Countdown: The Impeachment Of George W. Bush
By Logan Murphy Monday Jun 09, 2008 10:15pm
Download | play 
Download | play
Ohio Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich spent some 290 minutes on the House floor Monday, reading Articles of Impeachment against President George Bush. Not that you would notice, as there was a virtual media blackout on the story, but Keith Olbermann ran with it right out of the gate on Tuesday's Countdown.
Constitutional Law Professor Jonathan Turley joined Keith to commend Kucinich and his impeachment bill, which is now co-sponsored by Rep. Robert Wexler. While Turley says there are numerous crimes for which Bush could easily be impeached, the President's greatest ally has been the Democratic Congress who have skirted their constitutional duties and consistently given him a pass rather than practice any oversight. It's clear impeachment will remain off the table for the remainder of Bush's term, but as Keith put it, problems like this will never be solved if people like Kucinich and Wexler don't stand up and say something.
Olbermann: "I've often argued here, that even if you don't think the words aren't lead to any actions, say the words anyway, simply to get them on the record for history and simply because, nothing has ever changed from bad to good in this country without somebody first saying, this is bad. Assess the importance of what Dennis Kucinich did last night."
Turley: "You know, it is very important. The fact is, that this is not supposed to happen the way it's happened in the last seven years. The framers, I think, would have been astonished by the absolute passivity, if not the collusion of the Democrats in protecting President Bush from impeachment. I mean, they created a system that was essentially idiot-proof, and God knows we've put that to the test in the past few years, but I don't think they anticipated that so many members of the opposition would stand quietly in the face of clear presidential crimes."
On a side note, major kudos go out to Keith and Countdown for beating BillO for the week in the crucial 25-45 demo!
He wont be impeached, but the fact is it will now be on record that this was placed before the House. The real damage will be to bushs so called legacy.
♠Bangkok-Bob♠ in Chiang Mai @ 1:
The real damage is to America, and to America's reputation. What does it say about a nation that claims the moral high ground yet refuses to hold itself accountable to its own laws?
My dad call the L.A Times today and complained that they had not run a single story about the impeachment in today's paper. He told them to cancel his subscription but they talked him into a $2.00 a month for three months and if he still did not want it they would stop it.
Yes, finally. Conviction is not the issue. We know it won't even go as far as impeachment.
But now Congress MUST GO ON THE RECORD. The crimes of this administration are no longer only captured by self-serving memoirs, public statements not made under oath, speculation, press secretary spin, etc. etc.
We have a bill of particulars. Congress may choose to do nothing in the face of them, but then THEY HAVE MADE A CHOICE and that's what needs to be in the history.
It was going to be completely unacceptable to let this slide and then have Congress come back on 2009 and say "oh, yeah, we would have impeached him if the gosh darn schedule had allowed."
Now, Republican after Republican must stand and affirm that such charges as have been leveled against the president constitute no, NONE, NOT ONE whit of basis for impeachment. I mean, it's not like he lied about a blowjob or anything, right?
Now we will have lawmakers on the record, forever, permanently, as having actually voted not to investigate this.
And don't kid yourself about the lingering power of such votes. Just ask Hillary.
Bush and Cheney will ride out of the White House without having been convicted or tried. No one has any illusions about this. But they won't do so without Congress at least getting their say.
We may not LIKE their say, but we MUST have it.
hey.....i wish it had a chance.........right... at least it's on record...i would settle for a consolation prize put the "turdblossom"karl rove in jail..let's get a dem in office then will pick some other fights right now the GOP is trying very hard to divide us...did you hear that hillary voter for mccain she didn't sound real and i mean no disrespect to hillary or her following.
They're reading the 34 articles right now on the floor of congress. It's amazing.
As bittersweet (and exhilarating) it was to watch Dennis Kucinich last night read off each count, I am hoping for a grass roots effort for justice. I don't think Congress will be compelled to do anything unless their constituents begin to demand for things to change. Like Bangkok Bob, I agree that the public record of Bush's wrong doing will continue to haunt him and his legacy.
