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Keith Olbermann brings my favorite talking head, Air America’s Rachel Maddow, to discuss the fumbling and cowardly manner in which Dennis Kucinich’s motion to impeach Dick Cheney was handled yesterday.
I don’t know what genius political consultant has advised the Democratic leadership that it’s a bad idea to hours of prime time on the floor of the Congress reminding the country that Mr. 11% Approval Rating is a bad guy, of whom they disapprove and who they would like to see held accountable. It’s supposed to be Politics 101 that you associate yourself with good things and you are seen to frequently and rabidly denounce bad things. I don’t know what weird Beltway consultant dictionary doesn’t have a picture of Dick Cheney under the entry for “bad things.” It just seems like a really shortsighted move by the Democratic leadership.
I know from the contents of my email inbox that many aides to our elected officials do read C&L. I personally was pretty slow to come to the impeachment band wagon, but at some point, you do simply have to stand up for what is right. Even if it is ultimately unsuccessful along party lines, I have to believe that Congress would not be suffering from near Cheney-like approval levels if they just stood up for what is right. In that, I echo Rachel:
The reason you impeach somebody is not because you hate them, or because they’re a bad guy. You impeach somebody because you want to save their office, because you respect their office and you respect the Constitution that granted the powers to that office that exist.
Filed Under: Countdown/Keith Olbermann, Dick Cheney, Rachel Maddow, The House
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KO!
ROCKS!
That’s right. The fact that you do hate him and that he is a bad guy is just secondary…
I support Kucinich…My congressman refuses to vote for impeachment…I hope Kucinich will bring it every week.
Yeah, my Congressman is Don Young (R-Corrupt Bastard, AK)! So I hear you, Clara! Go Dennis!
I like Rachel a lot better when I don’t have to look at her.
New campaign that will hit them where it hurts..
millions are signing up ( regardless of political affiliations )
… http://www.americanfreedomcampaign.org
Weve had enough.
911, TREASON, TORTURE-AMERICANS, HIGH CRIMES, FRAUD, OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE, LOOTING OUR TREASURY, BANKRUPTING OUR STATES, DESTROYING OUR ECONOMY, SELLING OUT OUR FAMILIES, OUR JOBS, OUR PRECIOUS DOLLAR AND FOR CRIMES AGAINST OUR TROOPS AND CONSTITUTION.
–> ARREST THE BUSH CHENEY SECRET SOCIETY MOB NOW
msnbc, there is your new replacement of tucker! go rachel!
The reason you impeach somebody is not because you hate them, or because they’re a bad guy. You impeach somebody because you want to save their office, because you respect their office and you respect the Constitution that granted the powers to that office that exist.
Of course they don’t respect the office or the constitution, they’re politicians. They only respect whatever power and money they can get out of being politicians. If we were smart, we’d run screaming in horror from anyone who said they wanted to “lead” us.
Aurelius @ 6:
looks aren’t everything. take diane sawyer… please!
I’m so sick of the Dems rolling over and playing dead….I’m supporting Kucinich all the way.
If you owned a company and one of your employees was doing only 11% of what he was supposed to do, you would look like an idiot if you didn’t fire him.
Thus the Dems are looking like idiots.
Impeach. Bring the motion every week. If JEB is the “secret weapon” (oh geez), let’s see how Americans react to ANOTHER BUSH in the WH. My guess its, not too well at all. Emeregency emergency 9-1-1 stuff, sick to death!!
Andrew @ 3:
I agree -icing on the cake. The protection of the Constitution comes first.
I disagree with Aurelius @6 - I find that Rachel looks both beautiful, thoughtful and intelligent. A much better fit to join Keith on MSNBC’s roster than the shrill Rosie O’Donnell.
Embarrassment or fear of ridicule is no excuse for dereliction of duty.
Kucinich has my vote so far.
“at some point, you do simply have to stand up for what is right. Even if it is ultimately unsuccessful along party lines, I have to believe that Congress would not be suffering from near Cheney-like approval levels if they just stood up for what is right.”
So according to you, Congress should allow the Republican caucus to stabilize around a hopeless effort by the Dems? HILARIOUS.
How many Americans heard about the Cheney bill? How many will? Did the corporate media cover ANY of Cheney’s crimes to date? Would they?
When “doing what’s right” means shooting blanks, you really are desperate.
And the $30 question is, if it’s SO right, then why does nearly the entire Republican caucus in Congress not know that’s so right?
“The reason you impeach somebody is not because you hate them, or because they’re a bad guy. You impeach somebody because you want to save their office, because you respect their office and you respect the Constitution that granted the powers to that office that exist.”
In this case its not an either or proposition, it’s both.
Impeach Cheney first, then Chimperor and Pelosi appoints or becomes president right? Then we have a Dem incumbent. Of course the Rethugs (not to mention Hillary, Edwards and Obama) would never let that happen but you would get the Rethugs votes on record as going against the will of the people in holding the Bush regime accountable for their high crimes and misdemeanors. Sounds like a win/win to me.
