There is a part of me that wants to be blind to the possibility ... okay, likelihood that this action by Kucinich is partly ... sigh, okay, mostly being done for the publicity value, but this is why I love Dennis so much: even if conventional wisdom says that there's no way he stands a shot at securing the Democratic nomination in 2008, he can still use his position as a candidate to push issues like this, and force other Democrats into taking positions on the kinds of things that actual liberals care about. For all the talk about the possible impeachment of members of this administration in the left, no one's had the audacity, the courage, the balls to force centrist Democrats to articulate exactly why they don't support impeachment. Sure, some Democrats have talked to the press about why they don't believe impeachment is a good thing, but Kucinich is now going to force them onto the official record with their stances, and that is going to change the face of the 2008 election.

For example, Nancy Pelosi mentions in this article that she thinks articles of impeachment would distract people from the Democrats' agenda, and that impeaching anyone in this administration wouldn't be "worth it." Okay, first of all, not that I don't think political parties aren't important, but I think there comes a point where you need to stop worrying about pimping your party's so-called "agenda" and start worrying about the health of the nation, and the world, as a whole. Secondly, I actually think it's kind of insulting to say that impeaching the members of this administration wouldn't be "worth it" when it is clear that the administration is going to cut off any attempts by the Democrats to stop the war. What about the thousands of American troops who have already died, Madame Speaker? What about all the Iraqi civilians that have been killed in the wake of the sectarian violence fueled by our continued occupation of Iraq? Are they worth it? How many more people have to die before you start putting the good of the nation and the world above the good of the Democratic Party?

Less than ten years ago this country faced only the second series of Presidential impeachment hearings ever, over something as utterly trivial and meaningless as whether or not oral sex actually counts as sex. Even though the Republicans lost seats in the 1998 election in part because the public got sick and tired of the impeachment affair, once the hearings were over they actually won seats in the House and gained the Presidency in spite of the biggest peacetime economic growth in this country's history. I don't think asking the question of whether or not the conduct of members of the current administration rises to the level of impeachable offence is too much to ask.

Comment by  joepet at 27/4/07 11:02:
If you're into podcasts, check out the latest edition of ABC Shuffle,

"4/26/07: Presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich explains his plan for Iraq, accusing fellow Democrats of "rolling over" on the issue of the war. "

 

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