Iraq, impeachment, illegalities and immorality

Taken together the four topics in the grab-bag title of this piece, if played by Democrats with reasonable (and uncharacteristic) skill, could lead to serious Republican setbacks in 2006. A multiple-front approach -- from Iraq to values -- could be triggered by the smoking gun that would at last receive substantial media coverage if only Democrats were to force the issue with singular resolve. I write, of course, of the Downing Street memo.

This first-hand account of Bush’s illegal war-machinations is devastatingly blunt. Because of its ample circulation within the politically aware crowd -- you -- I’ll briefly quote only that which is bluntest and emphasize that which is most relevant for our purpose: “Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. The NSC had no patience with the UN route, and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi regime's record…. But the case was thin. Saddam was not threatening his neighbours, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran…. The Attorney-General said that the desire for regime change was not a legal base for military action.”

The Downing Street memo is now followed by evidence that “the RAF and US aircraft doubled the rate at which they were dropping bombs on Iraq in 2002 in an attempt to provoke Saddam Hussein into giving the allies an excuse for war…. The systematic targeting of Iraqi air defences appears to contradict Foreign Office legal guidance appended to the leaked briefing paper which said that the allied aircraft were only ‘entitled to use force in self-defence where such a use of force is a necessary and proportionate response to actual or imminent attack from Iraqi ground systems.’”

If these reports aren’t enough to spur the House Judiciary Committee to seek full House authority for an impeachment inquiry, nothing is. And that is precisely what will happen: Nothing. Despite even the incredibly low standard set for impeachment during the Clinton administration, nothing, no matter how blatantly illegal and immoral, will prompt this right-wing House to investigate its right-wing president. Nothing.

And that makes the House as culpable as the White House, in that it’s perpetrating a cover-up and committing, literally, obstruction of justice. Because of the lives needlessly lost in the illegality of Iraq, it’s worse than Watergate. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee could relentlessly focus its resources on this one theme -- just as Republicans successfully unified their message in ’94 -- hitting, as well, the “immoral” angle to recapture those salvageable groups of the moral-values electorate.

But the impeachment process is House territory, leaving as an open question an aggressive campaign route for Senate Democrats to travel. Oddly enough -- and I admit this is a real stretch, but desperate times and all that -- the Iraq scandal could be brought to bear on the business of Supreme Court nominations.

Senate Democratic incumbents and hopefuls could argue (in states not solidly red) that any president who acts with such utter contempt and disregard for international and domestic laws has forfeited his constitutional right to name this country’s highest legal arbiters. He simply hasn’t the legal or moral standing. Supreme Court nominees’ judicial temperaments could be removed as a political factor. It would make no difference what their legal philosophies are. What matters -- what counts -- is that the president has neutralized his office’s power to nominate until a proper legal inquiry into reliably reported illegal acts has been conducted. (Despite my earlier disclaimer that this argument is a stretch, can’t you easily imagine Republicans pulling a stunt like this if the situation were reversed?)

But since the House has relinquished its constitutional obligation to investigate the president’s immoral and evidently illegal actions, so the argument would go, Senate Democrats are forced to filibuster all judicial nominations from this point forward. The nuclear option would of course be deployed, but, the argument continues, since Senate Republicans choose to condone the president’s illegal, immoral acts -- and they certainly have the raw power to do so -- then they themselves are as guilty of obstructing justice as their House counterparts. Just two bullying chambers protecting the head bully.

And all of this hammering -- illegal, immoral, illegal, immoral, illegal … -- sets up the Republican wanna-be successor to Bush, who could unhappily wind up spending all his time explaining why his party never investigated Bush’s criminal conduct.

But Democrats must take it to the media. They must initiate. They must pound.

While it’s more than reasonable to assume the Republican Congress will do nothing to investigate this president and thus leave itself open to blistering Democratic fire in 2006 and beyond, such a strategy perhaps unreasonably assumes some semblance of a unified message on the Democrats’ part. Any unified message, for that matter. And there’s the rub.

Comments

[born-free]

good article.
i hope you send this to howard dean and the relevant house and senate democratic campaign officials. seems like the perfect campaign slogan and plan. should the senate revert to the democrats, then even without impeachment authority, they could investigate the bush cabal 24/7. there is a precedent for this after all!

