Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination that the mainstream media like to ignore or belittle, stands head and shoulders above the moral midgets and shriveled sophists in that contest, especially today, after he successfully forced the full House to vote to send his bill to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney to a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee.
Kucinich, whose Cheney impeachment bill, despite having 22 co-sponsors, has been stalled for over six months thanks to the unconscionable machinations of the Democratic Congressional leadership and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, should now get at least a genuine debate in the House Judiciary Committee. With enough pressure from constituents, his bill might even go into hearings.
At first, it appeared that the Democratic leadership in the House was going to simply slap down Kucinich’s attempt to move the bill—technically a member’s privilege motion for a full vote of the House. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), House majority leader and thus the number two member of the House leadership (and an insufferable hack), offered a motion to table H Res. 799, the impeachment bill. But Republicans, sensing an opportunity to embarrass the Democrats, began voting as a block against the tabling motion. In the end, caught completely off guard, even Democrats who had dutifully backed the shameless leadership in voting for the tabling motion, began switching their votes and opposing it. The final vote was 242 (164 Republicans and 78 Democrats) against tabling, and 170 (28 Republicans and 142 Democrats) for tabling.
A subsequent vote to send the Kucinich Cheney impeachment bill to the Judiciary Committee passed 218-194, with three Republicans voting with 215 Democrats in favor of the measure.
Republicans clearly don’t want impeachment hearings, but have recognized something that the Democratic leadership, lame and tactically deficient as it is, does not, namely that particularly among Democratic voters and Democratic-leaning voters, impeachment is enormously popular. According to polls, some three in four Democrats, and a majority of all Americans, favor impeaching the vice president (a majority of Americans also favor impeaching President Bush). As long as the Democratic Party leaders keep blocking impeachment, they lose support and anger voters among this group. Clearly Republicans saw a chance today to further alienate those voters by forcing the Congressional Democratic leadership, which has stalled Kucinich’s bill for over six months since it was filed last April 24, to more actively and visibly block it.
But Democratic leaders have an alternative. They can recognize the growing disaster of Pelosi’s “impeachment is off the table” position—which has contributed significantly to Congress’ record-low poll ratings (now well below Bush’s)--and can turn around and get those impeachment hearings going.
If they were to do this, with just a year to go until the presidential election, they would electrify progressive voters and independent-minded voters, who are frightened and disgusted by what this administration has been doing to the country and to the Constitution.
I was just at a polling station today in my Republican-leaning area (Montgomery County, PA), and when a Republican activist standing outside the polling center saw my “Impeach Bush and Cheney” T-shirt, he said, “It would be great for Republicans too, if they could dump both those guys.”
Clearly, the public, even including many Republicans, wants Congress to act.
Rep. Kucinich, who has been a consistent and bold opponent of the Iraq War from the start, and who was quick to expose and condemn administration moves towards a new war with Iran, deserves enormous credit for his lonely drive in the House to impeach the vice president. Maybe this bold move in Congress to push past the obstacles that the Democratic leadership has thrown up in his path will wake up primary voters to the fact that you cannot judge a candidate by his height. \ If voters in the Democratic primaries make their decisions based upon actions, principles and courage, instead of on what the corporate media tell them, and if the impeachment movement will rally to back him, Kucinich should win by a landslide. ________________ DAVE LINDORFF is a Philadelphia-based journalist and columnist. His latest book, co-authored by Barbara Olshansky, is “The Case for Impeachment” (St. Martin’s Press, 2006 and now available in paperback edition). His work is available at www.thiscantbehappening.net
http://www.thiscantbehappening.net
Dave Lindorff, a columnist for Counterpunch, is author of several recent books ("This Can't Be Happening! Resisting the Disintegration of American Democracy" and "Killing Time: An Investigation into the Death Penalty Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal"). His latest book, coauthored with Barbara Olshanshky, is "The Case for Impeachment: The Legal Argument for Removing President George W. Bush from Office (St. Martin's Press, May 2006). His writing is available at http://www.thiscantbehappening.net
This is news --- and MSM will sell the rope to hang Cheney
Kucinich is like the Chinese kid standing up against the tank in Tiananmen Square --- but this tank of repression is driven by both the phony two-party Republicans and Democrats committed to maintaining the global corporate Empire behind this facade of 'Vichy America'.
The question now will be whether the media powers in that 'Vichy America' also continue to oppress and repress the growing outrage of average American people to see their government restored to the real democracy against Empire that our founding fathers envisioned and died for --- or whether the media will also rebel against this stacked-deck of Empire and report the real truth to the American people.
