Impeachment question

[highnote]

I just watched Bill Moyers Journal. He had two guests on who think Bush should be impeached. One was a conservative who wrote the Clinton impeachment. The other was a journalist who wrote a book about why the Founding Fathers included impeachment in the Constitution. He said they mention Impeachment 6 times in the Constitution.

In order to be impeached, the president has to have commited crimes.

Can someone list some of the alleged crimes Bush and Cheney have committed?

[Pace Cap'n]

From that fount of knowledge, Wikipedia... :rolleyes:








6 Rationales for impeachment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#Rationales_for_ impeachment)

6.1 NSA warrantless surveillance controversy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#NSA_warrantless _surveillance_controversy)
6.2 2003 invasion of Iraq (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#2003_invasion_o f_Iraq)

6.2.1 Constitutionality of invasion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#Constitutionali ty_of_invasion)
6.2.2 Justification for invasion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#Justification_f or_invasion)
6.2.3 U.N. Charter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#U.N._Charter)

6.3 Geneva Conventions controversy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#Geneva_Conventi ons_controversy)






6.3.1 Unlawful combatant status (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#Unlawful_combat ant_status)
6.3.2 Extraordinary rendition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#Extraordinary_r endition)
6.3.3 Treatment of detainees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#Treatment_of_de tainees)

6.4 Leaking of classified information (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#Leaking_of_clas sified_information)






6.4.1 Possible involvement in the CIA leak (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#Possible_involv ement_in_the_CIA_leak)
6.4.2 Commuting Libby's sentence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#Commuting_Libby .27s_sentence)
6.4.3 Declassifying for political purposes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#Declassifying_f or_political_purposes)

6.5 Improper politicization of the United States attorney offices (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#Improper_politi cization_of_the_United_States_attorney_offices)
6.6 Hurricane Katrina (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#Hurricane_Katri na)
6.7 Abuse of power (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#Abuse_of_power)

A president can be impeached for committing "high crimes and misdemeanors". And what are high crimes and misdemeanors? They are undefined in the constitution. Again, from Wikipedia...

In 1970, then-Representative Gerald R. Ford (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_R._Ford) defined the criteria as he saw it: "An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history."

[Secretariat]

I think Gerald Ford actually gets this one right. Impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors is an interpretation of Congress and has nothing to do with a civil court. As the program mentioned it has nothing to do with prison terms, etc., but is about removal from office. The above post details many of the justifications that could be used such as obstruction of justice. It is not even about a burden of proof. It is about the bulk of the House and Senate beleiving that their has been an abuse of power that threatens our nation to warrant the removal of the President.


Now one can argue whether GW and Darth V. deserve to be impeached, and whether there is proof of whether a crime has been committed that would lead to a conviction in a civil court. Not the issue. Nixon never was charged in a civil court proceeding for his role in Watergate, but certainly would have been impeached had he not resigned.

Frankly, I am not in favor of impeachment as the Bush-Cheney reign has about another year left and it continues to help Democratic representives running for government. The daily incompetence of GW and crew only helps Democrats in 08. Leave them in as the numbers wouldn't be there for impeachent anyway,

[highnote]

Frankly, I am not in favor of impeachment as the Bush-Cheney reign has about another year left and it continues to help Democratic representives running for government.

This is precisely what the guests / experts on Moyers are concerned about. They claim Bush and Cheney have a disregard for law and act like monarchs and will pass this power on to the next president and vp.

The guests were also critical of the house for not have a backbone -- one guest called the house something like "a bunch of invertebrates". :D

But, my original question is, "What crimes have Bush and Cheney committed?" Can anyone answer that? Thanks.

[Pace Cap'n]

Post #2 contains a list of possible offenses that could, according to some, be construed as grounds for impeachment.

Whether or not any crimes were committed could only be determined by the House and Senate.

[highnote]

Sorry, you're right. I totally skimmed it and didn't realize it was specific -- I thought it was about what is impeachment. I'm not awake yet.