[Marblex]

EVERYONE: Sign John Conyors' letter demanding an investigation of the Downing Street memo. If enough of the American sheeple demand it Congress, GOP or NOT, will HAVE to open an investigation. Remember, Watergate languished for over a year from Jue 17, 1972 the date of the burglary, until Sen. Ervin's committee openly conducted its investigation. ALSO, we must INSIST on full-time MSM coverage -- televised Chimpygate hearings every day.

[Marblex]

Here is the Link to Conyors' letter:
http://www.johnconyers.campaignoffice.com/index.asp?Type=SUPERFORMS&SEC={0F1B03E0-080B-4100-B143-36A5985EF1E3

[Charles Karafotias]

I guess that 200 U. N. weapons inspectors, top experts from all over the world just vanished, like unpersons in Soviet Russia. They told us that they were 50 percent finished, starting at the top and found NOTHING. Scott Ritter, David Kay, Hans Blix, Joe Wilson, Richard Clarke, Paul O'Neil etc etc all non-persons. Pfft-airbrushed out of the picture. So, the big phony lie that the big baf CIA misled our poor dummy "president" just don't hold water huh?

[crusader bunnypants]

the republic is dead

[Art Durand AKA Whitebear]

Way worse than Watergate, and the rest of the world, unspun by right wing media control knows it.
Setting aside the feelings of those who have opposed our policies by taking up arms, what are the feelings of the innocents both here in the States who have lost children in this illegal and immoral adventure and the innocents in Afghanistan and Iraq who have seen their cities bombed into rubble and watch as those of their children who escape becoming collateral damage (damn the inventor of that phrase) succumb to exposure to depleted uranium or or are born with severe birth defects?
America is my country and was the country of my ancestors long before the invader came.
I'm not going anywhere and I tremble at the future because doubt it not - "What goes around comes around." one way or another.

[Eve]

As stated, with Republicans controlling the House and the Senate, impeachment is impossible. Therefore, since that is a potential threat to the GOP should voters change the majority, they will again commit election fraud to prevent Democrats from controlling the House. In order to prevent this fraud, Democrats should abandon the honored secret ballot system - since that is exactly what is allowing the Republicans to commit fraud. Democrats should set up self-reporting exit stations in this next election, with a notary public at each station, in order to provide an accurate and legal paper record for the votes. There doesn't seem to be any other way for us to ensure a proper and accurate vote count.

[Barry Mauer]

Another Staged Scandal in the Oval Office!
Today President Bush and Vice President Cheney held a press meeting in the oval office, which is only the fifth press meeting held by Bush since taking office in 2001. During the meeting, Bush held up sheets of paper to Cheney, who read them out loud in front of the cameras.
"Bush wanted to remove Saddam through military action justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."
Cheney chuckled briefly to himself and read another page.
"Bush had made up his mind to take military action. But the case was thin. Saddam was not threatening his neighbors, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran."
At this point, Cheney attempted to stifle a laugh, but failed, his face turning red and then exploding in loud guffaws. He slapped Bush on the back.
Bush pinched his lips closed, his eyes bulging. Bush slowly let out a quiet "pffffft" sound that grew louder and louder. He clenched his fists and pounded Cheney in the belly.
Cheney farted, which caused Bush to double over laughing, desperately gasping for air, saying "ow ow ow," apparently because of the pain caused by his laughter.
Cheney and Bush continued laughing for five more minutes until the press finally left the room.
Commentators on Fox News, CBS and MSNBC, describing the videos to television audiences, noted the steely resolve of our leaders in the face of a determined enemy.

[Barry Mauer]

Another Staged Scandal in the Oval Office!
Today President Bush and Vice President Cheney held a press meeting in the oval office, which is only the fifth press meeting held by Bush since taking office in 2001. During the meeting, Bush held up sheets of paper to Cheney, who read them out loud in front of the cameras.
"Bush wanted to remove Saddam through military action justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."
Cheney chuckled briefly to himself and read another page.
"Bush had made up his mind to take military action. But the case was thin. Saddam was not threatening his neighbors, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran."
At this point, Cheney attempted to stifle a laugh, but failed, his face turning red and then exploding in loud guffaws. He slapped Bush on the back.
Bush pinched his lips closed, his eyes bulging. Bush slowly let out a quiet "pffffft" sound that grew louder and louder. He clenched his fists and pounded Cheney in the belly.
Cheney farted, which caused Bush to double over laughing, desperately gasping for air, saying "ow ow ow," apparently because of the pain caused by his laughter.
Cheney and Bush continued laughing for five more minutes until the press finally left the room.
Commentators on Fox News, CBS and MSNBC, describing the videos to television audiences, noted the steely resolve of our leaders in the face of a determined enemy.

