Congressional Hearing On Bush Abuse Of Power: Rep Wexler Brings The Heat
By Logan Murphy Thursday Jul 24, 2008 5:40pm
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The House Judiciary Committee is holding hearings today on the numerous abuses of power and impeachable offenses of George W. Bush and right out of the gate, Florida Rep. Robert Wexler lays out the clear case for the need to begin impeachment hearings.
I fully recognize the significance of holding impeachment hearings and I have not come to this position lightly. Not one bit. But when an administration takes actions that amount to High Crimes, we, the Representatives of the people, are left with no option other than to seek impeachment and removal from office. Our government was founded by a delicate balance of powers, whereby one branch carefully checks the other branches to prevent a dangerous consolidation of power. The actions of this White House have eviscerated this careful balance. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue. This is an American issue. Without these checks and balances the President can run roughshod over any law with impunity. Congress must end this disturbing pattern of behavior, and in these circumstances, unfortunately, the only option left is impeachment hearings.
You got to give Wexler credit, he's been very vocal for pushing for accountability and taking the hits from the wingnuts for it. And now he's getting support from other Democrats in the House, like Maurice Hinchey:
Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) will testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Friday, July 25, 2008 during a hearing entitled, "Executive Power and Its Constitutional Limitations." Hinchey will highlight the reasons he co-authored two resolutions with U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) that formally condemn President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and former Attorney General Gonzales for misconduct regarding U.S. military involvement in Iraq and for repeated assaults on the rule of law. The hearing begins at 10:00am and can be viewed via the House Judiciary Committee's webcast.
"President Bush and senior members of his administration have repeatedly defied the Constitution, violated the law, put our country in jeopardy, and made a mockery of our judicial system," Hinchey said. "This hearing will enable the facts to be presented in a clear and straightforward way so that the Congress and the American people can more fully understand just how corruptly this administration has operated. With an eye toward the future, we must ensure that history books note that this Congress stood up to this administration and formally admonished it for all its violations of law."
Full transcript below the fold
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I applaud your tenacity and courage for calling for this hearing. For the past few months, I have vigorously argued that this committee should be immediately begin impeachment hearings. The allegations made against the Bush White House documents serious abuses that if proven, would certainly constitute High Crimes. The White House is charged with deliberately lying to Congress and the American people, manipulating intelligence regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, ordering the illegal use of torture, firing US Attorneys for political purposes, denying the legitimate Constitutional powers of congressional oversight by blatantly ordering subpoenas among countless other crimes. Never before in the history of this nation has an administration so successfully diminished the Constitutional powers of the Legislative branch. It is unacceptable and it must not stand. This is not how our Founders so carefully and delicately designed our democracy. In a deliberate effort to reduce the power of this Congress, and obstruct our ability to provide oversight over the Executive branch, President Bush has ordered Karl Rove, Harriet Miers, Josh Bolten and other administration officials to simply ignore Congress by refusing to testify. This failure of administration witnesses to even appear is unprecedented in the history of our nation. The Bush White House has distorted the concept of Executive Privilege beyond recognition in order to hide White House wrongdoings.
Faced with this litany of wrongful actions, I am convinced the most appropriate response to this unprecedented behavior is to hold hearings for impeachment. [applause] The power of impeachment—excuse me—the power of impeachment, which our Founding Fathers provided to the House of Representatives was designed precisely for this type of wrongdoing. I fully recognize the significance of holding impeachment hearings and I have not come to this position lightly. Not one bit. But when an administration takes actions that amount to High Crimes, we, the Representatives of the people, are left with no option other than to seek impeachment and removal from office. Our government was founded by a delicate balance of powers, whereby one branch carefully checks the other branches to prevent a dangerous consolidation of power. The actions of this White House have eviscerated this careful balance. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue. This is an American issue. Without these checks and balances the President can run roughshod over any law with impunity. Congress must end this disturbing pattern of behavior, and in these circumstances, unfortunately, the only option left is impeachment hearings.
