Murtha thinks Impeachment threat a useful political tool

[RMNIXON]

Murtha says Dems could consider impeachment
By: Josh Kraushaar
April 29, 2007 12:17 PM EST

Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) said Sunday that Democrats in Congress could consider impeachment as a way to pressure President Bush on his handling of the war in Iraq.

“What I’m saying, there’s four ways to influence a president. And one of them’s impeachment,” Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Murtha has been one of the most outspoken members of Congress on the administration's handling of the war in Iraq; others who have strongly criticized Bush have stopped short of calling for impeachment.

Murtha also expressed doubt that Congress and the Bush administration would be able to work out a compromise soon in negotiations on the $124 billion war spending bill. Congress' emergency funding measure contains a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq.

“They say we’re willing to compromise, and then we don’t get any compromise,” said Murtha. “We’ve already compromised. And we need to make this president understand, Mr. President, the public has spoken.”

Murtha said the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass another war funding bill with similar benchmarks for progress in Iraq after President Bush vetoes the legislation, as he has vowed to do.

“If he vetoes this bill, he’s cut off the money. But obviously, we’re going to pass another bill,” Murtha said. “It’s going to have some stringent requirements. ... I'd like to look at this again in two months.”


Murtha says Dems could consider impeachment - Politico.com
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Funny I thought the "Impeachment" powers of the Congress were a serious responcibility to counter legal wrongdoing by the Executive Branch, not as another political tool to get your way no matter what? Guess I am naive about such things?


Impeachment History

The right to impeach public officials is secured by the U.S. Constitution in Article I, Sections 2 and 3, which discuss the procedure, and in Article II, Section 4, which indicates the grounds for impeachment: "the President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the United States shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors."

[kinggovernor]

thats politics

[hsmith]

all presidents should fear impeachment

[goldenponderbob]

Ah, President Cheney, the national nightmare is over?

Or, does he plan to get both with a single shot?

When Bill was on trial everybody in the country, except
the nations legislative leaders, knew the zealots had less
than the required 67 votes, and would never get near
the number needed to convict.

Yet they spend scads of money wasting time while 19
guys from the East were training in Florida to fly jets
but not land.

The upshot? We learned the guy who headed the
lynching commitee was covering up and adultrous
affair himself.

An adultrous affair could make a person in a job
that requires him to be intimate with the nation's
mose sensitive information a blackmail target.

I think GWB is among our worst Presidents, I do
not think he is a bad guy, just too ambitious &
employed at a task that is over his head.

If he and Cheney both resigned tomorrow handing
power to Nancy it would be a step in the right
direction and the nation might even consider them
heroes for doing it.

But impeachment? Don't they have enough on
their plate?

goldenponderbob

[Scrum]

Originally Posted by hsmith

all presidents should fear impeachment