It is the very profit motive of the MSM that will incite them to cover this big news story --- for fear of others getting the jump on them ---- even though it will open the flood-gates of impeachment for Cheney, and themn Bush, and then overturn of the entire 'Vichy American' Empire, which the MSM, ironically, is part of.
This leads new menaing to Marx's statement that "capitalists would sell the rope for their own hanging".
by
Alan MacDonald (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 44 comments)
on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at 6:10:51 PM
Dennis Kucinich won the Democracy for America poll.
Dennis Kucinich won the Democracy for America poll. "no one worked harder to win your support then Congressman Dennis Kucinich. He made his progressive record on Iraq, universal health care, and the patriot act clear. He didn't just ask for your vote, he worked for the votes of your friends and neighbors. He asked his supporters to join DFA and vote to make sure you heard his message. He shot videos, issued press releases, and met with local DFA leaders and members all over the country to try and get your vote. And it worked.
Congressman Kucinich did not get the 66% required to earn the DFA Presidential Endorsement, but he did win our internet poll with an astounding 49,000 votes. Congratulations to Congressman Kucinich for working to win."
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Betsy L. Angert (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments)
on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at 8:58:56 PM
I went to Dennis Kucinich's web site (www.dennis4president.com/) and donated to his campaign, then wrote my Representative, Darlene Hooley, and thanked her for her two votes in support of his action. I know you all can do that much!
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Rob Magee (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 5 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 12:19:00 AM
See? The Democrats can develop a backbone and oppose the Republicans when they want to.
The Republicans can read the poll numbers. If they succeed in impeaching Bush and Cheney over Democratic opposition, they won't have to steal the '08 election, they'll be able to win it fair and square. All they have to do is distance themselves from Bush and Cheney, something the Democrats are afraid to do.
It is going to be interesting to watch Nancy Pelosi try to block the impeachment resolution from getting to the floor. I envision the Speaker telling the House on live C-Span TV, "The Republicans are trying to impeach our Dear Leader, President Bush, and it is our duty as Democrats to oppose them." Makes me almost with I had cable TV with TIVO, but I'm sure that somebody will capture those precious moments on google video.
Progress is progress. The Democrats have finally become an opposition party. Sure they're opposing the wrong thing, but ya gotta start somewhere.
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Mark E. Smith (20 articles, 23 quicklinks, 59 diaries, 710 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 12:59:14 AM
There is zero chance that the D's will try to impeach --
Let's face it. The party has protected Bush & Cheney every step of the way, & they're not going to stop now.
They haven't fought over a single issue -- not one. They have given Bush & Cheney all the money for the wars; they have confirmed all the nominees; they have allowed the passage of bills for torture & warrantless spying on Americans. You write,
"But Democratic leaders have an alternative. They can recognize the growing disaster of Pelosi’s “impeachment is off the table” position....and can turn around and get those impeachment hearings going."
This is just not going to happen. // The most significant part of today's action was not Kucinich's laudable attempt to get his bill discussed -- it was how Hoyer tried to kill it. In fact, Hoyer tried twice to kill it -- and succeeded the second time by getting it referred to the Judiciary Committee, where it will die.
That's the last we'll hear of that measure. Anyone who thinks it's going anywhere is being naive.
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Richard Mynick (2 articles, 3 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 915 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 1:04:05 AM
Its hard not to agree with Richard on this unfortunately
"The most significant part of today's action was not Kucinich's laudable attempt to get his bill discussed -- it was how Hoyer tried to kill it. In fact, Hoyer tried twice to kill it -- and succeeded the second time by getting it referred to the Judiciary Committee, where it will die."
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Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 13 diaries, 610 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 2:29:44 AM
It may be true that the scumbags who run the Democratic Party--execrable people like Hoyer and Pelosi--may use their power to kill important bills in Congress, and to underwrite Bush and Cheney, but to call efforts by someone like Kucinich to at least expose the perfidity of those leaders "laughable" is a libel.
You, in your infinite wisdom, may sit back on your sofa and pass judgement on the waste of time of promoting an impeachment bill, but at least Kucinich is standing up for a principle, and is helping to clarify to the American people how little their political representatives really represent them. That in itself is a useful act.
I have no patience for people who cast such aspersions on people of good will who are trying to make a difference. It's just elitist leftism, and it, in fact, is what is laughable.
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Dave Lindorff (269 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 130 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 6:23:45 AM
Quit being victim to a defeatist mentality. Quit doing what the Republicans hope you will do and what the Democrats take comfort in knowing you will do. Quit succumbing to the fear that is sold to us throughout America and there to make us lose faith in our political process. It may not be working for us but it works. And all you have to do is turn off C-SPAN, quit blogging, grab a sign, and hit the streets with petitions, flyers, etc. to get us one step closer to being the nation we believe in.
