Are you listening Nancy Pelosi and John Conyers? Because you should be, oh you should be (via The Raw Story):
Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL) says he’s hatched a plan that will secure health care for children, help to restore America’s reputation around the world, and empower the the Democratic party to rediscover the courage of its convictions. He calls it “impeachment hearings.” […]
“The way we pass stem-cell research, the way we get implemented a children’s health care plan, the way we get higher CAFE [corporate average fuel economy] standards to bring our energy debacle into a better condition for generations to come is to have impeachment hearings,” Wexler said, appearing to nearly run out breath at one point during his speech. “Because that’ll get the president’s eye. That’ll get the vice president’s eye. That for the first time will show that the Democratic majority is here, and that in fact we have the courage of our convictions, and that we’re not bound to be tied by conventional wisdom.”
Wexler said that impeachment hearings weren’t just an option available to Congress, but a requirement.
“This administration has abused its power in office…and it is the obligation — not discretionary — but it is the obligation of this Congress to investigate,” he said. “And that’s what I and some of my colleagues are beginning to call for.”
Amen, brother. Wexler goes on to say that impeachment hearings would go a long way toward improving America’s reputation in the world, which might make it easier to accomplish some of our foreign policy objectives. I think he has a valid point. Until the world sees us taking some action to make the criminals in the White House accountable, they will continue to delay or refuse to cooperate with us on those items on our foreign policy and national security agenda which require the assistance of other countries. As Bob Wexler says, impeachment hearings are the only thing that would put the fear of god into the Bush administration, and we already have the vehicle in Dennis Kucinich’s resolution sitting in the Judiciary Committee to begin those hearings, if only our Democratic Leaders (cough) would start acting like — well, like leaders.
Ps. If you want to see a video of Rep. Wexler’s remarks, go to this link at The Raw Story and scroll down.
HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!! First things first! The focus right now should be forcing Reid to announce that he is going to iniate a “Pro Forma”! It worked at the Thanksgiving reces and we need it again! Then we can discuss Wexler statement. I agree totally with Impeachment but as I sad- Announce another Pro Forma!
It’s so nice (yet odd) to see that FL-DEMOCRAT thing.
Hope springs eternal. I’ll be calling the office this morning.
I’m all for impeachment and then some, but I think that by linking impeachment with legislative agenda (especially domestic), Wexler has set a trap for himself and the Dems. The Repubs and the media can now say: look its all political, look they can’t get their way so they are being vindictive. I think this is a really bad fram. I hope I’m wrong.
Democrats have to stop acting and speaking based on how they think the Republicans and the media will respond. If the R’s say ‘it’s political’ then the Dems counter with ‘no, it’s constitutional – what you did to Clinton was political.’
Dems need to stop operating from a position of weakness and go on the attack. You know, like Patton, we’re going to go through them like crap through a goose, we’re going to hold them by the nose and kick them in the ass. Why don’t we have offensive-minded Democrat politicians? (Part of it is that they have been so complicit in this criminal administration that any real investigation of criminality would take down a number of Dems also, including Pelosi who apparently was aware of waterboarding torture back in ’02)
Jason Call
http://www.Call4Democracy.org
Candidate, US Congress, New Mexico CD 1
I’m all for attack. But I think good strategy and good framing could help their attack. I just think this approach is a gimme for the opposition. I think they would be much stronger to approach it as a constitutional issue, as you said. Speak up. Fight. Filibuster. But be tactical about it.
I really don’t care how they go about impeaching Bush and Cheney as long as it works.
It’s a nice thought, Steven. Or maybe call it a nice dream.
The Democrats do not have the party discipline to move forward with something like this or the means to get the argument for impeachment fairly presented to the American public in the media. I think something like this would eat them alive.
They are weak and they are scared. Jane at The Lake says it all here and, once again, we see the strength of leadership and principle with the Dems capitulation again here. Say all you want about the “slim majority”, they have not proven that they are willing to actually fight for one thing. Not one.
what MikeinOhio says.
Not gonna happen, for the exact reasons that Hamsher and (ugh) Red State lay out.
Wexler would have better luck teaching cats how to fly.
If all this kbr rape stuff doesn’t make them feel obligated to impeach, what would? I am afraid of the government.
And now there are two.