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{{Short description|Talks and activities of a possible impeachment of George W. Bush}}
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] calling for impeachment in March 2006]]
]''.]]
] in support of impeaching both Bush and Vice President ] in July 2008]]
] argues for a Bush impeachment, alleging that the war against Iraq was undertaken without a declaration of war by Congress and is thus illegal.]]
]


During the presidency of ], several American politicians sought to either investigate Bush for possible impeachable offenses, or to bring actual ] charges on the floor of the ] ]. The most significant of these efforts occurred on June 10, 2008, when Congressman ], along with co-sponsor ], introduced 35 ]<ref name="articles">{{Cite web|title=Impeaching George W. Bush, President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors. (2008 - H.Res. 1258)|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/110/hres1258|access-date=2023-01-05|website=GovTrack.us|language=en}}</ref> against Bush to the U.S. House of Representatives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/06/impeach_bush_wexler_says.html|title=Impeach Bush, Wexler says|access-date=2008-06-10|publisher=South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com|date=June 10, 2008|first=Anthony |last=Man}}</ref> The House voted 251 to 166 to refer the impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee on June 11, where no further action was taken on it.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HE01258:@@@X |title=Bill Summary & Status - 110th Congress (2007 - 2008) - H.RES.1258 - All Congressional Actions - THOMAS (Library of Congress) |access-date=2009-01-26 |archive-date=2016-07-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704221033/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HE01258:@@@X |url-status=dead }}</ref> Bush's presidency ended on January 20, 2009, with the completion of his second term in office, rendering impeachment efforts ].


==Kucinich–Wexler impeachment articles==
The Kucinich–Wexler impeachment resolution contained 35 ] covering the Iraq War, the ] affair, creating a case for war with Iran, capture and treatment of prisoners of war, spying and or wiretapping inside the United States, use of signing statements, failing to comply with Congressional subpoenas, the 2004 elections, Medicare, Hurricane Katrina, global warming, and 9/11.<ref name="articles" />


The 2003 invasion of Iraq was the most substantial portion of the articles of impeachment introduced by Kucinich and Wexler. Fifteen of the 35 articles directly relate to alleged misconduct by Bush in seeking authority for the war, and in the conduct of military action itself. Five other articles address allegations partially or tertiarily relating to the war, including the "outing" of Valerie Plame, treatment of prisoners (both in Iraq and from operations in Afghanistan and other countries), and building a case for Iran being a threat based in part on alleging Iranian actions in Iraq.
The phrase '''"movement to impeach George W. Bush"''' is used here to describe actions within the public and private spheres intended to support an ] of ] ]. The phrase is also used in a more broad sense to refer to a ] and ] that include both ] and ] which indicate a degree of public support for the Presidential impeachment of U.S. President George W. Bush.


===Justification for invasion===
Reasons cited for seeking Bush's impeachment vary, such as questions about the ] and the ]<!--THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE THE FULL LIST OF REASONS IS IN THE BODY OF THE ARTICLE-->. Those who have voiced support for impeachment include some members of the ], some ] and ]s, various other ]s and government officials, ]s, ]s, organizations and members of the ]. The political affiliation of those calling for impeachment is predominantly from the ] and groups affiliated with or supportive of ] causes, although some notable calls have come from members of the ].
{{further|Iraq and weapons of mass destruction|Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda|Downing Street memo|Bush-Blair memo|Legitimacy of the 2003 invasion of Iraq|Bush-Aznar memo}}


The first four impeachment articles charge the president with illegally creating a case for war with Iraq, including charges of a propaganda campaign, falsely representing Iraq as responsible for 9/11, and falsely representing Iraq as an imminent danger to the United States.<ref name="articles" />
The ] has taken no formal actions toward the impeachment of President Bush, nor are they scheduled to do so.


===Legitimacy of invasion===
==Background==
{{further|UN Charter|War of aggression|Jus ad bellum|Legitimacy of the 2003 invasion of Iraq}}
For a sitting President to be impeached for "]", formal charges known as "Articles of Impeachment", which state the allegations, are introduced at the ] where they may be debated and, if consensus for a vote is reached, voted upon. If any of the articles are approved, then the President is considered "impeached" and would then be tried by the ] to determine his guilt or innocence. If a President is found guilty by the Senate on any charge, he is removed from office and replaced by the ].


Articles 5–8 and 12 deal with the invasion of Iraq and include charges that funds were misspent before the war, that the war was in violation of HJRes114, that Iraq was invaded without a war declaration, that the war is a violation of the UN Charter, and that the purpose of the war was to control the country's oil supplies.<ref name="articles" />
There have been nine formal attempts to impeach a United States President. Four of these resulted in articles being referred to the House of Representatives: ], ], ] and ]. Of these four, only two were actually impeached by the House: Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Richard Nixon resigned the Presidency before the House could actually vote. Both Presidents Johnson and Clinton were acquitted by the Senate following their subsequent trials. In addition there have been numerous impeachment movements of various sizes directed at visible members of the government, most notably the movement to impeach former ] ].


==Political views and actions== ===Conduct of the Iraq War===
{{further|2003 invasion of Iraq}}
===Representative Conyers===
] of ], has called for an investigation of the President.]]


Articles 9, 10, 11 and 13 deal with conduct of the war, including failing to provide troops with body armor, falsifying US troop deaths and injuries, establishing a permanent military base in Iraq, and creating a secret task force to develop energy and military policies with respect to Iraq and other countries. Articles 15 and 16 cover contractors in Iraq and charges that the president misspent money on contractors and provided them with immunity.
In May, ], Congressman ] began collecting signatures on a letter to President Bush requesting answers to the questions raised by the Downing Street Memo. Conyers delivered a letter with over 540,000 signatures to the President on ], ].


===Valerie Plame===
On ], ], Conyers assembled an unofficial meeting to receive evidence related to the ] and to consider grounds for impeachment. Dozens of Members of Congress attended. Witnesses included ], constitutional attorney ], and CIA analyst ].
{{further|Plame affair}}


In July 2005, Conyers along with Representative Frank asked for research into the impeachability of Karl Rove with regard to the disclosure of CIA Operative ]'s identity to reporters. Article 14 is about the revelation of the identity of CIA agent ].


===Treatment of detainees===
On ] 2005, the House Judiciary Committee Democratic Staff, at Conyers' request, filed its 273-page report, . The report included copies of house resolutions to establish a bi-partisan Select Committee in the House - H.Res. 635; to censure the President - H.Res.636; and to censure the Vice President - H.Res. 637.
{{further|Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse|Bagram torture and prisoner abuse|United Nations Convention Against Torture|Geneva Conventions|Command responsibility|Hamdan v. Rumsfeld}}


Articles 17–20 concern the treatment of detainees, the "kidnapping" and detention of foreign nationals, and the use of torture.
Regarding this report, Congressman Conyers contended that it finds "substantial evidence" that Bush, et al, "misstated and manipulated intelligence information" regarding the Iraq War. Conyers also makes other allegations on his .


