vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen

3.26.2007

To impeach or not to impeach

At its annual meeting Saturday, the Democratic State Committee urged the Legislature to act on a resolution that would call for President Bush and Vice President Cheney's impeachment.

The bill is sitting quietly in the House Judiciary Committee, with no plans for its re-emergence.

Party Chairman Ian Carleton said the resolution passed overwhelmingly - though not unanimously - in a voice vote among the 50 or so state committee members. The committee members want to go where few of their own elected leaders will take them.

Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin spoke in support of the amendment. House Speaker Gaye Symington wasn't at the meeting, but she's been opposed to having the House spend time debating the issue. The three members of the state's congressional delegation have made it clear they're not interested in pursuing impeachment.

Carleton, walking a careful political line, said he believes some discussion is warranted, but he also understands that the Legislature has the cumbersome issues of property tax reform and health care reform on its plate.

Keep in mind, too that Gov. Douglas would be whapping the Legislature's collective head over spending time on issues over which it has no direct control.

So what do you recommend, folks?

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 3:06 PM |

Comments:

Health care reform is not on the table either. The chair of the Vt. Dems isn't aware of that? As well as being uninformed, it would seem he has pretty good health care coverage.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:54 PM, March 26, 2007

Impeach? For what? Defending America when the libs wouldn't? Does this mean that all Senators that voted for the war (legalizing it) should all be recalled? In all of my years watching the Vermont House and Senate gradually descend into the gutter, this one has to be the absolute lowest, most useless, most ineffectual and wasteful yet! They can't solve education problems because they might offend the NEA; likewise with all of their special interest groups that want more and more tax dollars for their own little empires. These morons can't even protect little children with a Jessica's Law because they are partially owned by the ACLU and the trial lawyers. These people defy description. (My apologies to the few real Vermonters left that hate what is happening as much as I do but are powerless because they are heavily outvoted).

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:03 PM, March 26, 2007

Health care is off the table because Douglas took it off the table. He has said that he will not support any further reform of health care.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:23 PM, March 26, 2007

I'm a real Vermonter. I think Bush and Cheney should be impeached.

Their wire tapping programs violated the 4th amendment right to privacy.

AND

They endorse and condone torture.

These are not real Vermont values. These are not real American values.

It's time to send these boys back to Texas.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:25 PM, March 26, 2007

The legislature might as well take the issue up - they aren't doing anything else. By the way - Douglas isn't the one holding up the Health Care bills that are in the Ways and Means Committee.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:01 PM, March 26, 2007

Impeachment is going nowhere in Washington, and is simply a distraction from the important business in Montpelier.

The Democrats should have passed a resolution praising Sen. Leahy for everything he is doing to call Gonzales, Rove, Miers, etc. to account for the way they are handling the US Attorney firings. Leahy's hearings will do much more to undercut what little support Bush has left than a resolution from the Vt. Legislature urging Congress to impeach Bush and Cheney.

The other thing the Democrats should have done is endorse Barack Obama, as the top-tier presidential candidate most likely to bring the Iraq war to an end as soon as possible after January 20, 2009.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:19 PM, March 26, 2007

Can anyone remember Senator ("Live-Shot") Leahy's criticisms when Clinton fired ALL 93 US Attorneys? Or how about Madam Hillary's comments TODAY that if she is elected President she will fire ALL 93 as well! Guess Bush is a slacker, letting 85 Clinton appointees stay on!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:38 PM, March 26, 2007

aye.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:22 PM, March 26, 2007

I'll second that - but lets throw in Peter Shumlin too.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:23 PM, March 26, 2007

I see that the state dimocrat committee has been meeting again. They sure can get their panties bunched up, can't they?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:13 AM, March 27, 2007

Bubba should just be ignored. His head is buried deeper in the sand then both Bush and Cheney. If you engage him/her, it just leads to an even more idiotic response. Swat like a fly? I'm in favor of that.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:08 AM, March 27, 2007

I like his idiotic responses.

They expose him for the dimwit he is.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:53 AM, March 27, 2007

Actually comments made by all of the previous "anonymouses" would actually be humerous except for the fact that if they are old enough they probably vote for the three stooges, "Larry" Sanders, "Curly" Leahy and "Moe" Welch. Have all of the other 49 states been emptying their looney bins?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:54 AM, March 27, 2007

Yea, we'd be so much better off with Tom Delay, Dennis Hastart, Mark Foley, Trent Lott or Sam Brownback.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:54 AM, March 27, 2007

Wrong forum, but what the hey. I am a diehard Dem (sorry Bubs) but if Hillary Clinton is the party's nominee in 2008, I will not vote for her until--and unless--she makes a public proclomation that Bill will keep it in his pants for the next 4-8 years. I'm dead serious too. Unwilling to suffer through that nightmare again, although, much as the Repubs want to make it so, the Monica scandal is NOTHING compared to Bush and Cheney's manipulation of the facts, destruction of civil rights and outright lies to Americans. Notice how the Repubs don't harp about Foley or Tom "I was a bug exterminator for years" Delay's scandals, but they are quick to pounce on the BJ. Must be terrible having that as your only fallback.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:16 PM, March 27, 2007

Foley was a child molesting homo that should serve a LONG time in jail. Too bad he wasn't a dimocrat like Barney Frank or Gary Studds so he could be reelected and preened over instead of vilified. As for Tom Delay, I'm still waiting for some genious dimo to tell me WHAT HE HAS BEEN CHARGED with!!!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:20 PM, March 27, 2007

Being a "homo" isn't a crime, Bubba. I know that makes you sad, but it's true.

Foley was a child predator who was protected by Hastert, Delay, Boehner and the rest of the house leadership because they wanted to retain the Republican seat.

He deserves to be punished. But the Republican Leadership didn't see it that way.

It cost a few R's the 2006 election.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:43 PM, March 27, 2007

"Bubba should just be ignored. His head is buried deeper in the sand then both Bush and Cheney"

Bubba should just be ignored. His head is buried deep in Cheney's butt.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:10 PM, March 27, 2007

Die hard democrat here - but too will not vote for Hillary Clinton - no matter what.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:21 PM, March 27, 2007

All these fools can do is babble on about impeachment, global warming, raising taxes, and whether or not cross-dressers need special privileges! And today another child is reported molested in Colchester and Vermont remains one of the few states not to have (or apparently care about) a Jessica's Law. Some priorities.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:01 AM, March 29, 2007

I consider myself very independent and I will not vote for Hillary in 2008.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:46 PM, April 02, 2007