We have been down this road before. Yes, we have. In 1973, Articles of Impeachment were introduced against President Nixon after he inappropriately tried to use Executive Privilege to bury evidence of his wrongdoing. I think it would be helpful to delve more deeply into what happened during the Nixon administration, particularly as it relates to the obstruction of the oversight powers of this Congress. Mr. Chairman, I thank you so much for having this hearing and giving the American people an opportunity to hear about how we can begin to take our government and our country back.
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I used to be upbeat when the Democrats got in 2006, now I'm disgusted. If anyone deserves to be impeached, it's Bush. Thanks for nothing Nancy and Harry!
Too little. Too late.
Good presentation from Rep. Wexler. But it won't matter since there never will be a vote for impeachement hearings in the full Congress.
Nothing will happen. I believe the country is lost as we have sat too long in our easy chairs and taken no action to stop it, and now, sadly I believe it is too late.
"we must ensure that history books note that this Congress stood up to this administration and formally admonished it for all its violations of law.”
History will show that this Congress enabled this adminstration every step of the way....
What took them so long? Not that it has a chance in Hell of succeeding ... but it's nice to dream.
Shouldn't that say Wexler (D) Maryland...that is where he lives.
Also, did anyone notice the guys switching name plates behind him. Too funny.
I'm all for impeaching Bush.
I am poor as a church mouse and I live in Michigan but I contribute to Wexler for Congress. As much as I can.
Here is his page.
Whats amazing is that Republicans, most of them, dont think Bush and Cheney and their ilk have done anything wrong. they march in lockstep, party first, before the country's interests. Lamar Smith, a fool from Texas, certainly doesnt care as he just says its a witch hunt, or pandering, or a fishing expedition. the rule of law, constitutional power grabs, abuse of power, eh, who cares? if they were done by a Republican clearly they are fine by him. what a failure of a legislator and an american. but we should expect nothing less than nothing less from this cretin.
The Rethuglicans in this hearing were hilarious! Their position: Bush violated the Constutution and committed impeachable offenses and high crimes, but he meant well!
I see a lot more action in the future. The debate was absolutely decisive. Bush and Cheney are criminals by any standard.
My favorite quote was from Vince Buglosi to a Rethuglican representative making his pathetic arguement: "What previously unrecognized rule of logic would allow such a conclusion".
If were all over MSM, McCain's poll numbers would drop. I can't believe how many Americans are ignorant, MSM of course doesn't help. But God! Can't people look at a newspaper or C-span? Are we as a nation that lazy? I mean our children's future is a stake!
burningbush @ 5:
Unfortunately I think in the long run everybody will blame Bush and administration. History may never recognize not how many other people turned a blind eye, because doing the right thing wasn't in their personal interest :(
Frybread @ 3:
Now is our chance to turn up the heat. This is not the time to walk away mad. It is our time to fight! PLease do not give upl
This hearing was extremely important!
But where is this all going? Is this just another song and dance or are they going forward with impeachment? I mean, come on......
I got Wexler and Waxler mixed up the other day. (Isn't Waxler the name of the spittoon who keeps threatening subpoenas and never does anything?)
But it looks like my point was made despite me. bill o'really goon squad trying to ambush journalism Wexler, not as journalism, but as political retaliation.
Jay Severin Has A Small Pen1s @ 7:
Wexler.
A name that should appear somewhere on your battered and tattered constitution!
Sorry, just for show. The elections are a few months away and the spineless elites in DC want to make sure the electorate knows that they have the appearance of actually doing something that requires courage. I know that there are some, like Kucinich, that are sincere but they are being used by those that aren't within the party to do this for their own purposes. Tell me, what has come out since Pelosi took over, when she said that impeachment was off the table, that we (and especially the enabling Democrats) didn't REALLY know? Nothing, there were impeachable offenses then, most of them grave, and the Democrats did nothing. Now, after their approval rating is in the toilet and the election is a few months away, they hold a hearing where they make clear that nothing really will happen, but they'll get members of their party to pretend like something IS happening for the media, so they have an image to sell along with their PR stunt. Nice words, again delivered by some who sincerely mean what they're saying, but done cynically for show by people like Pelosi who have far more in common with the Bush criminals than the people she represents.