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Kevin Gosztola (147 articles, 31 quicklinks, 59 diaries, 622 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 7:45:57 AM
Quite on the contrary. Kucinich in my opinion did absolutely the right thing. And the honorable thing. But whilst one person Dennis did the right thing a swag of others (and numbers do matter) made clear for the first time that they will not do the right thing.
What is profoundly unfunny is that the Democrats were apparently so surpassingly cynical that they voted to take even a discussion of the issue off the table despite the efforts of Dennis Kucininch and apparently the sentiments of many traditional Democratic voters.
What is also profoundly unfunny is that the Republicans were so keen to see the Democrats split in half that they would cynically vote that way to do just that.
If you have another more cheerful explanation for the facts then I sincerely hope you are right. But what else explains the voting patterns?
Thank you for your efforts. I am sincerely sorry that I cannot see a silver lining in this or a way to spin it into a positive.
I've been reading a biography of Gandhi. Gandhi would keep going. Gandhi was a believer. In Kucinich's position, and in yours, I think Gandhi would ignore the cynicism and plug on with efforts to impeach because it was the right thing to do. What else is there to do? What you have been saying and what Kucinich has been saying is mostly right. Stop doing what you think is right and you will die inside.
Beyond the petty cynical politics of the present what is done on principle by some is also being recorded. In any future worth a damn Kucinich's efforts and yours will be appreciated. Humanity doesn't have a choice in the long term with respect to the rule of law, we have it or we don't have a long term.
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Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 13 diaries, 610 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 8:05:17 AM
It is up to people now to ask for and demend PELOSI's impeachment for high treason. The problem is that this AIPAC-nominated george bush's bed-mate is blocking the Justice and will be blocking it for as long as she is there. Where is Cindy Sheehan by the way to help us out?
by
ramsheyi (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 264 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 3:44:35 AM
DENNIS IS A HERO,AND NANCY AIPAC POLOSI IS UNDER CONTROL BY FREEMASARY AIPAC, JUST GOOGLE AIPAC FREEMASONARY. CHENEY IS MASON ALSO BUSH, BILL CLINTON, RON REGAN, JFK, JOHNSON, GEORGE , OUR FIST PRESIDENT, DO SOME HISTORY ON GOOGLE, ITS THE BIGS DECEPTION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
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RICHARD SHADE (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 459 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:39:09 AM
Probably, Pelosi/Hoyer don't want to impeach because they are afraid that if Cheney goes Bush will appoint as Cheney's replacement one of the Republican Presidential candidates and that will give the R's a bully pulpit they can use to get themselves elected in 08. Jeb Bush has been mentioned as a replacement too. That's probably why some clever R's are trying to get Kucinich's bill into debate.
The fact that the trashing of the U.S. constitution is a by product of the political considerations is irrelevent to Pelosi/Hoyer.
And that is why the Democrats are perceived as standing for nothing but their own careers and their own re-election.
Democracy for America ran a poll recently and Kuchinich won....that's pretty interesting because the last thing DFA wants is to endorse Kucinich.
However, keeping a membership that would vote for Dennis from leaving the fold is probably going to be a problem for them.
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Jeanne Doyle (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 2 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 7:43:18 AM
I don’t want to be the one to toss cold water here, but beyond Richard being right, (I really don't like it when I HAVE TO agree with Richard ;-) ) Kucinich knows what we all know….He can afford to stand up and make these grandiose gestures, for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that he has been consistently at the bottom of the polls.What does he have to lose when this bill falls on its face?
Nothing.Kucinich is part of the CONgress that has a 11% approval…Anything he does that is different from what the rest of the CONgress is doing can only help his standings!In short, I am nakedly accusing him of pandering…
Not to a special interest, but to the people who are just plainly tired of the BS in DC…Kucinich has been in the CONgress for a VERY long time…Doing what?Not much…In fact, all of his “courageous” maneuvers have coincided with his running for preznit…Pass judgment?That is not only our right, it is our DUTY!We all need to see the BS in DC for what it is, and GET RID OF IT!You want change in the US?Dennis Kucinich is an opportunist, not a solution.
Oh, BTW, after he is tossed out of the race, he will either fade back into obscurity, or the DNC will make sure he never wins another election as long as he lives.
