and distrust. Just as the Democrats use the ethnic minorities to get themselves elected while doing nothing real to help them, the old-school elitist Republicans use the bible-thumping hicks to advance their political interests while paying them back in nothing but symbolism.
Dave
12 - steve
The democRATS do not have any strong possibilities for the 08 election. the only dem I could see in there is barak obama. though liberal, he shows good leadership skills. Id like to see mcCain run for the GOP...he is a bit more moderate and will not take as many chances as bush
13 - Silas Kain
Americans are finally waking up and what they're seeing is not to their liking. People like you are history.
Baloney. Americans don't multitask and have short memories. Our society suffers from collecting Attention Deficit Disorder. If rank and file Americans actually gave a rat's ass about what's going on in government the turnout at the polls would be significantly higher. We only have ourselves to blame. The ultra wings care enough to get their bases out while the middle of the roaders just go along making their way through life not really reacting to the world around them. Sad, isn't it?
14 - marc
And partisan BS won't hold up in court or the Senate and House floor.
15 - MT
Dave -- people may not like either party at this point in time (and who can blame them), but usually, after 8 years of controversy (as is the case today), they vote out the party in control and give the other party a shot under the heading of let's see what the other side can do because it can't get any worse than it is now. There isn't a repub on the horizon who looks like he can capture the imagination of the people. Rick Santorum? Dick-head Cheney, if he lives that long? Newt? Puhleeze! Say goodbye, Dave, and please close the door behind you when you leave.
16 - Nancy
It was with envy that I read in the W. Post of Germany's five - 5 COUNT 'EM 5 - major political parties. Ours need to be split more, instead of everyone from the moderates to the lunatic fringe crammed together under one party. The moderate Dems & Pubs need their own parties; the lunatic fringes need their own parties; the greens & libertarians need their own parties. We need to stop all lining up behind one dog or the other, figuring that's the only way we have the chance of a snowball in hell for anyone to win who vaguely holds our own values - and then turns out not to hold any common values at all, just his own.
I agree w/Silas, & have been saying since I started here (except he says it nicer), most Americans are too intellectually lazy & stupid to live, especially when it comes to politics & government. Crap, only 30% of them can recognize the preamble of the Constitution, yet they somehow graduated from high school?
17 - DrPat
The English practice is specifically limited in several particulars in our Constitution...
No shit, Sherlock! There's a reason for that, which might occur to you if you consider for a moment the experience of the Founders with that liberal impeachment concept.
NOTE: That's "liberal" in the sense of "over-generous", though it might apply equally in its more-current sense...
18 - Silas Kain
MT, I believe there are those in the GOP who are ready to purge it of the fundamentalist believers and those who pander to them. The GOP doesn't need the extreme right to survive. There are those like Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma who insult the intelligence of Americans and is a disgrace to the people of that great state. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, it's clear that Pennsylvanians have finally come to realize that Rick Santorum is a cancer on the Senate that needs to be replaced. I honestly don't believe that giving the seat to the Democrat candidate is the answer.
19 - Nancy
Look to see Sanctimonious Santorum return to office, however: rumor has it he has more than enough (plus the support of the GOP re-election machine) to buy all the votes he needs.
20 - Silas Kain
I'm not convinced he will be returned, Nancy. He may have raised over $5 million but somehow I think Pennsylvanians will be skeptical. Those who are against his reelection should work for the opposition. Personally, I think it's important to knock him out in the Republican Primary as a message to the Republican leadership.
21 - LegendaryMonkey
Re: Comment 16 by Nancy -- I absolutely agree. I cannot really identify with either the Democrats or the Republicans and would live to see a viable politcal party with which I could agree, or at least actively support. Might reawaken my interest in politics.
And it might end some of the YOU'RE BAD! NO, YOU ARE! BS that populates every "political" discussion (read: argument) these days.
As for the above post... gotta agree with the above. Without laying out reasons or justifications, you're just jumping up and down until you're red in the face.
22 - Dr. Kurt
If you are having a hard time identifying the list of "high crimes & misdemeanors" that are traditionally grounds for impeachment, check out Ramsey Clark & company's web site,
impeachbush.org
It doesn't seem all that unreasonable to hold our public servants to reasonable standards of honesty, integrity, and performance; they are priviledged to be our employees, and we are quite free to fire them!
23 - LegendaryMonkey
We shouldn't have to identify it here, however. If someone wants to make a statement, that statement should be supported... whether or not I agree aside, I'm not doing anyone's homework for 'em!
-Lazy Monkey
24 - Scott
"There are those like Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma who insult the intelligence of Americans and is a disgrace to the people of that great state"
I'm thinking the people of Oklahoma are experiencing some buyer's remorse. Coburn's approval rating is 42%. Pretty damn low for a newly elected senator.
And the latest numbers for Santorum show Casey beating him in 2006 50% to 39% or something along those lines.
Not so great news for those fellas.
25 - Nancy
Public opinion polls count for little: elections can be bought with all kinds of finagling ranging from managing to "exclude" or invalidate the "wrong" votes to arranging for voters to be struck off the roles to arranging for there to be few or no working voting machines available in suspect voting precincts, to having the judiciary issue a ruling throwing an election to a favored candidate, as we've seen repeatedly lately. Hope PA is planning to issue paper backups.