I am asking this question in a sincere search for information and analysis. Not invective. Not bitching. Not name-calling, no matter how impassioned or possibly even well-deserved.
I know many of us are frustrated and mystified. I myself am frustrated and mystified. But I have already read enough posts that say "Democrats are being spineless" or "Nancy just wants to win in '08 and doesn't care about the Constitution." There may be truth to that. But those posts aren't helping me to take action, and I'm concerned that there is something missing in our current strategy of "just keep calling your representatives and tell them to get on with it."
I feel like the call to impeachment is dying. That worries me profoundly. I'd like to have a better handle on how to move it forward, or a cogent argument for why it may not be the right thing to do.
(And if there's a storm of people saying "all this has been covered just go read it all again" then I'll delete this and do that.)
I believe Kurt Lewin when he said "If you want to understand something, try to change it." Or maybe I'm groping toward a corollary: if we want to change the lack of action around impeachment, maybe we (certainly I) need a better understanding of it.
I sincerely would like to know the answers to the following questions:
- Are there procedural hurdles to starting impeachment proceedings? What are the mechanics and logistics of getting it going?
- Given the party makeup of the Senate, is the argument being made that there is no point to having the House consider Articles of Impeachment because the process would inevitably die in the Senate? Is this argument legitimate, or how can we counter it?
- If impeachment succeeded (let's say against Bush & Cheney both), what would happen? Pelosi becomes President? What about VP?
- Do you think we should be working toward impeachment or not, and why?
- What new actions or strategies would get this rolling, or is it really just "keep calling them and pestering them?"
Please please please my brothers and sisters, indulge me as one who needs help to think clearly, rather than using this as another thread to name-call and bitch. I know we're pissed off and disappointed about the lack of action, but even if only for today let's assume every elected Democrat is acting in good faith....what are they thinking, assuming, feeling that has resulted in no forward motion on impeachment?
Markos, mcjoan, eve, Kagro, where are all y'all on impeachment, and why?
Once again, I realize the topic has been discussed on here and I've waded through a bunch of those discussions. But I'm left with the questions above, and the feeling that those of us who support impeachment have not gotten traction or leverage. I will yield to the view of the community if everyone feels it's been done to death and I just haven't been thorough enough in reading what's already been said.
[Note: I'll be offline for much of today and will get back to this as soon as i can mid-day California time.]