===Attempt to overthrow the government of Iran===
Conyers filed legislation on December 18 2005, where it was referred to the House Committee on Rules. According to the Library of Congress' legislative information site, as of May 3, 2006 there were 36 co-sponsors of H. Res. 635, "Creating a select committee to investigate the Administration's intent to go to war before congressional authorization, manipulation of pre-war intelligence, encouraging and countenancing torture, retaliating against critics, and to make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment."
Article 21 claims that the president misled Congress and the American people about threats from Iran, and supported terrorist organizations within Iran, with the goal of overthrowing the Iranian government.

The cosponsors are: ] (D-HI), ] (D-WI), ] (D-CA), ] (D-MA), ] (D-MO), ] (D-IL), ] (D-CA), ] (D-PA), ] (D-CA), ] (D-NY), ] (D-CA), ] (D-IL), ] (D-TX), ] (D-CA), ] (D-GA), ] (D-NY), ] (D-MN), ] (D-WA), ] (D-GA), ] (D-WI), ] (D-NY), ] (D-MN), ] (D-MA), ] (D-NY), ] (D-NJ), ] (D-NY), ] (D-MN), ] (I-VT){{ref|vt}}, ] (D-IL), ] (D-CA), ] (D-CA), ] (D-MA), ] (D-NY), ] (D-CA), ] (D-CA), and ] (D-OR). At one point, ] (D-CA) signed on as a co-sponsor on ], ], but withdrew support on ], ].

As of May 18, 2006, according to the ], Conyer's current position regarding impeachment of the president is "...rather than seeking impeachment, I have chosen to propose comprehensive oversight of these alleged abuses."

===Senator Boxer===
On ], ] Senator ] (D-CA) issued a press release , saying that she had written four undisclosed legal scholars, asking if there were grounds for impeachment. In the press release, she cited the ], ] New York Times disclosure of Bush's authorization of the National Security Agency (NSA) to monitor Americans without ]s and Nixon counsel ]'s comments on ], ] as support for what she thought constituted an impeachable offense. However, in a December 20, 2005 CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer, Boxer stated she was not ready to call for Bush's impeachment.

===Representative Lewis===
An Associated Press on ], ], said that Representative ] (D-GA) told an interviewer at WAOK-AM News radio that the President should be impeached for authorizing the NSA's actions. A dated ], ] posted on John Lewis' official United States House of Representatives website stated, "In my opinion, the President has violated the law, and the House and Senate must pursue their inquiries into this illegal program. The President must stop using the threat of terrorism and the tactics of fear to invade the privacy of American citizens. George W. Bush is the president. He is not a king. He is not above the law...There is no question that the U.S. Congress has impeached presidents for lesser offenses."

===Representative Nadler===
On ], the '']'' reported in a story, "Call is Out to Impeach Bush," that the previous day, at an unofficial hearing of Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee called by Conyers, Scott and Van Hollen, ] (D-NY), called for the committee to explore whether Bush should face impeachment for alleged high crimes and misdemeanors stemming from his decision to authorize domestic surveillance without court review. The proceedings had no legal authority, as committee chairman, Rep. ], (R-WI), rejected Democrats' requests for an inquiry. Nadler is a senior Democrat on the committee's panel on the Constitution.

=== Vermont Democrats ===

One unusual approach that is being considered by prominent Democrats in ] is based on parliamentary guidelines from "]", a supplement to U.S. House of Representatives rules. Its section on impeachment specifically allows a state legislature to transmit charges to initiate impeachment proceedings.
<ref name="jeff-mnl">{{cite web | url= http://www.gpoaccess.gov/hrm/browse_105.html | title = "House Rules and Manual: Browse the 105th Edition", ''GPOAccess.gov'' | last=Jefferson | first=Thomas | format= , | accessdate = 2006-03-29}} <small>§ 603: "In the House of Representatives there are various methods of setting an impeachment in motion: '''' by charges transmitted from the legislature of a State (III, 2469) or Territory (III, 2487) or from a grand jury (III, 2488)…"</small></ref>
The state Democratic committee has called a special meeting for ] to decide whether to pursue this possibility. Gaye Symington, a Democrat, and Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives, which would have to act on any such resolution, has said that the state legislature should keep its attention focused on matters concerning the state of Vermont.
<ref name="vt-democrats">
{{cite news
| first = Gram
| last = David
| url = http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060329/ap_on_go_pr_wh/democrats_impeachment;_ylt=AtAQ0_4o5XcfFj8ZV__1wiys0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNlYwM5NjQ-
| title = "Democrats in Vermont to Weigh Impeachment"
| publisher = Associated Press (''via'' Yahoo! News)
| date = 2006-03-29
| accessdate = 2006-03-29
}}
</ref>

===Vermont State Legislature===
''Vermont impeachment resolution''

Twelve Vermont state representatives (Democrats, Progressives, 1 Independent) have endorsed a resolution to ask Congress to impeach President George W. Bush and to investigate alleged "high crimes and misdemeanors" in violation of the U.S. Constitution.

The resolution was introduced by Rep. David Zuckerman, P-Burlington, on Tuesday, ] ].
<ref name="vt-legislature">
{{cite news
| url = http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2006/04/26/vermont_lawmakers_introduce_impeachment_resolution/
| title = "Vermont lawmakers introduce impeachment resolution"
| publisher = Associated Press (''via'' Boston Globe)
| date = ] ]
| accessdate = 2006-04-30
}}
</ref>

===Illinois State Legislature===
On April 20,2006, the Illinois state legislature, citing the same rule used by Vermont Democrats (Section 603 of Jefferson's Manual of the Rules of the United States House of Representatives), began to consider Resolution 125 (HJR0125), which brought five specific charges against President Bush.

A synopsis of the bill "urges the General Assembly to submit charges to the U. S. House of Representatives to initiate impeachment proceedings against the President of the United States, George W. Bush, for willfully violating his Oath of Office to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and if found guilty urges his removal from office and disqualification to hold any other office in the United States."<ref name="HJR0125"> <i>Synopsis As Introduced</i> found on the bill status page for HJR0125 at the Illinois General Assembly website, which can be found *</ref>

Among the charges in HJR0125 is that "President Bush authorized violation of the Torture Convention of the Geneva Conventions, a treaty regarded a supreme law by the United States Constitution". Per US Code Title 18,2441 (the War Crimes Act of 1996): " commits a war crime ... if the victim dies, shall ... be subject to the penalty of death."

If the bill passed it would request the U.S. House of Representatives to begin impeachment hearings. On April 25 over a dozen members of the Illinois house co-sponsored the bill, and referred it to the Rules Committee.

