Crossposted at e Pluribus Media
A top aide has confirmed that Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D - OH-10) will introduce articles of impeachment against Vice President Richard Cheney on Tuesday, April 24th.
The aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, spoke at length about Kucinich's plans, and offered insight into why Kucinich chose to go after Vice President Cheney first.
Confirmation is also currently on Kucinich's congressional website:
Washington, Apr 23 -
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) will hold a news conference tomorrow afternoon to announce the introduction of articles of impeachment relating to the Vice President of the United States Richard B. Cheney.
Kucinich's aide compared the current situation to the 1970s, when Congress went after Spiro Agnew first, before setting their sights on Nixon. The difference, the aide said, is that back then "the charges against Agnew were pretty spotty. If Nixon had been as popular as he was in 1972, they wouldn't have been able to touch Agnew. But in 1974, the conditions were right that they could put some pretty weak charges against Agnew and make them stick."
The Aide said that "Congress feared that Nixon would then appoint John Connaly of Texas to the VP job, so they held the threat of filibustering any nomination that didn't meet with their approval." Take too long to find a good candidate, and Nixon gets impeached and Carl Albert, then Speaker of the House, becomes president. "That's why Nixon nominated Gerald Ford, who was well-liked in Congress and who would follow Congress' lead rather than stirring the pot further". Thus satisfied, the Senate held off the filibuster and approved Ford as Veep, whereupon Nixon stepped down to avoid being prosecuted.
The aide suggested that the same holds true today: remove Cheney first, "since we really don't want Cheney to be President. So remove him first, and then set your sights on Bush." If Bush recommends a competent replacement for Cheney, so be it. Get the job into competent hands. If Bush offers yet another toady/Neocon, the Dems can bury the nomination in committee, proceed with Bush's impeachment, then put Speaker Nancy Pelosi into the presidency after Bush's conviction.