I would also add that these public records could have the potential to at least inspire (domestically or abroad) to bring up these issues in front of the International Courts or to the UN.
Any other leader who has conducted him or herself in this manner would have been tried long ago. But it is a travesty not to file or sue for any charges against the Bush regime.
I hoping that at least the calls, e-mails and letters would provoke some other Congress people out of their stupor.
As for Pelosi: I used to be proud of her, but putting impeachment off the table has made me root for Cindy Sheehan. I hope it teaches NP a lesson for her reluctance.
Kucinich to push for referral of impeachment resolution to Judiciary Committee
Sooner or later BushCo will have to pay for their crimes.
Particularly good segment with Turley tonight. It pissed me off as usual. Someone needs to ask Pelosi and Ried why they are protecting Bush!?
karl @ 5:
Karl doesnt need to go to jail, he can avoid that by turning states evidence, he needs to sing before Congress.
Sing Karl sing, tell the world what you know.
All Hail Dennis Kucinich! It's a losing battle, but at least he has the cojones to fight it.
Hey -- what's with "Ohio Democrat [sic.] Congressman"? My eyes popped out and I had to find them on the floor.
[the typo is fixed. sorry! sitemonitor]
bajaboy @ 11:
No, it's been read into the congressional record. That's victory.
" but I don’t think they anticipated that so many members of the opposition would stand quietly in the face of clear presidential crimes"
They saw w and the corporate gop coming but never dreamed of the spineless, failed, dem party unity.
25-40?
No wonder he is a Obama hack.
Cafferty too.
Cindy Sheehan for Congress donations welcome
Code Pink another worthwhile cause. all sexes welcome
Dennis Kucinich is like the man in front of the tank in Tienanmen Square, while the rest of the senate is inside the tank.
getalife @ 14:
idiotic
ferrofluid (Obama 08) @ 15:
Excuse me, but Cindy Sheehan could do us San Franciscans the courtesy of LIVING HERE for a while before running to be our congressional rep.
What the fcuk does she know about San Francisco?
JasonS @ 13:
and a good start
moniker @ 16:
He is not alone, there are a handful of Kucinich supporters in Congress,
some vocal and visible, some hide for fear of repercussions by the status quo there.
JasonS @ 18:
who is she trying to replace?
JasonS @ 18:
As much as Nancy Pelosi does about the Constitution and her (failure to uphold) oath of office.
CoIntelPro for Pronktastic Democratic Party Victory @ 21:
Dearest Sen. Nancy "impeachment is off the table" Pelosi
the reason we are here, today, discussing this is because Gerald Ford did not understand his responsibility to allow the law to take it's course...
in my opinion, we are again at such a juncture... and honestly it does not have to be now... but it must be soon...
all of the criminality of this administration must be exposed... and the perpetrators punished...
The Very Bitter Ceci Hussein @ 7:
maybe pelosi is saving impeachment for when it's needed?
*barely suppressed angry snark*
I give Dennis Kucinich all kudos for this act of legislative high drama, but I can't listen to his speech without my fucking head exploding! It sickens me to the core to hear again for the umpteenth time all the crimes of this administration and know that nothing will be done. Knowing that the opposition party (now in the majority) has their head tucked securely up their asses and won't do a damn thing to hold these jackals accountable. This is how the light of freedom and hope slowly fades to ultimately be extinguished. It's enough to make me actually regret bring my daughter into this world.
JasonS @ 18:
What the fcuk does (insert paratrooper HRC's name here) know about New York?
Now that is a profile in courage.
Rep. Kucinich was my first choice this past primary season.
He takes his oath to "preserve, protect and defend" seriously.
MY congressthing is Daryl Issa. (shudders)
ferrofluid (Obama 08) @ 23:
that's hard not to welcome. but new yorkers let hillary launch her presidential aspirations from their state.
