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Monday, July 30, 2007
Impeachment and
Preserving Our Constitution
by Stephen Crockett, co-host of
Democratic Talk Radio
The United States has been
in a prolonged Constitutional crisis since the Supreme Court showed it
had been corrupted by partisan politics when the Bush vs. Gore ruling
was issued in December, 2000. The Bush Administration began by
Republican politicians thumbing their noses at the rule of law. The
past seven years have been an unending assault on Constitutional
government, American political traditions and personal freedom.
It is time to place
impeachment fully on the table for the top members of the Bush White
House and Cabinet. The appointment of Attorney General Gonzales should
never have been approved by Congress. His record of distorting the
truth in order to protect the political career of George W. Bush is
the only real qualification he had when nominated. It was the reason
he was appointed and the reason the appointment should have been
soundly rejected.
Gonzales has always been
an advocate of radical legal theories that attack the essence of our
Constitutional protections of personal freedom. The Attorney General
holds legal theories that would give the President dictatorial powers.
Bush, Cheney and Gonzales have resolutely claimed powers not given by
the Constitution to the Executive Branch. These claims are essentially
“high crimes” by their very nature. They subvert the American
Constitution and border on treason.
Claims that the President
can place in prison any American citizen by declaring that person an
enemy combatant, without court hearings, forever are criminal
violations of Constitutional guarantees of personal freedoms. These
claims are illegal bids for power, not granted by our Constitution, by
Bush, Cheney and Gonzales. These legal theories are fascist in nature.
All three need to be facing impeachment.
Impeachment is designed to
check corrupt, dictatorial members of the Executive and Judicial
Branches of government. Bush has issued executive orders that negate
laws passed by Congress like the Presidential Papers Act. The signing
statements routinely and radically used by Bush to gut the intent of
Congress concerning legislation are assaults on the Constitutional
checks and balances and are illegal.
Cheney’s claims that he
does not have to comply with laws limiting the powers of members of
the Executive Branch or Congress are illegal. His role in almost every
scandal connected to the White House seems apparent but Cheney remains
secretive and defiant. The power claims of Cheney are assaults on the
rule of law and the US Constitution.
Impeachment hearings are
needed for Bush, Cheney and Gonzales for many reasons. All three are
claiming Constitutional powers that are not Constitutional. All three
have played major roles in subverting federal law enforcement and an
independent judiciary. All three have deceived both the American
public and Congress. All three are hiding their activities, using
false national security and executive privilege claims to hide their
law-breaking.
Bush has demonstrated his
willingness to use Presidential powers to keep his White House cronies
from paying the costs of their illegal behaviors. Scooter Libby
committed perjury to obstruct justice in federal investigation of
White House operatives who broke the law by intentionally outing a
covert CIA agent. Bush protected him. It appears that Bush and Cheney
may have been directly responsible for the crime.
The political firings of
US Attorneys has been another issue where Presidential powers may be
used to obstruct justice, hide the truth and subvert the rule of law.
It certainly appears that Gonzales has committed perjury like Libby
and for similar reasons.
Presidential pardon powers
do not apply to impeachment. Because Bush is willing to misuse his
Presidential powers and the Supreme Court has been packed with
radical, partisan Republican appointees, only impeachment hearings
will reveal to the public the abuses of the Bush White House. Only
impeachment will bring these powerful criminals to justice and
preserve the Constitutional rule of law.
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Written by Stephen
Crockett (co-host of Democratic Talk Radio
http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com ).
Mail: P.O. Box 283, Earleville, Maryland
21919. Phone: 443-907-2367. Email:
midsouthcm@aol.com .
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