Anyone catch that shot of the hawtness that is Mrs. Kucinish? rawr. =)
Noah @ 6:
Please, let us WORK on this, our common dream. We must apply good old fashioned elbow grease. It is still up to us to make the right thing happen here. Get more active, make calls, talk in public, donate to impeachment causes, lets get creative and busy together!!!!!
This is nothing more than a dog and pony show. Nothing is going to happen.
I applaud Wexler for this speech, but we all know that no action against W or Cheney will occur, much less stick.
Now, if Wexler tells us to gather weapons, ammo, and.......I might be on board. Oh, and personally I don't give a shit if he lives in Alaska, Maryland, or Florida. Why does it matter? Because Faux Noise says it matters? And all these criminals that are supposed to be representing us (ha, what a laugh) have houses or condos in the DC area.
Let's get real here. If Cheney and W can't and don't get impeached, then who can?
Welcome to the Corporate Fascist States of Amurika. And this is just the beginning.
Jackie @ 14:
There is nothing wrong with a song and dance as long as it leads in the right direction. Stop moaning and get busy!
Rep. Maurice Hinchey D-NY details the warnings of 9/11 we received before the attacks.. (beginning at 2:30 in)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CHKV-7vvYk
He also gets into the "escape" of Bin Laden at Tora Bora allowed by Don Rumsfedt so we could then shift focus towards Iraq!!
There...
That fart did it and jostled my memory.
I got him confused with Waxman.
Vincent Bugliosi Kicks some butt as well and causes some emotion...
Opening Statement ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73KIpzrUXI8
Response to Sheila Jackson Lee ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7abu9a0xtNI
Given that the human race is facing possibly its greatest crisis for a very long time, the apparent loss of ability to think is the most alarming.
G String Says....I have to concur. I think Pelosi has accomplished nothing. All that work and no results. Shocking, isn't it? It makes anyone with a functioning brain ask if that's by design?
That's why George Carlin equated voting with masturbation. Only on voting day, unlike his neighbors, Carlin had something to show for his masturbation. Sperm!
Wexler delevered a good opening remark.. Will it lead to anything??...(Sigh), probably not... None of the handwringing and oratory of other pols or the bitching and moaning of people like me and others, on blogs and letters to editors and senators and all the rest of it, in the past on this same idea has gone anywhere..... Nancy made damned sure of that up front...
But, I'm going to hope it does this time... I know, either very audacious... or else very naive.... We'll see, we'll see.....JD
burningbush @ 5:
History will be rewritten to say "All hail to the Bush administration which brought America out of the wilderness and into the promised land."
After more than a year with folks in both houses of congress, the best the Democrats can do is hearings where Pelosi and company determine ahead of time that the result will NOT be impeachment?
I had so hoped that 2006 would be the turning of the tide. Nonetheless, maybe THIS is our year.
People Get Ready! Change is Gonna Come!
One-Twenty-O-Nine
Umm...Dennis Kucinich has been saying this for 7 years. Other Democrats are finally voicing what half of America has been thinking for nearly a decade? Thanks for nothing. You had your chance with Kucinich for president and you blew it. You get what you pay (vote) for.
crazylikeafox @ 29:
Yes, and "the promised land" is a strip mall turned into a concentration camp.
Charles @ 27:
Only thing Pelosi has accomplished is keeping her snout buried deep into the taxpayer trough.
burningbush @ 5:
It looks like the Democrats are also worried about their legacy and want to manipulate history. Hopefully, history will portray them as the wimps they are.