===California===
In April 2006, it was reported that California become the second state in which a proposal to impeach President Bush has been introduced in the state legislature. The resolution "bases the call for impeachment upon the Bush Administration intentionally misleading the Congress and the American people regarding the threat from Iraq in order to justify an unnecessary war that has cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives and casualties; exceeding constitutional authority to wage war by invading Iraq; exceeding constitutional authority by Federalizing the National Guard; conspiring to torture prisoners in violation of the 'Federal Torture Act' and indicating intent to continue such actions; spying on American citizens in violation of the 1978 Foreign Agency Surveillance Act; leaking and covering up the leak of the identity of Valerie Plame Wilson, and holding American citizens without charge or trial."

==Reported White House reaction==
The ]-], ] issue of '']'', self-described as "a sister publication" of the conservative '']'', included an article, "Impeachment hearings: The White House prepares for the worst." This article said administration sources regard Senate Judiciary Committee hearings into the ] as "a prelude to the impeachment process." The article quotes an anonymous source as saying, "Our arithmetic shows that a majority of the committee could vote against the president. If we work hard, there could be a tie." An anonymous source also criticized Congress, saying, "We will tell the American people that while we have done everything we can to protect them, our policies are being endangered by a hypocritical Congress."

==Public opinion==
===Polling results===

In ], ] commissioned a poll by the independent ] ] , which found that by a margin of 50% to 44% Americans say that President Bush should be impeached if he lied about the war in Iraq. 39% strongly agreed and 30% strongly disagreed with the statement, "If President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should consider holding him accountable by impeaching him." 72% of Democrats favored impeachment, compared to 56% of Independents and 20% of Republicans.

A ] International poll from ] to ], ] found that by a margin of 53% to 42% (+/-2.9%) Americans say that "If President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment." This was supported by 76% of ], 50% of ], and 29% of ]. A ], ] '']''-] poll found 55% of Americans believe the Bush administration "intentionally misled the public" in making its case for war.

], ], ] released a poll that showed that 32% of the 1,000 Americans polled would support an impeachment of Bush and 35% would support an impeachment of Cheney. This survey was also commissioned by After Downing Street.

A ], ] poll by ] showed that 42% of Americans favored impeaching Bush. The same poll showed that a plurality of Americans favored the Senate censuring Bush regarding his authorization of wiretaps without court orders.

An informal website poll ] (] ]) asked whether there was justification to hold a formal impeachment trial, insufficient justification, nothing done wrong, or don't know. Roughly 250,000 votes were reported, 86% voting yes for impeachment. (note that web polls are not scientifically conducted, and can be criticized on the grounds they may be unrepresentative of popular opinion)

''See also: ''

====Media response to polls====
The major media have largely ignored these opinion polls and protests. Several columnists have ]. ] on '']'' predicted on ] ] that "if the country, according to the polls, believes by a margin of 55 percent that President Bush misled us into war, the next logical step is impeachment and I think you’re going to hear that word come up and if the Democrats ever capture either house of Congress there are going to be serious proceedings against this administration."

When the '']''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s chief pollster Richard Morin was asked by readers why the ''Post'' has not polled on impeachment he responded, "This question makes me angry". According to ], the ''Washington Post'' asked about impeachment in a poll conducted a few days after the revelation of President Clinton's relationship with ] in ]. Frank Newport, the director of the ] has said he would only run a poll on the subject if it starts to gain mainstream attention and not until then.

===Public demonstrations===
====Rallies and marches====
A ] in ] on ] ] attracted over 100,000 people. The march included calls for impeachment and for investigations leading to impeachment.

On ], ], ] mobilized marches across the country that called for the ousting of Bush. News reports cited thousands of protesters in each of ], ], and ] and 500 in each of ], ], ] and ].

Rep. ] founded the ''Out of Iraq'' ] in the House of Representatives. It has 66 members (as of ], ]). An ''Out of Iraq'' event hosted by Rep. Waters in ], attracted 1200 supporters who loudly chanted "Impeach Bush" in response to a speaker explaining ].

===Response to groups formed to support impeachment===
Numerous groups have been created to support impeachment. The website claims to have collected 715,000 signatures (as of ], ]) on a petition to impeach Bush. None are known to have been created to oppose it (as ] had been created to oppose the impeachment of Clinton).

On ], ], The AfterDowningStreet.org website mounted an effort to support Representative Conyers' legislation to censure Bush and Cheney and to investigate the administration's lead-up to the Iraq war, in possible preparation to impeachment. Within the first three days, the site reported that over 17,000 people had used the site to write to their congressional representatives requesting that they support Conyers' measures.

==Advocates of impeachment==
===Politicians and government officials===
*] of ] has authored the introduction to ]'s book outlining a case for impeaching Bush.

*]'s 2004 presidential campaign also promoted the cause of a Bush impeachment by raising public awareness of the numerous alleged crimes of the Bush Administration. Nader also wrote an op-ed, (along with Kevin Zeese, director of DemocracyRising.US) favoring impeachment in the ], ] '']''.

*] called for a bill of impeachment "charging George W. Bush with a conscious refusal to uphold his oath and defend the states of the Union against 'invasion'" in regards to issues with ].

*], a candidate for the ] House of Representatives seat has said he will campaign for impeachment against George W. Bush. Although Morrisseau is campaigning for the Republican nomination, he has previously run for public office only as a Democrat, and says he voted for ] for president in 2004.

*], former assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the ] stated, "The Bush administration is insane. If the American people do not decapitate it by demanding Bush’s impeachment, the Bush administration will bring about Armageddon."

*Former ] Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury ] has called for Bush's impeachment.

*{{note|vt}}On ], ], ] town meetings in ], ], ], ] and ] called for impeachment of the president, and instructed Representative Bernie Sanders to pursue this end. After initially labelling the request as "impractical", Sanders added his name to Conyers' impeachment investigation bill.

===Viewpoints of some legal and academic professionals===
*], convicted ] felon and former White House Counsel to President ], and an early advocate of a Bush impeachment, believes that President Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction in order to get the United States into a war with Iraq. Dean believes this is an impeachable crime. In a talk before Writers Bloc in Beverly Hills, CA on ], ], Dean "remarked that Bush is the first President to ever willingly admit to an impeachable offense." (referring to the ])
*], United States ] under ], and current lawyer for ], has set up a website, , in which he lists some of the reasons he believes Bush, as well as ] ] and ] ], should be impeached.

*Constitutional Law Professor ] has written six draft articles of impeachment against Bush.

