On April 24, 2007, presidential hopeful Dennis J. Kucinich introduced articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney. While Kucinich could find no one to co-sponsor his articles of impeachment, he is not alone in calling for the impeachment of Cheney. In the Vermont state legislature, they voted on resolution to encourage the Congressional members to pursue impeachment against both Bush and Cheney, it passed in their senate and failed in their house with a roll call vote of 60-87. Rosie O'Donnell, who reaches 30 million viewers daily, has repeatedly called for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney. On April 28, 2007, a number of groups, including After Downing Street, CODE PINK Women for Peace, Gold Star Families for Peace, Green Party of the United States, Hip Hop Caucus, MichaelMoore.com, Progressive Democrats of America, and the World Can't Wait-Drive Out the Bush Regime, participated in Impeach 07, a national Day of protest and the launching of Impeachment Summer. Progressive activist hoped to introduce a resolution for impeachment at the California Democratic Convention, taking place April 27th and 28th, 2007.
However, most Democrats have little or no interest in pursuing impeachment proceedings. The clock is already ticking on the Bush administration and most Democrats would rather focus their efforts on the future, not past crimes. Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi took impeachment off the table at the May 2006 caucus meeting. She has made it clear that Democrats have more to gain if they focus on maintaining a Democratic congress and electing a Democratic President. She said, “I totally oppose the impeachment of the President. We have to use our energies to end this war.” Though she went on to add, “In some ways, it is a wonderful advocacy piece for those who want to use it outside, to express rejection of the Presidents policies.”
Kucinich’s eighteen-page resolution certain expresses rejection of the Presidents policy as it lays out the evidence for the three charges he levels against Cheney. First, that Cheney manipulated the intelligence process by fabricating the threat of weapons of mass destruction to justify the war in Iraq. Second, that Cheney deceived the citizens and Congress about the relationship between Iraq and Al Qaeda to justify the war in Iraq. Third, Cheney has, “openly threatened aggression against the Republic of Iran, absent any real threat to the United States, and has done so with the United States’ proven capability to carry out the threats.”
Kucinich’s motion won’t go far with out any co-sponsors. The media barely noticed the protests, if fact they have given far more attention to Rosie O'Donnell’s rants. But I do think that the intense interest Americans are already showing in the 2008 elections reflects their desire to be done with the Bush administration. They are looking forward to a new administration and new future.