Washblog

This Administration has tortured in violation of the Geneva Convention; lied about the reasons for attacking Iraq;  lied about Iran's nuclear program; pursued an unjustified and disastrous war that has killed hundreds of thousands of civilians and nearly 4000 US soldiers; ignored and, by their incompetence, aided the real terrorists responsible for 9/11; committed the nation to years of expensive, debilitating conflict in Iraq; engaged in illegal wiretapping; held prisoners without trial; weakened our constitutional protections; corrupted federal agencies; handed out no-bid contracts to politically connected companies; outed a CIA agent; politicized the Justice Department; suppressed inconvenient evidence; withdrawn from numerous international treaties; bungled the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort; stolen elections; used signing statements to circumvent the will of Congress; engaged in obsessive secrecy; obstructed investigations; destroyed evidence; increased media concentration; exploited fear and patriotism for cynical ends; bankrupted the country; transferred hundreds of billions of dollars to the super-rich; bungled foreign, energy and environmental policies; and ignored the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and oil dependence that are the ultimate causes of terrorism and war.                                                                                                                  
Given these offenses, and given Congress's failure to stop the craziness, it's no wonder that Congress' approval ratings are lower even than the President's.  Indeed, many progressives are ready to abandon the Democratic Party. Likewise, many grassroots Republicans are fed up with their leadership and are supporting protest candidates.

But there is hope that the Administration will be held accountable . Over two dozen House members have announced support for impeachment hearings against Vice-President Cheney (House Resolution 333); and Washington State Senators Oemig, Regala, Kohl-Welles, Kline, Spanel, Fairley, Kauffman, Fraser, and Prentice are introducing State Joint Memorial 8016, a resolution to request impeachment hearings against both Bush and Cheney.                                                                                                                  
Some Democrats oppose impeachment because they think hearings would be a distraction from the issues that really matter. Doesn't Iran matter? Congressional Democrats have failed to end the war, failed to override the SCHIP veto, and failed to reverse the Administration's many regressive policies. About all they've "accomplished" is to condemn their ally MoveOn.org and earn themselves even lower support than the President.

Some Democrats argue that pursuing impeachment would generate sympathy for the administration, allowing the Republicans to win in November.  But the Republican impeachment of Clinton led to the (contested) defeat of Gore in 2000. Moreover, the Bush Administration has been caught red-handed again and again for matters much more consequential than sex in the Oval Office.  Administration culpability provides the Democrats with an opportunity to decimate support for the GOP.

For years the Republicans engaged in the dirtiest political tricks and the brashest rigging of elections. Why this sudden undeserved bipartisanship on the part of the Democrats?
Republicans too, if they can see beyond short term party loyalty, must realize that their party will suffer at the polls for its loyalty to the Administration.

In any case, such crass electoral calculations pale in comparison to the constitutional and ethical issues in question.  Impeachment is simply not a partisan issue. Indeed, Bruce Fein, a prominent Republican jurist who pursued impeachment of Clinton, has spoken powerfully of the need for all Americans to call this Administration into account and defend the rule of law.  

Some opponents of impeachment argue that "the votes just aren't there," especially in the Senate. But it's a good bet that support for the Administration will evaporate after Congress begins impeachment hearings. Impeachment by the House is like an indictment, and the purpose of hearings is to examine the evidence. Once the lies and crimes are confirmed under oath, even Republicans will abandon the Administration.  This is precisely what happened during the Watergate hearings.  

Even if the Senate were unable to convict, investigations will expose the truth, weaken the Administration, and deter future administrations from similar shenanigans. If Congress gives up without trying, they are being derelict in their highest duty, which is to defend the Constitution and hold even leaders accountable to the rule of law.