Since George W. Bush is completely ignoring the views of both the vast majority of American citizens and the majority of the members of Congress concerning the ending of the Iraq War, impeachment hearings should be started. Bush will not conform to democratic norms. He will not respect public opinion or democracy. There are plenty of reasons to hold immediate joint impeachment hearings for both Bush and Cheney. It is obvious that Bush is relying on his devoted minority following of Congressional Republicans to obstruct withdrawal from Iraq. The same Republican minority has been able to block meaningful legal reforms and most progressive legislation. For most of Bush's terms in office, Republicans were in the majority and blocked all investigations into law-breaking by the Bush White House. Iraq and many of the other Bush-connected scandals are connected. The White House inspired and directed outing of CIA agent Valerie Palme for political reasons related to her husband's opposition to invading Iraq based on lies is closely connected. The obstruction of justice issue in that instance remains unresolved. Crimes, like warrantless wiretapping in direct violation of federal law, go unpunished. The political firing on US prosecutors, who were unwilling to use their offices to influence elections in favor of Republicans, still have not been honestly investigated. Prosecutions of White House operatives should already be underway. Political interference in civil rights, labor rulings, voting rights, environmental and consumer lawsuits by Bush appointees may have violated the law. We need open, public, televised hearings. Executive privilege claims, non-existent executive power claims, excessive government secrecy and Presidential signing statements have all been abused by Bush and/or Cheney. The abuses amount to "high crimes and misdemeanors" when viewed in total. The pattern is one of a White House who routinely ignores both the rule of law and the will of the people. Impeachment hearings would reveal the contempt Bush Republicans have for honest, open Government. They would reveal the contempt Bush and Cheney have for democratic processes, honest elections and the will of the people. They would show abuses of power. They would show financial corruption in the form of politically-connected government contracting that include FEMA, Iraq, Homeland Security and much more. How energy legislation was crafted, as a result of the secret Cheney Energy Taskforce actions and recommendations should be publicly investigated in impeachment hearings. The same thing can be said about how prescription drugs were added to Medicare, in a way that benefited drug companies at the expense of taxpayers thanks to the Bush White House. Only revealing the true nature of Bush Republicans by holding impeachment hearings will force enough Republican Senators and House members to abandon Bush on the issue of Iraq. Republicans, who continue to stand with Bush once the facts are televised live in impeachment hearings, will be turned out of office even in the reddest of states. Impeachment will force Republicans to bend to the will of the people or be voted out of office. Bush/Cheney impeachment hearings would not be on trumped-up, essential personal failings. They would be dealing with abusive and incompetent performance in office, public corruption by officeholders and Constitutional issues. These types of issues are why our Founding Fathers designed a system where Presidents and Vice Presidents can be impeached. Even if Bush and Cheney were not removed from office, impeachment hearings would be good for American Democracy.... And world peace!
Written by Stephen Crockett (co-host of Democratic Talk Radio http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com and Editor of Mid-Atlantic Labor.com http://www.midatlanticlabor.com). Mail: P.O. Box 283, Earleville, Maryland 21919. Email: midsouthcm@aol.com | 
