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Bush and Cheney's tortured secrecy
Can the White House win a constitutional showdown with Congress over executive privilege after shredding the nation's trust?
By David Cole [2007-07-12]

  • What is the Political Resolution?

    "If history is any guide, the resolution to this constitutional clash is likely to be political, not legal. "

    Mr. Cole,

    By a political resolution, are you referring specifically to impeachment?

    My feeling is that the only way to correct the Bush administration's abuses of power is to impeach, beginning with Cheney. Conveniently, Dennis Kucinich has introduced a bill. HR 333, to do just that.

    There's a good chance the Supreme Court would side with Bush on executive privilege, so the only way to bring the administration's misdeeds to light is for the House to impeach. In that case, my understanding is that the House judiciary committee would become a court of impeachment, and they would have the ultimate authority to decide what witnesses to call, what questions to ask and what evidence to demand, and no one in the executive branch could refuse on the basis of executive privilege.

    cautious provided a quote from Madison that gives a sound basis for impeachment:

    "[I]f the President be connected, in any suspicious manner, with any person, and there be grounds to believe he will shelter him, the House of Representatives can impeach him; they can remove him if found guilty…" -James Madison

    The web site cautious provided, http://impeachforpeace.org/impeach_bush_blog/?p=2463

    has these additional quotes:

    "Using the power of the presidency to "pardon crimes which were advised by himself" or to "stop inquiry and prevent detection" of crimes is an impeachable offense.

    Madison made these comments at the convention to ratify the Constitution.

    Bush's repeated invocation of executive privilege seems to be just that - sheltering people who have done something wrong to protect himself.

    If the Constitution and the law are to continue to mean anything, and the dangerous accumulation of power and loss of accountability in the Executive branch are to be stopped, the House must impeach.

    If you want this White house held accountable, contact the following members of the House of Representative along with your own U.S. representative.

    Rep John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee

    http://judiciary.house.gov/CommitteeMember.aspx?id=8

    Honorable John Conyers, Jr.

    2426 Rayburn Building

    Washington, DC 20515

    (202) 225-5126

    Rep Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House

    http://speaker.house.gov/contact/

    Office of the Speaker

    H-232, US Capitol

    Washington, DC 20515

    (202) 225-0100

    -- barbed
    [Read barbed's other letters]
    Thursday, July 12, 2007 02:50 PM
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