Cheney impeachment effort fails / LJWorld.com

Archive for Wednesday, November 7, 2007

By Johanna Neuman - The Los Angeles Times

November 7, 2007

Washington — Democrats in the House on Tuesday beat back a Republican attempt to force them to vote on a resolution to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney for "fabricating a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction" to justify the war in Iraq.

The 218-194 party-line vote to waylay the measure by sending it to the Judiciary Committee capped a remarkable afternoon in which Republicans tried to outfox Democrats, switching their votes in a strategic ploy that could have triggered House rules to require an immediate vote.

"We're going to help them out," said Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas. "We're going to give them their day in court."

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and her lieutenants maneuvered to avoid a floor fight that would have forced Democrats to choose between their liberal base, which would likely cheer a Cheney impeachment, and a broader electorate, which might view the resolution as a partisan game in a time of war.

With the vote technically slated for 15 minutes, she held voting open for more than an hour and finally forced the measure to an uncertain future in the committee.

That referral effectively shelved the issue for now, but not before the resolution's sponsor, Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, an Ohio Democrat running for president, had a chance to read into the record the three articles of impeachment against the vice president.

"Impeachment is not on our agenda," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. "We have some major priorities. We need to focus on those."

Discussion

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7 November 2007
at 8:04 a.m.

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staff04 (Anonymous) says…

Democrats didn't want to allow it because they thought there were better things to do with their time. Leadership blocked it from coming up as a regular order resolution, which is why Kucinich had to bring it up through a rarely used procedure as a privileged resolution. Democrats introduced the motion to table the resolution, which dozens upon dozens of Republican members voted in support of before realizing that they could take advantage of the moment to show the world how clever they were by switching their votes to “nay.”

Personally, I think the Democrats should have switched their votes over to “nay,” and then proceeded to pass the motion to refer. If 90% of the House voted against tabling the motion, the Republicans wouldn't have much to talk about.

All those who voted against the motion to refer (Almost all Republicans, FWIW) voted to immediately move forward with the impeachment process.

Bottom line, r_t, is that Democrats didn't TRY to impeach the Vice President. Dennis Kucinich, 4 other Democrats, and 189 Republicans tried to impeach the Vice President.
7 November 2007
at 8:31 a.m.

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Bladerunner (Anonymous) says…

I'mmmmmmmm luvin it!
7 November 2007
at 8:34 a.m.

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staff04 (Anonymous) says…

189 Republicans tried to impeach the Vice President. “Spin” implies that I am manipulating facts.

Count for yourself:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1…
7 November 2007
at 8:36 a.m.

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BABBOY (Anonymous) says…

Stupid republicans, can even impeach a president that got a blow job in the oval office.

What goes around, comes around is the way things are done here. The hell with the country.

Which is why we are the toilet. Frankly, I blame both sides.
7 November 2007
at 8:39 a.m.

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just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (Anonymous) says…

With the exception of Kucinich and the other Democrats who voted for impeachment, and any Republicans who also were sincere in impeaching Cheney, this was an exercise in pure cynicism on both sides of the aisle.
7 November 2007
at 8:55 a.m.

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staff04 (Anonymous) says…

The moveoners? Didja notice that 189 Republicans did exactly what the “moveoners” called and asked them to do?

I also just want to make sure I'm clear about one other thing here…according to you, when one (or in this case, 5) Democrat does something stupid, this somehow becomes a “Democrat” thing, right? So, by your own arguments above, you would agree that a few Republicans doing something stupid (oh, say…getting caught up in a sex scandal or something) represents a “Republican” thing, right? OK. As long as the ground rules for debate with you are clear (anything goes, as long as it furthers your agenda—intellectually honest or not).
7 November 2007
at 9:13 a.m.

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jonas (Anonymous) says…

“189 Republicans tried to impeach the Vice President. “Spin” implies that I am manipulating facts.”

When has right-thinker ever been particular interested in facts?

As a note, we should probably give up on impeachment. Corrupt republicans got there first with Clinton, and now its too late. Take heart that history will likely record Bush the way he should be, a mediocre and largely incompetent president who, in the end, mishandled a national tragedy to cost us much more than at the outset.

7 November 2007
at 9:18 a.m.

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staff04 (Anonymous) says…

Apparently it isn't that easy for you…since it wasn't the “Dems plan.” How else do I have to 'splain it? I'd love to continue trying, but I just don't have time today.

Anyway, enjoy whatever victory you *think* you achieved…the American people know cynicism when they see it, and it has gotten you so far in the recent past, hasn't it? Stick with it. Seems to work for you.

See you soon.
7 November 2007
at 9:39 a.m.

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snap_pop_no_crackle (Anonymous) says…

The Kucinich Bread and Circus show closed early.
7 November 2007
at 10:17 a.m.

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BigDog (Anonymous) says…

We can't forget about what people think of the Democratic controlled Congress and it's not good either. This Congress has, one of, if not the lowest ratings ever. So peoples' dissatisfaction with direction of the country is not just due to the President.

Congressional Job Approval

* Approve
* 24.0%
* Disapprove
* 64.5%
7 November 2007
at 10:46 a.m.

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smitty (Anonymous) says…

Can you say, time for a third party to succeed?
7 November 2007
at 10:50 a.m.

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BigAl (Anonymous) says…

Apparently the republicans in congress have nothing better to do. In the meantime, we still have troops in harms way.

Kinda like how they wasted 8 years and millions and millions of dollars going after Bill Clinton.
7 November 2007
at 10:52 a.m.

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just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (Anonymous) says…

“This Congress has, one of, if not the lowest ratings ever.”

This is a mostly meaningless statistic. They get low ratings because Republicans aren't going to approve of any Congress controlled by Democrats, and Democrats are unhappy because they haven't done enough to counter the BushCo idiocy.