Wexler should head the learn how to grow a pair of balls committee.
L.A. Confidential @ 33:
Yepper. She sold our asses out. No doubt about it. Maybe she was promised safe passage to an underground military base when they release the virus next month?
Great job by Wexler and others today, BUT when you have someone as impotent as Peolsi and Reed...it doesn't matter how solid a case you might have...it's over before it started.
This, of course, shows us that Pelosi and Reed would rather aid a known criminal then uphold the law.
Bushco ain't the only ones who should be on trial!
Vincent Bugliosi exposes Bush's plan to provoke a war with Saddam Hussein by painting a U2 spy plane in the colors of the United Nations and hope it gets shot down over Iraq. My God. Expose these criminals. Pass the word.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q53p34yzZac (2:47) Worth it :)
Harry Reed is a Mormon. His loyalties are to his cult like religion first, his wallet second, and us last.
Charles @ 36:
They might not need the virus. With a Feel Good Populist Prezident making people feel great about their slavery and servitude people will forget Bush Co about 15 minutes after the swearing in. Then it's time to go to pile up more nachos on the plate during the 3 minute commercial.
Call for impeachment on garbage day? I soooo expect this to go anywhere.
L.A. Confidential @ 40:
You've got to hand it to them. What a great plan. And they control everything. The banks, the schools, the churches, the police, the military, the media, congress, the judges, the police. Game, set, match. Thanks for playing. Bye, bye.
Thank you Logan.
Curly @ 2:
The Office of the President has been DEFILED!
It is NEVER too late to clean it up.
Work to preserve the essence of our Government, not to let it rot!
Mom always told me, "Better to be late then never."
Why define APATHY through chides of inaction?
Charles @ 42:
Thanks Suckers I believe the saying is.
Frybread @ 3:
If you petition your Representative, there might be.
What many... er... the MAJORITY of Americans think is that "IT" will never happen.
Your House Representative was elected to represent YOU! Make THAT work. Let them know HOW to best represent you... or is that TOO MUCH EFFORT?
webegeeks @ 4:
Why are you willing to give up on America...?
Do you not appreciate what you have?
Obviously not ENOUGH. You're willing to forgo it all in favor of what...?
What you are not willing to fight for, you never deserved to have!
.
Noah @ 6:
Dreams are made of possibilities.
It sounds like you don't seek a successful restoration of America.
Wexler was great, but let us not forget that if it was not for the courage of Dennis Kucinich, there would not even have been this hearing today. Shame on most of our Congressman and Sentors for their cowardice.
breakspear @ 9:
Many people in this Nation have been blinded by faith and Republicrat tactics.
I like Wexler a lot. I want to have hope that these criminals will be held to account.
Never confuse movement with action.
This congress leaves me feeling like the girl who kept hoping her boy toy of seven years will finally pop the question...and then set a date...and then...
I'm sick of hearings. I want justice. I want results.
breakspear @ 9:
I agree. When Smith was directing questions at his two [alleged] Republican experts, they were both shocked, shocked! that anyone could possibly conceive that this administration should be impeached. Some of the Republican congressmen, unfortunately, had a point when they noted that the hearing was taking place even though Rep. Conyers had said that it was not an impeachment hearing. Conyers should have had a genuine hearing on impeachment instead of this faux impeachment proceeding. One wonders how many Articles Kucinich needed to have listed besides the 35 [!] that he had set forth before Conyers would finally realize that this administration needed to be booted out of office as well as being tried for war crimes.
Underground Pirate @ 10:
The Republicrat argument of "good faith" makes as much sense as a crack addicted mom making the case that she's raising her child in a crack home in "good faith".
Their "good faith" was like a bleach bottle blond passing off the hair color as being "natural" when the roots are a dead give away.
It's interesting to note that when a man is telling the truth you don't have to try and figure out what he is saying. Feels good.
It was an amazing hearing.
