Madame Speaker: Impeachment Must Be Put Back On the Table

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has done an admirable job of organizing the Democrats and passing an impressive roster of domestic legislation. Her success has extended to passing a declaration of non-support for Bush's escalation of the bloody mess in Iraq.
It is the first sign that this congress might be willing to confront rogue Bush administration. However, it is not nearly enough to correct the errors of the past nor to prevent a looming disaster.

The Bush administration is not only determined to slog on indefinitely in Iraq, it is headed toward a military confrontation with Iran. Bush is eschewing diplomacy and cutting to the chase. He has positioned several carrier groups and destroyers in the region, armed Iran's neighbors with anti-missile ordinance and has fully developed plans for both air and ground wars. The consensus seems to be that an attack could be launched as early as this spring.


In an eerie imitation of the lead up to the invasion of Iraq, stories that have little or no basis in reality are finding their way into the media. Stories that demonize Iran and misrepresent the nation as a threat.
Iran, as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty is legally entitled to develop nuclear energy as a domestic power source. The Bush administration is intolerant of Iraq's program even though there has been no evidence of wrong doing. Meanwhile the US, also a signatory is violating its non-proliferation responsibilities.

Speaker Pelosi states in an AP article that she believes Bush doesn't have the ability to attack Iran. There is absolutely nothing preventing him from launching an air war and presenting congress with war as an accomplished fact and daring them to deny what he needs to finish the "mission".

Speaker Pelosi goes on to say that Bush has stated he will pursue diplomacy and she takes him at his word.
On Friday Bush refused to parley with the Iranians because he thought "it wouldn't do any good". While it's true Bush and diplomacy seem to be mutally exclusive, it is very likely the competent exercise of diplomacy will go al long way toward averting a regional catastrophe and the murder of as many as 3,000,000 innocent civilians.

This country has learned to its sorrow that Bush is the last person on earth whose word
should be considered his bond. His lies are legion and well documented. He promised to do everything he could to avoid a war with Iraq but instead he threw the weapons inspectors out and launched shock and awe. Why Speaker Pelosi has failed to comprehend the depth of Bush's mendacity is both puzzling and cause for anxiety.

A president who openly flaunts the law, has publicly confessed to felonies and who blandly set aside the standards for civilized conduct in time of war is not going to find a non binding resolution denying him support, troublesome. I would be willing wager that even if congress bellied up to the bar and seriously cut funding for military operations in Iraq that Bush would ignore them.

Speaker Pelosi needs to realize the only way this administration can be brought to heel is to use the Constitutional remedy for elected leaders who break the law, abuse their power and are a burden to the nation. Democrats need to begin immediately drawing up Articles of Impeachment against President Bush and Vice President Cheney. They need to reach across the aisle to collegues who are also deeply troubled by the behavior of this administration.

Congressional Democrats should stop worrying about elections that are 2 years away and worry about what could happen in the next two months.
There is no time to nibble around the edges of Iraq or ignore the numerous and credible warnings of Bush's bad intentions toward Iran.

Spring is only a heartbeat away. Speaker Pelosi should take the next 100 hours to do what the American people elected her to do. Americans overwhelmingly want America's wars of aggression ended. They want this congress to hold Bush and Cheney accountable for the "damage done to the national interest and the loss of life and treasure" that has been "exacerbated by bad faith--by lies, cronyism and corruption."

Impeachment rather than legislation is the proper remedy.
Carol DW