Editorial: Hollow victory for impeachment call
Published: Sunday, April 22, 2007
The Senate’s quick vote Friday urging Congress to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney puts Vermont at the leading edge of progressive politics in the national debate over the Iraq war, but does so at the price of the kind of participatory democracy in which we pride ourselves.
The 16-9 vote backing the resolution came without a single speech, with Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin taking advantage of the absence of Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, who could have effectively killed the measure by referring it to committee. If the House passes the resolution, it could kick off impeachment proceedings in Congress.
The Legislature doesn’t have the time — so close to the end of the session with so much left unfinished — for a thorough debate that an issue as important as leveling charges against the nation’s leaders calls for. But the fact that a resolution asking Congress to take such an action passed without any public discussion on the Senate floor is a serious loss for Vermont and for the democratic process.
Shumlin, who presides over the Senate in Dubie’s absence, explained away the need for a debate. “We all know there isn’t a president of the United States who deserves impeachment more than George Bush,” Shumlin, D-Windham, told The Associated Press. “How many speeches do you need to make the point?”
But Shumlin discounts the nine senators — including three Democrats — who voted against the resolution. The absence of a debate robs them and Vermonters who question the wisdom of calling for impeachment of a chance to be heard.
There’s no doubt that the impeachment initiative has loud support in Vermont. But all three members of Vermont’s Washington delegation have said in the past, and again on Friday after the Senate vote, that Congress has other priorities, and that there are other ways to hold the Bush administration accountable than seeking to remove the president and vice president from office.
The resolution charges that Bush and Cheney have carried out their duties in such a way as to raise “serious questions of constitutionality, statutory legality and abuse of public trust.” In simple terms, the Senate is saying that the president and vice president are a threat to democracy.
Yet in calling for a vote on the resolution without debate, Shumlin circumvents the very spirit of democracy. The exchange over whether or not to impeach would have been as important, if not more so, than the outcome of a vote on a resolution that is unlikely to lead to action in Congress. As it is, the passage of the resolution is a hollow victory for what was already an empty gesture.
(Original Article)
Word! Jordan.
Absolutely right!
I sort-of agree with the article; however, rather than politicians having a partisan debate, it may be time for the people of this country to be heard, apolitically:
We have a right to expect our President and Vice President to act on our behalf.
It is my belief that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are guilty of violating the public trust. They have directly or indirectly: 1. Lied to Congress, the British Prime Minister and the American People regarding the reasons and evidence for invading Iraq. 2. Cost the American People hundreds of billions of dollars funding this war. 3. Cost many US soldiers their lives or futures (serious injuries) 4. Committed treason by divulging the identity of a CIA operative 5. Fostered nepotism; assigning government contracts to companies that one or both are affiliated with. 6. Squandered 6+ years that should have been spent addressing the realities of global warming and climate change, and instead 7. increased our dependence on fossil fuels and 8. Continued to protect the profits for oil companies they are affiliated with.
The list goes on.. How much more do we need?
How much more can we take?
If any hard working American ran a company this way, they would have been relieved of their duties as soon as it was realized that they were putting their own private interests above those of the team.
If they don’t represent Team USA, then they should step down, out of the way.
Two more years of playing politics will only make things much worse and will make all of Washington appear ineffective. – And that confusion could lead to another backward presidency. – That would be catastrophic.
We need sustainable, environmentally-based economics legislation asap. And we need a public servant in the oval office capable of signing it. asap