[Peace-discuss] Ron Paul supports Democratic leadership, votes twice against Kucinich impeachment bill

[C. G. Estabrook]

John W. wrote:
> 
> Being the political naif that I am, I'm confused.  Why would REPUBLICANS 
> want to keep a bill to impeach Cheney alive?

[Here's a review of the bidding, with some indication of the original 
inflections, from the WP blog.  The key to the matter is that (a) the 
Democrats support the war policy, but (b) the country doesn't, so (c) 
they want to pin the mess on the Republicans, although (d) they'd 
continue the policy in office. --CGE]

	Cheney Impeachment Resolution Sent to House Committee

The House voted today to send a resolution considering the impeachment 
of Vice President Cheney to the Judiciary Committee, a move that 
embarrassed Democratic leaders who were forced into the parliamentary 
tactic to avoid a floor debate on impeachment.

Led by Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the long-shot anti-war candidate for the 
Democratic presidential nomination, scores of Democrats were joined by 
scores of Republicans in initially supporting a Kucinich resolution that 
would have prompted a full debate on impeaching Cheney.

Democratic leaders long ago rejected any consideration of impeaching 
Cheney and President Bush as an irresponsible move supported only by the 
far left, so they tried today to table Kucinich's impeachment 
resolution. After initially having more than enough votes to kill the 
resolution - the "yea" tally to table impeachment topped out at 291 - 
Republicans decided they had a chance to politically shame Democrats 
into a full debate on the sensitive issue. Republicans gleefully said 
they wanted the debate to show the public how many Democrats would 
actually support impeaching Cheney, which they consider a move supported 
only by a fringe element of anti-war activists.

More than 120 members, predominantly Republicans, then switched their 
votes in favor of holding a one-hour debate on the issue, with a final 
vote of 251-162 supporting a debate on impeachment. Rather than allow a 
debate fraught with political risk, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer 
(D-Md.) moved to send the Kucinich resolution to the Judiciary 
Committee, whose chairman, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), has publicly 
speculated about impeaching the president or vice president but has 
declined taking any action since taking the gavel in January.

Defusing any chance of an actual impeachment debate today, the House 
then voted 218-194 to send the motion to Conyers's committee, with 
Democrats overwhelmingly supporting the move.

Today's resolution from Kucinich (D-Ohio) was essentially the same as 
the legislation he introduced earlier this year, which included three 
articles of impeachment against Cheney based largely on allegations that 
he manipulated intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war. The last 
article accuses Cheney of threatening "aggression" against Iran "absent 
any real threat."

"In all of this, Vice President Richard B. Cheney has acted in a manner 
contrary to his trust as Vice President, and subversive of 
constitutional government, to the prejudice of the cause of law and 
justice and the manifest injury of the people of the United States," 
Kucinich said on the floor today, reading his resolution. "Wherefore 
Richard B. Cheney, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and 
removal from office."

Kucinich, who had 22 co-sponsors for his articles of impeachment 
measure, predominantly members of the left leaning Out of Iraq Caucus, 
has been angry that Democratic leaders would not allow impeachment to be 
considered. He took to the floor today to offer his impeachment articles 
as a privileged resolution, which under the chamber rules can be offered 
by any member and must be considered within two days of its offering.


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