If MSNBC hires Rosie, I probably will never watch her. If they hire Rachel, she would be as much of a ‘must watch’ to me as Keith is now.
She doesn’t get all freaky when she talks. She’s more like Keith, calm and rational.
There are more important things to do than preserve our constitution and country. Passing laws that can be overturned by a future American dictator (thanks to no impeachment attempt) is a good way to spend time….or pretending to attempt to end a war is a better way to spend time. Why discourage future tyrants by promoting the rule of law by attempting to impeach? I mean, really…
JasonS @ 15 “Embarrassment or fear of ridicule is no excuse for dereliction of duty.”
Jason, you live in an ALL-REPUBLICAN district/state. What you need to do is something, anything to change that fact.
There are two strategies. Either you can work to break the chains binding the Republicans to Bush’s desk, or you can pretend the chains don’t exist.
People in your local area need to know that Cheney is a criminal and that THEIR REPRESENTATIVES are chained to his desk. Until THEY pressure THEIR representatives, there will be no impeachment.
Impeachment would be nice. Better would be exposing the truth about what these shitheads have been up to the last 7 years, followed by war crimes tribunals, and prison for ALL of them.
The Dems don’t want to go the trouble of impeaching, and they know very well they will still get the election votes because the only other party is the Republicans.
This two party system is screwing us.
Ruthless People @ 17 “Impeach Cheney first, then Chimperor and Pelosi appoints or becomes president right?”
Incorrect. The Speaker made clear a year ago that she would not accept succession. The President pro tem of the Senate, Senator Byrd, would become the designee.
Paul sez
When “doing what’s right” means shooting blanks, you really are desperate.
Doing what’s right is never shooting blanks, by definition. This isn’t about removing Cheney from office, though that would be nice. It’s about showing the proper respect for the office he holds by not standing by idling and watching it be repeatedly raped.
The only failure here is failure to act.
And the $30 question is, if it’s SO right, then why does nearly the entire Republican caucus in Congress not know that’s so right?
Right, because the Republicans have such a GREAT track record of knowing what’s right.
Sometimes I wonder if they are taking away impeachment out of respect to bush’s dad. I’m not saying I agree with that, but I do wonder.
John,
http://chrisdodd.com/whistleblower
Klein is a hero for coming forward..
the Bush Administration… go directly to jail.
I believe we are almost to the point where hundereds of Government Whistleblowers will soon travel together throughout the United States to inform the american people…
next, we need to try for ‘impeachment’ of Pelosi and Reid. oh, and Feinstein…what the hell.
Seriously, it’s honestly amazing that with each gift that Democrats find in their laps, they throw it off and toss it in the trash can, in breathless anticipation of the next dump the Republicans are going to serve them on a trash can platter.
The Republicans banked on scaring the Dems by forcing a debate, knowing they were too cowardly to do so, and would likely buy in to the fear that a debate works against them. The one thing Republicans can always count on is their inability to underestimate the amount of spine the Dems have (or don’t have). As I said before, a debate on this, in any sane world, would have benefited the Democrats, but instead, the backward ass thinking of the leadership shies away from anything nearing competence and leadership.
“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything”. The Dems are proof positive of this.
“back-ass-wards”
first time I’ve heard that word used in the MSM ..
and used quite appropriately by Ms Maddow to describe the Dem’s response to Kucinich’ motion to impeach Darth ..
it’s us people against the corporations .. that’s the struggle .. there are just more sellouts to corporate interests in the Republican party than in the Democratic party .. there are always enough “war-Democrats” to give the corporations what they want regardless which party is in power .. that’s what’s gotta change .. or we wait and inherit the Earth after the industrialists turn it into a toxic wasteland ..
cheerio!
Chris @ 22:
Who’s the second party? For the most part it’s Republican and Appeaser/Ankle-grabber. Filthy invertebrates, GROW A PAIR WILL YOU!
Wexler is trying to get it out of committee.
Congress brings impeachment up on Cheny and Bush. Republicans vote along party lines to support a crooked presidential administration.
I find it hard to imagine anything else that could seal the fate of the Republican party as effectively.
pissed off patricia @ 12 “Thus the Dems are looking like idiots.”
So, along with Nicole, you believe that the Dems should advance a hopeless effort in order to get better ratings.
The path the Dems have chosen is one which protects the Constitution, not one which allows the conspiracy to reinitialize itself.
Breaking the chains within the R caucus is working, but it is indeed slow. However, the only thing that is holding the Constitution together is the refusal to rush to impeachment before there are ANYTHING like enough votes to carry the issue.
But, no, instead the ratings are so important that they should just throw caution to the winds, and stir all that muck up from the bottom of the pot, so that the R can harden again and the entire soup be spoiled.