Drama with Cindy getting kick out and history lessons showing most wars were started under false intell.
Very educational and part of history now.
They missed their chance to set an example with Nixon and doubt they will do it to with this administration.
The President is above the law.
P.D. @ 11:
I can't believe that no one blinks.
This hearing finished almost four hours ago... crickets.
I blogged it at http://www.johnconyers.com/node/227
If the president was impeached and no one reported it...
... did it happen?
Classic tree in the woods scenario...
... And C&L dropped the ball.
What? He's still there? That little assasination attempt by Bill O'Reilly about his teenagers living in his mother's house didn't take him out? This guy must be bulletproof!
Quick, call General Hayden and get his telephone and credit card records. He's a Democrat, so he MUST have hired a callgirl at some point. Maybe we can pull a Spitzer on him!
"... taking the hits from the wingnuts ..."
Where was Bill O'Reilly when Rick Santorum was financing a mansion (outside the state he represented) with a crooked mortgage deal?
But Wexler likes cocaine... "because it's a fun thing to do"
He said so on Colbert
Hard Justice @ 12:
91% polled disagree with your assessment of CONgressional performance.
print the constitution on a klondike bar wrapper, maybe congress outside of this dog and pony show will do something for it..
Jackie @ 14:
Tell your House Representative where it needs to go.
They are supposed to represent you... NO?
Have not read above comments, so mine may be redundant.
My question: "How are the majority of the American public going to be aware of
these alleged abuses of power when the ONLY media carrying the hearings is one
channel on the CSPAN channels?"
The MSM is not carrying nor giving these hearing
any coverage/attention, consequently most citizens are not even aware that they
are going on. It is the Main Stream Media who is to blame for the lack of knowledge
and they are the guilty party to whom we should all be pointing our middle finger.
Conyers looks and sounds like he would like to be anywhere else in the world today, and of course he set the guidelines such that there could be no real discussion about impeachment, nor would he let anyone show any emotion about what was being discussed.
The democrats, as many have pointed out here, are as guilty of what is going on in Washington as Bush is. They are all of the same party. Until everyone, including bloggers here, get that reality, this country is in big, big trouble.
I wonder if this will come to anything, or just fizzle out like others have. This nation has never impeached a president and removed them from office. If Dubya's the first, that's a dubious historical first for him.
Charles @ 36:
You predicting that the Govt is going to pull a false flag operation to have an excuse for marshal law and indefinate 'postponement' of the presidential election process?
Bush: First Prime Minister of the USA, 2008 -> Until everyone that hates America is dead. [And that includes anyone in the USA that wants to make us a Democracy again.]
P.D. @ 11:
You nailed it...ONLY one, not frequently viewed by most,TV station(CSPAN) giving this coverage whereas the other MSM are busy w/Britney,Paris,Brad P. etc...
General_Rennenkampf @ 65:
The intent is not to remove him from office. The point now is to have the hearings. If hearings are taking place, he can't pardon anyone. My uderstanding anyway.
I watched the whole thing. And the Republicans once again trotted out their three talking points:
1. Pre-war Quotes from Democrats saying Saddam had WMD.
2. Claims that "all the intelligence services" thought like us (us=Bush)
Not a single Dem responded, when in fact what needs to be said about (1) is that these quotes
almost all concern just biological and chemical warfare, and any that mention nuclear do so at a
later date, evidence of how the Bushies misled. About (2), this is similar: no foreign intelligence service claimed that Saddam was a nuclear threat. None agreed about the niger yellowcake buy, none agreed
that the aluminum tubes were suitable for nuclear weaponry.
