High Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Impeachment of Vice President Cheney
By JB Williams (07/12/07)
Finally, a few congressional Democrats over in the peoples House have developed the backbone to actually stake their reputations and careers on the campaign rhetoric surrounding Iraq intelligence that led them to vote in favor of regime change in Iraq.
On April 24, 2007, Ohio Democrat Dennis Kucinich filed Articles of Impeachment against sitting Vice President Richard Cheney alleging unconstitutional misconduct, high crimes and misdemeanors on the basis of intentionally manipulated pre-war intelligence which resulted in both houses of congress voting overwhelmingly to authorize use of military force to depose the Hussein regime in Iraq.
Since that date, Kucinich has been joined by 11 cosponsors with 3 more looking to add their names to the bill, bringing support for Impeachment to 15 House Democrats.
Joining Kucinich are his cosponsors Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1] - 5/1/2007, Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 5/1/2007, Rep Wynn, Albert Russell [MD-4] - 5/10/2007, Rep Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11] - 6/6/2007, Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] - 6/7/2007, Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] - 6/7/2007, Rep Waters, Maxine [CA-35] - 6/12/2007, Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] - 6/28/2007, Rep Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [GA-4] - 6/28/2007, Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] - 7/10/2007, Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8] - 7/10/2007, with Reps Sam Farr (CA-D), Bob Filner (CA-D) and Jesse Jackson Jr. (IL-D) looking to join the effort.
Please take a moment to make special note of each name on this list. Why, you ask?
Allow me to introduce you to the 15 dumbest individuals to ever occupy space in the United States House of Representatives, and oh, let me count the ways…
I linked the actual Articles of Impeachment above, so that you can verify my summary and document their insane ignorance for yourself. But in short, their charges revolve around the assertion that Vice President Richard Cheney misled Americans and specifically congress into supporting regime change in Iraq on the basis of false statements concerning Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction, essentially doctoring intelligence to suit a predetermined agenda to depose the Hussein regime.
They make this charge on the basis that the following statements were used to trick America into war with Iraq and that these statements were all false.
"The problem is not nuclear testing; it is nuclear weapons. ... The number of Third World countries with nuclear capabilities seems to grow daily. Saddam Hussein's near success with developing a nuclear weapon should be an eye-opener for us all." - "One of the most compelling threats we in this country face today is the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Threat assessments regularly warn us of the possibility that...Iraq...may acquire or develop nuclear weapons." - "If you don't believe...Saddam Hussein is a threat with nuclear weapons, then you shouldn't vote for me." - "Serving on the Intelligence Committee and seeing day after day, week after week, briefings on Saddam's weapons of mass destruction and his plans on using those weapons, he cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons, it's just that simple. The whole world changes if Saddam ever has nuclear weapons." - "Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology, which is a threat to countries in the region, and he has made a mockery of the weapons-inspection process." - "We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction."
The problem is that these statements were not made by Vice President Dick Cheney, though Cheney’s related statements which appear in the Articles of Impeachment were in complete alignment with each of these statements, as were the statements of so many others here and abroad.
These statements were all made by congressional Democrats, before, during and after any Bush administration assessments of an Iraq threat. Namely, in order of the quotes above, Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, John Kerry, John Edwards, Nancy Pelosi and Teddy Kennedy, all of whom have since accused the Bush administration of “lying” for making these same statements.
In fact, those of you who want to know why we are in Iraq should take a moment to watch this video which explains it so well. Here are the very statements that led congress to authorize military force to affect regime change in Iraq.
The Articles go on to make another important assertion. That Cheney (and Bush) made an effort to make a false connection between Iraq (the Hussein regime) and 9/11. Although any reader can make the connection themselves by reading the bi-partisan 911 Commission Report, page 66 to be exact, Bush and Cheney actually made no special effort to connect Hussein to 911, other than to ask the appropriate folks if there was any connection. They didn’t need to…
This Impeachment charge flies in the face of the evidence, specifically Bush’s own statement just nine days after 9/11, in which he said before the world, “Americans are asking, "Who attacked our country?” The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda.” Note the missing reference to Iraq… When specifically asked in a news briefing, Bush later answered, “there is no evidence to suggest that Hussein or Iraq were in any way involved with the events of 9/11.”
Of course, Hillary Clinton said it differently, “Hussein has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including Al Qaeda members, though there is apparently no evidence of his involvement in the terrible events of September 11, 2001.”
When later asked by the press why we had to depose the Hussein regime after 9/11, Bush answered, "It is clear, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons. Should he succeed in that endeavor, he could alter the political and security landscape of the Middle East, which as we know all too well affects American security. - Now this much is undisputed.” OH – NO! Sorry, this isn’t a Bush statement. - This statement was made by Senator Hillary Clinton (D)… moments before she voted to authorize war in Iraq.
Bush actually answered that question this way, “The history, the logic and the facts lead to one conclusion: Saddam Hussein regime is a grave and gathering danger. To suggest otherwise is to hope against the evidence. To assume this regime's good faith is to bet the lives of millions and the peace of the world in a reckless gamble, and this is a risk we must not take.” - “The first time we may be completely certain he has nuclear weapons is when, God forbid, he uses one. We owe it to all our citizens to do everything in our power to prevent that day from coming.” (Note the missing words “imminent threat”)
Now – I’m not bringing this Impeachment effort and these facts to your attention because I think this political witch hunt is going anywhere. Even the 15 morons who signed on to this nonsense know that this is about as far as this initiative is going to go.
I bring this to your attention because the people have a right to know just how stupid, partisan and petty their politicians really are. This cast of fifteen fools top the list of House Representatives who are just too ignorant for their own good, much less the good of the American people. It’s time for all of them to find a career better suited to their lacking IQs. Idiots like this are dangerous with even an ounce of power.
We have heard these assertions for years now and finally, someone has put the charges and the alleged evidence on paper so that we can take a close up look at what they are alleging. In a perfect world, this bill would pass congress with 100% approval and proceed to trial without delay.
A legal trial would prove two things once and for all.
First, that Bush & Cheney took appropriate preventive (aka pre-emptive) action to ensure that terror organizations like Al Qaeda could not acquire raw weapons grade materials to be used in their unconventional martyr delivery system via other enemies like the Hussein regime. That regime change in Iraq was indeed a forgone agenda, as of 1998 when Clinton and congress made regime change in Iraq the official US policy on Iraq.
Second, - that these fifteen members of the House are just too stupid to remain in office.
One of two things is true and their filing of this Impeachment brief proves it.
Either Democrat members of congress failed to do their job of independently reviewing all related intelligence on Iraq before voting to send American troops into harms way, an option hard to prove since most of them made the same argument for deposing Hussein as Bush long before Bush made them, or, these Democrats are foolish liars trapped in their own web of deception, caught between what they are saying now and what they were saying then.
All evidence points to the latter.
I’d love to see this brief presented in any court in America…. Better than Cheney and the Bush policy on Iraq being completely exonerated, would be the circus that ended in the Impeachment of fifteen foolish and irresponsible House members who really must find a career better suited to their limited aptitude.
I’m thinking a traveling sideshow of Gucci clad dancing jackasses….
(Printer friendly version) Email: JB Williams
