Here I am reading a transcript of this past Sunday's Meet the Press and I find that Russ Feingold was a guest. As far as I'm concerned, host Tim Russert has no spine as I don't think he's ever done anything more than whine in order to get an answer to a tough question. Well the whole spineless thing must have rubbed off on Feingold because he's turned into a wimp:
I think that they have committed impeachable offenses with regard to this terrorist surveillance program and making up their own program. What I am proposing is a moderate course, not tying up the Senate and the House with an impeachment trial, but simply passing resolutions that make sure that the historical record shows the way they have weakened our country, weakened our country militarily and against al-Qaeda, and weakened our country’s fundamental document, the Constitution. I think that’s a reasonable course and does not get in the way of our normal work. But the American people are outraged at the way they’ve been treated. They are outraged at the dishonesty that they have been subjected to. The American people—we deserve better than the way we’ve been treated, and somehow this has to be reflected.
What the fuck is this?! They have committed impeachable offenses so we'll just sit around and keep a fucking tally. Great, just great. You jokers in the Senate have been sitting around watching the Bush administration's impeachable offenses pile up for 6 years and this is the best you can come up with? Bush & Co. have surely done more than their fair share to weaken our Constitution but so has Congress by sitting around watching Dubya thumb his nose at our founding document while you folks sit there and cower. Impeaching a president *is* part of your normal work - it's in your fucking job description! The Founding Fathers told Congress that they had the power to impeach before they enumerated the powers of the president. You clowns are in Article I! Checks and Balances ring a bell?! IT IS YOUR JOB TO IMPEACH A PRESIDENT WHEN HE COMMITS IMPEACHABLE OFFENSES.
I just want to put Feingold in a head lock and give him noogies while saying, "Hello?! McFly!" I'm sorry Mr. Feingold but if you don't think enough of our Constitution to do anything to protect it and instead just want to sit around keeping an official US Gov't tally, then you're just Wisconsin's Nero. How many books does John Dean need to write about Bush's secrecy? How many of Bush's underlings need to spurn subpoenas or show up and say they've sworn an oath to serve the President? How much more wiretapping, torture, and war? How many times does John Nichols need to invoke the words of James Madison and point out that the Founding Fathers foresaw a person like Dubya and included a plan to deal with him and his ilk? Hanging out and keeping lists sends a message to the next George Bush wannabe: go ahead and trample on the Constitution because Congress won't do anything about it.
Mr. Feingold: Exactly how weak must the Constitution become before you'll stand up for it and against the Executive by advocating impeachment? I am sorely disappointed that you feel that doing your Constitutional duty of checking power is "tying" you folks up.
It's not Feingold's job to impeach. Impeachment is initiated in the House of Representatives.
ReplyDeleteI understand this. I was voicing opposition to Feingold's contentment for keeping a running tally. Note that he said that he doesn't want the House tied up with an impeachment trial either. My writing was confusing here as some of words appear to be directed at Feingold when they're really directed at Congress generally.
ReplyDeleteI hear you. I guess I'm for the censure rather than impeachment because if they try to impeach, it WILL tie them up for the remainder of his term... And even then, if they DO manage to do it, who's going to be President? Cheney? That, to me is even worse.
ReplyDeleteAt least with a censure, they might actually be able to DO something ELSE. Maybe.
I don't buy it. The country didn't grind to a halt when Congress went after Johnson, Nixon, and Clinton. Right now a precedent needs to be set so that the door is not open for another Dubya.
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