It's too bad that the Dems apparently haven't learned the easy rebuttals to these inevitable talking points. And
there was even a claim based on a Canadian newspaper article made by one of the Repubs that
500 tons of yellowcake uranium had been sold and transported to Canada in 2006. Proof that the Niger story was true!!! Well. Duh. That
was the yellowcake that Saddam had for years prior to the war, which the UN knew about and in fact
had sealed. But not a single Dem mentioned this. So whoever was watching the procedings believing that Saddam had WMD, including nuclear, that he was therefore a threat, etc etc, would not be disabused of these errors. Typically proof Democratic performance.
burningbush @ 5:
especially between 2000- 2006.......a lot of damage was done during those years and many wanted miracles with the present legislative branch.....well the damage was in motion...signing statements,veto,
secrecy and executive privilege.....nobody was ready for an administration like this for those of you who voted for this....assclown...you can thank addington and cheney.....many of you want to completely blame todays congress/senate.....paper thin majority
my point (3), concerns how the Republicans gloss over the fact that the Bush Administration, beginning summer 2002, all but abandoned the biological and chemical WMD justification, because it wasn't flying with the public, and launched the Big Scare: the nuclear scenario. From Aug 2002 through March 2003,
that was their principal drumbeat. And, of course, no Dems called them on this.
If Bush were successfully impeached, would this stop him from collecting a pension, future medical benefits, or lifelong Secret Service protection, all financed by American taxpayers?
#69: typo: should be concluding with "typically poor Democratic performance". And I agree that Conyers doesn't inspire much enthusiasm in anyone.
Don @ 71:
Yeah, many of us remember the "mushroom cloud" mentioned by Cuntilee Rice.
Ron @ 68:
Ah, but impeachment is constitutionally given to remove a person from office for crimes. I expect the Congress to go the whole hog with this, not just the bacon.
General_Rennenkampf @ 65:
the removal of a sitting president while the nation is embroiled in a "preemptive war" (read that "war of aggression") would be catastrophic to the nation, and would be tantamount to putting a bounty on the head of every single member of the American military stationed abroad. Ditto the diplomats, embassies would burn everywhere.
Impeachment will not happen until congress is backed by an administration that respects the constitution.
Remember, "we" have a majority in two houses.. but if battling the minority means also battling the DOJ and a rogue Administration that invents it's own laws and owns the propoganda/media complex, they don't stand a chance.
They can fight against the "Patriot" act.. and get smeared for it to the point it costs Obama the election.
Or, they can wait and let Obama eliminate it with the stroke of a pen, with no opposition at all.
think about it... push and risk losing it all pretty much forever, or just wait for the inevitable victory.
The right choice is not always the expedient or even popular one.
General_Rennenkampf @ 74:
KIf no one is pardoned the trials can begin.
What happens in your country with past presidents who are charged with crimes while in office?
Are they afforded more protection from such charges than ordinary citizens?
G String @ 18:
The Offices of the President and Vice President have been tainted. If this is "all for show" then CONgress has played America, instituting to the Offices of President and Vice President, the ability to continue on the lawless path. That the Executive is the ultimate arbiter of the law, interpreter of the law... a dictator!
Currently, the Republic is at stake.
American citizens have been reduced to peons and small fry.
American unalienable Rights have been usurped BY Congress and signed into LAW by the president.
The Patriot Act was just the first.
The renewal of the P.A. was next.
The M.C.A. of 2006 revoked ALL PERSON'S Right to Habeas Corpus based on hearsay and/or by authorization of the president or the A.G., only to be restored by the SCOTUS.
The Immunization Bill was the latest. You have no Right to pursue Justice should your privacy be violated by the Government.
It is ever more important to FORCE your Representative to support and defend the Constitution, FAITHFULLY and without ANY mental reservations OR a purpose of evasion. IT IS THEIR OATH!
However, not many Americans know what their Patriotic obligation to the Republic is. VOTE OUT TREASON!
one of the reasons for the urgency of the iraq attack was
there was increasing international pressure to reduce/stop
sanctions.....if those sanctions were lifted other countries
and corporations would have got involved in business in iraq. it would not look favorable to bomb foreign companies doing business in iraq.