*Scholars ] (constitutional scholar and former deputy attorney general in the Reagan Administration) and ] (scholar at the American Enterprise Institute) argued on the ], ] ] show that, should Bush continue the controversial program (as he has indicated he will), Congress should consider impeaching him. Said Fein, "On its face, if President Bush is totally unapologetic and says I continue to maintain that as a war-time President I can do anything I want&mdash;I don’t need to consult any other branches&mdash;that is an impeachable offense. It’s more dangerous than Clinton’s lying under oath because it jeopardizes our democratic dispensation and civil liberties for the ages. It would set a precedent that … would lie around like a loaded gun, able to be used indefinitely for any future occupant." Said Ornstein, "I think if we’re going to be intellectually honest here, this really is the kind of thing that Alexander Hamilton was referring to when impeachment was discussed."

*Constitutional Lawyer ] has written a book on the case for impeaching Bush, is a co-founder of After Downing Street, and has spoken regularly in favor of impeachment.

*], a law professor at ] and a specialist in surveillance, spoke about Bush's admission that he authorized warrantless wiretaps, in an interview for an article, “Bush’s Impeachable Offense” by Michelle Goldberg, published ], ] on ]. "The president has already conceded that he personally ordered that crime and renewed that order at least 30 times. This would clearly satisfy the standard of high crimes and misdemeanors for the purpose of an impeachment." Turley testified against Clinton in that impeachment hearing and added "Many of my Republican friends joined in that hearing and insisted that this was a matter of defending the rule of law, and had nothing to do with political antagonism. I'm surprised that many of those same voices are silent. The crime in this case was a knowing and premeditated act. This operation violated not just the federal statute but the United States Constitution. For Republicans to suggest that this is not a legitimate question of federal crimes makes a mockery of their position during the Clinton period. For Republicans, this is the ultimate test of principle."

*Attorney ] of the ] and journalist ] published a book in May 2006 entitled, '']'' (ISBN 0312360169). The rationales they list for impeachment include "lying and inducing Congress and the American people into an unjust war; allowing his friends and business cronies to profiteer off the war in Iraq; authorizing torture and rendition of prisoners of war and suspected terrorists--a complete violation of the Geneva Conventions, a treaty the U.S. has signed and is therefore part of our law; stripping American citizens of their Constitutional rights--holding people with no charge, wiretapping them illegally, offering them no trial, and never allowing them to face their accusers; failing in almost every way possible to defend the homeland and our borders."

===Authors===
*A rundown of authors talking about impeachment was published in '']'' on ], ].

===Organizations===
*The ] has drafted an .

*On March 1, 2006 the ] passed a resolution 7-3 calling on the congressional delegates representing ] to impeach ]. The mayor of the city has said he does not know whether he will sign it, and in either case, it will remain a low priority for him even if he does.

*The left-wing ] passed a resolution calling for impeachment of Bush and Cheney at its national meeting on ], ], citing a "pattern of making false statements to Congress, the American people, and the world to win support for actions by the American government and military forces", "quandering the resources of the American people to serve the interests of transnational corporations"; and war crimes, including the use of depleted uranium and cluster bombs in the preemptive invasion of Iraq." This was the first known call for impeachment by a mass membership organization.

*At the most recent state convention, the ] cited the Downing Street Memo in calling for the Impeachment of George Bush, ] and ].

*The Progressive Librarians Guild has issued a resolution condemning the actions of President George W. Bush and calling for impeachment proceedings on the basis of the administration's “high crimes and misdemeanors,” which are as follows: Entering into an illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, based upon fabricated and erroneous information; Crafting of policies adopted since September 11, 2001, including provisions in the USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 107-56) and PATRIOT ACT II and related executive orders, regulations and actions, which threaten fundamental rights and liberties.

*BuzzFlash.com, a Chicago based news service, in a call for impeachment on ], ], editorialized that the administration had “deliberately ignored impending 9/11 hijacking attacks and led us into a disastrous war that has created more terrorism and united feuding religious sects in Iraq against us, that piles lies upon lies in an effort to prolong its stolen reign of power”

*AfterDowningStreet, an organization begun by liberal activists ] and ] and constitutional attorney John Bonifaz, advocates a congressional Resolution of Inquiry into evidence related to what has become known as the ], involving the Bush administration's military operations in ]. Such a resolution would be the first step toward a possible impeachment.

*Impeach Central is dedicated to the impeachment of ] and ] for violating the laws of the United States. While the group says the Bush administration has violated the Constitution on numerous occasions, the group is focusing on what it sees as the lies they told the American people and Congress which led the country into the Iraq War.

*] has .

*The liberal group ] sent a bus to ], emblazoned with the words "Impeachment Tour" in August of 2005. The group is seeking to hold the ] accountable for his actions in ].

* On ], ], the ] repeated its call to begin impeachment proceedings against Bush and Cheney as soon as possible, calling evidence that Bush has abused power "so overwhelming that failure to undertake impeachment would make Congress even more complicit in this administration's lawlessness."

===Media editorials and opinion pieces===
* The ultra-conservative ] magazine, ''The New American'', published an opinion piece on ], ] in favor of impeachment, “It's Not Just a Piece of Paper”. Talking in the voice of Thomas Jefferson, were he alive today, it stated, "'When in the course of U.S. events it becomes necessary for Americans to demand that their duly elected representatives impeach and remove from office a president, a decent respect to the opinions of their fellow citizens requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to such a course of action.'" The piece enumerates the reasons for impeachment, with links to news articles, and concludes, again in Jefferson’s voice, "'A president, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be a leader of a free people.'" Then resuming its own voice, it states, “Mr. President, when you placed your hand over the Bible, raised your arm, and swore an oath before God to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States" (Article II, Section I), that wasn't ‘just a book’ you put your hand on. And it certainly wasn't a mealy-mouthed ‘agreement’ you made before your Maker&mdash;whose name you have no compunction about taking in vain. And Mr. President, the Constitution is not just a piece of paper.”

* Radio personality and syndicated columnist ] wrote a column on February 28, 2006, calling for impeachment, "What to do when the emperor has no clothes", citing reports of torture at ] ("When Americans start pulling people's fingernails out with pliers and poking lighted cigarettes into their palms, then we need to come back to basic values."), ] findings that indicate to him that "...our country is practically as vulnerable today as it was on 9/10," and the failure of the Iraq war to provide security for Americans ("Our adventure in Iraq, at a cost of trillions, has brought that country to the verge of civil war while earning us more enemies than ever before.")

* ], columnist and contributing editor at the '']'' and '']'', has repeatedly called for impeachment.

* In an ], ] column, "Hold Bush Accountable," ], of the ''Washington Post'', accused Bush of impeachable offenses and called on the American electorate to figuratively "impeach" Bush by voting against him.

