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A Note to All the Misinformed People Who Keep Telling Me You Can't Impeach Someone After They're Out of Office
By David Swanson
Before anybody else Emails me their wise pseudo-informed decrees that nobody can be impeached after they are out of office, please read this 68-page report (PDF) which answers every objection I've ever heard.
My favorite highlights relate to Blount and Belknap. In 1797 the Senate tried Senator William Blount in an impeachment trial despite having already expelled him. He was not convicted, but the reason for not convicting him was not that he was out of office. In 1876 the House impeached and the Senate tried Secretary of War William Worth Belknap, who had resigned prior to the impeachment. The Senate ruled by a vote of 37-29 that it had jurisdiction despite the resignation. Belknap was acquitted, but not because he was not in office.
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Of course, "we" can impeach. Congress can impeach. Article I, Sec 4 makes it patently obvious that CAN is NOT the problem. But Congress won't impeach. How many different ways has Congress proved this to the People?
When does our steadfast adherence to a cause for justice morph into a mild case of insanity?
Congress has nicely insulated itself from the people with faux campaigns for office. Get enough money from corporate and union sponsors and your in office for life.
"Fuck the People" was never more in full view than when Congress passed the bailout over the overwhelming wishes of the citizenry. When Barney Frank was asked on the eve of the vote how he imagined the bailout would pass, he said without blinking, "We have enough members who are not in contested races."
Congress members leave only through better job offers on K Street, indictments on felony charges, total revulsion of the institution or (rarely) because they happen to be in the "out" party.
Congress is, as Mann and Ornstein asserted, THE BROKEN BRANCH. As far as I can see, redemption is not imminent....
We need other strategies. They are laughing at us.
The corrupt demasses will never impeach any of these criminals.
THE BUSH/PELOSI DEAL... You give obama the president in '08 and we will take impeachment off the table. ALSO, bush and his criminal gang get to leave the white house without any threat of impeachment EVEN AFTER THEY LEAVE OFFICE.
UPDATE: NO HIGH RANKING REPUKES HAVE BEEN PROSECUTED AND OBAMA THE MEDIA PUPPET WINS THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT!
The demasses,repukes, the corrupt media and the FEC allowed obama to violate many campaign laws to win this election. Including a solo appearance on all major networks on the eve of election. THIS IS A MAJOR ELECTION VIOLATION WHEN NO OTHER CANDIDATE WAS ALLOWED TO REBUT HIM!!
THIS ELECTION WAS STOLEN FROM ALL THIRD PARTY CANDIDATES! AND NO ONE SAYS A WORD WHEN THE DEMASSES STEAL AN ELECTION! THERE IS NO DOUBT PELOSI STOLE HER ELECTION!!!
All incumbent demasses won their seats. This was not by chance. THIS SYSTEM IS SUPER CORRUPT!!
Pelosi, reid, obama and the other blue dog demasses will never impeach the repuke criminals because the demasses and the repukes are one in the same! TAKE A LOOK AT OBAMA CABINET SELECTIONS!
They con this dumb ass american public EVERY SINGLE TIME!
AMERICA YOU DESERVE EVERY THING OBAMA AND THE CORRUPT DEMASSES ARE ABOUT TO DO TO YOU!
SO JUST SHUT UP AND SUFFER!
NOW JUST GO AWAY FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS UNTIL IT COME TIME FOR THEM TO TELL YOU WHO TO VOTE FOR AGAIN!
Now that obama and the demasses are in office they do not give a damn about your opinion. BECAUSE YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO SAY!!!
Just how stupid can this american public be????!!!
My mailboxes are full of Democratic stuff since I used to be a Democrat. They used to want $100 dollars and now they are down to $5 dollars. All these well meaning assholes never mention impeachment. Swanson should get on-line and ask for five bucks ... could make a million.
These Democrats that ask for money all talk about irrelevant bs. This 60% buster crap does not mean jack when you vote democrat and win and your candidate becomes a repo thug.
EW
Is the a statute of limitations?
