or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
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"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
July 12, 2007
Barbara Boxer: Impeachment "Should Be On The Table. This Is As Close As We've Ever Come To A Dictatorship"
Below is a transcript and mp3 of Barbara Boxer on the Ed Schultz Show yesterday. Though she wimped out a bit at the end, she was mostly strong on the necessity of considering impeachment.
(If you haven't already, sign the ImpeachCheney.org petition and the Moveon impeachment petition.)
Listen (mp3)Posted at July 12, 2007 02:15 PM | TrackBackSCHULTZ: They're throwing down the gauntlet. They're just declaring that they're not going to change anything -- the President in Cleveland yesterday saying, we're just getting started. So in the meantime, the frustration of the American people continues to build, and I have to tell you Senator, I'm not trying to rope you into a conversation one way or another or where you're at on this, but I want to say this for our listeners: they want impeachment put back on the table. They want impeachment on the table as a bargaining chip. Because for instance, Scooter Libby, commuting the sentence, what happened today with Sarah Taylor saying she'd been instructed by the president not to say anything, Alberto Gonzales, the story today about how he was briefed over the Patriot Act and then lied a week later in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee. I mean, when is enough is enough?
BOXER: Yeah. I mean, you left out a bunch of things -- spying on citizens without a warrant, going around FISA, on and on. Look, I have always said it should be on the table. Ed, I've always said it. I was on a book tour and I ran into John Dean of Watergate fame. He was on the book tour that I was on, for his book. And it was right after we discovered that the administration was spying on our people without a warrant. And he just said, he looked at me and basically just said, as far as he could see, unless there was some explanation for this, this was impeachable. I've always said that you need to keep it on the table, and you need to look at these things, because now people are dying because of this administration. That's the truth. And they won't change course. They are ignoring the Congress. They keep signing these signing statements which mean that he's decided not to enforce the law. This is as close as we've ever come to a dictatorship. When you have a situation where Congress is stepped on, that means the American people are stepped on. So I don't think you can take anything off the table. Because in fact the Constitution doesn't permit us to take these things off the table.
SCHULTZ: Would you counsel Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid to put it on the table and make a statement before everybody goes home in August. Because they're going to get an earful from the American people when they go home.
BOXER: Well, I don't presume to tell people what to do. I have made my statements. And of course if asked I will say. I've been out there, I'm out here again today. I think, John Conyers is -- this is where impeachment starts. When Alberto Gonzales, when it came out that he fired these U.S. attorneys, that it was politics being played with it, I thought then that we should look into impeachment hearings. So I don't think it should be taken off the table.
On the other hand, we've got a war to end. We've got things that we've got to keep on doing. So if we do this right, we should give it to the appropriate committees, let them do the hard work that it entails, but we have to do something about health insurance. We have to do something about global warming. We have to end this war. We have to do something about education. And all these other things. About the budget deficit. You have to walk and chew gum at the same. And I know Nancy's point was, we have to reverse about seven years of this horrific administration's policies, and she's fearful of losing steam on that, in that regard.
Boxer? Pelosi? Who's being interviewed?
Posted by: Doug at July 12, 2007 02:58 PMBoxer, sorry. My subconscious was getting overly hopeful.
Posted by: Jonathan Schwarz at July 12, 2007 03:13 PMGet it together Schwartz. lol..Thanks for the tip. The more impeachment talk the better.
Posted by: John Amato at July 12, 2007 03:47 PMOK 1 now we need 66 more. Has anyone started a running total on possible votes for yet? 10+ co-signers or so fo Kuchinichs bills in the house.so 206 or so votes to go there as well.
(sigh)
Impeachment hearings today, war crimes tribunals tomorrow.
War crimes tribunals?
And who's gonna do it?
Remember when the term "crimes against humanity" inspired awe and hope alike? Today, yadayadayada.
Recall, from a great movie:
"The world is a college of corporation, inexorably determined by the immutable by-laws of business."
Change that, in the "developed world," and war crimes could mean something. And change the immutable blindness and intolerance spewing forth from religious "leaders" everywhere, and we could talk of humanity again.
Little pockets of sanity--some in Europe, Cuba--where some attention is paid to human beings.
And how can we even consider important matters when public discourse much of the time doesn't even reach the level of my junior high school john? (And PS 84 in Manhatten wasn't exactly preparation for doing philosophy at the U of Chicago.)
But, something could happen. I think I'm too old to expect to experience a significant change. Maybe the grandchildren will, and survive it.
Party of wimps!
Calling party of wimps!
Democratic party, your table, sans impeachment, is ready.
Enjoy your Flambéed constitution...enjoy your roasted Republic.
History will mock you, it is Democrats that will be blamed, your were given all the tools, you were too busy primping for a presidential run to perform your duty.
Well...at least you will have cocktail party invites...in place of the Republic which you forswore.
"...and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment."
Section 2. - Article. II - U.S. Constitution
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/article02/
"The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."
Section 4. - Article II - U.S. Constitution
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/impeach/constitution.html
NANCY is only a phonecall away @1-202-225-0100. Discuss IMPEACHMENT, you'll be glad you did and so will Nancy.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at July 12, 2007 09:48 PMS. Brennan: STILL waiting for the Democrats in Congress to turn into the cavalry and "ride to the rescue"? That's OUR JOB, your's and mine, and THE WHOLE WORLD is out there, in the audience, WAITING for US TO RIDE, especially in IRAQ.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at July 12, 2007 09:56 PMimpeach these idiots, impeach them now, how much longer do we have to go through this agony!!!
Posted by: maggie giono at July 13, 2007 06:51 AMImpeach for a better America.
Posted by: rain at July 13, 2007 11:51 AMImpeach for a better America.
Posted by: rain at July 13, 2007 11:51 AMIn case you didn't realize it, Cheney was in charge of NORAD on 9/11 AND the five war games simulating jets colliding with the twin towers !!!!????
HEEElllllllo-o-o-o-o-o
HOW many finger prints do we NEED HERE ??!!
I have over 900 linked stories exposing the culprits.
9/11=PNAC Plot
http://erroneousbusczh.homestead.com/9-11Plot.html
Impeachment is the topic on Bill Moyers PBS show, on tonight here at 9 pm.
Posted by: mistah charley, ph.d. at July 13, 2007 05:43 PMDonny, I think I underestimated you. I know what you're saying about Cuba too. I just wish that more defenders of Israel would realize that it is not just the Palestinians that have suffered at the hands of the Israeli military, but Latin Americans have as well. Remember, there is no country on Earth besides the US that is more cruel and violent towards Latin America. Remember Nicaragua Donny?
Posted by: at July 13, 2007 07:00 PMAnd if the Israelis don't like Chavez talking to Iran, then they should look at themselves and those to whom they have made commitments to (Pinochet, Somoza, and Batista) before they use the age-old "anti-semitic" shtick. I can barely see the IED leadership now: "Maybe people don't like being bombed, especially when they live an ocean away and have committed no act of war towards you".
Universal Israeli Humanitarianism, I am not holding my breath...
Posted by: at July 13, 2007 07:09 PM