==Rationales for impeachment==
'''Proponents of impeaching''' ] ''']''', assert that one or more of his actions qualify as "high crimes and misdemeanors" under which the president can constitutionally be impeached.<ref name="Conyers">
Investigative Status Report of the House Judiciary Committee Democratic Staff</ref><ref>Arguments in general.
* originally Web-posted by ] member ] (D-Calif.)
* By ], ], ] / 29, 2006
* by ], ], ] ]
* By DAVE LINDORFF, ], ] ]
* ], ] ]
* by Diane E. Dees, ], April 05, 2006
* by John Nichols, ], ] ]</ref>

This section collates a ''list'' of pro-impeachment advocates' rationales as suggested by commentators, legal analysts, politicians of the ] and others. However, since impeachment is an inherently political, and not a legal process, there is no exact definition of what constitutes an impeachable offense. Therefore, this list is not necessarily accurate. Simply stated, it is up to Congress to determine if something rises to the level of "]."


===NSA warrantless surveillance controversy=== ===NSA warrantless surveillance controversy===
{{see|NSA warrantless surveillance controversy}} {{further|NSA warrantless surveillance controversy|Separation of powers}}


Articles 24 and 25 charge the president with illegally spying on American citizens, directing US telecom companies to create databases of citizens, and violating the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution.
====Proponents of impeachment based on warrantless surveillance controversy====


===Signing statements===
] (served four terms in Congress, where she played a key role in House impeachment proceedings against President ]), ] (former counsel to the president) and ] from ] assert that by authorizing ] President Bush violated the ] without legal basis, constituting a felony and as such an impeachable offense.<ref name="Holtzman"> by ], The Nation, ] ] </ref><ref name="Progressive"> by Matthew Rothschild, ],] ]</ref><ref>Wiretapping probably impeachable offense
{{further|Signing statement#Controversy over George W. Bush's use of signing statements}}
* ], ] ]
Article 26 concerns the presidential use of signing statements.
* By JOHN W. DEAN, FindLaw, ] ]
* by Rosa Brooks, ], ] ]
* By JENNIFER VAN BERGEN, CounterPunch, ] / 5, 2006
* By JOHN W. DEAN, FindLaw, ] ] </ref>


===Congressional subpoenas===
As a political matter, it should also be noted that President Bush did ] of his decision to authorize warrantless wiretapping at the time of the decision. However, none were allowed to take notes or confer with others to assess the possible ramifications of this program.


Article 27 is about failing to comply with congressional subpoenas.
====Analysis of legal basis of warrantless surveillance====
{{see|Rule of law}}
{{see|Separation of powers}}


===2004 elections===
In the context of the "war on terror", President Bush ordered wiretapping of certain international calls to and from U.S. without a warrant. Whether this is legal is currently debated, since the program appears to violate the ] (FISA), which was adopted to remedy similar actions in the past (i.e. ], ], ]). Additionally, it allegedly violates the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, which prohibits unlawful searches and seizures - this includes electronic surveillance. These allegations have been advanced by articles published in The ] and ].<ref>Wiretapping possibly illegal
{{further|2004 United States election voting controversies}}
* By ], The ], March 06, 2006
* by John Nichols, The Nation, ] ]
* Tim Shorrock, The Nation, ] ]</ref> In its defense, the administration has asserted that FISA does not apply as the President was authorized by the ] (AUMF) and the presidential powers as ] ], to bypass FISA.<ref> U.S. Department of Justice, ] ]</ref>


Articles 28 and 29 charge the president with tampering with the 2004 elections and violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
In January 2006, the ] released two legal analyses concluding that:
:''"...no court has held squarely that the Constitution disables the Congress from endeavoring to set limits on that power. To the contrary, the Supreme Court has stated that Congress does indeed have power to regulate domestic surveillance... the NSA surveillance program... would appear to be inconsistent with the law."''<ref>Congressional Research Service
* ] ]
* ] ]</ref>
In addition, the ], in ] ], issued a statement denouncing the warrantless domestic surveillance program, accusing the President of exceeding his powers under the Constitution. Their analysis opines that the key arguments advanced by the Bush administration are not compatible with the law.<ref>American Bar Association
* ADOPTED BY THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES, ] ]
* Washington Post, ] ]</ref> ] and five former ] judges, one of whom resigned in protest, have also voiced their doubts as to the legality of a program bypassing FISA.<ref name="Kris"> By PETE YOST</ref>
<ref name="FISAJudges">Former FISA judges
* By ERIC LICHTBLAU, The ], March 29, 2006
* By Christy Hardin Smith, March 28th, 2006</ref>


===Medicare===
Aside from these organisations others (i.e. John Conyers, John Dean, Elizabeth Holtzman, and Jennifer van Bergen) have stated that the Bush administration's justification of the program, using its interpretation of ], overthrows the Constitutional system of checks and balances and ignores other provisions of the Constitution mandating that the President "shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed" and vesting Congress with the sole authority "To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces" and "To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof." The Senate Committee voted along party lines, and decided a detailed investigation into the matter was unwarranted.<ref>No official inquiry into wiretapping
* By ], ], ] ]
*</ref>


Article 30 states "Misleading Congress and the American People in an Attempt to Destroy Medicare."
===]===
==== Consitutionality of Invasion ====
{{see|Invasion of Iraq}}


===Katrina===
The case for impeachment, put forward by ] in the book ''Warrior-King: The Case for Impeaching George W. Bush'' is the same as the grounds for his '']'' lawsuit; namely, that Bush invaded Iraq without a clear Congressional declaration of war. The argument is that the Congressional resolution to authorize Bush to use military force in Iraq was unconstitutional because it "confers discretion upon the President to wage war", contrary to the ] of the Constitution.<ref>Constitutional challenge to invasion of Iraq
{{further|Criticism of the government response to Hurricane Katrina}}
* </ref> ] (professor of international law at the University of Illinois) also uses this argument as reason in his ''Draft Impeachment Resolution''.<ref name="Boyle">, 108nd Congress H.Res.XX, by ], professor of law, ] School of Law, ] ]</ref>


Article 31 concerns the supposed failure to plan and respond to Hurricane Katrina.
==== Justification for Invasion ====
{{main4|Iraq and weapons of mass destruction|Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda|Downing Street memo|Bush-Blair memo}}


