Not many months ago, it was thought taboo by editors of a regional or national daily to include the words 'impeach' and 'Bush' in the same story. Either out of fear of reader reprisal or a result of efforts to preserve the appearance of balance in an environment lacking much of any positive news for Bush, the issue of impeachment was better left kicked around by the 'fringe groups' - a subject untouchable for mainstream readership.
What a difference a few months and a few polling cycles make. Staring at me from the front page of the Rutland Herald (a regional newspaper serving the mid and southern regions of Vermont) was this story: Vermont Democratics to consider petition to impeach Bush.
The state democratic party will be holding a special meeting on April 8 to advance the issue of impeaching President Bush. By urging Vermont's lawmakers to employ a "little-known provision in U.S. House rules", they hope to start a petition for impeachment. Jon Copans, the state party's executive director has been observing a groundswell of grass roots action:
Copans said Democratic committees in at least seven of Vermont's 14 counties had passed resolutions calling on Vermont lawmakers to use a rule contained in "Jefferson's Manual" -- a book of parliamentary philosophy and procedural guidelines that was written by Thomas Jefferson and is used as a supplement to U.S. House rules.
He said not all the county resolutions were worded the same, but in general, they accuse the Bush administration of lying about the causes for war in Iraq, illegally engaging in electronic surveillance of Americans, and other offenses.
Now, before I go any further, Kagro X penned a great diary on the subject of this little-known provision back on March 1 which provides a bit of useful background into the procedural options outlined in "Jefferson's Manual". The article today states the following:
One of the procedures in "Jefferson's Manual" says impeachment proceedings can begin "by charges transmitted from the legislature of a state." Supporters of impeachment have maintained that means Vermont lawmakers could transmit such a message to Congress.
The push for the Vermont Legislature, both houses of which are controlled by Democrats, to transmit a bill of impeachment to the U.S. House is not officially connected with recent town meeting votes in at least six Vermont communities calling for Vermont's lone congressman, Rep. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., to push for impeachment proceedings to begin.
Its mud season here in Vermont and that means muddy, rutted, often impassable roads - particularly in the mountains. As readers of the article will note, that would be an apt metaphor for proponents of a Bush impeachment effort originating in Vermont:
Vermont House Speaker Gaye Symington, D-Jericho, said Tuesday she was cool to the idea of the Legislature weighing in.
"I continue to believe that the state Legislature needs to stay focused on where we can have the most direct impact on the quality of Vermonters' lives," she said.
Symington said lawmakers need to concentrate on "affordable health care; a safe, reliable energy future and a strong rural economy."
She said she understood and shared people's frustration with the Bush administration and the direction of the country.
"They really need to get in gear and really work hard to elect a different Congress in November, one that could investigate the actions of the president and change the direction of the country," she said.
Senate President Pro Tem Peter Welch, the leading Democratic candidate for Congress this year, didn't immediately return a call to his office seeking comment.
Messages left for Vermont Republican Party Chairman James Barnett and at the White House press office were not immediately returned.
Jeffrey Taylor, the Clarendon resident who first put forward the idea of using the "Jefferson's Manual" provision, said he expects that even if Vermont lawmakers sent an impeachment message to the U.S. House, it would be "dead on arrival" in the Republican Congress.
But the story today I think has very little to do with whether or not the Vermont State Democratic Party can achieve success. I think the bigger story, the elephant that is parking itself in the oval office right now, is the LEVEL of comfort with which we speak of this issue so freely today. As the volume on impeachment increases, the more ingrained the idea becomes that our sitting president is in violation of his constitutional duties.
It is one thing for a president to manage a low approval rating - approval ratings can be influenced to turn around. But when the public begin to smell a rat, when the public begin to think of Bush in terms of criminalities, there IS no turning around. And therein lies the rub - Bush is going about his day-to-day affairs pretending to be deaf to the changing lexicon that is inching ever closer to a written indictment of his failed presidency. But judging from his latest attempt to castigate the fourth estate, he may well understand that he has finally met his maker.