Impeach Cheney, not Bush

Cross-posted from DailyKos:

Article II of the U.S. Constitution provides for the impeachment of “The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States.” Accordingly, this power is not limited to the President. (Emphasis added.)

There are numerous political reasons why impeaching Bush will not be productive. It would energize Republicans for 2008, and make Independents fearful of overreaching Democrats that they just returned to power. It could get ugly. Plus at the end of the day, there just aren’t enough senators to remove him from power anyway…and if you did you get President Cheney! Ack!

… but Cheney! 18% Cheney. Now there’s a target of opportunity…

[Flip] UPDATE ON THE FLIP…

Attorney at Arms’s diary :: ::
Most of the journalistic tell-all books I’ve read so far about this Administration locates the center of power with the VP almost more than with Bush. Especially with regards to the Iraq war, it was a Cheney operation from the begining.

Removing Cheney from power would in a sense decapitate the administration without appearing to do so.

This assumes the subpoena power turns up what we all think it will turn up next Spring.

Anyway, there’s my two cents. Proceed to tell me I’m nuts or that it should be Bush.

UPDATE: I respect a lot of the comments that are posted here, but I’d like to make a few points:

  • Any sucessor would be a weak-dick centrist, because his apporval would be required by both houses.
  • Impeachment does not require 67 senators; removal from office does
  • I acknowledge that there are risks here, including some of the same consequences as Bush’s impeachment. Having said that, they are different with Cheney’s lower numbers.
  • While Clinton remained personally popular after his impeachment, which did not result in his being removed from office, the public did not throw the Republicans out, and we ‘ve had Bush twice since. Same goes for Nixon’s experience.
  • Personally, I might not do this at all; I’m just suggesting it as an alternative to the much riskier strategy of impeaching Bush, which some, including the heir-apparent chairman of the judiciary committee in the house, has called for.
  • Two years are too little? Clinton was impeached on December 19, 1998!
  • I agree that the votes aren’t there yet, but like I said, if they turn up what we think they’ll turn up with the subpoena power, there will be more, if not enough.
  • Cheney being the target is the bright side of a 50-50 senate!
  • I’m not counting the eggs before they’re hatched. The reality is, we’re getting the House tomorrow. Maybe by 5 or 6 seats only, but we’re getting it. You can write that down.

2 thoughts on “Impeach Cheney, not Bush”

  1. Initiating the impeachment process would lead to an investigation that would implicate lots of people in the Bush administration who are guilty of committing crimes, including Cheney.In addition, no matter who we get to replace Bush, we’ll be showing those in power that anyone who breaks the law will be held accountable.—–Do-It-Yourself Impeachment, no joke.The Citizens’ movement.The day the nation demands impeachment is upon us. Sacks and sacks of mail are arriving in congress demanding impeachment via the House of Representative’s own rules. This legal document is as binding as if a State or if the House itself passed the impeachment resolution (H.R. 635). There’s a little known and rarely used clause of the “Jefferson Manual” in the rules for the House of Representatives which sets forth the various ways in which a president can be impeached. Only the House Judiciary Committee puts together the Articles of Impeachment, but before that happens, someone has to initiate the process.That’s where we come in. In addition to the State-by-State method, one of the ways to get impeachment going is for individual citizens like you and me to submit a memorial. ImpeachforPeace.org, part of the movement to impeach the president, has created a new memorial based on one which was successful in impeaching a federal official in the past. You can find it on their website as a PDF.STOP WAITING FOR YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO ACT FOR YOU.You can initiate the impeachment process yourself by downloading the memorial, filling in the relevant information in the blanks (your name, state, etc.), and sending it in. Be a part of history.http://ImpeachForPeace.org/ImpeachNow.html

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