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John Dean and Liz Holtzman Square Off on Impeaching Bush

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Posted on Sep 12, 2006
John Dean and Elizabeth Holtzman
Dean: AP; Holtzman: The Nation

Former Nixon aide John Dean and former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman, who were foes during the early stages of the Nixon impeachment hearings in 1973, sound off in separate interviews on the prospects of impeaching President Bush. (Dean and Holtzman will debate the topic at UCLA on Sept. 13 at a Truthdig/The Nation Institute-sponsored event.)

  • Click here for the Dean interview
  • Excerpt:

    Is it not blatantly political to undertake impeachment when there is no chance of conviction?  This, of course, is what the House Republican did with Clinton: they impeached him because they could, although they knew they did not have the votes in the Senate to convict.  Do Democrats want to mimic that sorry exercise?  I hope not.

  • Click here for the Holtzman interview

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  • Excerpt:

    The president can be removed from office for grave offenses against our democracy. That doesn?t necessarily mean a criminal offense.


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    By Richard Cranium, October 23, 2006 at 11:28 am Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    “Impeachment of Clinton was for so called having sex in office”

    Anyone actually remember what Clinton was impeached for? I believe it was lying to a grand jury investigation while under oath. Oh, and maybe witness tampering by having Monica file a false deposition, and then there was the cover-up… But if you in your little make-believe worlds want to think it was about sex, go ahead… there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.

    Oh, unlike Clinton, the slime-ball Foley resigned.

    Report this

    By Margaret Currey, October 5, 2006 at 1:50 pm Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    I think after this last leak about Foley, people should know this King walks around naked, even though he does not know it.  Impeachment of Clinton was for so called having sex in office, people must remember that Monica was not a teenager, therefore she was not tricked into having sex, of course niether were the pages, put to think this Foley was for the protection of children and to turn around and do the thing he was to protect the children against, is really some gaul and to chaim that drinking was the cause or some clergymen was cause of his downfall is crazy, if you act crazy when you drink than don’t drink, after all these people are supposed to be smart and educated.  This latest does not endanger national security, but it goes to show you that if you let Republicians run the show and exculde any Democrats this country has no checks and balances.

    Marge from vancouver, Washington

    Report this

    By Patricia, September 28, 2006 at 2:11 pm Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    Maybe, just maybe, if the Dems triumph in November, they’ll find the cajones to impeach and convict Shrub AND Darth Vader, thereby making Pelosi president.  Then maybe, just maybe, this dear republic will be saved from otherwise certain destruction.

    Report this

    By LittleBill, September 27, 2006 at 11:25 am Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    Unfortunately, I think John Dean is right, impeachment would be too difficult with this congress.  The best thing to do is go after him after he quits (IF he quits).

    Report this

    By Raven, September 20, 2006 at 9:38 pm Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    The main point of impeachment is not to punish or penalize, but simply to remove a wrongdoer from office so he cannot further abuse that office’s powers.  This becomes pointless once the person has left office.

    By then the only effect impeachment and conviction could achieve would be to deny that person eligibility for further official positions.

    This is unlikely to matter in Bush’s case, since he’s in his second term of an office already limited to two terms, and has expressed no wish to take any other position afterwards.

    Report this

    By Ron, September 19, 2006 at 11:47 am Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    We probably should impeach the whole Congress, re-impeach Clinton and most of the free world since they all were for deposing Saddam and imposing UN-based resolutions on Iraq.

    Report this

    By Alexander, September 14, 2006 at 4:11 pm Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    Having attended the event, I must say I found something rather upsetting.  The latter part of the event was a question and answer with the audience. Which, I must say, was run quite well. One question that struck me was; “How can we punish Bush if he is not impeached during his presidency?” The answer Dean gave us, was accurate, a man can be impeached post-presidency, or more likely one could press criminal charges. At which the audience applauded.

    Dean then when on to say he was glad that people were smart enough not press criminal charges against Clinton.  He was also pleased that no one did against Nixon as at that point it was unnecessary. He said if a president killed his wife it would be one thing, but this is different.

    To which I could only respond, what makes Laura Bush’s life so much more valuable than the hundreds of thousands of lives that Bush, and our government has become responsible for? The lives that they have needlessly sacrificed, or let die out of negligance. Or his willingness to allow the laws of the Geneva convention to be disregarded? Why are these crimes ‘better’ and less ‘punishable’ than one man murdering of another.

    Why aren’t we talking about Pressing Criminal Charges. Perhaps it’s as simple as once he is no longer President he will no longer be a threat, but had he knocked off Laura, he could be.

    Report this

    By Michael Murry, September 13, 2006 at 9:00 pm Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    Why all this foolishness about Deputy Dubya Bush? In his own words, he just “catapults the propaganda” off teleprompter crawl lines written for him by Sheriff Dick Cheney. Cheney runs the American government from his hidden bunker crypt and has ever since he picked himself as George W. Bush’s (Vice) President six horrible years ago. Impeach Dick Cheney and that will force George W. Bush to bring someone else into the government to run things for him—hopefully someone like James Baker III who knows how.

    Report this

    By Barbara Bellows-TerraNova, September 13, 2006 at 8:51 pm Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    There will need to be a standard for those taken down with him, to include:

    Condi Rice
    Dick Cheney
    Karl Rove
    Elliott Abrams
    Donald Rumsfeld

    But then the next layers of appointed positions, confirmed, recessed and no-confirmation-necessary, in the Cabinet and other Federal Agencies will need reviewing by the GAO and other Inspector Generals.

    And, oh yes, the courts.

    Each one has been corrupted by association with this neo-conservative (“Noble Lie”) group of hypocrits.

    Report this

    By Jon, September 13, 2006 at 6:58 pm Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    Having gone through Watergate, Dean and Holtzman know what impeachment is. For public to demand impeachment, it’s necessary for the “mainstream” media to broadcast like they used to during the Watergate period. Clearly we don’t see it. Sometimes one wonders if the so called “mainstream media” are really independent of special interests including but not limited to advertising sponsors and politics. Instead of reading nyt and washington post, I go to bbc, guardian, houston chronicle and of course, truthdig.

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    By Margaret Currey, September 13, 2006 at 11:45 am Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    I think not only should Bush be impeached so should Chaney who although not the president acts like a president in his opinions, and who knows maybe he is really pulling the strings behind the pres in charge, I believe this President is the most narrow minded president this country has had in recent years.

    Marge from Vancouver, Wa.

    Report this
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