U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she’s drawing heat from fellow Democratic lawmakers as well as people across the nation for refusing to move to impeach President George W. Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney.
“I go through airports, and people have buttons as if they knew I was coming,” Pelosi said with a smile, mimicking a protester pointing to an “Impeach” button on their chest.
But the California Democrat said she is sticking to her position that trying to remove Bush or Cheney would be divisive, and she added, most likely unsuccessful. If the House voted to impeach Bush and Cheney, a two-thirds vote would be needed in the closely divided Senate to oust them.
Many Democrats and civil liberties groups have accused the Bush administration of misleading the United States into the Iraq war and violating the rights of U.S. citizens with its warrantless surveillance program. The White House denies the charges.
In helping Democrats win back control of Congress in 2006 from 
Republicans, Pelosi said she would not push for impeachment despite a number of calls to do so.
Speaking with reporters, she recalled that she wanted to focus on unifying the nation, passing the Democrats’ legislative agenda — not picking an impeachment fight with the White House.
“It was my belief that an impeachment of the Vice President or the President … would be very divisive in our country, and that is what I believed then,” Pelosi said. “It should have come to no surprise when I became Speaker I said it again, and I continue to hold that view.”
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
- Photo credits: Reuters/Jim Young (Bush and Cheney talking about the economy in the White House Roosevelt Room on Friday); Larry Downing (Pelosi takes control of the House as Speaker on Jan. 4, 2007)
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Nancy Pelosi needs to be the first be impeached, Congress has a terrible approval rating, why do we put up with this?
- Posted by OkinawaKucinich is simply the best.
George W. Bush’s sentence-by-sentence speaking skills are deteriorating. Apparently, this may be due to a mental illness called “presenile dementia.” Bush may or may not be secretly still drinking heavily. Bush suffers from narcissism and megalomania. Moreover, Bush has been arrested three times. Bush was arrested for disorderly conduct. Bush was arrested for stealing. Bush was also arrested for a serious crime—driving under the influence of alcohol. There are reasons to believe that Bush suffers from a learning disability. Bush’s learning disability would explain a lot of things. All in all, Bush is a severely mentally ill individual. Bush is not fit to be the president of the United States.
Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
- Posted by Andrew WangB.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
The End of American Democracy
- Posted by Steven DelcoIf our elected representatives do not hold all the members of the Bush administration accountable with serious consequences now for their transgressions against the spirit and the letter of the law of our constitution than our democracy as envisioned by the founders has been breached. This precedent of over-reaching executive power and complete abrogation of the precious “checks and balances” so wisely engineered into our constitution will result in the lost forever of our nation’s cherished ideals. The power stolen by this administration will poison the well of our democracy for the foreseeable future. This over-reach of power will become more absolute no matter what party is elected. And this absolute power will continue to erode any constitutional integrity we have left. If our elected representatives don’t exert their responsibility to check the executive with all the power that has been vested in them by the constitution than we have lived to see the end of the great American experiment started by Adams, Jefferson and Franklin et al.
Nancy Pelosi’s Choice and Legacy
Will Nancy Pelosi be sited in history as the first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives or the first Speaker of the House of Representatives that for politically expedient reasons would not investigate or pursue impeachment proceedings against G.W. Bush and company and thereby permitting under her watch a major constitutional breach? In a recent book US vs. George W. Bush, et.al. Elizabeth de la Vega a former federal prosecutor lays out a brilliant case against George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleeza Rice, and Colin Powell, for tricking the nation into war, or, in legal terms, conspiracy to defraud the United States. Daniel Ellsberg a former State and Defense Department official who revealed the Pentagon Papers has said about the book: “On the basis of the evidence presented by former prosecutor Elizabeth de la Vega, I’m convinced that George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and their fellow “indictees” are fully entitled to a fair and honest trial—indeed, several fair and honest trials—by juries of their peers”.
In a recent phone call to Pelosi’s California office an aide hemming and hawing on the phone tried to justify to me the lack of action by Pelosi in abrogating her constitutional duty to launch a full investigation of potential high crimes and misdemeanors by the President. The aide I spoke with revealed that many angry constituents of Pelosi have called in on this matter and in what seemed to be fit of frustration over Pelosi’s tactics blurted out “They (Bush, et al.) will not get away with this” — an interesting statement with no further explanation. But the aide trying to get off the phone as soon as possible went on to say that Pelosi feels it would be too “time consuming” to pursue an investigation towards impeachment whether or not there was probable cause. I am not a legal scholar but I never thought that launching an investigation or impeachment against a President that has possibly broken the law is a choice that the Speaker of the House has the right to make. It is my understanding that it is his/her duty under the constitution and if it is not the constitution is seriously flawed because then it puts the Speaker and the President above the Laws of the Land.