CoIntelPro for Pronktastic Democratic Party Victory @ 25:
Maybe just maybe, Nancy 'friend of Bushco' Pelosi is saving impeachment for Barak Obama when he is POTUS !
I mean just look at Nancy whenever theres a camera about and shes with the Bushco twins, shes looks happy and subservient.
Jonathan Turley for AG.
GOPnot4me @ 28:
Condolences my friend
IT IS GREAT!
It is being read in its entirety, LIVE, in C-SPAN. It will be on record, even if it does not pass, for future generations to see.
Dennis has BRASS BALLS!
Pennship17
Pelosi needs to be shown the exit. What a horrible choice she was for speaker.
ferrofluid (Obama 08) @ 23:
Nancy Pelosi is a congressperson, (Speaker of the house) not a senator!
CoIntelPro for Pronktastic Democratic Party Victory @ 25:
Lol. :-D
Although I was glad for her as the first Madam speaker of the House, but, honestly she's a coward for pulling impeachment off the table. She and Reid knows that the list of charges is long and deserve to be tried. But instead, she's cynical like a lot of other Washington insiders. And even though I know it won't, I hope that Dennis Kucinich's action in Congress makes her feel very ashamed of herself for denying justice where it is due.
Tekras @ 26:
The sad thing about political appeasers is that they never learn from history,
I mean the case of the Reichstag and the non NSDAP politicians who either didnt stand up to Hitler,
or gave him support for an easy life or because they hated x more than Hitler.
All non Nazis politicians ended up sharing bunks in the early concentration camps.
And the Reichstag was burned to the ground along with the German constitution.
CoIntelPro for Pronktastic Democratic Party Victory @ 29:
Maybe so, but that's no reason to choose Cindy Sheehan. As for New Yorkers electing Hillary, well, what can I say? We over here on the left coast recognize a self-promoting carpetbagger when we see one. Our state is full of them :)
lafin gas @ 35:
Sorry my brit brain has trouble with two active houses compared to one in the UK, plus the retirement one :O
ferrofluid (Obama 08) @ 32:
Thank you, it's been a chore. (Is your name Rusty Waters?)
JasonS @ 38:
Room for one more then.
If it doesn't happen now it will never happen.
I called today and asked if she supported child torture.
I was always told by the person on the phone "impeachment is off the table". I said that she had blood on her hands and was a guilty as Bush if she did nothing. He said "impeachment is off the table". I asked him if he was an idiot or a criminal and he said "I'll transfer you to the comment line."
GOPnot4me @ 40:
no, I just drink too much tea and coffee.
JasonS @ 38:
Yes, but in this stance, Nancy deserves to be challenged. She needs to be in peril of losing her seat for the collaborating efforts she's done with Bush Co. Putting off impeachment was the last straw.
The clerk is reading the resolution again on C-Span.
The vote is tomorrow and the dems will kill it like they did cheney's.
ferrofluid (Obama 08) @ 30:
Though there's nothing in the constitution that says you can't impeach a president after they've left office, I can just imagine he howls and gnashing of teeth from the compliant corporate media should an Obama Administration "allow" congress to to spend time on impeachment with the shit storm of crises that will be left in the wake of BushCo leaving office. It would be a weight around his neck his entire term in office. Republicans will shout to the heavens how unprecedented and unfair it all is. The new catch phrase "revenge politics" will be associated with every good they try to achieve. The idiot masses would eat it up and in 4 years we'll be in the exact sane situation with a Republican majority in congress and Jeb at the helm. I'd sorely love to see President Obama flex his "Commander In Chief" muscles and have the whole lot of the bastards declared terrorists and whisked off to some secrete hell hole in eastern Europe to be tortured to death. How's that Imperial Presidency treating you now mother fucker!
