We need Bush to serve out his term of office.

[hedgehog]

If the Democrats take Congress, the plurality will be razor thin. If Bush is impeached but not convicted, he and others will consider him to have been absolved and they will make the claim that the Democrats were playing politics. If Bush is impeached and convicted, who replaces him? Cheney? A Republican? A Democrat? Which Democrat?

If Bush is replaced by a Republican, we go into the 2008 election facing a sitting Republican president who is not Bush.

If Bush is replaced by a Democrat, we go into the 2008 election with a sitting Democratic president chosen in Washington who has spent 18 months trying to clean up Bush's mess with a bare majority in the Congress.

I say Bush and the Republicans broke it, let's see them try to fix it. A Democratic plurality should be able to stop the worst depredations. Besides, leaving Bush in office means that every Republican in Congress spends the next two years choosing between the frying pan of supporting Bush and the fire of not supporting him. John McCain is already learning how tricky that can be.

[onenote]

1. I agree

minor correction: if the Democrats take Congress they will have a majority, not a plurality.

[hedgehog]

9. Tell me more.

I'm thinking it looks like 52-48 in the Senate at best and something like that in the House. Unless some Republicans cross over, I don't see us getting a veto-proof majority.

[onenote]

11. didn't mean to suggest that it will be veto proof -- it won't

Just being nit-picky. We'll have (hopefully) a slim majority in one or both houses, not a plurality (although I suppose that we might have a plurality in the Senate if you account for the possibility of two Independents).

[MrCoffee]

2. That is EXACTLY how impeachment would be spun

which is why impeachment is a bad idea, if you don't have the votes in the Senate to do anything about it.

[aquart]

3. And the next president inherits Bush's power intact.

With unchallenged precedent.

Gosh, that's actually insane.

[volstork]

4. excellent point n/t

[rock]

5. I want the Hague to try him for war crimes

It's a dream.

[no_hypocrisy]

13. THAT'S the venue for ultimate justice. n/t

[solara]

6. I agree with you

that is the smart way to go...and the only way they can -all- be brought to justice. I think doing something about Iraq should be the number one priority, regardless of my desre to see the Repugs pay for their crimes. I would rather make -sure- they can be brought to justice even if it means a two year wait.. it will not be an easy two years for them, because they will just sink lower and that will practically guarantee a Democratic win in '08.

Also, after he is out of office, he cannot invoke 'executive privilege' and will -have- to swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth...which he is not capable of doing, so perjury can be added to his long, long list of crimes.

[maxsolomon]

7. he should end his term in disgrace

if he's impeached & convicted, the better. personally, i'd rather cheney were impeached.

[Jackpine Radical]

8. Maybe the best alternative is to start investigating as soon as we

get in power, just keep exposing things, but don't impeach unless there is a HORRENDOUS public outcry & demand to do so--then Congress would only be following the public will. If no such demand arises, then we wait 'til Bush exits office and let the new Democratic Attorney General go after him then for the crimes he commited while in office. He would then not have the powers inherent in the Presidency & it would be the Justice Dept, not Congress, doing the job.

[hedgehog]

10. That's alright as long as we don't screw up the evidence before

the criminal courts get hold of it. Those involved in Iran-Contra would still be in prison today except that the Democratic led congressional committee ended up giving so many of them immunity. The committee never communicated to most Americans exactly what was wrong with Iran-Contra, and those involved are now working for Bush!

[twilight_sailing]

15. That's damn clever, Jackpine Radical.

I like it.

[Ganja Ninja]

12. I say we impeach him sometime between the day after ..

the election 2008 and January 19, 2009. Prior to that we should just investigate him and his cronies and use the investigations to discredit and expose them.

[Catherine Vincent]

14. I don't think he should be impeached.

Only if he's guaranteed to be thrown out of office. And since he won't be, then keep his sorry ass in there until his term is up.

[MadMaddie]

16. What you do is you impeach *, Cheney, and whomever else

has fucked this country...you do it all at once.....and then you contact the Hague to encourage charges against them for their War crimes......