- Posted by Steven DelcoWrong, Steve Gray. We are the same people who thought Hitler was a dangerous lunatic back in the 1930s. Don’t forget Bush’s grandfather did business with the Nazis and was a member of a group that actually tried to overthrow our own government because they thought fascism was much better than having Roosevelt as president. It’s obvious his grandfather’s values were passed down to the current tyrant in the White House.
- Posted by BrianAll of you nut cases who call Bush a murderer and worse are just plain crazy. You’re the same people who thought Winston Churchill was a crackpot back in the 1930’s. We all know how many lives could’ve been saved if the world would have had some backbone then to do what needed to be done with Hitler and the Axis. Bush is absolutely correct, he’s doing what needs to be done, and you’re all too ignorant to even know it. Go study some history.
- Posted by Steve GrayPelosi thinks impeachment would be divisive? Meaning that democrats might lose the favor they’ve curried with the right wing. Too bad she doesn’t care about dividing democrats — she divided me right out of the party after 30 years of voting democrat.
Nice work, Nancy — but I doubt you’ll get enough republican voters to make up for the hemorraging your decision to put politics above the Constitution for which the idealists of the American Revolution struggled and died at the hands of King George.
Or do you think all those people involved in fighting for the rule of law and the refusal to subjects of a tyrant sacrificed it all for your personal right to be too busy to be distracted by rights, liberties, freedom, and laws?
I will never again vote for a democrat, not even town clerk, who doesn’t now and today speak out for impeachment. There are other parties, and if it comes to that, I’ll become a republican and laugh while the democrats pander to me as they once scorned me as a democrat, and I’ll vote republican, just to see that democrats never again think they can win by kowtowing to the right.
Divisive? She has cut me and many others right out of the party’s heart.
Goodbye, party of the little guy, goodbye party of the common man, goodbye party of social justice!
- Posted by jameslarkinBon Voyage!
Nancy Pelosi is not an american.She violates the constitution she swore an oath to protect.The fact is almost all of the congress have violated thier oaths to the constitution.The only presidential canidate who wants to return the power in this country to the people is Ron Paul.The rest of them well intentioned or not want to be our next king or queen.Is it any wonder Dr.Paul gets more donations from the military than any of the others.Maybe they hold thier oath to the constitution to be something scared.
- Posted by gary harpermaybe Pelosi needs to be impeached herself
- Posted by gary harperSOMEONE SHOULD RUN OUT THIS BLOG AND SEND IT TO NANCY PELOSI FEDERAL EXPRESS.
- Posted by franAlso contact the House Judiciary Committee and voice support for impeachment proceedings against Cheney!
One Step Closer to a Cheney Impeachment
By Marjorie Cohn, AlterNet
Posted on January 23, 2008, Printed on January 23, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/story/74629/
- Posted by Hugh CantellI just read this story in The NY Times. Kucinich is about to introduce articles of impeachemnt against Bush on the floor of the House!
Tell Kucinich to draft impeachment articles for Bush’s accomplice, Pelosi, as well as Bush — and please don’t forget that criminal Cheney too!
Show Kucinich some support. Email or call his office and let him know that the vast majority of Americans support him in this effort and WE WANT IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS TO BEGIN NOW!!!
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/ 01/23/kucinich-starts-new-impeachment-dr ive/index.html?nl=pol&emc=pol
Kucinich Starts New Impeachment Drive
By David M. Herszenhorn
Representative Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio may get excluded from Democratic presidential debates, as he has been recently, but no one can deny him the floor in the House.
And today Mr. Kucinich took to the floor to fire off his latest salvo at the Bush administration: his plans to introduce Articles of Impeachment against President Bush on Jan. 28 — the day of Mr. Bush’s State of the Union speech.
Accusing the administration of lying about the need for the war in Iraq, Mr. Kucinich said he did not need to hear the president’s
assessment. “We know the State of the Union,” he declared. “It’s a lie.”
He also fired a volley at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California
who has maintained that impeaching Mr. Bush is not on the table for Congressional Democrats. “If impeachment is off the table,” Mr. Kucinich said, “truth is off the table. If truth is off the table
then this body is living a lie.”
