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Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 12:25 pm
by OscarGuy
I don't know, but it only takes a simple majority of the house to impeach. Removal from office requires 2/3 of Senate.
What a statement the Dems could make with this. "We're done screwing around, you've violated the rights given to you under the constitution. You're outta here!"
Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 12:15 pm
by Greg
Apparently, the resolution has now been sent to the House Judiciary Committee, where it could be buried; however, Kucinich could repeatedly introduce privileged resolutions if they try to bury it.
Here's a segment on Olbermann about it from yesterday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WbwTkRihvM
By the way, what was it in Speaker Of The House Pelosi's mind that thought it would be bad politics to impeach someone with a less than 20% approval rating. That's one smooth move Nancy.
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 5:20 pm
by Akash
One can dream, no?
Edited By Akash on 1194387620
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 5:12 pm
by OscarGuy
You know, this could turn around and bite the Republicans in the ass. Who's to say that with it on the table that the Dems won't rally for support and actually push it forward. Who knows.
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 4:40 pm
by Akash
criddic3 wrote:I'm laughing about this. Looks like the Dems wanted to brush this under the rug by a motion to table, or kill, the resolution, but the Republicans are gonna force a debate on the actual motion to impeach. Remember, the leadership said they would not consider impeachment. This is going to be agonizing for the Democrats. They didn't want this to happen.
They just wanted to put it out there and kill it to make a point.
Be careful what you wish for.
Thank you Captain Obvious. We all knew the Dems didn't really want this so don't go chuckling to yourself too much. What some of us are praising Kucinich for is his recalcitrance. Good for him for having principles and for not acting like the other cowards in his sell-out, middling moderate, backstabbing party.
And I've told you before. You've already used up your wishes.
Edited By Akash on 1194385289
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 4:22 pm
by criddic3
I'm laughing about this. Looks like the Dems wanted to brush this under the rug by a motion to table, or kill, the resolution, but the Republicans are gonna force a debate on the actual motion to impeach. Remember, the leadership said they would not consider impeachment. This is going to be agonizing for the Democrats. They didn't want this to happen.
They just wanted to put it out there and kill it to make a point.
Be careful what you wish for.
Edited By criddic3 on 1194384178
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 2:58 pm
by 99-1100896887
God! In a small way, and for a VERY short time(!) I wish I were an American so I could work for this man. I wonder how it will all play out....
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 2:55 pm
by Akash
This is by far the most satisfying and patriotic thing to come out of the Democratic Party since...well, that's how long really.
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 2:49 pm
by Greg
Dennis formally introduced the articles against Cheney today. Here's a CNN clip:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qJK6ApCcKPo
Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 4:21 pm
by Akash
Greg wrote:"Who should we believe, Dennis Kucinich or Shirley MacLaine?"
Um....
Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 5:02 pm
by Greg
Kucinich saw the UFO 10 years ago at Shirley MacLaine's house. She wrote about it in her most recent book. That's how Russert knew about it to ask the question. Kucinich pretty much did the best he could. If he lied and said "No!" then the media would have had a snarky field day with "Who should we believe, Dennis Kucinich or Shirley MacLaine?"
By the way, this whole "impeachment is off the table thing" reminds me of something I read by Molly Ivins about the Democrats: "Forget courage. Can't they read the damn polls?"
Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 5:59 pm
by Akash
God bless him. I don't know why he opened his mouth about a fucking UFO, but Kucinich is still by far the best of the Democratic candidates. Before I said I wouldn't give the Dems my vote in the Election. But I can still vote for someone I really want - like Kucinich - in the Primaries, a vote that won't make me feel dirty afterwards.
The Nation
The Online Beat
John Nichols
BLOG | Posted 11/02/2007
Calling the Question -- In the House -- on Impeaching Cheney
Broadcast media's gate-keeping "stars" have done just about everything in their power to keep the matter of presidential accountability off the radar of the American people. That was evident during the most recent Democratic presidential debate, when NBC anchors Brian Williams and Tim Russert meticulously avoided following up on Congressman Dennis Kucinich's three references to impeachment but somehow found time to grill the contenders on UFOs and what costume Barack Obama would be wearing on Halloween.
Pollsters are almost as bad. Rarely are questions about impeachment included in statewide or national surveys.
Despite the lack of media coverage, however, when citizens are asked what they think about holding members of the Bush administration to account, they respond with an enthusiasm far greater than that displayed for impeaching Richard Nixon at the height of the Watergate scandal. It is this reality -- as opposed to the state of denial fostered by so much of the media and the political class -- that Congressman Dennis Kucinich will act upon next week, when he offers a privileged resolution on the House floor to bring articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney.
Kucinich will face an uphill fight in a chamber led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat who continues to say that impeachment is "off the table."
The Ohio congressman and long-shot presidential contender may not be following the rules of engagement as dictated by major media and his party leaders. But when Kucinich raises the issue of impeachment, he will be speaking for a great mass of Americans who agree with his argument that, "Congress must hold the Vice President accountable."
