Bruce Fein vs. Michael Tomasky: A Debate On the Question of Impeachment
When: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - 7pm
Where: Chapel Hill Town Hall
Who: Bruce Fein versus Michael Tomasky; moderated by Hodding Carter III
Sponsored by the Coalition for the Constitution and the Grassroots Impeachment Movement. Co-Sponsorships available
For more information visit http://impeachbushcheney.net/feintomaskydebate
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We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.
—Edward R. Murrow
Rep. Price's reply on impeachment
Below is the reply I received to an email I sent in support of HR 799. I don't have a copy of my message to post, but it was a short email stating some of the crimes I think Cheney and Bush are guilty of committing and my worry that they have set in motion the end of what real democracy we have left, asking what else can be done short of impeachment, and saying that how Price voted on the bill will be at the front of my mind when he is next up for re-election.
Price seems to acknowledge that Cheney most likely has committed impeachable offenses, but he says impeachment would be a diversion and would fail. I can't believe that everything that has turned up since Bush and Cheney gained power is not "an accumulation of evidence of impeachable offenses." Impeachment proceedings should be supported, even if there aren't enough votes, in my opinion. And since the offenses relate to Iraq, national defense, energy policy, etc., I would think impeachment proceedings would support the Democrats' push for reforms, by showing what our current situation really is. Possibly it would severely divide those who don't support Bush and Cheney, but if crimes were committed, and nothing else will resolve them, and prevent the next president from continuing them, what choice is there? I think the idea that impeachment proceedings are intractably slow is a lie, and impeachment is necessary to reveal the Administration's crimes and prevent following administrations from repeating them, so impeachment is very necessary, despite the increasingly late hour. If the Democratic Party as a whole won't do its duty as the opposition, what should be done to pressure them or create an alternative that will act?
November 20, 2007
Dear Mr. [ ]:
Thank you for contacting me in support of impeaching Vice President Cheney.
On November 6, 2007, Rep. Dennis Kucinich offered a privileged resolution on the House floor to impeach Vice President Cheney, H. Res. 799. I voted against a motion to table the resolution, which would have prevented any further activity related to it. After the tabling motion failed by a vote of 162-251, the House approved a motion to refer the resolution to the Judiciary Committee for further consideration, which I supported.
No one is more frustrated with Bush Administration abuses of power than I, and Vice President Cheney has played a significant role in nearly all of them. I continue to adamantly work to shine a bright light on such abuses, and I believe the Democratic Congress has begun to turn the tide on several issues. For instance, the resignation of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez was a direct result of congressional investigations into the politically-motivated firings of U.S. Attorneys.
While I understand the reasoning of impeachment advocates, I do not view impeachment as the right course to pursue at present. The machinations of the impeachment process take a significant amount of time, and it is uncertain if they could even be completed before a new administration is inaugurated in January 2009. In addition, impeachment proceedings should only be initiated after the accumulation of significant evidence of impeachable offenses. While I believe the Vice President likely engaged in behavior that could be considered impeachable, such evidence will only be brought to light through the investigations and oversight activities in which House and Senate committees are currently engaged.
Even if articles of impeachment were passed by the House - a questionable assumption - there is currently no chance that the Senate could reach the two-thirds threshold needed to convict and remove. The tradeoffs are therefore enormous. This all-consuming process would prevent nearly all other legislative initiatives from proceeding. It would consume media attention, which we are already struggling to get for our battles on Iraq, children's health coverage, and a progressive energy policy. And it would also have serious political and social consequences, needlessly creating greater national division just as large majorities of the population are forming in support of a new direction abroad and at home.
I will continue to fight against the abuses of the Bush Administration, and to closely monitor the progress of congressional investigations regarding the actions of Administration officials, keeping your concerns in mind. Again, thank you for contacting me, and please continue to keep in touch.
Dear Mr. [ ]:
Thank you for contacting me in support of impeaching Vice President Cheney.
On November 6, 2007, Rep. Dennis Kucinich offered a privileged resolution on the House floor to impeach Vice President Cheney, H. Res. 799. I voted against a motion to table the resolution, which would have prevented any further activity related to it. After the tabling motion failed by a vote of 162-251, the House approved a motion to refer the resolution to the Judiciary Committee for further consideration, which I supported.
No one is more frustrated with Bush Administration abuses of power than I, and Vice President Cheney has played a significant role in nearly all of them. I continue to adamantly work to shine a bright light on such abuses, and I believe the Democratic Congress has begun to turn the tide on several issues. For instance, the resignation of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez was a direct result of congressional investigations into the politically-motivated firings of U.S. Attorneys.
While I understand the reasoning of impeachment advocates, I do not view impeachment as the right course to pursue at present. The machinations of the impeachment process take a significant amount of time, and it is uncertain if they could even be completed before a new administration is inaugurated in January 2009. In addition, impeachment proceedings should only be initiated after the accumulation of significant evidence of impeachable offenses. While I believe the Vice President likely engaged in behavior that could be considered impeachable, such evidence will only be brought to light through the investigations and oversight activities in which House and Senate committees are currently engaged.
Even if articles of impeachment were passed by the House - a questionable assumption - there is currently no chance that the Senate could reach the two-thirds threshold needed to convict and remove. The tradeoffs are therefore enormous. This all-consuming process would prevent nearly all other legislative initiatives from proceeding. It would consume media attention, which we are already struggling to get for our battles on Iraq, children's health coverage, and a progressive energy policy. And it would also have serious political and social consequences, needlessly creating greater national division just as large majorities of the population are forming in support of a new direction abroad and at home.
I will continue to fight against the abuses of the Bush Administration, and to closely monitor the progress of congressional investigations regarding the actions of Administration officials, keeping your concerns in mind. Again, thank you for contacting me, and please continue to keep in touch.
Sincerely,
DAVID PRICE
Member of Congress
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2 comments:
Patrick,
Wondering what your reaction is to removing all the roadblocks to impeachment: Are you for removing any roadblocks; or are there some roadblocks you are not willing to challenge?
I'm not sure what you mean by roadblocks. Do you mean Representatives who are against it?
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