Impeach Bush? But That Would Mean . . .

By Dana Milbank
Washington Post
Thursday, June 12, 2008

The House had a busy day yesterday. There was the Amtrak bill, an extension of unemployment benefits, and legislation on NASA's budget.

Oh, yeah: And lawmakers decided whether or not to impeach the president of the United States.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Gadfly) thought it would be a swell idea, so he spent 4 1/2 hours Monday night reading his impeachment articles aloud on the House floor and forced the House clerks to do the same Tuesday night. Kucinich had already lost in his effort to impeach Vice President Cheney, so why not go for President Bush?

But in the end, the Democrats caved. Though most Republicans were happy to debate the proposal, Democrats (even Kucinich) and two dozen GOP moderates voted, without even a word of debate, to send the impeachment articles to the Judiciary Committee, where they will die a quiet death.

Why so unwilling to impeach Bush? As Democratic leaders like to say, two words: Dick Cheney. At this late stage in his presidency, Bush can still feel confident that his job is secure, if only because his foes are so terrified of the man who would succeed him

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