Should Cheney be impeached?

By Deb Price, Detroit News

Well, those who think the vice president should be impeached are getting increasingly upset with John Conyers, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, for sticking to oversight, not impeachment hearings.

"Congressman Conyers has been an incredible disappointment," says web-based activist David Swanson, a leading anti-Cheney critic. "We still maintain hope that his better side will win out and he will do what we know he wants to do."

Back when his party was in the minority, the Detroit Democratic congressman was a loud critic of President Bush and his vice president and said some of their conduct warranted hearings to look into possible impeachment. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has adamantly opposed impeachment, which backfired on the Republicans when they tried it against President Clinton. Conyers instead has held a series of oversight hearings.

Now Conyers finds himself in the odd position of being bombarded by phone calls, faxes and emails by the very people who've been his political allies. In addition, more than a dozen anti-Cheney activists have gone on hunger strikes. And this Friday, Rep. Robert Wexler, a Florida Democrat who sits on the Judiciary Committee, plans to give Conyers a letter calling for Cheney impeachment hearings. The letter is signed by 16 other House members -- none from Michigan -- and another 226,930 people.

Wexler's letter says, "the charges against Vice President Cheney include providing Congress and the American people false intelligence leading up to the Iraq war, the revelation of the identity of a covert agent for political retaliation, and the illegal wiretapping of American citizens."

Meanwhile, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the former Democratic presidential candidate, introduced House Resolution 799 calling for Cheney's impeachment. It's been referred to the Judiciary Committee.

Activists aren't alone in being unhappy with Cheney, especially over his words in the run-up to the Iraq invasion. A poll in November by the American Research Group found that 43 percent of Americans adults think the vice president should be impeached and removed from office.

"Congressman Conyers started out last January with hearings on (the use of presidential) signing statements," Swanson said. "And for 13 months, we've seen hearings that end with everyone just going home. Nothing happens."

So, blog readers, is Cheney the unfair target of disgruntled activists? Is Conyers ducking his responsibilities? Share your thoughts.

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There is No Should; Only "MUST"

It is people like David Swanson and groups like Code Pink etc, who are having to provide the opposition to the Bush Evil Empire. It is not a matter of whether Cheney should be impeached, it's a matter of upholding the law as contained within the Constitution. If anyone, Cheney or otherwise, infringes the law, then the law must be upheld. If the law says it is a crime to lie a nation into an illegal war and the countries political leaders committee that crime they must be charged according to the law.

The people must have the right to redress any illegal actions undertaken by their political leaders. That redress is supposed to be provided by their representatives when asked by the people to do so. And that is where the s—t now hits the fan, the people have no redress. The majority of Congress is bending over, grasping their ankles, and allowing the Bush and Cheney dicks to sodomise their principals.

To place Bush and Cheney's crimes into perspective, and the biased legal system, we need only look at a Mr Stanley Tookie Williams, just one of the all too many example of American duplicity

Gang co-founder put to death for 1979 murders of 4 in L.A. area
Stanley Tookie Williams, a gangster who became an anti-gang crusader in prison and the focus of a furious clash between advocates of punishment and redemption, was executed by lethal injection early today for four 1979 Los Angeles-area murders that he denied committing.
Williams, 51, was pronounced dead at 12:35 a.m. at San Quentin State Prison, where he had spent nearly half his life. His execution had been all but assured Monday when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger denied clemency, saying, "The facts do not justify overturning the jury's verdict or the decisions of the courts in this case."
ibid
To his supporters, Williams was a man who had turned his life around in prison, writing eight children's books denouncing gang life. Last week Williams was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for the sixth straight year, by a philosophy professor at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont who opposes the death penalty. Williams' books for children and young people have also been nominated four times for the Nobel Prize for literature.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/12/13/MNG0GG79A...

Now we can look at George W Bush, aided and abetted by Cheney
He is responsible for the deaths of 1.2. million innocent Iraqis. He is responsible for the deaths of over 800'000 Afghanis. He is responsible for the deaths of nearly 4000 American service personnel; and there are still many questions remaining to be answered properly in regards to 9/11 and the nearly 3000 American who lost their lives in what is now shown to have been an inside job. The death toll is still rising.

While America was, [appearing to be under attack from Al Qaeda] Bush was reading a child's book about a pet goat, even though it was upside down at the time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUwphUSbN8U

One person is accused of killing four others, has written eight children's books, been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel Prize for Literature, has denounced gang life, and made attempts to reform himself. He was executed for his crimes.

The other person has killed over a million people, is still continuing to kill, has never written a child's book, appears not to even know when a child's book is upside down, has never reformed himself and has resorted to violence. In fact, is seeking to increase the level of violence by invading another country. This person is not only allowed to live, he remains free to carry on with his killing spree and the majority of Congress do nothing to uphold the law.

So the question to be asked is not whether Cheney,[and Bush], should be impeached, but why is Cheney,[and Bush], not being impeached? The should has already been established.

“Man’s only honour is in being man-GOD’S living likeness and image. All other honours are dishonours. No honour, O prince, is worth a rusted arrow, much less a burning tear, much less a drop of blood.”
MIRDAD

I SO AGREE

The death penalty is worthless!
Nothing is gained and it is a big part of why the USA is in the current mess...
1.It doesn't seem to deter men from evil deeds.
2.It allows political corruption a tool for there objective.
3.It promotes a mind set to the people that there government can kill,and when they kill it must be right..It promotes violence,uncaring,war,,etc...
4.It sentences a man with the highest form of cruelty,,an over hanging death sentence,,
It removes all reason and hope for living..
An over hanging death sentence is an act so cruel that even our phycologist don't understand,,
For if they did they would campaign to have it abolished..
Maybe they don't care..

This comment you made,,

So the question to be asked is not whether Cheney,[and Bush], should be impeached, but why is Cheney,[and Bush], not being impeached? The should has already been established.

The 7 Million dollar question and maybe connected to building number 7!

THANKS FOR COMMENTS HERE

But please click the link above and go post comments at the Detroit News too!!

Sure I'll Share A Comment!

Is Cheney an "unfair target" for "disgruntled activists"? What kind of a mindless "mainstream media" member question is that?

Where has Ms. Price been since Jaunary 20, 2001? She must be a "gruntled submissiveist"! Maybe she finds self-serving, self-dealing oligarchists appealing. Americans who understand and revere our Constitutional system of government certainly do not find Cheney and the rest of the neocons polluting our government acceptable at all!

Conyers is certainly in a slump! He comes across now as a caged beast, impeded from taking the route to his prey that he has mapped out in his mind. This may be giving him too much credit, but I did read THE CONSTITUTION IN CRISIS and in it, he and his minority staff of the House Judiciary committee at the time, prepared a brilliantly documented work which clearly demonstrated just why Ms. Price's first question is so shallow and uninformed.

No, Conyers has all the information he needs to go forward. His unwillingness to proceed is borne of other considerations. It is the who's and why's of these other considerations which demand revellation. There is a real question that Ms. Price should be contemplating and seeking answers for now.

However, it is something of a positive development that someone like Ms. Price has even broached these two questions. So for now, we'll have to be content with her MSM "baby steps"!

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