Mr. Kucinich introduced Articles of Impeachment against Vice
President Dick Cheney last April and in November, with the surprise help of Republicans seeking to embarrass the Democrats, he nearly succeeded in securing an hour of debate on the House floor. House Democratic leaders blocked that, however, by referring the impeachment effort back to the Judiciary Committee.
Anti-Bush groups have been urging Mr. Kucinich to undertake an effort to impeach the president.
- Posted by Hugh CantellWe have before us a series of treasonous charges and that C word “conspiracy.” It doesn’t take a law degree to know that anyone hindering a conspiracy or criminal investigation are themselves a co-conspirator. Frankly, at this point, I wouldn’t waste anymore time with her. Replace her and let’s get on with what must be done. It’s time we find out how many layers this onion has. Start impeachment proceedings or a Grand Jury investigation and watch the rats squirm. I advocate a Grand Jury investigation.
- Posted by Ned DelaneyWow! Look at these comments. I see only one comment in support of Pelosi. And this is on Reuters.
Go Cindy.
Impeach Bush and Cheney.
RECALL PELOSI!!!!
- Posted by Ernest JonesIn Colorado voters should Google “Colorado impeach” or see http://ImpeachCO.com
If we don’t get Impeachment done before the Democratic Convention in August it will not get done. If all of the “silent majority” that wants Impeachment would do something about getting Impeachment we would have Impeachment. Join your local Impeachment Organization. In Colorado join Impeach Colorado Coalition
- Posted by John H Kennedyhttp://ImpeachCO.com
We almost all agree that Pelosi needs to go, and Dick-head and Dumbya need to be impeached.We know that no matter how many petitions are signed, or how many “take it to the streets” protests are held, there will not be impeachment hearings.The next president has already been chosen-our votes count for nothing.The electoral college and/or the supreme court will appoint our new “fearless leader”.Unless Kucinich pulls a miracle out of his pocket-which he won’t,it won’t matter who’s next in office.They won’t do anything, either, except rip more of our rights away.Dem or Repug, it doesn’t matter.
Lots of people are talking about revolution, but WHO is going to start one? If we take it to the streets, we’re dead- the police have better military equipment now than the military does.A revolution here wouldn’t last 20 minutes,unless a stark majority of the people- enough to overwhelm any force “they” send in, actually tears themselves away from Entertainment Tonight, and the latest Britney scandal in order to BE a show of force.
And don’t think for a minute that this thread isn’t being monitored by someone from “Homeland Security”,and every one of us are now pegged as possible “terrists”(misspelled on purpose).
This is not the America the Founding Fathers so hoped it would be.It’s no longer a source of pride to tell people you’re an American.But, this has been coming far longer than most people think.It didn’t start with Dumbya,it started when the Federal Reserve was given free reign.Do some research on it, you’ll find out.
- Posted by SherryAs for the problem at hand, we, the people, can try as hard as we can to make politicians understand that we want action, but until someone, somewhere, has the cojones to stand up, speak out, and rally the rest of this country into DOING what is right, nothing will change,except for the worst.
Does anyone remember the basketball team the Washington Generals? They were the team that managed to lose to the Harlem Globetrotters every single night.
The Democrats are the Washington Generals, and they’ve agreed with the Republican Harlem Globetrotters, to lose every election in the name of keeping the business running and the crowds coming to the game.
Pelosi is useless — and derelict in her duties to defend this country. Letting lies to start a war, torture, incompetence — the whole “marketing-based-reality” of the Bushies go unchallenged makes her and the rest of the Dems complicit with the Republicans and their allies at Fox News.
The dems have put a woman with 20 years of baggage and right-wing hatred up for election with a black man with limited experience. In this country, that’s the least they could do to help the Republicans win again. All it’s going to take is a little more gay-bashing, a few Willie Horton ads and the “magic” of the Diebold voting machines in Ohio and Florida and some right-wing nutbag like Romney will be the next president.
- Posted by Brad KochWhat ever happen to the good ol’days of getting justice on whore Politicians by Tar and feather?
- Posted by NoneU BusinessI’m not surprised that she said what she said, even though she knows that’s what the people want. Even if the votes to impeach those useless politicians didn’t pass, then the very move of attempting it would be a symbolic one to the entire world. Thereby telling the world that the majority of Americans are unhappy with our current administration. Since our legislators can’t do their jobs right, maybe we can bank on some sympathy from other countries? Probably not!
- Posted by RonIMPEACH NANCY PELOSI for starters!!!
- Posted by Paul Taylor