Jonathan Schwarz grabbed the audio of Barbara Boxer telling Big Ed that impeachment should be on the table because this administration is like a dictatorship.
BOXER: Yeah. I mean, you left out a bunch of things — spying on citizens without a warrant, going around FISA, on and on. Look, I have always said it should be on the table. Ed, I’ve always said it. I was on a book tour and I ran into John Dean of Watergate fame. He was on the book tour that I was on, for his book. And it was right after we discovered that the administration was spying on our people without a warrant. And he just said, he looked at me and basically just said, as far as he could see, unless there was some explanation for this, this was impeachable.
I’ve always said that you need to keep it on the table, and you need to look at these things, because now people are dying because of this administration. That’s the truth. And they won’t change course. They are ignoring the Congress. They keep signing these signing statements which mean that he’s decided not to enforce the law. This is as close as we’ve ever come to a dictatorship. When you have a situation where Congress is stepped on, that means the American people are stepped on. So I don’t think you can take anything off the table. Because in fact the Constitution doesn’t permit us to take these things off the table…(trancscript below the fold) read on
SCHULTZ: They’re throwing down the gauntlet. They’re just declaring that they’re not going to change anything — the President in Cleveland yesterday saying, we’re just getting started. So in the meantime, the frustration of the American people continues to build, and I have to tell you Senator, I’m not trying to rope you into a conversation one way or another or where you’re at on this, but I want to say this for our listeners: they want impeachment put back on the table. They want impeachment on the table as a bargaining chip. Because for instance, Scooter Libby, commuting the sentence, what happened today with Sarah Taylor saying she’d been instructed by the president not to say anything, Alberto Gonzales, the story today about how he was briefed over the Patriot Act and then lied a week later in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee. I mean, when is enough is enough?
BOXER: Yeah. I mean, you left out a bunch of things — spying on citizens without a warrant, going around FISA, on and on. Look, I have always said it should be on the table. Ed, I’ve always said it. I was on a book tour and I ran into John Dean of Watergate fame. He was on the book tour that I was on, for his book. And it was right after we discovered that the administration was spying on our people without a warrant. And he just said, he looked at me and basically just said, as far as he could see, unless there was some explanation for this, this was impeachable. I’ve always said that you need to keep it on the table, and you need to look at these things, because now people are dying because of this administration. That’s the truth. And they won’t change course. They are ignoring the Congress. They keep signing these signing statements which mean that he’s decided not to enforce the law. This is as close as we’ve ever come to a dictatorship. When you have a situation where Congress is stepped on, that means the American people are stepped on. So I don’t think you can take anything off the table. Because in fact the Constitution doesn’t permit us to take these things off the table.
SCHULTZ: Would you counsel Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid to put it on the table and make a statement before everybody goes home in August. Because they’re going to get an earful from the American people when they go home.
BOXER: Well, I don’t presume to tell people what to do. I have made my statements. And of course if asked I will say. I’ve been out there, I’m out here again today. I think, John Conyers is — this is where impeachment starts. When Alberto Gonzales, when it came out that he fired these U.S. attorneys, that it was politics being played with it, I thought then that we should look into impeachment hearings. So I don’t think it should be taken off the table.
On the other hand, we’ve got a war to end. We’ve got things that we’ve got to keep on doing. So if we do this right, we should give it to the appropriate committees, let them do the hard work that it entails, but we have to do something about health insurance. We have to do something about global warming. We have to end this war. We have to do something about education. And all these other things. About the budget deficit. You have to walk and chew gum at the same. And I know Nancy’s point was, we have to reverse about seven years of this horrific administration’s policies, and she’s fearful of losing steam on that, in that regard.
3 Trackbacks To “Barbara Boxer says Impeachment should be on the table“
Impeachment should be on the table. Dick and George’s heads would look good too.
Let’s trade that other Californian for this one. Speaker of the House Barbara Boxer!
Sweet! Now there’s a woman who speaks for me. We ladies know how to fu*king set a table. Plates, forks, knives, spoons and a heaping bowl of impeachment.
Thank you Barbara and go Cali.
Impeach and then put the War Criminals in prison.
By not Impeaching, the Democrats would be putting party over the Constitution which is exactly what is wrong with the Repugs and the BushCo. regime.
it never should have been off the table.
how much more evidence do people need that the bush admin has run roughshod over the constitution? yeesh, if this deceptive, duplicitous, devious and dangerous administration is not held to account for their crimes i fear that admin’s down the road will keep trying to push the envelope.
one thing the GOP understands is examples–as in making examples out of people in order to make a point. make an example out of the bush admin (trials, jails, whatever), and reassure america and the world that in america the rule of law is truly sacrosanct
Sorry, Madam Speaker, but the Senate doesn’t give a shit about your head of steam. They’ve stopped your momentum from day one, thanks to Lieberschnitzel. The Rethug obstructionists can block the reforms that Americans want, but they can’t block impeachment. Time to imprison the whole administration.
