Could Bush be recalled? n/t

[shraby]

[Cleita]

1. Nope, it seems.

This was brought up when Governor Grey Davis was recalled in California. (Underhanded dealings, in my opinion.) But it turns out there is no way to recall the Prezidunce.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. No, whether an official can be recalled

is up to the individual states, so there is no recall for people elected in federal elections.

You can try to recall your governor, mayor, state legislature, or dog catcher IF your state allows recall elections, but you're stuck with Federal officials--or else there would have been a "recall Norm Coleman" campaign in Minnesota starting in about December, 2002, if not earlier.

[Columbia]

3. How bout impeached?

[shraby]

6. He could be impeached but

the Republicans in congress won't do it. He's committed impeachable offenses and just gets away with them. That's why I asked about recall.

[Columbia]

7. Guess gonna have to settle for 11/2

[kestrel91316]

9. Impeachment would require.........................

a Congress who wanted him out. Not enough votes to do it right now due the the f-------ing Repug domination of our Congress. DAMN!

[Cleita]

21. Yeah, but throwing up your hands and walking away

doesn't reach the moderate Republicans who might cross the aisle. Better than impeachment I would rather he be tried in the Hague for violation of the Geneva convention and war crimes. Even if done in abentia and even if he doesn't get sent to prison, the smear on his presidency will go down in history.

[bluestateguy]

4. There is no provision for that in the Constitution

The idea was bounced around a bit during the Progressive Era, but never went anywhere.

I would favor an amendment to the Constitution providing for a recall of second term presidents only. To certify a recall election I would require signatures of 5% of all registered voters in 3/4 of all states OR 10% of all registered voters in 3/5 of the states. Then you would have an up or down recall of the presidential/vice-presidential ticket. If recalled, the House Speaker would finish the presidential term.

Hastert is bad, but he would never be as bad as Bush Jr. He'd only be as bad as Bush Sr. or Coolidge.

[ComerPerro]

5. according to the Constitution, no

So... no.

[OHswingvoter]

8. our chance is

to do it the regular way. on novemeber 2.

[leesa]

10. Are you sure your electronic vote will count?

The guy who makes your machines has pledged to deliver Ohio to Bush.

[OHswingvoter]

13. would I be better off

to vote absentee? I hear they don't even bother to always count those unless it is close. Is that true?

[lanparty]

11. YES, it's called ....

... THE ELECTION.

Impeachment and recall are moot at this point.

[Cleita]

12. How about those lame duck months until inauguration?

I say impeachment should stay up there in the dialogue.

[loudsue]

14. Nice thought: but the idiot in the White House would pardon himself

And get away with it, like he's gotten away with every other criminal deed.

I just wish the entire bush mafia would come down with a fatal disease of some kind....SOON!! And let the world be rid of the whole slimy mess!!

:kick::kick:

[Green Lantern]

16. Actually

he would technically pardon Cheney - if Cheney got nailed - then resign. Cheney in turn would pardon Bushwa and they would live happily ever after.

[lanparty]

17. What part of "Republican Congress" ...

... do you not understand????

OK, well maybe it's possible if you recall about 15 Republican members of Congress and THEN recall 10 Republican Senators. THEN you could potentially impeach the man.

[Buck Rabbit]

15. Yes he can.

I recall him as being a smug rat bastard.

[sofa king]

18. There is another way--"removal."

It's never been done before, and as far as I know it's never been considered--publicly. And in this particular case, it's likely to cause more problems than it solves. But after 2000 I've realized that if there's an angle, some evil sonofabitch will take it sooner or later.

Amendment XXV, Section 4:

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

From there it turns into a total circus. The President can write the President pro tempore and say, "no, I'm not crazy" and he gets his job back. But the VP and the Cabinet can write another letter and say, "yes, he is crazy" and he's out again. Then Congress has three weeks to decide by a supermajority whether or not the President is incapable. If misused, it's a genuine palace coup just waiting to happen, vaguely reminiscent of Hitler's rise to power under Hindenburg.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.amendmentxxv.html

I would not be too surprised if we discover some day far in the future that this option was actually considered with regard to the current President and that period of highly unusual behavior he was purportedly displaying about nine months ago.

I'm sure some clever bird has written a political thriller about this by now. If not, I called it first!

I'll give it a racy name, like "Painful Discharge."

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. Perhaps the poster was referring to "recalled to military service".

Perhaps the poster was referring to "recalled to military service". Was there a 50-some year old man recalled last week?

[bvar22]

20. Wouldn't that be the cat's ass!

AWOL* recalled for duty! :)