Last year some time, I had a bit of a flame war (not a particularly ugly one) with Kagro X about our efforts and obsession to impeach Bush. At the time, I felt it was over zealous and naïve to think the republican controlled federal government would hold such hearings, let alone investigate anything that would prove embarrassing to the administration.
In addition, I felt such emotions would be viewed as too obsessive, radical, turn off independent voters and jeopardize the democrat's chances in upcoming elections. I wish to take this opportunity to express to Kagro X that I was wrong.
I now believe that the President of the United States should stand in front of the docket of justice, and answer to the American people for the calamity this nation is experiencing. The one area I was hopeful for at the time was that this administration would see the errors of their ways and try to correct the ship of state. Instead, George W. Bush has arrogantly flaunted his powers to such an extent, I believe he has gone further than even Richard Nixon in his belief he is above the law of the land. He has gone too far, in my humble opinion, to correct the ship of state, the nation requires a new administration to steer it from its dangerous course. I see our nation now as the Titanic, moving inexorably toward the giant iceberg and into the deep abyss as long as the Bush administration is at the helm.
Arrogance in itself is not an impeachable offense. However, arrogance in the face of criminal behavior and in spite of the suffering his policies and the lies to promote his policies caused are reasons for impeachment. After 5 years of consistent policies of deceit and efforts to reward the bounties and fruits of the American Dream to his wealthiest constituents in violation of his oath of office, I now advocate the impeachment of George W. Bush and hope he is convicted based on Article 2 Section 4 of the United States Constitution, which states:
"The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors."
I now believe there is more than ample evidence that George W. Bush violated his oath of office and committed high crimes and misdemeanors in his pursuit of war against Iraq, his negligence allowing thousands of citizens of the city of New Orleans to be victims of a major storm before he acted to protect them, and that he overstepped his authority using illegal wiretaps to spy on American citizens in violation of the law of the land that is legally supervised by the Courts, not by the Executive. In addition, there is ample evidence a cover-up ensued after the leak of a CIA agent that was spearheaded by the President. By advocating such steps by the House of Representatives, and realizing the Republican Party enjoys a clear majority, the Republican majority must overlook their allegiance to party and must deliberate against the leader of their own party. This takes courage in the face of possible political losses in the November election. However, as an average citizen of the United States, I ask them to look past the philosophies that divide us, and look to what is necessary to heal this nation and put an end to an imperial administration that has caused so much suffering.
Lastly, one of the main reasons I was averse to calling for Bush's impeachment was the damage such proceedings would have on the country, especially when our children, husbands and wives are in harms way in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, we are already as divided as I remember we were during the height of Watergate and the Vietnam War. The fact the Vietnam War was still raging did not deter the Congress from doing its duty with proceeding to remove Richard Nixon. The country overcame that episode, therefore, we can overcome it in this era as well. What should motivate the Republican led Congress to pursue this is patriotism. If they perform their Constitutional duty, they deserve to be rewarded for their duty to the American people. If they fail to perform their duty, they should be branded as cowards and be forever remembered as the Congress that was an accessory to the high crimes and misdemeanors set forth in our Constitution. History will judge them harshly especially in the wake of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
To Kagro X and the rest of the impeachment now crowd, I say, forgive me for taking so long. Political correctness be damned. This will be my last diary. I tried to write comments that challenged those who I felt needed to harness their passion for revenge and channel it first through logic and patience. I have always advocated writing as a means of expression. I know I took to task many on this website for intimidating authors of diaries and comments because I feel even the least educated among us has something to contribute, not just those with advanced writing skills and university degrees.
To those I tried to persuade to harness your passions, I now know that it was wrong on my part to do so. I forgot how passionate I was when my hair was not so grey. I acknowledge that your generation must someday accept the stewardship of our ship of state in order to steer our ship into tranquil waters. It's better to start it now because you may not get another chance to make a difference. I leave you with one suggestion, steer it wisely. Don't pursue this endeavor with vengeance or malice or you will fail and it will be seen for what it is, the out of power party trying to exact revenge on the majority party. Do not be seen as relishing the opportunity to punish Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. Be seen as one who regrets having to advocate it. This is not a pleasant endeavor, and should not be a sporting event. It will tear the very fabric of this country apart. You must not rejoice in what you plan to do. When I witness criminals prosecuted by a DA who enjoys the fact that a human being will be punished, I tend to turn off to the prosecution side of a case. However, when I witness a prosecutor performing a necessary act in order to exact justice and not revenge, I acknowledge their efforts as much as I do defending an innocent person. You are the ones advocating a prosecution. Do so out of your thirst for justice, not revenge.
Thank you for putting up with all my crazy comments.