===Global warming===
Furthermore, the arguments put forward for the invasion of Iraq &mdash; the possession and development of weapons of mass destruction and active links to al Qaeda &mdash; have been found to be false, according to all official reports.<ref>Weapons of Mass Destruction
* ], January 07, 2004
* ], ] ]
*See also ]
* By Joseph Cirincione, Jessica Tuchman Mathews, George Perkovich, with Alexis Orton, ], January 2004 </ref> <ref>Link with Al Qaeda
* Documents show Administration claims were exaggerated, by ], ] ]
* By Dave Zweifel, The Capital Times
* ] </ref>. The Bush administration advocated that this was due to failure by the intelligence community. However, it has become clear that, prior to the invasion, these arguments had already been widely disputed,<ref name="Ray_McGovern"> ], ] ]</ref> which had purportedly been reported to the U.S. administration. An in-depth investigation into the nature of these discrepancies by the ] has been frustrated. Or, as a ] editorial states:
:''Mr. ] (chairman of the Senate panel) tried to kill the investigation entirely, and after the Democrats forced him to proceed, he set rules that seem a lot like the recipe for a whitewash.''<ref> editorial, New York Times, May 7, 2006</ref>
Supporters of impeachment argue that the administration knowingly distorted intelligence reports or ignored contrary information in constructing their case for the war.<ref name="Leaking">Selectively disseminating information
* By Linda Feldmann, The ], ] ]</ref><ref>Misrepresenting the facts surrounding Iraq
*, by Elizabeth Holtzman, The Nation, ] ]
* By ], ], ] ]
* By ], FindLaw.com, ] ]
* ], ] ]]
* ] ] </ref> The Downing Street memo and the Bush-Blair memo are used to substantiate that allegation.<ref> Downing Street memo
* Posted by ] ] ]
* DAVID MANNING, ], ] ]
</ref> Congressional Democrats sponsored both a request for documents and a resolution of inquiry.<ref> ] request
* By David Paul, ], June 06, 2005
* Raw Story, ] ]</ref> A report by the Washington Post on ] ], corroborates that view. It states that the Bush administration advocated that two small trailers which had been found in Iraq were "biological laboratories," despite the fact that U.S. intelligence officials possessed evidence to the contrary at that time.
:''"The three-page field report and a 122-page final report published three weeks later were stamped "secret" and shelved. Meanwhile, for nearly a year, administration and intelligence officials continued to publicly assert that the trailers were weapons factories."''<ref name="Trailers"> "Biological laboratories"
* By Joby Warrick, The Washington Post, ] ]</ref>
], ] and -professor at ], executive vice president of the ], and the U.S. representative to the executive committee of the ]- assert that this was not a war in self-defense but a ] contrary to the ] (a ]) and therefore a ].<ref name="Conyers"/><ref name="Boyle"/><ref name="Progressive"/><ref>War of aggression
* By Marjorie Cohn, Truthout, ] ]
* By Robert Parry, ], ] ]</ref> Such would constitute an impeachable offense according to ], ], from ], Marcus Raskin and Joseph A. Vuckovich, from the ].<ref name="Boyle"/><ref>Iraq impeachable offense?
* by John W. Dean, CNN
* by Marcus Raskin and Joseph A. Vuckovich, ] </ref>


Article 32 charges the president with "Systematically Undermining Efforts to Address Global Climate Change."
===Geneva Conventions controversy===
{{see|Unlawful combatant}}
{{see|Combatant Status Review Tribunal}}


===9/11===
Following the ], the Bush administration advocated that suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban members would be designated as unlawful combatants. They suggested that, as such, they were not protected under the ]. To address the mandatory review by a "competent tribunal" as defined by , Combatant Status Review Tribunals were established. The ], ], the ] and ] from ] have dismissed the use of the unlawful combatant status as not compatible with U.S. and international law.<ref>Violating ]
* by AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION
* by ], ] ]
* by the ], ] ]
* By JOANNE MARINER, FindLaw, ] ] </ref>


Articles 33, 34 and 35 concern 9/11, alleging that the president failed to respond to prior intelligence, obstructed post-9/11 investigations and endangered the health of 9/11 first responders.
Representative ] has advocated investigating these alleged abuses to see if they violate the Geneva Conventions and are thus cause for impeachment, while ], Elizabeth Holtzman and ] hold that violating these laws is grounds for impeachment.<ref name="Conyers"/><ref name="Boyle"/><ref name="Holtzman"/><ref name="Progressive"/><ref>Impeachment for violating the Geneva Conventions
* Harper's Magazine, Edited selections from a forum moderated by Sam Seder and featuring Representative John Conyers Jr., John Dean, Former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman, Lewis Lapham, and Michael Ratner, held ] ] at Town Hall in New York City.
* by Lewis H. Lapham, ], ] ].
* by Mike Ferner, ], ] ]</ref>


==Political views and actions==
===Extraordinary rendition===
An early effort to impeach Bush was begun by ] administration Attorney General ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://independent.gmnews.com/News/2003/0319/Front_Page/013.html |title=Ramsey Clark speaks out against war at college by josh davidson Staff Writer |website=independent.gmnews.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051217033130/http://independent.gmnews.com/News/2003/0319/Front_Page/013.html |archive-date=17 December 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.democracynow.org/2005/1/21/former_u_s_attorney_general_ramsey|title=Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark Calls for Bush Impeachment|website=]}}</ref>
{{see|Extraordinary rendition}}
{{see|United Nations Convention Against Torture}}


===Democrats in Congress===
Critics have accused the CIA of rendering suspected terrorists to other countries in order to avoid U.S. laws prescribing due process and prohibiting torture, calling this "torture by proxy" and "torture flights".<ref>Torture by proxy
<!-- Please keep these new additions to these sections in chronological order! -->
* By Ken Silverstein, The ], December 08, 2005]
On June 16, 2005, Rep. ] (D-]) assembled an unofficial meeting to discuss the ] and to consider grounds for impeachment.
* ], ] ] </ref> Alberto Gonzales explicitly testified to Congress that the administration's position was to extradite detainees to other nations as long as it was not "more likely than not" that they would be tortured, although he later modified that statement.<ref> By R. Jeffrey Smith, Washington Post, ] ]</ref> However, the Convention against torture states:
Conyers filed a resolution on December 18, 2005, to create an investigative committee to consider impeachment. His resolution gained 38 co-sponsors before it expired at the end of the ]. He did not reintroduce a similar resolution for the ].<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318011840/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.res.635: |date=2015-03-18 }} ], retaliating against critics, and to make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment Sponsor: Rep Conyers, John, Jr. (introduced December 18, 2005)</ref>
:''No State Party shall expel, return ("refouler") or extradite a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture.''
Commentators, including the ] and ], have stated that, under international law, rendition as practiced by the U.S. government is illegal.<ref name="Conyers"/><ref>Legal position of rendition
* by Thalif Deen, Inter Press Service
* By ], The ], December 07, 2005 </ref> Conyers has called for investigating whether these violations of international and US law constitute an impeachable offense,<ref name="Conyers"/> whereas Boyle thinks it does, and included this in his ''Draft Impeachment Resolution''.<ref name="Boyle"/>


