Dick Cheney is a national punishment we have inflicted on ourselves. We can't impeach him any more than we can stop invading other countries. He is America without the self-delusion. He is our ugly, truthful mirror, talking out of the side of his mouth, robbing the piggy-banks of generations to come, wiping his rear with the Constitution. Just the kind of rugged, "go f**k yourself" individualist we idolize in movies and TV. We may complain, but we won't touch him. He'll retire with multiple government pensions, board memberships in a couple of dozen corporate Frankenstein monsters, and the adoration of every ditto-headed Republican creep. But there is a price to pay for being so banally evil. His own body has tried to kill him several times and it won't give up as easily as the people who mutter about "impeachment." Most likely he'll go the way of look-alike William Casey and succumb to a brain tumor. And we'll discover that America's foreign and domestic policy for the first years of the 21st Century was concocted by a cancerous mass.

One notices that you have likely read the WaPo series on Cheney and followed the liberal media's smear campaign, adapting every standard view as your own, adding only your personal bile. Are you blaming cancer victims in general for their cancer then or is only Cheney to blame for his cancer?

The sad part of the story is that the old men in government receive regular medical checkups but does anyone check their mental health?.

Do we even know that Cheney is sane?. Remember the American people were not told Reagan was in the early stages of Alzhiemers when he was dropping off to sleep and forgetting his words.

Is it to much to ask that mental health be tested.

One more year and six months. We can make it, the worst is past, unless there is one more country we are going to invade.

I am just thankful that he is not some young, virile, healthy sort that is about to run unopposed to be our next President.

He is scary enough as an all-powerful Vice President. I would hate to think what mischief he could do as a full-fledged President.

Jen

read Harry's post below.

Why are the American People wimping out on this man? I don't understand. If we lived in another country in another time: We would storm his Bastille...Lock him up forever in the Tower of London or hang him upside down in the village square.

Let's at least try and find the courage to impeach him. It could happen........................­.........somehow.

I love this sentence cause it is soooooo true......" And we'll discover that America's foreign and domestic policy for the first years of the 21st Century was concocted by a cancerous mass."

'Irony' and 'Honesty' at it's best.

Thanks for your wonderful post

bandy-aid

IMPEACH CHENEY FOR HIGH CRIMES CHENEY COMMITTED

Fortunately, Alberto Gonzales has resigned, along with Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, Meirs and Rove. Their resignations are a good beginning, but inadequate to repair the damage done to our nation, constitution, Bill of Rights and democracy. The Nixon White House collapsed quickly, when Congress began issueing subpoenas and holding hearings. Congress should not fear a backlash from impeachment. Democrats gained the Presidency when they impeached Nixon - Republicans gained the White House when they attempted to impeach Clinton.

Impeachment of Cheney and Bush is vital to restoration of the republic. The Bush administration apparently is operating an illegal politically motivated domestic spying program, in violation of the fourth admendment, and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. President Bush has written over 700 unconstitutional "signing statements."

The Iraqi civil war continues, with no end in sight and Bush continues to veto every bill Congress passes to limit spending for this disastrous military misadventure. Dick Cheney knew invading Iraq would be a mistake, in the 1990's and went on record, explaining why, in this televised interview.
<link>

Congress has been unable to accomplish anything significant, since Bush vetoes any meaningful laws passed by Congress. The minimum wage increase passed but was so minimal and obviously inadequate that it is insignificant. Nancy Pelosi is wrong - Cheny and Bush must be impeached, if Congress is to accomplish anything significant.

Here is one of many specific high crimes, which was commited by Vice President Cheney:

George Bush and Dick Cheney passed false information to Congress about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction capabilities, to wit, their possession of chemical weapons, biological weapons, and delivery systems. Furthermore, George Bush and Dick Cheney passed false information to Congress by falsely stating that Iraq was an imminent threat to the United States and that military action was therefore necessary. The false statements are detailed, on Dennis Kucinich's website.

Law violated:
18 USC 1001.

Whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States knowingly and willfully falsifies, conceals or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact, or makes any false, fictitious or fraudulent statements or representations, or makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or entry, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

Nineteen Representatives have now cosponsored H Res 333, Articles of Impeachment for Dick Cheney. Even a poll paid for by Republicans found a majority favored Impeachment of Cheney. Adequate evidence of high crimes and misdeameanors already exists and more will emerge, with investigations.