EW
I'd like to voice my complete agreement with all the comments listed here, particularly the Iran Contra question. Is it possible to impeach Reagan and Bush Sr. at this point? After all the hoo-hahh about the Iran Contra scandal, and long after Reagan had left office, the "guilty" verdict for both Reagan and Bush was buried on page 7 of our local newspaper, and I'm sure nobody even noticed or cared. To be honest, I don't even know what "impeachment" does. But if there is any way to further discredit and disgrace and disempower those filthy murdering bastards in the American history books, I'd like to do anything I can to help get it done.
Regarding the recent Wall Street bailout, I wrote and distributed a number of articles about a Homeless March on Washington recently -- but I haven't received any feedback or commentary regarding that whatsoever. Is it a crazy idea? Is it crazier than "impeachment"? Has anybody here read the articles? Based on what I see here, we might need to start impeachment proceedings on Obama now, in advance of his Presidency. He's already sided with corporate crime and we have "voluntarily" (not out of coersion or force this time) elevated him to the highest office in the land. Good job, "America". Ya fell for it again!
But American Sheeple can't be blamed for being stupid. We are merely products of the inherent dysfunctions of Capitalism. We are terminally stupid because we are so busy working to support a system that is out to screw us that we don't have any time to wise up or wake up to smell the shit that's being smeared in our faces.
Meanwhile, do American Homeless have time for a Homeless March on Washington? Surely they do. But they also need community support. And where's that gonna come from? Communities that voted for Barack Obama? Ya never know. America is full of surprises, is it not? I'll try to correspond with Mr. Swanson in this regard and see what we can come up with.
Great comments everybody. Very thought provoking. Thank you.
on Washington?
That's a good question. Are marches free?
I have some Catholic friends (and I love them) who are going to load up in a few vans and trek off to Washington D.C. before lent and protest abortion. The reason why lent is so important is because of the cases of Bud Light that will be in the coolers. They are really going to feel good (pun) about their well-meaning venture. But what about the homeless, they going to pack a van full of refreshment and go to D.C. and protest?
EW
I bought four copies of The 35 Articles of Impeachment and the Case of Prosecuting George W. Bush. I left one at my church (I am an Ordained minister) for accidental reading because I do not preach politics ... I salve souls.
I gave the second copy to a young man that I work with in this brutal cold (snow before Thanksgiving). He wants to discuss politics with me but is overmatched. I floor him in our short episodes (between him and I, he smells a rat and senses disinformation from the media) because his only source is the Media. I just want to show him another source because he thinks I am stretching the truth.
I want to share this because I admire David Swanson and can never repay him. And, by the way davidkendall, I was trying to be off the cuff and stupid with Iran-Contra and was shocked that you broke my code so immediately!!!
EW
supportATinformamericaDOTnet
I had mentioned Obama's future impeachment (already?) awhile back here and noticed you have that figured, too.
Notice how the press doesn't discuss the crimes of these high cons and government black-ops murderers. Overseas at summit talks and meetings most of the other leaders ignore Bush and won't even shake hands with him.
If a third party candidate got a landslide majority of votes, the media-black ops murder machine would ignore it, pronounce either a good cop or the bad cop (dem or repuke) as the winner and force the delusion onto the American People in complete denial.
We have a murder incorporated bought off mafia government that is perfectly willing to go down the line killing everyone of any significance in the way in order to achieve their goals. I admire everyones' efforts, but we need to remember to prosecute and hold accountable every single filthy stinking f---ing Candidate For The Con in our government clear back to the JFK Assassination. I don't give a damn if we roll out the guillotines.!
There is an alternative to impeachment if Dubya issues blanket pardons. It's ugly. It's borderline immoral. But it's poetic justice and trumps all pardons.
Obama need merely not immediately dismantle certain legislation and executive orders. He should refrain from using them, but should leave them in place.
Have a commission that unearths all the crimes, even though it cannot result in prosecutions because of the pardons. The pardons actually help in unearthing all the crimes because those with pardons can be compelled to testify (they're in no danger of incriminating themselves).
Obama then "disappears" these evil people purely on his say-so. No trials, ever. No Habeus Corpus. No chance of appeal. After all, if anyone deserves locking away for terrorizing the American people and causing over 4,000 American deaths, it is the Bush maladministration.
Obama can finally dismantle this odious legislation, although he will have to apologize that some people are so dangerous they can never be released.
President Bush is about as likely to be impeached as is Kermit the Frog, moron.