In considering how to raise the dynamic for a House Judiciary Congressional Investigation of Bush and Cheney it seems one element missing is changing the discussion about impeachment from one about "political fallout" to a discussion of "accountability" in government. Since many Republicans currently in the House voted to impeach Bill Clinton on December 19, 1998 for perjury and obstruction of justice, presumably justified by the need for accountability in the Executive Branch, these same individuals should be able to explain why they have ignored the far more egregious violations of the Bush Administration and fail to support at least an impeachment investigation. Alternatively, if the only interest of these members of Congress in 1998 was the use of impeachment for "political advantage" perhaps it is time they go on record as stating why they felt impeachment was acceptable for Bill Clinton just 9.25 years earlier but is not acceptable now with respect to holding George Bush and Dick Cheney "accountable". It may not change anything but the fall election by doing this. However, having each person on record as stating they don't believe Bush or Cheney has done anything worthy of an impeachment hearing even though they felt impeachment was justified and voted for it when Bill Clinton was in office in 1998 may be a worthwhile objective to clarify this hypocrisy.
Voters can decide for themselves whose interests these Representatives truly serve later this year. Not a single person on this list who felt Bill Clinton had violated his oath of office and was guilty of impeachable offenses has been so moved to support even an impeachment investigation of President George W. Bush or Vice President Richard Cheney for any offense while they have been in office. Not a single person on this list has requested that George W. Bush be investigated by the House Judiciary Committee (HJC) even though several are HJC members (***). If possible, each and every person on this list should be asked the following 4 questions: 1. What do you believe is the purpose of impeachment? 2. Why do you believe we have an impeachment process as part of our US constitution? 3. Why did you support the impeachment of President William Jefferson Clinton in December 1998? 4. Why do you feel none of the following charges made against the present administration of George W. Bush and Cheney is worthy of even an impeachment hearing?
a. Misleading Congress about the need for a war with Iraq. b. Obstruction of justice by telling Federal Employees not to testify before Congress and/or not to respond to Congressional subpoenas. c. Misuse of the Department of Justice for political purposes instead of law enforcement. d. Approval of torture for captured prisoners by the US in violation of ratified US treaties. e. Not providing the due process guaranteed to a US citizen by our Constitution by placing him in Guantanamo Bay Prison camp without access to a lawyer for an extended time period. f. Attempt to bribe a US citizen who was raped and illegally imprisoned with US tax dollars to keep her silent and get her to drop her suit against Halliburton and the State Department. g. Approval of the spying on US citizens by the NSA without a warrant. h. No-bid extended contracts and failure of government agencies to enforce rules and regulations on the businesses they regulate leading to the loss of billions of tax payer dollars from the US treasury. i. Destruction of government records to circumvent accountability by Congressional oversight.
While I suspect we all feel we know what their answers may well be, why not give each and every one of these Representatives an opportunity to state so for the public record? Perhaps the very fact they had to face such questions might change some minds (theirs or their constituents). Either way, it can't help but encourage more change in Washington by this fall.