Ciao, CZ
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steve scheetz (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 312 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 8:14:51 AM
I like this because I do not have an answer to it. It seems so right and yet so wrong. Because if the guy who is sticking up for Americans is an "opportunist," well we are worse off than I thought.
by
Kevin Gosztola (147 articles, 31 quicklinks, 59 diaries, 622 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 8:22:19 AM
In fact, it IS wrong... Horribly wrong! The more I watch politics, the more I see how truly wrong it is...
The part that makes me say that he is exploiting this for his own notoriety is the simple truth of what I wrote near the end..If the party thought that he would make things difficult for the party interests, they would shut him down..In fact they may STILL do that…Do we have sleaze in the White House?ABSOLUTELY..However, Corporate America says:“That is OUR sleaze, and you WILL NOT TOUCH IT, or suffer our wrath..”Now, the two major “parties” will police themselves over this..One only has to look at what happened to Curt Weldon in PA…He did his thing with Able Danger, Cheney classified the session after he closed the doors, and the RNC pulled Weldon’s campaign funding…The RNC did this knowing that as they did, they would probably lose control of CONgress..However, they demonstrated that it was more important to have control of their members as opposed to control of the house and senate..
The DNC had done, and will continue to do the same thing…If a member steps out of line, they will squash him/her..Dennis, up until now, has been a flea on their backside…Well, the more noise he makes, the more interested they will become in squashing him.HOWEVER, Kucinich has some seasoning behind him…He has demonstrated, in the past the knowledge of when to shut up…He does this with the knowledge that it will NEVER see the light of day, he does this knowing exactly what it will do for him,(make him stand out from the rest of the field,)and I make the assumption that he knows when to stop biting the behind, so he does not get swatted…Anyway, that is that… Are we represented in DC???
Ciao, CZ
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steve scheetz (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 312 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 11:50:13 AM
Where is Conyers on impeachment now that he could do something about it? His committee has the ball now. Where are Reed and Pelosi? Steyer? Limbo dancing beneath ever lowering expectations is where.
What part of personally swearing to defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic don't they get? What part don't you get?
What Kucinich has to lose ultimately by having his resolution fail is also what you and every citizen has to lose - the Constitution of the United States. The rule of law.
by
Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 13 diaries, 610 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 8:34:28 AM
I GET the oath... All I am saying is that nobody in the CONgress has respected the oath, INCLUDING Kucinich... The fact that he is going after Cheney now makes me question his motivation...
When he shuts his mouth, after the DNC tells him to do so, then he will demonstrate himself to be the party man he is...
In other words, I don't believe that he is doing this to respect his oath to defend the Constitution... he is doing this to further his own ambition, and he is playing chicken with the DNC as he does it.. Make no mistake, he WILL back down..
Ciao, CZ
by
steve scheetz (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 312 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 11:58:56 AM
"We're going to help them out, to explain themselves," said Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas. "We're going to give them their day in court."
Is it perhaps, just perhaps, possible that in addition to being politically convenient to embarrass the Democratic leadership of Congress, the Republicans believe that the facts as revealed in an Impeachment "trial" will demonstrate that Vice President Cheney has, indeed, acted in good faith with respect to the Constitution?
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost." – J.R.R. Tolkien
by
Tom Murphy (2 articles, 2 quicklinks, 8 diaries, 1175 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 8:54:15 AM
include a thorough psychological interview? It should. Cheney is not just a vampire- he is an unstable person NOT QUALIFIED for the office. It can be revealed pretty easily. And one more thing- these hearings will not allow the administration to act to attack Iran. That's the goal worthy to pursue.
by
Mark Sashine (37 articles, 19 quicklinks, 221 diaries, 3074 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 9:40:40 AM
I called Rep. Conyers office this morning and asked the young gentleman who I spoke with if he could please ask Rep. Conyers to support Representative Kucinich's resolution H. Res. 333 and that he would be doing so on behalf of the Founding Fathers of this country, who fought long and hard, so that We The People could be where we're at today, and that they would no doubt implore Rep. Conyers to give his utmost support of this very important resolution.
The Capitol switchboard: 800-862-5530 or 800-828-0498 and ask to speak with Rep. John Conyers office and tell him/her to SUPPORT Kucinich’s resolution H. Res. 333
"The people...are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty." --Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1787
by
Munich (0 articles, 38 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 577 comments)
on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:50:14 AM
Impeachment behavior shows truth ----- of 'Vichy America'
You know, there’s actually an ironic truth to the MSM’s and the NY Time’s reporting that the Democrats narrowly averted “the embarrassment” of Kucinich’s bill to impeach Cheney coming to a floor debate.
Yes, the Democrats avoided the embarrassment OF BEING EXPOSED by floor debate as being fully complicit enablers and partners with the Republicans in this facade of a two-party ‘Vichy government’
