Poll Results: 45% Favor Impeachment

[John Kilduff]

Excerpt:

"Nearly half of the US public wants President George W. Bush to face impeachment, and even more favor that fate for Vice President Dick Cheney, according to a poll out Friday.
The survey by the American Research Group found that 45 percent support the US House of Representatives beginning impeachment proceedings against Bush, with 46 percent opposed, and a 54-40 split in favor when it comes to Cheney.

The study by the private New Hampshire-based ARG canvassed 1,100 Americans by telephone July 3-5 and had an error margin of plus or minus three percentage points. The findings are available on ARG's Internet site."

Breitbart article, ARG poll

What "high crimes and misdemeanors" could members of the administration actually be impeached for, if any? I'm having trouble thinking of anything that actually technically qualifies, although getting involved in the Iraq war under misleading pretenses might possibly qualify somehow? If impeachment were allowed merely for bad judgment and lousy execution, then debacles such as the Iraq war, the federal budget mess, and immigration policy all might qualify.

Could the Iraq war, from getting involved initially under false pretenses, to the horrible management of its aftermath, somehow truly qualify?

I feel like Bush has charged our country dearly for a bunch of pipe dreams. He was well-intentioned, surely; but you know what they say about the road to perdition. Sometimes bad judgment is more damning in real-world results than any other human flaw might prove to be. A sincere fool can sometimes do more damage than a crook.

I also blame Bush's ideological advisors, but that's a matter for another lengthy post and thread. The worst example of this is Bush's continual insistence that democracy will be the cure for the Middle East's woes. As all evidence points to the fact that democracy in the Middle East mainly empowers support for Shari'a, one wonders just when Bush will finally realize that empowering the forces of Shari'a is not a panacea for the Middle East's troubles nor is it in our best interests. Democrqacy without a super-strong civil-rights based Constitution is worthless in the Middle East, unless you happen to believe in the Shari'a version of civil rights.

What do you think, do Bush and Cheney merit impeachment from a strictly legal standpoint? How about on basis of lousy performance if impeachment were allowed for that? And lastly, who takes the attitude that they don't care if impeachment is stricly legally merited or not: it's well-deserved so go for it.

I'm not sure where I stand on these issues, in part because I don't have legal knowledge of impeachment. I do know however that grave damage has been done to the USA and to the Middle East and that this damage will not soon be remedied. The Neo-Con game is looking weaker and weaker as time goes by, and I for one will be glad to see the Neo-Cons out of there.

Thanks for reading, and all comments welcome.

[iron81]

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What do you think, do Bush and Cheney merit impeachment from a strictly legal standpoint?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes. The precedent has been set that "Abuse of Power" is an impeachable offense. I think the Libby pardon qualifies. However, my favorite reason to impeach Bush is warrantless wiretaping. It is pretty clear that he broke the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act when he authorized that program. FISA is no joke: there is a potential 5-10 year sentence attached.

[ QUOTE ]
How about on basis of lousy performance if impeachment were allowed for that?

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I'm gonna say no. The American people largely got what they voted for when they reelected him in '04. Impeachment shouldn't be used as a surrogate for the electoral process.

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And lastly, who takes the attitude that they don't care if impeachment is stricly legally merited or not: it's well-deserved so go for it.

[/ QUOTE ]
No.

[bdk3clash]

The "Rationales for impeachment" section of the Wikipedia article "Movement to Impeach George W. Bush" is a good place to familiarize yourself.

[CharlieDontSurf]

[Nielsio]

"If the people knew what we had done, they would chase us down the street and lynch us." -- George HW Bush

[Case Closed]

It's a shame this wussy congress won't do anything about it.

[rubberloon]

It ain't going to happen. The house can vote impeachment on anything it thinks are "high crimes and misdemeanors", the senate can "convict" by 2/3rds majority on anything it thinks are "high crimes and misdemeanors". The incumbent is then removed from office. It ain't going to happen.

[John Kilduff]

[ QUOTE ]
It ain't going to happen. The house can vote impeachment on anything it thinks are "high crimes and misdemeanors", the senate can "convict" by 2/3rds majority on anything it thinks are "high crimes and misdemeanors". The incumbent is then removed from office. It ain't going to happen.

[/ QUOTE ]

Righto, but what do you think?

[4 High]

Can anyone find polling on Impeachment of Clinton? Did that ever poll over 30pct? What is shocking in this poll is the amount of Independents and Republicans who want impeachment.

[AJackson]

Even if the proceedings got going, it's not going to happen and I would hate to see the country bogged down in a pointless exercise.

Would I like to see Bush and company out of office? Yes, very much. The sigma of impeachment would be a bonus.

As much as I've always disagreed with this administration's policy and philosophy, I've never been in favor of impeachment until recently. I'm not to the point where I believe this administration is evil i.e. that they allowed 3500+ American soldiers to be killed in order to feed cash to their big business friends. I'm more at the point where I think they allowed their ideological beliefs to justify tainting intelligence. Combined with their general incompetence, we need them out of power by whatever legal means available.

This whole situation leaves me sick to my stomach. Each week when I read the names of the dead soldiers I feel a little sicker. Thousands dead and many times that damaged for life and many more non-Americans dead and injured. All because of this administration's rush to war. Forget the intelligence issues, we went to war with only enough troops to win the invasion, but not enough to win the peace. Hell, we didn't have a plan for post invasion.

I'm rambling. My point is that between the war, the budget, the erosion of our personal liberties, and the cavalier attitude of this administration to the constitution I want someone punished.