[Levon]

"But Democrats must take it to the media."
... assumes a media that would receive it.
The media is complicit with the Republican
agenda, or haven't you noticed?

[Ned Cummings]

The republicans set the standard for impeachment, lying aboutr sex. No one died as a result of Clinton's lies. There must be a ground swell of citizens in demanding impeachment action. Every American is to blame for letting this guy get away with murder. The smoking gun is there and it must not be allowed to die.

[John Tanger]

Dear fellow Democrats and Progressives:

We must stand and fight for clear goals and not simply mouth our opposition to the Bush Administration's evil agenda.

We must do battle in the streets for:

(1) An immediate end to the Iraq and Afghanistan occupations and Bush's war on terror.

(2) Impeachment of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield, Rice and Gonzales for 911, WMD and prison torture. Criminal charges should also be brought against Wolfowitz.

(3) Strengthening and improving legal protections for the environment, consumers, and whistleblowers.

(4) Strengthening and improving our social institutions such as Social Security, a national Health Care system and our support of the United Nations.

(5) Strengthening and improving our development of alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, and tidal together with encouraging energy conservation by means of tax incentives, especially in the areas of fuel efficiency and co-generation.

(6) Ending the NAFTA and CAFTA agreements and instead supporting “Fair Trade” agreements with salary, health and environmental protections for workers.

(7) Rewarding companies that keep jobs in the United States and punishing companies that outsource jobs via progressive tax strategies.

(8) Strengthening our border with Mexico to stem the tide of illegal immigrants that are being encouraged to participate in an invasion and political takeover of the American southwest. This should include sanctions against the Mexican government to stop the flow from their side.

The Republicans are fighting a war against the Democrats and middle class Americans and we must fight back aggressively. I urge Congressional Democrats to protest with their feet and simply refuse to participate in a corrupted Congress.

Congressional Democrats should stage sit-ins and hold rallies. They should call the Republicans Fascists and hate-mongers because they have earned these labels. This is how we must now fight because the mainstream media has become a stooge of the Republicans and only a brawl in the street will get any media coverage.

Congressional Democrats must stop playing compromise politics and show the Democratic voters and the world that Democrats have as much spine as the people of the Ukraine.

The time has come for Democrats to fight with their fists for democracy!

[djGreen]

One simple way to get this story to break: a significant number of Congress people (like 20 or more) could get together at high noon & march together, with the Downing Street Minutes and Conyer's letter calling for an investigation in hand, over to the WaPo and demand to see the editor in chief...then they simply stage a "sit-in" & refuse to leave the building until both the minutes and letter together are front-paged above the fold in the WaPoo.

Are there 20 Dems on Capitol Hill with the brass to do this? Ah ha ha, I don't think so.

[Antoinette]

You must look back and examine how this administration works. First of all, they literally stole the 2000 election. They disenfranchised hundreds of minorities by discounting their votes.

They have lied to the American public and killed thousands of people. For what?? Money.

Whenever the press attempts to tell the truth the individual is severely punished. Look at Dan Rather. Do you think his story was really bogus? Bush has been lying since and before he stepped into the White House. Do you believe their is any truth in him? Is there any good in a man who would send thousands to war intentionally based on a lie? Thousands are killed and he did NOT attend one of their funerals.

What about the Pat Tillman story when the army lied about his death. Bush profited off of this also.

Take a long look at Bush and how he operates. He is a dangerous bully. Do you remember the debates and how he made his own rules when it was time for him to speak? He just continued talking whether it was his turn or not.

And where the hell is Bin Laden?? How come Bin Laden appeared one week before the election after not being heard from in over a year. Then he disappeared. Wow. Interesting questions that no one dare to ask. I wonder why? Afraid of being punished by the Bush administration. They are dangerous people. Anyone who would send innocent people to die in a war that was fabricated one year prior is a dangerous person. He will stop at nothing to get his agenda passed.

Does anyone wonder why they came out with the touch screens so that there were no paper trails? Even an ATM machine can give you a paper trail.

Go back and refresh your memory and it will begin to make sense.