From the moment I heard about Rep. Dennis Kucinich's articles of impeachment I suspected that he waited until after the conclusion of the Democratic nomination to keep it from becoming a media litmus test.
Obama's ascension caused a shift in the party's balance of power last week. Reid, Schumer, and Pelosi were dealt a new hand. Impeachment is no longer off the table. Now I wonder what would have happened if Barack had not won the nomination; how much of this impeachment process is the direct wishes of the man who will henceforth lead the Democratic party, and hopefully the nation?
Not to minimize Congressman Kucinich's efforts here, but I don't think he'd proceed if it would cause a major rift within his party, especially a rift between him and a future president. To read into it a bit more, perhaps Kucinich was taking his cue from Barack, as keeping the story in the media over the summer could be considered a Democratic campaign strategy.
I've always felt that Obama's been right on target with his judgment. When I look back on the Bush administration fiasco, as foreseeable as it was (h/t: Jerry Politex) the recipe for pillaging our nation went off without a hitch. The pussilanimous leaders in our own party have been scared into preserving their own careers to be effective at all, and the ones like Waxman and Kucinich who are brave enough to take a stand have been squelched by said leaders. And now finally we've got someone who's looking at an 8 year commitment with no further obligations, and it's like fresh air for the fire. Things are going to move forward. As much as Bush fucked our country up, the pendulum is moving to the other side and we have the opportunity to do as much progress as he did harm. We could see some great healing, but it will take a proactive position. "Time heals all wounds" maybe works for a scratch, but when something is broken it needs to be reset.
One diary on the recommended list this morning was about how he is ready to face down Bush on Iraq. I don't think these things are unrelated. Barack is rolling up his sleeves and taking the reigns of this whole situation. Now we get to see what his well-tuned campaign machine can do when pitted against the entire Bush empire.