David Swanson: Republicans for Impeachment

Everyone's on message. The right-wing pundits, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Rush Limbaugh, Nancy Pelosi. They're all trying to tell us that raising a demand for impeachment is good for Republicans.

Here's Barney Frank: "This is an understandable response from people who are very angry. But why do we want to energize Bush's people?"

This has taken fear to a new height. A politician not trained to begin from fear might ask "Why do we want to ignore the majority of the country that is very angry?"

Look at the polls
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/polling

In particular look at this poll
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/7237

The vast majority of Democrats, most Independents, and a majority overall are supportive of impeachment. A remarkable 85% of Democrats in Pennsylvania (the only state polled) want to vote for pro-impeachment congressional candidates. And people don't just support impeachment. They're passionate about it. Bush is the least liked president on record, excepting only Nixon, and Bush is on track to break Nixon's record this spring. Nothing will energize people to vote against Republicans like talk of impeaching Bush and Cheney. Few other issues can provide the dramatic motivation to turn out voters in an off-year election.

The Democrats have been dealt a winning hand, and they're afraid – thus far -- to sit down at the table. Instead they're on the defensive, hiding from Feingold and whining about how opposing Bush will energize Republicans. The corporate punditry meanwhile is on the offensive, pretending that impeachment is actually good for Republicans.

Well, let's see them put their money where their mouths are: contributions to pro-impeachment congressional candidates can be made at www.impeachpac.org

Why is it that I don't expect a rush of Republican contributions?

For one thing, there just aren't that many Bush-Cheney Republicans left, outside of the hired guns in the media. Bush is a very, very unpopular president, and he's twice as popular as Cheney.

The goons promoting the talking points don't really want a stronger movement for impeachment. Look how fast somebody made Senator Chafey reverse his position on censure yesterday. He told multiple media outlets he'd consider voting for censure, and then – faster than you could say Weapon of Mass Destruction – angrily declared he'd never said it.

They don't want impeachment. No pro-impeachment activist group I know of is getting any help from Republicans in power. Certainly the After Downing Street coalition is getting help from lots of lapsed Republicans who want to free the country from Bush and Cheney. But the RNC has yet to contact us.

Fear is the driving force in the Democratic Party. Thus far 32 Congress Members have shaken free of their fears enough to back Congressman John Conyers' bill for an investigation into grounds for impeachment (H Res 635). Where are the others? What are they afraid of?

The media?

Didn't they see the media mock the spineless Senators who ran in terror from Feingold's restrained little foray into the realm of action?

When will the Democrats fire their strategists, ignore their so-called leaders, and listen to the people who have the power to replace not just Republicans but DINOs (Democrats in Name Only) as well?

I have never seen anything excite a crowd like the word impeachment does today. That situation would have the president peeing in his golf shoes if we had an opposition party.

It's our task to create one.

Fund pro-impeachment candidates: www.impeachpac.org

Demand that your representative sign onto H Res 635
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/635

Go to where we still have democracy, the local level, and get your town or city or county to pass a resolution in support of impeaching Bush and Cheney. Send it to the clerk of the House of Representatives.

http://www.impeachpac.org/resolutions

ORIGINAL URL

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