“because now people are dying because of this administration.”
NOW people are dying?!?!
Hey SHERLOCK…they’ve been dying for over 4 years.
Did you notice how we usurped the “First!” person? :)
I agree. There are all kinds of good reasons to go after both W and Cheney for high crimes and misdemeanors… AND IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A PARTISAN WHITCH HUNT! It should not be partisan at all.
I know SOME Republicans will scream bloody murder. It will be the responsibility of the Democrats in the House to show that this adminstration is BAD FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR COUNTRY.
THAT is getting easier every day!
Why do we always allow these repubs to frame the debate? The talk going on now is “the surge just started 2 weeks ago, so give it time”! We know the “surge” started 6 months ago.
“This is as close as we’ve ever come to a dictatorship.” She sees the same thing that we do. Okay run her for president, she has my vote.
Barbara come be my senator. Mine’s suppose to have b*lls, but you’re the one with the big brass ones. This American stands solidly with you.
I’m so glad she’s my Senator!
“Why do we always allow these repubs to frame the debate? The talk going on now is “the surge just started 2 weeks ago, so give it time”! We know the “surge” started 6 months ago.”
Or approximately One Friedman.
Well that was certainly short of Boxer.
It wasn’t on the table three days ago, when I got this response from her after I demanded that George Bush be impeached.
Dear Mr. Montague:
Thank you for contacting me regarding President Bush’s decision to commute Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s prison sentence. I appreciate hearing from you, and I share your concerns.
Mr. Libby was convicted by a jury on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in the investigation into who leaked the identity of CIA undercover agent Valerie Plame. Following federal sentencing guidelines, the judge then sentenced Mr. Libby to two and a half years in prison.
I am deeply disturbed that President Bush has chosen to ignore the decisions of the judicial system.
Mr. Libby was part of an operation to punish a leading war critic and squelch dissent on the Iraq war. It is high time this President started protecting American families and stop protecting his lawbreaking friends.
I will do all I can to see that the President’s action remains before the public as another example of the culture of corruption of this Administration.
Again, thank you for writing to me. Please contact me again about this or other issues of concern to you.
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
caye @ 12:
Does she keep them on her desk, all five clacking and swaying in unison?
[Deleted. Spamming-Sitemonitor]
Nice start, but we need less talk and more action. Impeach now.
GOOOOO California!
abiodun @ 10:
Isn’t it the truth….and what make me most angry is that the MSM lets that kind of
shit go unchallenged. Look at the number available…the “Surge” started in late Jan.
when first group of additional military personnal were sent, and in each subsequent
month(Feb thru July) more have been sent. WTF. Is the media so fu…… lazy
that it cannot report facts instead of more and more lies by this admin.???
If you don’t impeach these criminals, then anyone can get away with anything. Do you really want to live in a dictatorship that has no consequences for actions? Well, you do.
Off topic, sorry
Does anyone know if Iraqi parliament took their 2 month vacation? I haven’t heard anything from MSM or the Internet. Please direct to a news source that has this info.
Thanks!
17 Jim Montague
Can you provide a link or address for Barbara Boxer?
What we have for “senators” for Texas think it’s their job to represent boosh and be his apologists, when they should be representing us.
Tom Anderson @ 24:
Last I heard is they may only take 1 month. Still 1 month too long.
Ron, no politician is going to read a letter that long, they just aren’t. Hell, I’m not. You have to make it fairly short and to the point if you want to get your point across.
Just some friendly advice :)
Unless you impeach they will veto and ignore.
And you will get NOTHING done.
It’s as simple as that.
Senator@Boxer.Senate.Gov
pissed off patricia @ 27:
No true, I sent a similar letter of similar length to Barney Franks and he DID read it and personally responded.
It was a weak ass response, something about other priorities we need to do and things we need to pass, but it was read and responded to.
Barney like Nancy doesn’t get that they will be vetoed unless they impeach.
I heard today the Iraqi govt will take Aug. off. I guess bush will do his usual month long holiday along with our senators and reps. Seems everyone gets a break but the soldiers who are fighting and dying for who the hell knows what.
pissed off patricia @ 27:
It’s a new Declation of Independence. If they havn’t read anything that long then they need to. I would hope that they have read the original and the constitution. Why do you think they have staffers. Just help out and send it.
I didn’t say there would be no response, I said that pols don’t read really long letters. They may scan them, but I doubt they sit back and read every single word. If you can get your message in just a few sentences it doesn’t look like such a reading task ahead.