Thank heaven for the internet, because all day long where I work (as receptionist at an amusement park/waterpark located in a National Park) -- there was nobeody but the Pepsi salesman who agreed with me that Kucinich was an inspiration... I could not even bring it up with the folks who are working minimum wage at two jobs and have no time for c-span -- nevertheless this was an historic moment for our country.
No it is on the "table" now as you can see on C-SPAN live right now. Here is an article about what happens next.
Perhaps this explains Bush's criminal tendancies.
JasonS @ 18:
Okay big mouth how about Shirley Golub? Besides do you really think living in 8.8 million dollare Pacific Heights mansion is 'living in San Francisco'.
Further, Mr. 18th Century on matter of national policy, the occupation of Iraq and Impeachment, all members of the House should be responsible to all citizens.
Nothing the Founders wrote or thought contradicts that.
Sir.
I have to disagree with KO and Turley on this. Much as I admire Dennis for what he did Pelosi is absolutely right about this. You don't start a fight that you can't win. If they did pursue impeachment they would lose. The votes aren't there. The Republicans would use this loss to attack the Democrats as being disloyal, divisive and unpatriotic in time of war. Furthermore the loss will be seen as a confirmation of Bush's policies and an exoneration of his crimes. This, in the middle of an election campaign, would be a foolhardy risk. I fear Dennis must stand alone on this, no doubt with some support, but he is the more valiant for it.
Tekras @ 46:
Long humiliating public trials with much hand wringing by the MSM of the crimes of Bushco is much better,
secret justice isnt good for healing the wounds, and reduces us to their level.
It took the elections of nov 06 and the breaking of the Republican power base to open up the flood gates,
we started to see people coming forward in 07 and investigations happening.
lafin gas @ 3:
The eerie silence from most media outlets is unprecedented in US history, can you imagine for example the 9/11 attacks going unreported? This is similarly astounding. I wonder what threats or bribes have been made in backrooms and corporate offices to achieve this blackout, have we truly come to the point where criminal influence of this nature is so entrenched, so powerful and so untouchable?
Keith also made a great point about the complicity of the Democrats in this appalling state of affairs, Pelosi and Reid are certainly violating their oaths of office by refusing to prosecute these presidential crimes just as Bush and his minions are. Her 'off the table' comment is a green light for further high crimes and acts of treason by the Bush whitehouse.
Where is cosmic justice? I need it now!
GOPnot4me @ 49:
Theres another rare Bundy in a suit photograph which is strikingly Chimpy too.
And dont forget Bundy was a Republican activist and party worker too, mass murder must run in the
org crimefamily.Later progressive peeps, Rain stopped and I'm heading for some lunch with friends.
Make noise, rattle cages and disturb some shit.
Perhaps this explains our collective suffering under the current administration:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula
A.Citizen @ 50:
Thats one thing I love about living in the US, the principle that all people are created equal and have equal rights in law.
Of course local and various factors limit this in practice, but its a thing to strive and fight for, and preserve the principle.
♠Bangkok-Bob♠ in Chiang Mai @ 56:
:) yes we will do. no sleep for the keepers.
GOPnot4me @ 49:
I don't know if this was ment to be a joke or not, but it plain to me and I assume anyone who's been watching for the past 7.5 years that our President is in fact a sociopath. He doesn't give a damn about anyone or anything except himself and his "Legacy". He has in fact shown the world, if you don't give me what I want I will destroy your country. He's said over and over again we will fight our battles on your soil to keep from fighting them here. He doesn't care how many innocent people have to die for his mistakes because he believes at some unspecified point in the distant future people will see his as a righteous man. The man is in my mind 100 fold worse than Bundy because at least Bundy had to do his own killing!
[Deleted. Off topic-Sitemonitor]
Dennis Kucinich - the only member of the United States Congress who actually know, understands and upholds his sworn oath of office - to preserve and defend the Constitution. Not the republican party or the democratic party, or the president, or even the notions of the American public - but the Constitution. He has placed emphasis on the fact that we are a nation of laws, and if we don't abide by them in all instances, we have nothing. I applaud his courage for doing the right thing.
