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

[Robert Naiman]

Well, this is pretty reasonable.

I was not really that outraged by Paul's vote. I just wanted to get
Carl's goat. It was a base motivation, and I regret it.


On Nov 12, 2007 8:24 AM, Michael Shapiro <mshapiro51 at gmail.com> wrote:
> This is direct from Ron Paul about the impeachment.
>
> http://www.ronpaullibrary.org/document.php?id=976
>
>
>
> Mr. Speaker, I rise, reluctantly, in favor of the motion to table House
> Resolution 799, Impeaching Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United
> States, of high crimes and misdemeanors, and in favor of referring that
> resolution to the House Judiciary Committee for full consideration. I voted
> to table this resolution not because I do not share the gentleman from
> Ohio's desire to hold those responsible for the Iraqi debacle accountable;
> but rather, because I strongly believe that we must follow established
> protocol in matters of such importance. During my entire time in Congress, I
> have been outspoken in my opposition to war with Iraq and Iran. I have
> warned my colleagues and the administration against marching toward war in
> numerous speeches over the years, and I have voted against every
> appropriation to continue the war on Iraq.
>
> I have always been strongly in favor of vigorous congressional oversight of
> the executive branch, and I have lamented our abrogation of these
> Constitutional obligations in recent times. I do believe, however, that this
> legislation should proceed through the House of Representatives following
> regular order, which would require investigation and hearings in the House
> Judiciary Committee before the resolution proceeds to the floor for a vote.
> This time-tested manner of moving impeachment legislation may slow the
> process, but in the long run it preserves liberty by ensuring that the House
> thoroughly deliberates on such weighty matters. In past impeachments of high
> officials, including those of Presidents Nixon and Clinton, the legislation
> had always gone through the proper committee with full investigation and
> accompanying committee report.
>
> I noted with some dismay that many of my colleagues who have long supported
> the war changed their vote to oppose tabling the motion for purely political
> reasons. That move was a disrespectful to the Constitutional function of
> this body and I could not support such actions with my vote.
>
> I was pleased that the House did vote in favor of sending this legislation
> to the Judiciary Committee, which essentially directs the committee to
> examine the issue more closely than it has done to this point.
>
>
>
> On Nov 6, 2007 9:44 PM, Robert Naiman <naiman.uiuc at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Kucinich's impeachment bill against Cheney was voted twice on in the
> > House today.
> >
> > The Democratic leadership first tried to kill debate by tabling the
> > Kucinich bill. This failed, because a substantial minority of
> > Democrats was supported by a majority of Republicans in opposing the
> > Democratic leadership motion to table. Ron Paul voted with the
> > Democratic leadership and against both the Kucinich Democratic bloc
> > and the Republican majority to kill debate.
> >
> > Then the Democratic leadership sent the bill to die - at least so they
> > hope - at the Judiciary committee. This vote was almost entirely on
> > party lines. Overwhelmingly, Democrats voted to send the bill to
> > committee. Only 4 Democrats voted with Kucinich not to send the bill
> > to committee: Filner, Kaptur, Towns and Waters.
> >
> > Conversely, Republicans voted overwhelmingly against killing the bill
> > by sending it to committee. Only 4 Republicans voted with the
> > Democratic leadership to kill the Cheney impeachment bill.
> >
> > Who were those four Republicans? Well, one of them was Ron Paul.
> >
> > Ron Paul - Democratic Party Hack.
> >
> > 1st vote:
> > http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1037.xml
> >
> > 2nd vote:
> > http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1039.xml
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> > Peace-discuss mailing list
> > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> > http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/peace-discuss
> >
>
>
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>



-- 
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org