Impeachment and Preserving Our Constitution
The United States has been in a prolonged Constitutional crisis since the Supreme Court showed it had been corrupted by
partisan politics when the Bush vs. Gore ruling was issued in December, 2000. The Bush Administration began by
Republican politicians thumbing their noses at the rule of law. The past seven years have been an unending assault on
Constitutional government, American political traditions and personal freedom.
It is time to place impeachment fully on the table for the top members of the Bush White House and Cabinet. The
appointment of Attorney General Gonzales should never have been approved by Congress. His record of distorting the truth
in order to protect the political career of George W. Bush is the only real qualification he had when nominated. It was
the reason he was appointed and the reason the appointment should have been soundly rejected.
Gonzales has always been an advocate of radical legal theories that attack the essence of our Constitutional protections
of personal freedom. The Attorney General holds legal theories that would give the President dictatorial powers. Bush,
Cheney and Gonzales have resolutely claimed powers not given by the Constitution to the Executive Branch. These claims
are essentially “high crimes” by their very nature. They subvert the American Constitution and border on treason.
Claims that the President can place in prison any American citizen by declaring that person an enemy combatant, without
court hearings, forever are criminal violations of Constitutional guarantees of personal freedoms. These claims are
illegal bids for power, not granted by our Constitution, by Bush, Cheney and Gonzales. These legal theories are fascist
in nature. All three need to be facing impeachment.
Impeachment is designed to check corrupt, dictatorial members of the Executive and Judicial Branches of government. Bush
has issued executive orders that negate laws passed by Congress like the Presidential Papers Act. The signing statements
routinely and radically used by Bush to gut the intent of Congress concerning legislation are assaults on the
Constitutional checks and balances and are illegal.
Cheney’s claims that he does not have to comply with laws limiting the powers of members of the Executive Branch or
Congress are illegal. His role in almost every scandal connected to the White House seems apparent but Cheney remains
secretive and defiant. The power claims of Cheney are assaults on the rule of law and the US Constitution.
Impeachment hearings are needed for Bush, Cheney and Gonzales for many reasons. All three are claiming Constitutional
powers that are not Constitutional. All three have played major roles in subverting federal law enforcement and an
independent judiciary. All three have deceived both the American public and Congress. All three are hiding their
activities, using false national security and executive privilege claims to hide their law-breaking.
Bush has demonstrated his willingness to use Presidential powers to keep his White House cronies from paying the costs
of their illegal behaviors. Scooter Libby committed perjury to obstruct justice in federal investigation of White House
operatives who broke the law by intentionally outing a covert CIA agent. Bush protected him. It appears that Bush and
Cheney may have been directly responsible for the crime.
The political firings of US Attorneys has been another issue where Presidential powers may be used to obstruct justice,
hide the truth and subvert the rule of law. It certainly appears that Gonzales has committed perjury like Libby and for
similar reasons.
Presidential pardon powers do not apply to impeachment. Because Bush is willing to misuse his Presidential powers and
the Supreme Court has been packed with radical, partisan Republican appointees, only impeachment hearings will reveal to
the public the abuses of the Bush White House. Only impeachment will bring these powerful criminals to justice and
preserve the Constitutional rule of law.
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Written by Stephen Crockett (co-host of Democratic Talk Radio http://wwww.DemocraticTalkRadio.com ). Email: midsouthcm@aol.com . Mail: P.O. Box 283, Earleville, Maryland 21919. Phone: 443-907-2367.
Feel free to publish without prior approval at no charge.