Aderholt – Alabama 4th District Bachus – Alabama 6th District Bartlett-Maryland 6th District Barton – Texas 6th District Bilbray – California 50th District Bilirakis – Florida 9th District Blunt – Maryland 7th District Boehner – Ohio 8th District Bono – California – 45th District Brady – Texas 8th District Burton – Indiana 5th District Calvert – California 14th District Camp – Michigan 4th District Campbell – California 48th District Cannon – Utah 3rd District *** Castle – Delaware (at large) Chabot – Ohio 1st District *** Christensen –US Virgin Islands Coble–North Carolina 6th *** Cubin – Wyoming (at large) Davis – Virginia 11th District Deal – Georgia 9th District Diaz-Balart – Florida 21st District Doolittle – California 4th District Dreier – California 26th District Duncan – Tennessee 2nd District Ehlers – Michigan 3rd District Emerson – Maryland 9th District English – Pennsylvania 3rd District Everett – Alabama 2nd District Forbes – Virginia 4th District *** Fossella – New York 13th District Frelinghuysen – New Jersey 11th District Gallegly – California 24th District *** Gilchrest – Maryland 1st District Goode – Virginia 5th District Goodlatte – Virginia 6th District *** Granger – Texas 12th District Hall – Texas 4th District Hastings – Washington 4th District Herger – California 2nd District Hill – Indiana 9th District Hobson – Ohio 7th District Hoeskatra – Michigan 2nd District Hulshof – Michigan 9th District Hunter – California 52nd District Inglis – South Carolina 4th District Johnson – Texas 3rd District Jones – North Carolina 3rd District King – New York 3rd District Kingston –Georgia 1st District Knollenberg – Michigan 9th District LaHood – Illinois 18th District LaTourette – Ohio 14th District Lewis – California 41st District Lewis – Kentucky 2nd District Linder – Georgia 7th District LoBiondo – New Jersey 2nd District Lucas – Oklahoma 3rd District Manzullo – Illinois 16th District McCollum – Minnesota 4th McCrery – Louisiana 4th McHugh – New York 23rd McKeon – Louisiana 25th Mica – Florida 7th District Miller – Florida 1st District Moran – Kansas 1st District Myrick – North Carolina 9th Paul – Texas 14th District Peterson – Pennsylvania 5th Petri – Wisconsin 6th District Pickering – Mississippi 3rd Pitts – Pennsylvania 16th Porter – Nevada 3rd District Pryce – Ohio 15th District Radanovich – California 19th Ramstad – Minnesota 3rd Regula –Ohio 16th District Rogers – Kentucky 5th Rohrabacher – California 46th Ros-Lehtinen – Florida 18th Royce – California 40th Saxton – New Jersey 3rd Sensenbrenner – Wisconsin 5th *** Sessions – Texas 32nd Shadegg – Arizona 3rd Shimkus – Florida 15th Shuster – Pennsylvania 9th Smith – New Jersey 4th Smith – Texas 21st *** Souder – Indiana 3rd District Stearns – Florida 6th District Taylor – Mississippi 4th District Thornberry – Texas 13th Tiahrt – Kansas 4th District Upton – Michigan 6th District Walsh – New York 25th Wamp – Tennessee 3rd District Weldon – Florida – 15th District Weller – Illinois 11th District Whitfield –- Kentucky 1st District Wilson – Ohio 6th District Wolf – Virginia 10th District Young – Alaska (At large) Young – Florida 10th District
Faculty member at University of Kentucky. Teacher, Researcher, social activist. Political independent who believes in better government, not necessarily smaller or larger government.
I don't know if anyone can prove that indictments for wrongdoing exist on both sides of the aisle. That seems to be an assumption at this time to explain why Pelosi and Conyer's have not moved forward.
Regardless, Representatives must be held accountable for their voting and their lack of action on the public's behalf. It seems thus far we have focused on the Democrats for not moving forward, but there are Republicans who should be asked to account for their actions as well. I was hoping pressure might be placed on both groups.
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Peter Wedlund (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 120 comments)
on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 10:57:52 AM
Thank you. All we can do is try. It is a long list. Some of the Republicans are of course gone, but a large number are still in office over 9 years later.
I am currently waiting to hear what the editors of Local newspapers say. Hopefully enough will be interested to have some impact. Who knows.
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Peter Wedlund (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 120 comments)
on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 5:16:19 PM
I started by sending a letter to the 3 Representatives in the House from Kentucky who supported impeachment and Senator Mitch McConnell who voted to convict Bill Clinton of impeachable offenses. I modified things slightly, but basically I asked them to explain their positions previously and currently or if they would like to change their position. I am now contacting every major newspaper in Kentucky to ask if they are interested in publishing their responses before the fall elections so their constituents know what their reasons were for impeaching one President and ignoring a mounting pile of evidence of accountability problems in this administration.
I have no idea what will be the outcome of any of this, However, we have to at least try to get these issues out there for people to read. I should think if enough people in every state requested answers and let their representatives know they intended to submit their responses (or lack thereof) in newpapers of their constituencies we might get a totally different response from them about how they felt about accountability. That is my hope anyway. I may just be naive about how things in politics work, but I figure a ittle publicity never hurt any cause.
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Peter Wedlund (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 120 comments)
on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 3:30:55 PM
