"Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors" - Article II, Section 4. US Constitution
The IMPEACHMENT of George W. Bush is now, finally, hitting "mainstream" America, with CNN's Wolf Blitzer noting that the Mayor of Salt Lake City, Mr. Rocky Anderson, has called for impeachment of the president based on "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" against the US Constitution, our government and people.
Unfortunately, as with King George III of England or a Saudi oil monarch, President George W. Bush thinks that he IS the United States Government. (Disgraced and indicted former House Republican leader TOM DeLAY once said the same thing - "I am the US government" when told that government no-smoking laws prohibited him from smoking cigars in a Washington DC restaurant.)
http://www.cnn.com/video/partners/clickability/index.html?url=/video/politics/2007/03/19/slc.mayor.int.cnn
Mayor Anderson:
If impeachment were ever justified, this certainly is the time. This president, by engaging in such incredible abuses of power, breaches of trust with both the Congress and the American people, misleading us into this tragic, unbelievable war; the violation of treaties, other international law, our own constitution, our own domestic law,and then his role in heinous human rights abuses. I think all of that together would call for impeachment, and certainly would communicate to the rest of the world that "That is not who we are as the American people."
[Blitzer quotes Constitution Article II, Sec. 4]
Mayor Anderson: ....We're talking about "HIGH CRIMES and MISDEMEANORS." And what the founders and those engaged in the ratification debate had clearly in mind, and this was derived from the British, is that these are political crimes, abuses of power, during the debate they even talked about a president LYING TO CONGRESS WOULD CONSTITUE GROUNDS FOR IMPEACHMENT. What this president has done in violation of our laws,they never contemplated that it would have to be a violation of criminal laws; but abuses of power injurious to our nation, and we've got it in spades, there's never been a time when impeachment was more appropriate than now."
[Blitzer contests whether Bush knowingly lied to the American people and Congress to build his case for the invasion of Iraq...]
Blitzer: You say he's lied to the American people, he lied to Congress what are you refering to specifically... its one thing to mislead, its another thing to say HE LIED:
Mayor Anderson: Well, he knew, he had the National Intelligence Estimates, where the State Department's own intelligence agencey, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, told him that they completely disagreed, as did his Department of Energy, with this whole notion that those aluminum tubes that Saddam Hussein was acquiring could be used to build up a nuclear capability. The State Department's own intelligence bureau made clear four months [before the war started], this is in October 1st 2002, National Intelligence Estimate, said that there is NO COMPELLING EVIDENCE he's building up a nuclear capability.
[Blitzer mentions then Director of the CIA George Tenet told the president "It's a Slam Dunk, Mr. President" then what would you do?]
Mayor Anderson: Well, what I would do is if the State Department's own intelligence agency telling me just exactly the opposite, and they put it in writing and they said they found it "highly dubious," those were their words, this whole notion that Saddam was trying to buy uranium from Niger, and I had that information, I'd feel like I'd either have to clear it up, and get everybody on board, get a clear consensus, or DISCLOSE IT TO CONGRESS and the American people." [i.e. the conflicting evidence used to justify an attack on Iraq].
CNN video:
http://www.cnn.com/video/partners/clickability/index.html?url=/video/politics/2007/03/19/slc.mayor.int.cnn
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Salt Lake City Mayor calls for Bush's impeachment
Monday, March 19, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/03/salt-lake-city-mayor-calls-for-bushs.html
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- He's a mayor in a state that President Bush carried by 46 percentage points in the 2004 election, but Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson told CNN Monday he thinks it's time the president should be impeached.
"We think if impeachment were ever justified, this certainly is the time," Anderson, a Utah Democrat, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "This president, by engaging in such incredible abuses of power, breaches of trust with both the Congress and the American people, and misleading us into this tragic, unbelievable war, the violation of treaties, either international or our Constitution -- our own domestic law, and then his role in heinous human rights abuses, I think all of that together calls for impeachment and certainly would communicate to the rest of the world that is not who we are as the American people." (Watch video: Mayor calls for Bush's impeachment)
Anderson also accused the president of deliberately lying about intelligence findings leading up to the war.
"He had the National Intelligence Estimates where the State Department's own intelligence agency, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, told him that they completely disagreed, as did his Department of Energy, with this whole notion that those aluminum tubes that Saddam Hussein was acquiring could be used to build up a nuclear capability," Anderson said. "And what the founders and those who engaged in the ratification debate had clearly in mind, and this was derived from the British, is that these are political crimes."
Anderson also called Congressional Democrats "timid," claiming they are withholding impeachment charges for political reasons.
"I think that they have got 2008 clearly in view," he said. "I think the Democratic Party, frankly, has been incredibly timid. And I think that there is a lot of culpability certainly with Congress and certainly with many of the Democrats in Congress."
-- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
