Impeachment is Not the Answer

There is a small but growing movement calling for the impeachment of President Bush. I strongly believe this is a wrong turn that we must avoid.

At the same time, I am sympathetic to those who look to this remedy. The constitutional circumstances for impeachment – high crimes and misdemeanors -- have perhaps never been better matched. The lies put forward to bring us to war in Iraq, and the continued misrepresentations of the truth on the ground as we remain there, are indeed crimes that have cost thousands of lives. Almost daily, more deceit and corruption are uncovered in the highest levels of the administration by individuals who retain the full confidence and support of the president.

Yet, impeachment would be a poor tool for repairing the engine of government at this point. For one thing, the process was badly trivialized by the Republicans in the political theater that was designed to embarrass President Clinton over his personal peccadilloes. For another, we simply do not have the votes in Congress to impeach. Finally, even if Bush was forced out, we would bequeath the executive office to Dick Cheney, perhaps the current de facto leader behind the scenes.

As it stands, Bush is ineligible for re-election, and Cheney is unelectable. That dynamic could change in the political civil war that would erupt in the beltway should an impeachment occur. We cannot risk a further strain on our already polarized republic.

What is the alternative? Wait it out. To paraphrase Chairman Mao – his wit, not his politics: “It is always darkest before it is completely black.” We have a tough eighteen months ahead, especially because the Democratic majority is not large enough to actually enact policy, only to obstruct.

So is it gridlock? In this case, gridlock is a positive strategy for the opposition. This administration has done more damage to American interests at home and abroad than any other that preceded it. Its ideology is egregious and it is hopelessly incompetent. These guys can’t make a cup of coffee without spilling it. I say block them in every policy initiative and implementation, and hold our collective breath till they are gone.

This is a great country. We have survived economic depression, world wars, a nuclear stand-off with the Soviets – if we play it the right way, we can survive the remainder of the Bush Administration.