I might also say that Jonathan Turley rocks. He, like Dennis, is not afraid to speak the truth as regards the law of the land and the importance of the Constitution. I wish he was on MSNBC to comment more often - and NBC, too, so more Americans could get the real picture of how the Bush creeps are trying to destroy the Republic.
I was troubled by the reasoning offered as to why the Democratic leadership and rank and file are avoiding this impeachment action due to an expected "backlash" against the Democratic Party. It's reminiscent of battered persons who will not make a complaint or bring charges for fear that the next beating will be worse than the last. In other words, the Republicans have been beating the Democrats for so long, that the fear of bringing charges brings the fear that the republicans will become angry and the next beating will be even worse. Are we huddled in a corner quaking with fear?
I do understand the need to attempt to work with the Republicans once the Democrats are in office and the difficulty posed by a pending impeachment and the polarization that may cause. But, truly, do we ignore very serious alleged violations of law which may have resulted in the death and destruction of many American families.
I don't know how decent law abiding public servants from either party can walk away from this issue without very serious deliberation and public debate. The American people are, at least owed that. The service men and women and their families are owed so much more.
The Very Bitter Ceci Hussein @ 44:
No doubt, and I'll vote against her if a QUALIFIED CANDIDATE runs. Cindy Sheehan? Please.
impeach him now....or indict him later.
"While Turley says there are numerous crimes for which Bush could easily be impeached, the President’s greatest ally has been the Democratic Congress who have skirted their constitutional duties and consistently given him a pass rather than practice any oversight. It’s clear impeachment will remain off the table for the remainder of Bush’s term..."
Maybe impeachment is not an option right now because it's not an option ever, assuming there is no chargeable crime, no matter the level of desire.
Tekras @ 59:
Not a joke, unfortunately for our beloved nation. One killed dozens, the other, countless thousands.
The Very Bitter Ceci Hussein @ 44:
LIEberman, Reid, Pelosi.... are they really supposed to be the opposition party????? I've had to stay away from the thread for a spell. this nightmare keeps getting worse.
I am not of the opinion that getting the articles of impeachment into the record is in any way sufficient. how the fuck could it be? with the phase 2 senate report in hand, the fickung bastards should be frogmarched! Instead, we're here contemplating that fickung WH asshole initiating martial law, as if our other 'defenders of the constitution' are just going to sit on their goddamned hands.
A.Citizen @ 50:
> Besides do you really think living in 8.8 million dollare
> Pacific Heights mansion is 'living in San Francisco'.
Oh, right, and were is Cindy Sheehan's place? Please. My thesis statement is that Cindy Sheehan does not make a worthy replacement.
Just because Nancy has been a piss poor speaker doesn't mean we should vote for whatever random protest candidate throws up a tent.
Wanna beat Nancy? Put up a real candidate. I'll vote her. Really. Nancy has been an embarassment.
But Sheehan will be worse.
I'm sick of politics interfering with the LAW.
This is the ultimate example of the failure of our system. Both parties are equally guilty.
If the Dems are using the public outrage against Bush as an election tool instead of doing their jobs then we all lose.
If any of you are too naive to know good cop/bad cop when you see it... good luck.
"The framers, I think, would have been astonished by the absolute passivity, if not the collusion of the Democrats in protecting President Bush from impeachment. "
It may be because that if there has been a crime commited, the democrats are complicit.
Or maybe there was no crime commited.
"where the law ends, tyranny begins" -- john locke
take that voice from beyond the grave, the only thing that could possibly make a dent in this current race toward extinction known as the Administration...
we'd be better off if everyone with a high metabolic/magnetic field just concentrated on the imagery necessary to hex the current you-know-what... heheheh I dare alla ya.. you only need some salt and mementos, a few herbs and a candle...call on the four directions and poof! easy-peasy
[Deleted. Off topic-Sitemonitor]
CoIntelPro for Pronktastic Democratic Party Victory @ 67: Instead, we're here contemplating that fickung WH asshole initiating martial law, as if our other 'defenders of the constitution' are just going to sit on their goddamned hands.
