The difficulty is/will be in proving that someone "lied" rather than provided "bad information." Lying requires demonstraton of prior intent. I agree with this - it's not as clear cut a situation as Clinton's was. However, these memos, if true and accurate, imply that he did lie to the Congress in his dealings there.
Yeah, but to him the memos are fake because all it takes is an unfounded accusation to completely invalidate documented evidence as long as the evidence indicts Bush.
Did anyone see the hardball interview with Smith last night? The only reason anything was destroyed was because it could be traced back to the source and uncover the source's identity. As far as typing them over, and using copies, that was all done at the request of the source's attornies. Again, nobody in the govt. denied them as being fake ever. He also mentioned the brief that goes along with this as being more important than the memo itself. He said the brief shows that that they went to the UN, not in any effort to to have a non-military solution, but were just going through the motions so that they could make the claim that they went to the UN and hopefully legalize the military action against Iraq. It all backs up what others in the administration including war supporters such as Lawrence Eagleburger have already said. The truth is out there, now, and with proof. It is just a matter of whether anyone will pay any attention.
I still don't understand how being a lawyer is relevant to being impeached. Anyway, yes, he ultimately was proven to have lied once the politically motivated charges forced him before a grand jury. Why do you feel lying before a Grand Jury is a "high crime?" Giddyup, if the BJ had not happened, would we be having this conversation?
Clinton was impeached because the House and Senate had republican majorities and they knew they could force the proceedings through if they only get their party together. Bush will NEVER be impeached even if blatent evidence is unearthed because he owns the House and Senate. They won't even have enough support to start a formal investigation much less conduct proceedings much less actually impeach. Even if something concrete is unearthed, the Republicans have shown they are willing and able to change the rules on the fly to protect their own.
high crimes and misdemeanors. i think it's deplorable to lie before a grand jury. awful. seriously, i think it's worthy of impeachment. i think it strikes at the very core of what makes our judicial system work. when you have the chief executive skirting it to protect himself, you have a problem, whether the guy's name is bush or clinton or peabody or speed racer. doesn't matter. rule of law, not rule of man. we ought to expect more of our leaders than that. i hate when people make excuses for people cheating/lying/stealing to protect their own power...no matter on what side of the political fence it's done. as for the relevance of clinton being an attorney. he was ultimately disbarred. so he wasn't qualified to practice law anymore. but he can be president. right.
MadMax, that was pretty much EXACTLY what I was looking for...and what Giddyup didn't want to say...because he knew the answer. He knew that what applied to Clinton also SHOULD apply to Bush. But Bush will never be impeached...because of sheer politics. Repubs own a majority in the House and Senate and therefore impeachment proceedings will never get off the ground due to partisan voting. Regarding principal, I agree. Legally and technically, there is nothing in the Constitution that says a lawyer who gets disbarred is disqualified from being president. You see how silly that sounds, right?
I agree except in the case of Speed Racer. Sometimes Speed might have to lie to a grand jury to save Racer X, or protect Pops. I think Speed would find a way to avoid having to lie, but if Trixy was involved and it would protect those others he might have to. I am sure Speed would feel awful about it afterwards, which is all the more reason to cut him some slack.
i do. but it still doesn't sound as silly to me, practically, as saying that one does not meet the ethical requirements to serve as a lawyer in a small southern state...but does meet the ethical requirements to serve as the chief executive of the nation.
Speaking of Speed Racer I'm really suprised no one has made a live action film. I think it would be great! carry on...