OK Babs; You’re off my shit list.. Maybe you ought to take a walk over to Nancy’s office and have a little sitdown with her…
Apparently she’s not seeing things the same way you are… OR 2 3rds of the rest of the country either………….
If this leads to something, then fine.. So far, just words…JD
Impeach the bastards!!
Senator Boxer’s views aside, there is NO DIFFERENCE between the investigations going forward in the House Committees and some impeachment-labelled process. They take the same amount of time, and they run into the same limitations of DEMOCRACY, which are NOT the fault of Speaker Pelosi or Chairman Conyers.
The recent push for impeachment began — oddly — two weeks before the biggest appropriations fight affecting the Iraq war of the year.
• Great timing! Whose brilliant idea was that?
Secondly, it completely ignores the FACT of a conspiracy stretching not just through the Executive, but through the SCOTUS, the media, the Congress, and the rest of the MILITARY INDUSTRIAL CONGRESSIONAL COMPLEX.
Trying to correct a coup with impeachment will never work. It is entirely unfair to expect the Dems to take the whole weight of that process — and until we have 20 R Senators ready to vote for conviction, it is a process without a result. And that is intolerable.
• It also is a process which would elevate Speaker Pelosi to the White House, which will lead to 100 years of ‘partisanship’ cries from the bastards who run the R party, whoever they will be if the party survives.
The R need to start the impeachment. WHY don’t activists face that fact? Because they KNOW that the R is complicit, and yet they intend to shove Speaker Pelosi into that crisis, because of their own desperation. They are dumping on OUR best representatives, because activists REFUSE to do the heavy lifting of convincing 20 R Senators that the time has come.
• Senator Boxer is one of our favorites. But on this count she is wrong, wrong, wrong. She raises her own numbers by increasing the load on the Speaker of the other body. That’s easy for her, but it is bad caucus politics, and Senators ought not call for impeachment UNLESS THEY HAVE THE VOTES IN THEIR BODY. And they don’t.
Indictment processes require removing the Attorney General. GET ON THAT, Sen. BOXER. Do YOUR work.
What an inexplicably strong statement from a Democrat.
She *is* still a Democrat, right?
Here’s an example of someone I can support, based on what she says and does.
I still feel no need to blindly worship a political party.
pissed off patricia @ 33:
Sometimes if a person in a higher position is challenged, as we are doing here, they pay more attention and may take some action.
Let’s get impeachment back on the table. Start building momentum. Let’s take back America from this criminal administration. Spread the word. At the bottom of all my emails, my signature automatically includes numbers to call in Washington to demand impeachment of Bush and Cheney.
The best thing to do is flood your congress people, Nancy Pelosi’s phone lines and mail box demanding George Bush and Dickless Cheney be held accountable for their crimes, including impeachment. It’s probably the only way to get Bush’s attention, although I’m sure he’ll try to worm his way around it.
it’s great to see that ball rolling. now it just needs to gather momemtum and then allow the suits to take it over and see it will fly. we’re always just a little too cautious in our moves with a trillion reasons why it won’t work and why we shouldn’t. the impeachment process should actually have begun years ago. i believe there was enough on the scumbags then to impeach.
final note, listening now to big eddy, it’s good to hear him finally jump aboard. i think it was only last week when he was playing the “why it would be a bad move” card. i won’t stay on the subject too long. he’s syndicated and really does have a wide listenership so with him now railing for impeachment, maybe it will happen. i’m just afraid that the “suits” will also have to go through all of the travails the late comers have gone through before they are ready to begin the process. this is all reminiscent of we need to have an orderly withdrawal, because if we pull out all at once and suddenly that country will be enveloped in violence and chaos. yeh, right, like it isn’t now.
I think we should all start buying our drugs from other countries. Also, buy your gas only from Chavez’s stations. Pharmaceutical and oil companies going down the tubes what a great idea. The media kisses the asses of both. Wouldn’t it be nice to see Bush’s best friends suffer for what they have done?
this is soooo frustrating, i just don’t understand why impeachment is not on everyone’s agenda. why is pelosi so against it?
DUAL CHIMPEACH!
The way Boxer handles that handle makes me wonder how many other handles she’s handled.
Ron @ 32:
Another way to take action as to Impeachement is to join in w/Ramsey Clark in his
efforts to have rallies in D.C. on Sept. 15th. I noted on another of C&L’s post earlier
today, a website for Ramsey Clark…to be used by those who support the Impeachment
and who are willing to either personally participate or make a donatation/contribution to
the “Impeachement Cause”. Sorry to say, I did not “save” the website, but maybe someone
else did and can post it here, for we ALL need to get involved and kick those SOB’s out
of D.C.