But if you ask people whether they approve of their individual congressperson, they get much higher marks, and if you average all of those ratings, they are very different from the ratings of congress as a whole.
7 November 2007
at 11 a.m.

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beatrice (Anonymous) says…

Too little, too late. They are out of there in 439 days, so no point in trying to drag them out a day early. It would be too expensive and too damaging for the country at this point. It also points at why Kucinich will never, ever get more than a minor percentage of votes in the upcoming primaries.

Impeachment talks should have happened right after Cheney orchestrated an act of treason in outing an American spy for personal political gain. I'm still astounded that happened, and that others want to pretend it didn't.

But for a change, I would like to say something nice about President Bush. He is a terrific son! Just think about how, by comparison, he makes his father look like a great president. What a good son.
7 November 2007
at 11:17 a.m.

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staff04 (Anonymous) says…

“We can't forget about what people think of the Democratic controlled Congress and it's not good either. This Congress has, one of, if not the lowest ratings ever. So peoples' dissatisfaction with direction of the country is not just due to the President.

Congressional Job Approval

* Approve
* 24.0%
* Disapprove
* 64.5%”
–––––––––––––––—
For fun and humble pie, you should look at the difference when you ask people about “Republicans in Congress” vs. “Democrats in Congress.”

Doesn't matter which poll you look at, Republicans are bringing down the average.

http://www.pollingreport.com/cong_rep…

http://www.pollingreport.com/cong_dem…

So, BigDog…after reviewing the facts, are you sure the finger of blame is pointing in the right direction?

7 November 2007
at 11:25 a.m.

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beatrice (Anonymous) says…

I find it humorous that Republicans love pointing out the low approval ratings of the Democratic controlled Congress. Don't they realize that those low numbers stem from the fact that the Democrats simply don't have enough votes to actually halt the Bush administration in its tracks, which is what the majority of Americans want. Silly Republicans.

On a lighter side of political news, Guiliani is thrilled to have received the endorsement of Pat Robertson! How about that? Can you imagine voting for someone who would want to celebrate an endorsement from that goof. What is next for this neocon, an endorsement from Fred Phelps?
7 November 2007
at 3:35 p.m.

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BigDog (Anonymous) says…

max1 (Anonymous) says:

“We can't forget about what people think of the Democratic controlled Congress and it's not good either. This Congress has, one of, if not the lowest ratings ever.” -BigDog

http://www.pollingreport.com/cong_dem…
“Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Democrats in Congress are doing their job?”: 58% disapprove
http://www.pollingreport.com/cong_rep…
“Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Republicans in Congress are doing their job?”: 63% disapprove
________________________________
It took Republicans 12 years to have that low of a rating while in charge ……. Democrats are rated that low in less than 12 months
7 November 2007
at 6:43 p.m.

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staff04 (Anonymous) says…

“The Senate would need to gain a majority of Democrats”

They actually DO have a majority…but in the Senate, majority really means nothing unless you have a super-majority (60 seats). I will say this though: if Congressional Republicans keep announcing their retirements (I think we're up to 14 or 15, counting both chambers), it shouldn't be the most difficult thing ever…
7 November 2007
at 8:30 p.m.

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Rationalanimal (Anonymous) says…

America's Armageddonites
Millions of Americans, the richest people in history, have a death wish. They are the new “Armageddonites,” fundamentalist evangelicals who have moved from forecasting Armageddon to actually trying to bring it about.
********************************************************************************************
Max, you must be describing Al Gore and his and the socialist media's glorbel warming scare tactics, i.e. polar bears swimming around without an iceberg to land on. Sorry, the award for apocalypse now rhetoric has been monopolized by the environmental kooks for decades. Evangelicals aren't even a close second.

Staff,

You're as disingenuous as the Moveon Socialist Party dba Democrat National Committee. The whole MSP crowd, most likely including yourself, have been railing and gnashing for Cheney and Bush to be impeached. You know those kookie conspiracy theories that Bush bombed the World Trade Towers and Cheney intentionally fabricated the WMD's to make his Haliburton friends rich championed by the ever so rational Rosie O'Donnell. The fact is, this was about forcing the MSP to expose to America how fringe and kook they have become. The Republicans simply gave them the opportunity to put their rhetoric to a vote, a chance to be honest and expose who they really are. The MSP wilted. What this illustrates is the MSP has to hide who they are from the American people. If the MSP discussed the massive tax increases, and the massive government intrusions into individual liberty their socialist agenda requires, no one would vote for them. The HIllary Rodham Clinton campaign is currently fighting tooth and nail to withhold millions of documents and emails relating to her botched attempt shoving socialized medicine down our throats in the 90's, where she proposed to make it a felony for someone to see a private doctor. That's today's MSP, and they can't let America know who they are. Cowards who want to control every facet of our lives. If the MSP was about doing the business of the American people as you say in high minded platitudes, we would never have had a resolution condemning Rush Limbaugh based on a critique of grammar nor the equally retarded resolution from the Pelosi political micro machine condemning Turkey for a controversial event occuring almost 100 years ago. Try being honest for once. People might not like you, but you'll sure feel good about yourself.
8 November 2007
at 5:04 a.m.

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labmonkey (Anonymous) says…

Windlass (Anonymous) says:

“Excellent point! The Senate would need to gain a majority of Democrats, in the Senate, to be able to carry out the will of the American people again.”

Wind- The Democrats have no idea what the will of the American people is. They were only elected because the Republicans became inept and very corrupt….and they've proven to be pretty much the same. If they really cared about the will of the people, they would have put centrist people in positions of leadership instead of the hard-left such as Polosi. If the American people were smart, we would throw everyone out and start all over.