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; ignored 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; corrupted federal agencies; handed out no-bid contracts to politically connected companies; outed a CIA agent; politicized the Justice Department; suppressed inconvenient evidence; bungled the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort; used signing statements to circumvent the will of Congress; engaged in obsessive secrecy; obstructed investigations; increased media concentration; exploited fear, faith, 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 the Bush Administration's many 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 Republicans are fed up with their leadership and are supporting Ron Paul.

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). Closer to home, Washington State Senators Oemig, Regala, Kohl-Welles, Kline, Spanel, Fairley, Kauffman, Fraser, and Prentice have introduced State Joint Memorial 8016, a resolution to request impeachment hearings against both Bush and Cheney; this bill has passed out of the Senate Government and Operations Committee. Likewise, WA State Rep. Chase has introduced HJM 4027 on impeachment.

Some Democrats oppose impeachment because they think hearings would be a distraction from the issues that really matter. Doesn't lying about the reasons for going to war matter? Doesn't torture matter? Doesn't Iran matter? Don't stolen elections matter? Don't trillions of dollars of debt matter? 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.

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 Bill 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." But 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 U.S. Senate were unable to convict, investigations will expose the truth, weaken the Administration, and deter future administrations from similar shenanigans. If lawmakers in Washington, D.C. and Olympia give 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.