Reply #245: None of that is "evidence" of a high crime or misdemeanor.

[MADem]

An ancient flyer for a protest is certainly not "evidence."

That "illegal war" was rubber stamped by Congress. In fact, the Congress recently agreed to continue funding it, including sixty one VERY LIBERAL (the most liberal) progressives in the House. So you can draw a line through that justification.

Those world wide secret prisons break no US law. He made sure of that--it's why they aren't US secret prisons. Strike two.

All that spying and wiretapping? Signing statements paved the way, with a national security justification. Strike three.

Every time he did anything, he either got Congress to give him the thumbs up, or he attached a "signing statement" to laws to make what is illegal, legal. You might not like that, but that IS what he did. He wasn't stupid that way--he covered his tracks brilliantly, and when he couldn't do it that way, he got someone else, like a Scooter Libby, to do his dirty work for him and take the fall for him if needed.

If Articles of Impeachment by some miracle appeared in the well of the Senate, how long do you think it would be before Bush found a way to insist that the Supreme Court stop the proceedings, based on some arcane interpretation of the law? And what do you suppose his Supreme buddies would do for him?

Absent that, and assuming the impossible happens, and Impeachment Articles DO make it to the Senate, who's your trial judge in an impeachment that won't happen? Chief Justice Roberts. I can just hear his favorite phrases now: "You're "OVERRULED."

"NO, you may NOT admit that into evidence--the defense's objections are SUSTAINED."

Now, unless Roberts gets a brain tumor that causes him to deviate from character, he's not going to bite the hand that feeds him, but let's just suppose he does. You think the GOP Senators are going to bite the hand that feeds them, either? The votes just aren't there to impeach the guy. And the purpose of impeachment isn't punishment, it's removal from office. Nothing more. So no matter what way you slice it, the end result is failure. He will not be removed.

I really understand your frustration, but getting mad at me and falsely insisting that I'm "way off base" because you don't like the realpolitik of the situation isn't going to change the facts on the ground here. So please don't insist that I go along with your pipe dreams or "get out of the way." I have a right to a differing view, and I will wager that my view is far more realistic than yours. You are free to disagree, but you aren't free to order me about...

:hi: