Is it now time the House of Representatives consider drafting Articles of Impeachment of President George W. Bush?  By now, nearly anyone objectively viewing the actions of this President agree:

1. He lied to, or at least intentionally misled, Congress about the reasons for the war in Iraq in his State of the Union Message.  This is a felony under 18-USC, Part I, Ch. 47, Sec. 1001.

2. He illegally "detained" U. S. Citizens and others in Guantanamo and elsewhere without notification of the charges against them nor granting them the Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus as required by Article 1, Section 9, of the Constitution.  In doing so, he acted to strip United States citizens of their constitutional and human rights, ordering indefinite detention of citizens, without access to counsel, without charge, and without opportunity to appear before a civil judicial officer to challenge the detention, based solely on the discretionary designation by the Executive of a citizen as an "enemy combatant." *

3. He rejected treaties protective of peace and human rights and abrogation of the obligations of the United States under, and withdrawal from, international treaties and obligations without consent of the legislative branch, and including termination of the ABM treaty between the United States and Russia, and rescission of the authorizing signature from the Treaty of Rome which served as the basis for the International Criminal Court.*

*(See more at this link.)

Certainly, these actions fall under the heading of "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" required under the Constitution, Article 2, Sec. 4, 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."

In the past, Presidents were impeached or charged with impeachment for much less.  President Andrew Johnson was impeached, but later acquitted by the Senate, for firing his Secretary of War in violation of an unconstitutional law prohibiting him from doing so.  President Richard Nixon was nearly impeached, but resigned instead, for obstruction of justice.  President Bill Clinton was impeached, but later acquitted by the Senate, for lying about having an affair.

There is no doubt in my mind that President Bush committed far more serious and impeachable offenses.  And he, along with Vice President Cheney and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, conspired to lead this country into war under false pretenses.

So the question for our Congressmen, do we wait another three and one-half years tolerating such continuing violations of law or do we begin the impeachment process now?

I believe the Congress should right now appoint a select committee and/or special prosecutor to investigate these and similar charges.  I see no moral justification not to do so.  Our very existence as a democratic republic and our leadership in the free world is at stake.

(Letter published in Marietta Daily Journal, June 19, 2005)

 

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