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Keith Olbermann brings my favorite talking head, Air America's Rachel Maddow, to discuss the fumbling and cowardly manner in which Dennis Kucinich's motion to impeach Dick Cheney was handled yesterday.

I don't know what genius political consultant has advised the Democratic leadership that it's a bad idea to hours of prime time on the floor of the Congress reminding the country that Mr. 11% Approval Rating is a bad guy, of whom they disapprove and who they would like to see held accountable. It's supposed to be Politics 101 that you associate yourself with good things and you are seen to frequently and rabidly denounce bad things. I don't know what weird Beltway consultant dictionary doesn't have a picture of Dick Cheney under the entry for "bad things." It just seems like a really shortsighted move by the Democratic leadership.

I know from the contents of my email inbox that many aides to our elected officials do read C&L. I personally was pretty slow to come to the impeachment band wagon, but at some point, you do simply have to stand up for what is right. Even if it is ultimately unsuccessful along party lines, I have to believe that Congress would not be suffering from near Cheney-like approval levels if they just stood up for what is right. In that, I echo Rachel:

The reason you impeach somebody is not because you hate them, or because they're a bad guy. You impeach somebody because you want to save their office, because you respect their office and you respect the Constitution that granted the powers to that office that exist.