Pelosi Slams Bush: is She Gearing up to Support Impeachment?

by Deb Cupples |   In response to President Bush's criticism of Congress (for not yet having passed any spending bills), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN:

"God bless him, bless his heart, president of the United States -- a total failure, losing all credibility with the American people on the economy, on the war, on energy, you name the subject...  For him to be challenging Congress when we are trying to sweep up after his mess over and over and over again -- at the end of the day, Congress will have passed its responsibility to pass legislation."

Mrs. Pelosi has criticized the President's actions before, but she rarely criticized him in such a personal way.  I can't help wondering what's on her mind. 

Is she gearing up to support impeachment of President Bush -- despite her having taken impeachment "off the table" last year?

Tuesday, the House voted to send Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s "latest impeachment effort" (H.R. 1345) to the House Judiciary Committee (CQ).

Yesterday,  House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers announced that the Committee would hold a hearing on July 25 about the "the Imperial Presidency of George W. Bush and possible legal responses." 

That's pretty quick action on Conyers' part, and the phrase "possible legal responses" does seem to suggest impeachment.

What else can Congress do to hold the White House accountable?  President Bush keeps helping his underlings dodge subpoenas via flimsy executive-privilege assertions.

Given the recent moves of Pelosi, Kucinich, and Conyers, I can't help smelling some behind-the-scenes orchestration.  I hope my olfactory sense is properly functioning.

Of course, impeachment of President Bush by the House wouldn't remove him from office: removal would require a conviction by the Senate (two-thirds vote), which seems unlikely to convict given the large number of Bush-loyal Republicans in the Senate (plus the Independent Bush Loyalist Joe Lieberman). 

Some people to wonder why Congress should even bother impeaching the president -- if conviction is unlikely and the man will be leaving the White House in six months. I'll tell you why impeachment would be worthwhile:

1) Impeachment would serve as a strong repudiation of the bad (likely illegal) acts of the Bush Administration;

2) Impeachment would let future presidents know that there are consequences for disregarding or violating our laws.

3) Impeachment would assure other nations that America is not as horrifying as the Bush Adminsitration has made us seem. 

There is, of course, a chance that Mrs. Pelosi is merely trying to appear willing to support impeachment.  Perhaps she's trying to redeem herself in the eyes of Democratic Americans and civil libertarians, who felt outraged and disgust some weeks ago after Mrs. Pelosi led cheers for the FISA bill and its Telecom Amnesty provisions.

Mrs. Pelosi also inspired ire in many of Hillary Clinton's supporters during the primary. That and (once again), Mrs. Pelosi is the one who took impeachment "off the table" last year -- which upset countless Americans who oppose President Bush and his policies.

With my mind-reading skills still in New England (still dodging Florida's oppressive humidity), I have no way of knowing what's on Mrs. Pelosi's mind.

When I was more positively disposed toward her (i.e., before she gift wrapped the FISA bill and sent it by special messenger to President Bush), I often wondered if Mrs. Pelosi had taken impeachment off the table only as a means of delaying impeachment until it would do the most damage to President Bush's band of Congressional Republicans -- many of whom do deserve to suffer some consequences.

More specifically, was Mrs. Pelosi waiting until the November 2008 elections were much closer before putting impeachment back on the table?

Whatever her reasons or strategies (and I doubt that she'll ever share them with us taxpayers), IF Mrs. Pelosi is truly putting impeachment back on the table, then I'm thrilled.

Memeorandum has commentary.

Comments

[Terry Ott]

I will be happy and relieved when someone else occupies the White House in a few months. Unfortunately, that joy will be dampened by the realization that the vacuous Speaker will still be there, reminding the world that in America an insufferable doofus like Ms. Pelosi can be elected and then be elevated to a "job" that potentially means something.

Since I was a boy I'd tried to figure out how to roll my eyes, shake my head, breath out and whistle derisively, snicker AND gag --- all at the same time. Several years ago, I gave up trying. Then someone said "Bush" and "Pelosi" in a single sentence, and with no effort at all, and without even thinking about it, I DID it.

[HRC08]

I really hope the BITCH proceeds with impeachment ....it will be the best thing to happen to McCain and the Republican in the fall !!

The BITCH is really brilliant ....she feeds her nutcases a few "impeachment" bread crumbs ....just before she is getting ready to throw them under the bus !!

The BITCH did it with FISA and she is getting ready to do it with DRILLING !!

Get ready nutcases !!

And don't forget to give more money to Mr. Bus-Driver-In Chief !!

[D. Cupples]

HRC08,

You might be right: Pelosi may simply be feeding Dems impeachment crumbs.

[D. Cupples]

Terry,

You are toooo funny. At least there's a chance that impeachment is on the horizon. Of course, there's a chance that --as HRC08 says-- that Pelosi (and Conyers) are just feeding crumbs to the Dems.

Time'll tell.

[Andrew Wang]

Bush is the worst president in American history. Bush facilitated the 9/11 attacks. Subsequently, Bush lied to Congress and the American people relative to the reasons for invading Iraq. Bush purposefully misled Congress and the American people. Then, Bush murdered more than 4,000 United States service members. And Bush wounded more than 30,000 United States service members. In torturing prisoners of war, Bush patently violated the Geneva Convention. Bush unlawfully wiretapped United States citizens. In using “signing statements” to challenge hundreds of laws passed by Congress, Bush violated the Constitution. Bush has ignored global warming. Bush is guilty of criminal negligence relative to the response to Hurricane Katrina. Bush disobeys our democratic values and Constitution. Bush is a disgrace to the United States.

Pelosi is right: Bush is indeed a total failure.

Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA

[Deb Cupples (Buck Naked Politics)]

Andrew,

You make some great points!