I do not believe 34 Republican Senators would be willing to risk their seats, by opposing a Cheney conviction in the Senate. Twenty two Republican Senators are up for relection, in 2008. At least four Republican Senators have already announced they are not running for reelection. Republican Congressmen persuaded Gonzales to resign, before he was impeached. Republicans will force Cheney to resign, to avoid repeated coverage of Congressional investigations of Cheney's crimes and probable political advertisements, emphasizing Cheney's crimes.

If Cheney is not removed before the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, next August, both parties will be targeted with daily Impeachment demonstrations. Republicans will want to avoid this and prevent losing even more Senators. Loss of 22 Senators, supporting Dick Cheney would be disastrous to the Republicans, in 2008, with a Democratic president, Democratic House of Representatives and Democratic Senate.

It is time to circulate Resolutions for Impeachment petitions locally, at the city, county and state level, to help our cowardly Congress find courage to perform their constitutional duty.

The founding fathers pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor, with a firm reliance on divine providence, to establish this republic. When will the House of Representatives take an effective stand against the culture of corruption, in the Republican administration, by passing Articles of Impeachment?

The reasons for the 2002 Authorization to Use Military Force in Iraq, are not valid today. The resolution was based on lies that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, which were not found. Saddam Hussein was captured and executed. Iraq is not a serious threat to any other nation. The 2002 authorization does not authorize the Iraq occupation.

The Iraq occupation is illegal and unconstitutional. ONLY CONGRESS CAN DECLARE WAR Congress needs to stand up to Bush and defend the Constitution.

Here is a letter sent to the Washington Post, by twelve courageous Army Iraq veterans, who value our nation, more than their careers. They have told the truth, about the Iraq occupation:

The Real Iraq We Knew
By 12 former Army captains
Tuesday, October 16, 2007; 12:00 AM

Today marks five years since the authorization of military force in Iraq, setting Operation Iraqi Freedom in motion.

Five years on, the Iraq war is as undermanned and under-resourced as it was from the start. And, five years on, Iraq is in shambles.

As Army captains who served in Baghdad and beyond, we've seen the corruption and the sectarian division. We understand what it's like to be stretched too thin. And we know when it's time to get out.

What does Iraq look like on the ground?

It's certainly far from being a modern, self-sustaining country. Many roads, bridges, schools and hospitals are in deplorable condition. Fewer people have access to drinking water or sewage systems than before the war. And Baghdad is averaging less than eight hours of electricity a day.

Iraq's institutional infrastructure, too, is sorely wanting. Even if the Iraqis wanted to work together and accept the national identity foisted upon them in 1920s, the ministries do not have enough trained administrators or technicians to coordinate themselves. At the local level, most communities are still controlled by the same autocratic sheiks that ruled under Saddam. There is no reliable postal system. No effective banking system. No registration system to monitor the population and its needs.

The inability to govern is exacerbated at all levels by widespread corruption. Transparency International ranks Iraq as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. And, indeed, many of us witnessed the exploitation of U.S. tax dollars by Iraqi officials and military officers.

Sabotage and graft have had a particularly deleterious impact on Iraq's oil industry, which still fails to produce the revenue that Pentagon war planners hoped would pay for Iraq's reconstruction. Yet holding people accountable has proved difficult. The first commissioner of a panel charged with preventing and investigating corruption resigned last month, citing pressure from the government and threats on his life.

Against this backdrop, the U.S. military has been trying in vain to hold the country together. Even with "the surge," we simply do not have enough soldiers and marines to meet the professed goals of clearing areas from insurgent control, holding them securely and building sustainable institutions. Though temporary reinforcing operations in places like Fallujah, An Najaf, Tal Afar, and now Baghdad may brief well on PowerPoint presentations, in practice they just push insurgents to another spot on the map and often strengthen the insurgents' cause by harassing locals to a point of swayed allegiances. Millions of Iraqis correctly recognize these actions for what they are and vote with their feet -- moving within Iraq or leaving the country entirely.

Still, our colonels and generals keep holding on to flawed concepts.
U.S. forces, responsible for too many objectives and too much "battle space," are vulnerable targets.

The sad inevitability of a protracted draw-down is further escalation of attacks -- on U.S. troops, civilian leaders and advisory teams. They would also no doubt get caught in the crossfire of the imminent Iraqi civil war.

Iraqi security forces would not be able to salvage the situation. Even if all the Iraqi military and police were properly trained, equipped and truly committed, their 346,000 personnel would be too few. As it is, Iraqi soldiers quit at will. The police are effectively controlled by militias. And, again, corruption is debilitating. U.S. tax dollars enrich self-serving generals and support the very elements that will battle each other after we're gone.