How great?
A fresh poll conducted for Vermont's WCAX television station finds that citizens of that state enthusiastically believe that Congress beginning impeachment proceedings against President Bush.
Sixty-one percent of the Vermonters surveyed favor taking steps to impeach the president, while just 33% oppose doing so.
The numbers are even higher for impeaching Cheney. Sixty-four percent of Vermonters favor beginning the process of holding the vice president to account, where only 31 percent are opposed.
The greater level of support for impeaching Cheney parallels the few nationwide figures that have been ascertained. When the American Research Group conducted a national survey in early July of this year, it found that 54 percent of American adults wanted the House to begin impeachment proceedings against Cheney -- with 76 percent of Democrats, 51 percent of independents and a striking 17 percent of Republicans favoring the step.
Forty-six percent of Americans surveyed backed impeachment proceedings against Bush -- with support for impeachment at 69 percent among Democrats, 50 percent among independents and 13 percent among Republicans.
What is notable is that, when Time magazine surveyed Americans in the late spring of 1974, after the Watergate scandal had evolved into a full-scale crisis of confidence in Nixon's presidency, only 43 percent favored impeachment.
A media that actually had a sense of history, not to mention reality, would focus on the fact that Americans are more supportive of a congressional intervention to thwart Bush and Cheney's wrongdoing than they were of moves to hold Nixon to account just months before the former president resigned in disgrace.
Now, it falls to Kucinich to speak the reality that, "The momentum is building for impeachment. Millions of citizens across the nation are demanding Congress rein in the Vice President's abuse of power."
Says the congressman, "Despite this groundswell of opposition to the unconstitutional conduct of office, Vice President Cheney continues to violate the U.S. Constitution by insisting the power of the executive branch is supreme... The Vice President continues to use his office to advocate for a continued occupation of Iraq and prod our nation into a belligerent stance against Iran. If the Vice President is successful, his actions will ensure decades of disastrous consequences."
Kucinich introduced articles of impeachment against Cheney several months ago, and his H. Res. 333 has attracted almost two dozen co-sponsors. All Democrats, they are Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Robert Brady (D-PA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA), Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA), Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Rep. Henry Johnson (D-GA), Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Rep. James Moran (D-VA), Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Rep. Diane Watson (D-CA), Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) and Rep. Albert Wynn (D-MD).
Frustrated by the refusal of Democratic leaders to set up a process for holding hearings on his proposal, Kucinich will use an arcane House rule allowing for the prodding of the process with privileged resolutions to try and force consideration. Once introduced, a privileged resolution must be addressed within two legislative days.
Kucinich is expected to offer his privileged resolution on Tuesday. He expects to continue pushing it until the House acts. That action is likely to be a successful move by Democratic leaders to table the measure. Such a vote could be instructive, however, in that it would provide a rare measure of the willingness of at least some House members to respond to the popular will -- which is that Dick Cheney be held to account.
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?bid=1&pid=248000
Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:18 pm
by Greg
Dennis will force the House to vote on impeaching Cheney next week.
From his Congressional website:
Kucinich Will Introduce Privileged Resolution To Force Up Or Down Vote On Cheney Impeachment
Washington, Nov 2 - Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) announced today that he will be offering a privileged resolution on the House floor next week that will bring articles of impeachment against the Vice President, Richard B. Cheney.
“The momentum is building for impeachment,” Kucinich said. “Millions of citizens across the nation are demanding Congress rein in the Vice President’s abuse of power.
“Despite this groundswell of opposition to the unconstitutional conduct of office, Vice President Cheney continues to violate the U.S. Constitution by insisting the power of the executive branch is supreme.
“Congress must hold the Vice President accountable. The American people need to let Members of Congress know how they feel about this. The Vice President continues to use his office to advocate for a continued occupation of Iraq and prod our nation into a belligerent stance against Iran. If the Vice President is successful, his actions will ensure decades of disastrous consequences.”
The privileged resolution has priority status for consideration on the House floor. Once introduced, the resolution has to be brought to the floor within two legislative days, although the House could act on it immediately. Kucinich is expected to bring it to the House floor on Tuesday, November 6.
H. Res. 333, Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President, has 21 cosponsors. They are: Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Robert Brady (D-PA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA), Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA), Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Rep. Henry Johnson (D-GA), Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Rep. James Moran (D-VA), Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Rep. Diane Watson (D-CA), Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) and Rep. Albert Wynn (D-MD).
http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=77847
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:16 pm
by Greg
Kucinich mentioned impeachment of Bush and/or Cheney three times in last night's debate. Let's hope this eventually get's more media attention than his answer to Tim Russert's question about whether he saw a UFO.
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:35 am
by Akash
Let's all vote for Kucinich in the Primaries...PLEASE.
The man is the only Democratic candidate worth supporting...