IT'S TIME TO START THE IMPEACHMENT

As a country, we were led into an illegal war on the lies and fallacies of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and others. Congress is the only government institution with the power to declare war, and then only when the United States has been attacked directly by a foreign power.

From the Kennebec Journal in Maine:

Illegal Iraq war justifies impeachment proceedings

The case of the impeachment of George W. Bush is a valid one because he lied us into the illegal war with Iraq without consulting Congress, which is in violation of Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, which clearly states, "The Congress shall have the power ... to declare War."

Sadly, like Congress, the judiciary also ignored its constitutional responsibility in this case. It refused to intervene and uphold the Constitution.

The only instance in which the Constitution gives a president the right to wage war without congressional consent is if this country is suddenly attacked. But this country was never attacked by Iraq, nor was Saddam Hussein a threat.

The fabrication that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction or links to al-Qaida originates with Karl Rove, Bush's brain and advisor, who lacks soul, who is well experienced in stabbing political opponents in the back, and who led the nation into an illegal war in order to improve the political prospects of the president. Bush has taken the assumption that he can declare war against any country of his choosing.

Since the Iraq war was unwarranted and promoted deceptively, impeachment proceedings are justified, not only against the president but also members of his administration, the likes of Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and Donald Rumsfeld, under Article 11, Section 4 of the Constitution.

Dee C. Brown Jr.

From the Constitution of the United States of America:

Article I
Section 8. The Congress shall have the Power
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water

Supreme Court of the United States (1849), "The genius and character of our institutions are peaceful and the power to declare war was not conferred upon Congress for purposes of aggression or aggrandizement, but to enable the general government to vindicate by arms, if it should become necessary, its own rights and the rights of its citizens.", and never for any other reason.


Article II
Section 4. 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.

Treason and bribery were the worst offences in the public life of England at that time. By a later provision of the Constitution the many and vague treasons in English law were reduced in this country to two definite faults: (1) waging war against the United States, or (2) adhering to its enemies. In 1787, while the Constitutional Convention was in session, Warren Hastings, the first Governor General of Bengal, was by the House of Commons impeached "of high crimes and misdemeanors." Hence, probably, the same words in our Constitution. As the charges against Hastings were of confiscation of property and oppressiveness in government, the English definition of the words may be inferred from the accusation. The managers of the impeachment of President Johnson contended that "an impeachable crime or misdemeanor... may consist of a violation of the Constitution, of law, of an official oath, or of duty, by an act committed or omitted, or, without violating a positive law, by abuse of discretionary powers from improper motives, or from any improper purpose."