This is Operation Iraqi Freedom and the reality we experienced. This is what we tried to communicate up the chain of command. This is either what did not get passed on to our civilian leadership or what our civilian leaders chose to ignore. While our generals pursue a strategy dependent on peace breaking out, the Iraqis prepare for their war -- and our servicemen and women, and their families, continue to suffer.

There is one way we might be able to succeed in Iraq. To continue an operation of this intensity and duration, we would have to abandon our volunteer military for compulsory service. Short of that, our best option is to leave Iraq immediately.

A scaled withdrawal will not prevent a civil war, and it will spend more blood and treasure on a losing proposition.

America, it has been five years. It's time to make a choice.

This column was written by 12 former Army captains: Jason Blindauer served in Babil and Baghdad in 2003 and 2005. Elizabeth Bostwick served in Salah Ad Din and An Najaf in 2004. Jeffrey Bouldin served in Al Anbar, Baghdad and Ninevah in 2006. Jason Bugajski served in Diyala in 2004. Anton Kemps served in Babil and Baghdad in 2003 and 2005. Kristy (Luken) McCormick served in Ninevah in 2003. Luis Carlos Montalván served in Anbar, Baghdad and Nineveh in 2003 and 2005. William Murphy served in Babil and Baghdad in 2003 and 2005. Josh Rizzo served in Baghdad in 2006. William "Jamie" Ruehl served in Nineveh in 2004. Gregg Tharp served in Babil and Baghdad in 2003 and 2005. Gary Williams served in Baghdad in 2003.

Wexler calls for Judiciary Committee Impeachment hearings

Indeed, some House members not associated with Kucinich’s resolution are now openly calling for immediate hearings into Cheney’s impeachable actions—specifically lying the country into a war in Iraq, and threatening war with Iran.

One indication of the change in the political climate in the House is the announcement by Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), a six-term congressman and a member of the House Judiciary Committee, that he will call for the Judiciary Committee to take up Kucinich’s impeachment bill. This is significant because Wexler, no left-wing hothead, is not a co-signer of the Kucinich bill.

In an email message to constituents, Wexler said:
“I share your belief that Vice President Cheney must answer for his deceptive actions in office, particularly with regard to the preparations for the Iraq war and the revelation of the identity of covert agent Valerie Plame Wilson as part of political retribution against her husband.”

“…Cheney and the bush Administration have demonstrated a consistent pattern of abusing the law and misleading Congress and the American people. We see the consequences of these actions abroad in Iraq and at home through the violations of our civil liberties. The American people are served will with a legitimate and thorough impeachment inquiry. I will urge the Judiciary Committee to schedule impeachment hearings immediately and not let this issue languish as it has over the last six months. Only through hearings can we begin to correct the abuses of Dick Cheney and the bush administration; and if it is determined in these hearings that Vice President Cheney has committed High Crimes and Misdemeanors, he should be impeached and removed from office. It is time for Congress to expose the multitude of misdeeds of the Administration and I am hopeful that the Judiciary Committee will expeditiously begin an investigation of this matter.”

Also calling for prompt action by the Judiciary Committee in the wake of the Tuesday House vote was Carol Shea-Porter, a first-term Democrat from New Hampshire, who also is not a sponsor of the Kucinich measure. In explaining her vote to send the Kucinich bill to the Judiciary Committee, she said:

“It is the duty of the Vice President to faithfully execute the laws of the United States of America and to defend the Constitution. There is growing evidence that the Executive Branch has ignored some of our laws and has attempted to bend the Constitution to its will. Members of both parties decided that this issue is too important to ignore. I voted with my Republican and Democratic colleagues to investigate the Vice President’s actions in office.”

She characterized the resolution sending the bill to the Judiciary Committee a “strongly bi-partisan vote.”
With these kinds of endorsements and calls for action, it is clear both that Speaker Pelosi is looking increasingly pathetic and out of touch with her “impeachment is off the table” mantra, and also that Judiciary Chair John Conyers (D-MI), who seems to have been intimidated by the Speaker for the past year, but who earlier had been a leader in exposing the crimes of the Bush/Cheney administration, is getting strong support for taking a bolder stand.

Stephen Cohen (D-TN), a member of the Judiciary Committee who is a co-sponsor of the Kucinich resolution, says he thinks that there will be an impeachment hearing in the committee.

According to this article, Cheney's a sitting target. The real mystery in all this is Nancy Pelosi and the numerous other Democrats who oppose impeachment. Can anyone explain?