] (D-MN) was the leading figure behind the resolution to impeach Bush brought to the ] in May 2006.<ref>{{cite news| title=The Insurgent|first=Conrad |last=Wilson|date=2006-12-08|url=http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=12284 |access-date=January 27, 2007 }}</ref> Ellison was elected to the ] in November 2006. During the campaign and when he was named to the ], Ellison repeatedly called for an investigation into a possible impeachment.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ellison compares Bush to Nixon|url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/polinaut/archive/2006/08/mprs_tim_pugmir.shtml|publisher=Minnesota Public Radio|first=Tim |last=Pugmire |date=2006-08-09 |access-date=January 27, 2007 }}</ref> In support of his candidacy, he "received a $1,000 contribution from ImpeachPAC".<ref name="Trib 1-27">{{cite news|url=http://www.startribune.com/587/story/960880.html |title=Will Ellison pursue impeachment? Not for now, he says |date=2007-01-25 |first=Rob |last=Hotakainen |publisher=Star Tribune |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070214092150/http://www.startribune.com/587/story/960880.html |archive-date=February 14, 2007 }} Retrieved January 27, 2007.</ref> Ellison would later note that his "opinions really have not changed over time, but the circumstances" regarding his position in Congress had, and he was a "step before impeachment".<ref>{{cite web|date=January 27, 2007|title=Impeach Bush? Not yet, says Dem|first=Rob|last=Hotakainen|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2007/01/27/impeach-bush-not-yet-says-dem/}}</ref>
=== Treatment of detainees===
{{main4|Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse|Bagram torture and prisoner abuse|United Nations Convention Against Torture|Command responsibility}}


At another ] convened by Conyers on January 20, 2006, Rep. ] (D-]) called for the committee to explore whether Bush should face impeachment, stemming from his decision to authorize domestic surveillance without court review.
As part of the war on terror several memos<ref> the memos written as part of the war on terror</ref> were written analyzing the legal position and possibilities in the treatment of prisoners. The memos, known today as the "torture memos," advocate enhanced interrogation techniques, but point out that refuting the Geneva Conventions would reduce the possibility of prosecution for war crimes.<ref>War crimes warning
* By Michael Isikoff, ], ] ]
* by Elizabeth Holtzman, The Nation, ] ]
* By Grant McCool, ], ], ] ] </ref> In addition, a new definition of torture was issued. Most actions that fall under the international definition do not fall within this new definition advocated by the U.S.<ref>US definition of torture
* by Richard Norton-Taylor and Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian, ] ]
* By Dahr Jamail, ], ] ]</ref>


On May 10, 2006, House Minority Leader ] (D-]) indicated she was not interested in pursuing impeachment and had taken it "off the table", reiterating this phrase on November 8, 2006, after the election.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Babington|first=Charles|date=2006-05-12|title=Democrats Won't Try To Impeach President|newspaper=] |language=en-US|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/11/AR2006051101950.html|access-date=2023-01-05|issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Pelosi Says Democrats Are Ready to Lead|author=NANCY ZUCKERBROD|newspaper=] |agency=Associated Press|language=en-US|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/08/AR2006110801789_pf.html|date=8 November 2006|access-date=2023-01-05|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In July 2007, Pelosi stated that she "would probably advocate" impeaching Bush if she were not in the House nor Speaker of the House.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Berman|first=Ari|date=2007-07-31|title=Why Pelosi Opposes Impeachment|language=en-US|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/why-pelosi-opposes-impeachment/|access-date=2023-01-05|issn=0027-8378}}</ref>
Several top military lawyers including ] reported that policies allowing methods equivalent to torture were officially handed down from the highest levels of the administration, and led an effort within the Department of Defense to put a stop to those policies and instead mandate non-coercive interrogation standards.<ref>Torture as policy?
* July 07, 2004
* by JANE MAYER, The New Yorker, ] ]
* by Marty Lederman, ] ]</ref>


On December 8, 2006 (the last day of the 109th Congress), then-Representative ] (D-GA) submitted a resolution, H. Res. 1106. The bill expired along with the 109th Congress.<ref name="impeachment_bill">{{cite news
Notwithstanding the suggestion of official policy, the administration repeatedly assured critics that the publicised cases were incidents, and President Bush later stated that:
| first = Ben
:''"The United States of America does not torture. And that's important for people around the world to understand."''<ref>We don't torture
| last = Evans
* ], ] ]
| title = McKinney Introduces Bill to Impeach Bush
* ], ], ] ]
| url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/12/08/national/w152917S79.DTL
* By Mark Morford, SF Gate, ] ]
| agency = Associated Press
</ref>
| date = 2006-12-08
}}</ref>


John Conyers brought up the subject of impeachment on the July 8, 2007, broadcast of ''],''<ref>{{Citation|title=Rep. Conyers on Impeachment|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT9266Xx5iM|language=en|access-date=2023-01-05}}</ref> stating:
To address the multitude of incidents of prisoner abuse the ] was adopted. However, in his ] President Bush made clear that he reserved the right to waive this bill if he thought that was needed.<ref> McCain Law May Not Apply to Cuba Prison, By Josh White and Carol D. Leonnig, Washington Post, ] ]</ref>
<blockquote>We're hoping that as the cries for the removal of both Cheney and Bush now reach 46 percent and 58 percent, respectively, for impeachment, that we could begin to become a little bit more cooperative, if not even amicable, in trying to get to the truth of these matters.</blockquote>


Presidential candidate ]'s major point in the ] on October 30, 2007, was that Bush and Cheney should be impeached for the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/01/wufo101.xml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103065017/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2007%2F11%2F01%2Fwufo101.xml |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 November 2007 |title=US presidential candidate insists he saw UFO |work=Telegraph |first=Alex |last=Spillius |location=Philadelphia |date=2 November 2007 |access-date=2008-10-27 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/01/politics/main3440466.shtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721170952/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/01/politics/main3440466.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 21, 2012 |title=Poll: Vermont Wants Bush, Cheney Impeached, Nearly Two-Thirds Of State's Likely Voters Want President, VP Removed Before Term Ends |work=CBS News |date=November 1, 2007|access-date=2008-10-27}}</ref> On November 6, 2007, Kucinich introduced a ] in the House of Representatives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071122/GJNEWS_01/711220060 |title=Dover NH, Rochester NH, Portsmouth NH, Laconia NH, Sanford ME |publisher=Fosters.com |first=Jason |last=Claffey |location=Durham |access-date=2008-10-27}}</ref>
Over the years numerous incidents have been made public and a UN report denounced the abuse of prisoners as tantamount to torture.<ref> BBC, Read the full UN report into Guantanamo Bay, ] ]</ref> Several legal analysts -such as ], ], ]- have advocated that writing these memos, not preventing or stopping the abuse could result in legal challenges involving war crimes<ref name="Boyle"/> under the command responsibility.<ref name="Conyers"/><ref>Accountability
* Democracy Now, ] ]
* By Marjorie Cohn, ], ] ]
*]-04/quaint.htm The Quaint Mr. Gonzales] By Marjorie Cohn, La Prensa San Diego Bilingual Newspaper, ] ]
* by Elizabeth Holtzman, The Nation, ] ]
* ]
* By David R. Irvine and Deborah Pearlstein, Salt Lake Tribune, March 04, 2006
*</ref> These violations of US and international law could be an impeachable offense.<ref name="Progressive"/>


