Why I Believe Bush Must Go By George McGovern ,The Washington Post, Sunday 06 January 2008
also to be found at:
truthout or at Information Clearing House
Nixon was bad. These guys are worse.
As we enter the eighth year of the Bush-Cheney administration, I have belatedly and painfully concluded that the only honorable course for me is to urge the impeachment of the president and the vice president.
Bush and Cheney are clearly guilty of numerous impeachable offenses. They have repeatedly violated the Constitution. They have transgressed national and international law. They have lied to the American people time after time. Their conduct and their barbaric policies have reduced our beloved country to a historic low in the eyes of people around the world. These are truly "high crimes and misdemeanors," to use the constitutional standard.
From the beginning, the Bush-Cheney team's assumption of power was the product of questionable elections that probably should have been officially challenged - perhaps even by a congressional investigation.
In a more fundamental sense, American democracy has been derailed throughout the Bush-Cheney regime. The dominant commitment of the administration has been a murderous, illegal, nonsensical war against Iraq. That irresponsible venture has killed almost 4,000 Americans, left many times that number mentally or physically crippled, claimed the lives of an estimated 600,000 Iraqis (according to a careful October 2006 study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) and laid waste their country. The financial cost to the United States is now $250 million a day and is expected to exceed a total of $1 trillion, most of which we have borrowed from the Chinese and others as our national debt has now climbed above $9 trillion - by far the highest in our national history.
All of this has been done without the declaration of war from Congress that the Constitution clearly requires, in defiance of the U.N. Charter and in violation of international law. This reckless disregard for life and property, as well as constitutional law, has been accompanied by the abuse of prisoners, including systematic torture, in direct violation of the Geneva Conventions of 1949.
How could a once-admired, great nation fall into such a quagmire of killing, immorality and lawlessness?
It happened in part because the Bush-Cheney team repeatedly deceived Congress, the press and the public into believing that Saddam Hussein had nuclear arms and other horrifying banned weapons that were an "imminent threat" to the United States. The administration also led the public to believe that Iraq was involved in the 9/11 attacks - another blatant falsehood.
The basic strategy of the administration has been to encourage a climate of fear, letting it exploit the 2001 al-Qaeda attacks not only to justify the invasion of Iraq but also to excuse such dangerous misbehavior as the illegal tapping of our telephones by government agents. The same fear-mongering has led government spokesmen and cooperative members of the press to imply that we are at war with the entire Arab and Muslim world - more than a billion people.
I believe we have a chance to heal the wounds the nation has suffered in the opening decade of the 21st century. This recovery may take a generation and will depend on the election of a series of rational presidents and Congresses. At age 85, I won't be around to witness the completion of the difficult rebuilding of our sorely damaged country, but I'd like to hold on long enough to see the healing begin.
also see BBC.Com McGovern urges Bush's impeachment,Jan. 7, 2008
Mr McGovern launches a scathing attack on the current administration
Former US presidential candidate George McGovern says the case for impeaching President Bush is "far stronger" than it was against Richard Nixon.
Mr McGovern lost the 1972 presidential election to Nixon, who resigned in 1974 amid the Watergate scandal.
George W Bush is guilty of "numerous impeachable offences", Mr McGovern writes in a Washington Post article.
These include, he says, the Iraq war, the Guantanamo detentions and the neglect of Hurricane Katrina's victims.
And yet Bush and Cheney are at it again trying to start another war . This time it is Iran . And with the help of Hilary Clinton they have a ready-made excuse .Since as of a vote in the house in September the Revolutionary Guard of Iran are now labeled a " terrorist Organization '. Hilary voted in favor of that piece of legislation since she believed the Bush propaganda that Iran was building Nuclear weapons . Therefore with this so-called provocation they can legally attack them. or if not this time maybe during another provocation. Legal being a relative term with this bunch . And right or wrong are merely a matter of perspective .In the name of expansion and plunder anything goes .Or is it just another attempt to instill even more fear into the American populace. Or will they be able to see through the lies and propaganda.Hopefully Barack Obama and John Edwards won't be fooled. Whereas Hilary may welcome a clear cut provocation by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard against American forces then the Iranians would be shown to be a threat thereby vindicating Hilary Clinton.Then she might use this fact as proof Obama and Edwards are too naive and inexperienced etc.
U.S. says Iranian gunboats harassed warships Officials describe incident as a 'significant provocative act'
By Jim Miklaszewski
NBC News
01/08/08 "NBC" -- - WASHINGTON - Iranian Revolutionary Guard gunboats harassed three U.S. Navy warships in the Strait of Hormuz Sunday, in what the U.S. military officials described as a "significant provocative act."
Military officials told NBC News Monday that two U.S. Navy destroyers and one frigate were heading into the Persian Gulf through the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz when five armed "fast boats" of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard approached a high speed, darting in and out of the formation.
At one point a radio message from one of the Iranian boats warned, "You are going to blow up within minutes."
The Navy warships went into defensive mode, radioed the usual warnings to steer clear, and in the end no shots were fired. U.S. military warships believe the Revolutionary Guard boats were "testing our defenses," the officials said.
The White House warned Tehran against taking such actions in the future. "We urge the Iranians to refrain from such provocative actions that could lead to a dangerous incident in the future," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
And here is a surreal bit: Republican candidate Huckabee speaking about evolution and Intelligent Design - what does this have to do with the problems facing America and Americans today. Is this more important than questions about civil rights , a collapsing economy , war in Iraq, torture , renditions etc.
And some of you probably thought this issue had been settled in the Scopes Trial in the 1920s . Isn't it odd how Christian fundamentalist insist everyone believe as they do . Or is the message that only those who believe in God should be permitted to be president and of course the Bible's version of history. So can you then be Muslim or Jewish and still become president. . Since he didn't mention Jesus or the New Testament Muslims and Jews wouldn't be counted out . They would agree that there is a God and he made the world. But I guess if you believe in God but not the Bible you are not really welcome. And if you believed in more that one God would that be acceptable.
Anyway this is what is referred to as a serious political debate in the United States.
Mike Huckabee responds to evolution question
take care,
GORD.
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