Thursday, January 17, 2013

Time to Impeach the President (Retroactively)


Not President Obama, of course, but we still owe George W. Bush an impeachment. The fact that Bush was not impeached has this parallel in history:
After Andrew Johnson was impeached but not convicted, the corrupt Grant administration followed. Also after Bill Clinton was impeached but not convicted, the corrupt Bush administration followed.
I don't want to go into detail here, but President Ulysses S. Grant's corruption included the following scandals: Black Friday Gold Panic 1869; New York custom house ring; Star route postal ring; Salary grab; Sanborn contracts; Delano affair; Pratt & Boyd; Whiskey ring
Refresher on the reasons to impeach George W. Bush (retroactively):
1. Bush sanctioned the torturing of prisoners at Guantanomo Bay and Abu Ghraib in violation of the Geneva Conventions and Article VI of the Constitution:
This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
2. His administration outed a CIA agent in retaliation for her husband's criticism of the 16-word lie that led to the Iraq War, "The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."
3. Warrantless wiretapping of Americans in violation of Amendment IV of the U.S. Constitution:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
4. Violated Amendment XIV, Section 4 when he disparaged the government bonds set aside for Social Security
The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.
The Tea Party and members of Congress who don't want the United States to pay its debts are probably also guilty of violating the 14th Amendment. (In fairness to the Tea Party, however, many of its members are probably not big fans of Amendments 13-15.)

[Note: for those who argue for President Obama's impeachment because he's trying to take steps to prevent five and six year olds from being mowed down again by automatic or semi-automatic weapons, click here.]