Really?
hi, ferrofluid. I had forgotten about that republican connection with Bundy. Now I'm totally creeped out at the similarities between these two mass murderers.
It was a pleasure to watch the Olbermann and Turley segment. I don't watch network news, but I'm sure Keith's show was the only one that covered this story today. Kudos to Keith and Jonathan.
Peter G @ 51:
Wait a minute: As I recall, Pelosi pardoned bush/cheeeeeeeney just before she became Speaker. She effectively excused all past and future criminal activities by these crime families.
I, for one, want to know why the fix was in. It's way-y-y-y too easy to use the "not enough votes" excuse. She could not possibly know just how serious the crimes were, before she became Speaker.
What is the real dirt on Nancy Pelosi?
kablooie @ 71:
Sounds like utter bullsh!t, with no chance of success... but at least you try.
The Dems in office won't even go that far.
I'm glad Kucinich introduced this impeachment bill. Even if it goes nowhere, it will now be part of the record, and will show for history the outright cowardice of this shameful Democratic Congress. I think Pelosi's reelection should be off the table.
the american constitution is truly an amazing document. there's no ambiguity in it, it very clearly states when an elected official should be removed from office and who is entitled to remove them.
pelosi took this oath (I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God) and should join bush/cheney on the gallows. i hate to say it, but the country is doomed. that is the reality when your elected officials cannot or will not follow the only oath they swear, it's over. now it's just a question of when will most people wake up to that "fact"
none of them except kucinich and a very few others have taken their oath and followed what they swore to.
there it is, with nothing on the horizon to show any indication of change of direction. it is over.
Lollimom @ 74:
She has no power to pardon anyone.
calgarylady @ 73:
Yes very creepy, two sociopathic people almost twins, just different by scale and peer respect.
who does this sound like, how many neocons like 'f*&^ing Dumbest', or one of their puppets like Chimpy.
Antisocial personality disorder
Peter G @ 78:
The hell she doesn't. Read her lips:
"Impeachment is off the table."
Words uttered before she became speaker.
THAT is a pardon of all past and future crimes.
Not that it's a surprise, but I thought I'd report that there's been NO media coverage of this in Australia.
John H @ 72:
Really?
really!
Peter G @ 78:
Isn't refusing to even consider articles of impeachment no matter what the evidence effectively the same as a pardon?
This is beyond offices and parties, and I saw it happen when I joined with a friend and we enacted a ceremony calling upon the forces of nature to shut down local government so that a vote to clear-cut our city parks would be halted... we burned herbs and called upon our departed friends in the spirit world as well as the four directions to shut down local government. Well, within a week, two historically unprecedented ice storms hammered our city... the thing we learned was that if we were willing to suffer (we were out of electricity and homeless for weeks) then we could at least slow down the process.
I encourage this method as a necessary last resort. If the country's resources are caught up in dealing with natural disasters, then eventually the national focus will turn toward repairing our shattered country.
Tekras @ 84:
Yes, of course, that was my point. Thanks for "getting" it.
I'm sorry for the sloppy deletion of HTML tags in my response...I hate it when others do that.
Daisy Zimmerly @ 76:
I hope your dream comes true when, years from now, with all these crimes on the record, you can answer this question...
"Grandma, what the hell was wrong with you people?"
Tekras @ 84:
I'm with you on that. Buyt I wonder if the same people who told kerry and gore not to complain are telling the same thing to her. after all it's a millionaire's club in ther these days.
JasonS @ 68:
'piss poor speaker' is the least of the crimes, hers and her fellows failure to uphold their oaths of office is the worst.
Its like McCain being a dumb Senator, if the majority of the Arizona voters want to elect an idiot to the Senate, thats their problem,
he can do minimal damage as