• Until Republicans file impeachment, it’s off the table. That’s because it HAS to be a bipartisan effort, impeachment, or else it is counterproductive.
Bad enough the milquetoasts can’t criticize Bush for committing realtime war crimes on live TV, but if Dems are too afraid of being on the “wrong side” of denouncing Cheney, there’s just no hope for them. The Bush/Cheney admins did what they set out to do with or without Congress, public approval, polls on their side. The best I can do now is wish the Dems luck.
Time for an end to reason. It’s the progressive’s Achilles Heel: we can always be counted on to go along to get along and to half-heartedly support bad candidates and bad policies because, hey, better to do that than risk losing power altogether.
The only way to get the Dems back in the boat is for them to see that our voice matters too in this political calculus, that we will not return to the same poisonous trough again and again and again and again, believing again and again and again that THIS time, if they get just a LEEEETLE more power, they’ll do what’s right.
I’ve given up on the idea of any of them having anything like a sense of conscience or duty, so this is no idle quixotic lost cause; it’s practical advice.
If you want your leaders to listen to you, you must present a credible threat that you will stop supporting them if they don’t. There is simply no other way.
For once, I’d like the Democrats to be worried about pissing US off, not the Republicans whose hats they seem content to carry.
We, their base, should matter more to them than Republican spin.
You haven’t lost us forever, Dems. You can get us back as soon as you demonstrate ANY willingness to listen to us.
Until then, I’d rather fight big evil than apologize for small evil, thank you very much.
Chris @ 22:
Any system of government requirin’ a majority vote to pass legislation is inherently a two-party system: yer either for or against legislation.
Imagine a system with three or more parties represented. If the largest party still doesn’t have a majority it must make a coalition with other parties to create a majority.
She’s mine too . . . makes me want to sign a petition for MSNBC asking them to giver Rachel a show instead of Rosie
peoples Front of Judea @ 32 “I find it hard to imagine anything else that could seal the fate of the Republican party as effectively.”
You join Nicole and patricia in wanting to make impeachment even MORE about politics, about ratings.
The Dems will destroy the R next year, where they live. You are already seeing that, as in Kentucky yesterday. SCHIP and the current HHS/VA bill (and more to come) are exposing representatives to their constituents, with the question, the real question, as Chairman Obey said yesterday:
“Are you here in Congress serving your constituents, or are you chained to the President’s desk?”
Until more R are forced BY THEIR CONSTITUENTS to answer that question in the former, there is no hope for impeachment, even if Belfry Boy brings the bill every half hour until the sun comes up.
JasonS @ 35:
Nothing more needs saying.
Patience is a virtue.
pissed off patricia @ 25:
You might also wonder if the moon is also made of green cheese.
The ONLY issue is a sufficient number of Republicans who will support the action. PERIOD.
pissed off patricia @ 18:
Rosie is a truther you know. She will help bring real guests on that will help blow the lid off of a lot of things instead of cherry picking everything and making it just a partisian issue.
This cuts across both parties, and this Impeachment thing is a good example.
Cand we start a letter writing campaign to get MSNBC to give Rachel a show (Sucker!’s slot) instead of Rosie.
I could listen to thoughtful, smart, PhD. earner, Dr. Rachel Maddow, all day long
[Tag edited-Sitemonitor]
Paul in LA @ 16:
Because the Republican caucus places party over country. As they have done for the last 7 years.
Paul in LA @ 38-
Until more R are forced BY THEIR CONSTITUENTS to answer that question in the former, there is no hope for impeachment, even if Belfry Boy brings the bill every half hour until the sun comes up.
Maybe it should read: …there is no hope for conviction…. After all, the Dems in the House could, possibly, muster the votes to impeach. The GOP Senators- or at least 34 of ‘em, anyway- would certainly vote against conviction.
Just to clarify ….
Mr. Blade @ 42:
I disagree… Rosie is good for a show like the view … but if she has her own political show she will be in form like Bill O’Reilly.
And what makes you think Rachel wouldn’t bring on real guests?
I don’t care if we don’t have the votes to impeach the VP or not… it is simply a matter of principle, of accountability and is entirely within Constitutional bounds. I don’t consider it a waste of time to illuminate the corruption of Cheney, Bush and many of those around them. The Republicans showed no mercy in going after Clinton for obstructing justice and for perjury related to an extra-marital tryst after the special prosecutor found nothing impeachable in the Whitewater matter. Here we are talking about actions that have caused the deaths of over 100,000 people… this is several orders of magnitude more serious than covering up a blowjob.
Up to now, NOTHING of substance has been done to make this administration accountable to its misdeeds. Even the Scooter Libby conviction was emasculated by the pardon. It is time to do something meaningful.
Thank you, Dennis Kucinich for having the stones to stand on principle… let’s hope there are enough stones left in Congress to do something with your initiative!