In November 2007, ], then a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, stated that he would move to impeach if President Bush were to bomb Iran without first gaining congressional approval.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071129/NEWS/71129018 |title=Biden: Impeachment if Bush bombs Iran |publisher=Seacoastonline.com |first=Adam |last=Leech |access-date=2008-10-27}}</ref> However, no such bombing occurred during the rest of Bush's term.
===Allegedly leaking classified information===
====Alleged involvement in the CIA leak====
{{main3|Yellowcake forgery|Plame affair|CIA leak grand jury investigation}}


On June 9, 2008, Representative ] (D-Ohio), introduced a resolution, {{USBill|110|HRes|1258}}, to impeach president George W. Bush, which included 35 counts in the articles of impeachment. At the end of the evening on June 10, Kucinich offered a motion to refer HRes 1258 to the House Judiciary Committee. On June 11, the House voted 251-166 to send the resolution to the Committee.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HE01258:@@@L&summ2=m& |title=Impeaching George W. Bush, President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors |publisher=Thomas.loc.gov |access-date=2008-10-27 |archive-date=2015-07-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150718210105/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HE01258:@@@L&summ2=m& |url-status=dead }}</ref> The effort to impeach President Bush was not supported by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who believed the move would be "divisive and unlikely to succeed."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kucinich effort to impeach Bush kicked into limbo - CNN.com|url=https://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/11/kucinich.impeach.vote/|access-date=2021-02-11|website=www.cnn.com}}</ref>
In his 2003 ], President Bush cited British government sources in saying that ] was seeking uranium. He referred to what ultimately turned out to be ]. After Ambassador Wilson wrote an OpEd article in the ] denouncing the ] basis and other justifications for the ], the identity of his wife as a CIA employee appeared in media reports for the first time. Wilson later made the allegation her identity was leaked in personal retaliation against him for his. An investigation into this by ] led to an indictment of ] on perjury charges, not for releasing information regarding Plame. At one point, Libby's indictment states:
:''"Prior to ] ], Valerie Wilson’s affiliation with the CIA was not common knowledge outside the intelligence community."''<ref>Plame's identity not known
* all the material made public by Fitzgerald
*] ] Indictment: US v Libby]</ref>
The litigation surrounding Libby has yielded court papers showing that Libby was authorized and instructed to disseminate formerly classified information by his superiors. <ref> CBS/AP, ] ]</ref> No court papers have alleged that Bush or Cheney authorized the release of Plame's name. On ] ], ] reported Libby has testified that Bush and Cheney did not authorize the release of Plame's name.<ref> by ], April 13, 2006.</ref> Libby's position is that he did not leak Plame's name. The actual first source of Plame's name to the media is in dispute.


On July 14, 2008, Kucinich introduced a new impeachment resolution ({{USBill|110|HRes|1345}}) limited to a single count.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rollcall.com/news/-26571-1.html|title=Kucinich to Introduce Sole Impeachment Resolution|publisher=Roll Call|date=July 10, 2008|access-date=August 27, 2013}}</ref><ref>rtsp://video1.c-span.org/15days/e071008_kucinich.rm {{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>
====Allegedly declassifying for political purposes====
{{main4|Invasion of Iraq|Iraq and weapons of mass destruction|Downing Street memo|Bush-Blair memo}}
{{main3|Yellowcake forgery|Plame affair|CIA leak grand jury investigation}}


===State-level Democratic party actions===
On April 06, 2006, court papers were filed in the ], stating that Libby had testified that President Bush authorized the disclosure of select portions of the then classified ] (NIE) on Iraq.<ref name="Leaking"/><ref>Bush authorized disclosure
On March 21, 2006, the New Mexico Democratic Party, at a convention in ], adopted a plank to their platform saying “the Democratic Party of New Mexico supports the impeachment of George Bush and his lawful removal from office.”<ref>{{cite news|title=N.M. Dems Call For Bush's Exit|date=2006-03-21 |first=Jeff |last=Jones |url=http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/443722nm03-21-06.htm |access-date=2007-01-27}}</ref>
* By PETE YOST, ], April 07, 2006
* By ], ], ] ]
* ] ]
* By Jason Leopold, Truthout, April 06, 2006
* By Joe Conason, Salon, April 07, 2006
* RAW STORY, ] ] </ref> The position of the Bush administration is that a Presidentally authorized release of material is not a "leak" in the sense that Presidents are authorized to de-classiffy material and the release of de-classified material is not leaking.<ref name="Leaking"/><ref>Disclosure legal?
* by John Dean, FindLaw, ] ]
* by ], April 06, 2006</ref> Some argue that this contradicts previous statements by Bush in which he made clear that leaking information is unacceptable.<ref name="Leaking"/><ref>Questions regarding statements
* By Robert Parry, Consortium News, April 07, 2006
* by Representative John Conyers, Jr., April 07, 2006
* By Derrick Z. Jackson, The ], ] ]
* By E&P Staff, ] April 06, 2006</ref> According to the court filings by Fitzgerald:
:''“Defendant (Libby) testified that this ] meeting was the only time he recalled in his government experience when he disclosed a document to a reporter that was effectively declassified by virtue of the President’s authorization that it be declassified.”'' <ref name="Court_filing">Uncommon way of declassifying
* by ], ], ] ]
* by Greg Mitchell, Editor & Publisher, ] ]</ref>
], ] and ] have noted that the Bush Administration's asserted motivation &mdash; that this declassification was needed to counter misinformation spread by opponents of the Bush administration's ] &mdash; is odd, since only an obscure part of the NIE, which supports the claims advanced by the US government, has been released, while the rest of the report, in which the CIA in 2002 allegedly dismissed that claim as unlikely, is still classified.<ref name="Ray_McGovern"/><ref name="Court_filing"/><ref name="NIE"> By Elizabeth de la Vega, TomDispatch.com, April 09, 2006</ref> Bush's misrepresentations on this point and his allegedly declassifying of information for a political purpose, is seen by some as impeachable offense.<ref name="NIE"/><ref>Lying impeachable
* By DAVE LINDORFF, CounterPunch, ]--9, 2006
* By William Rivers Pitt, Truthout, April 07, 2006</ref>


On March 24, 2007, the Vermont Democratic State Committee voted to support JRH 15, a state legislative resolution supporting impeachment, calling for its passage as "appropriate action."<ref>, by Shay Totten & Christian Avard '']'', March 6, 2007.</ref>
===Hurricane Katrina===
{{main3|Hurricane Katrina|Criticism of government response to Hurricane Katrina|Political effects of Hurricane Katrina}}
The alleged responsibility of the ] in the mishandling of Hurricane Katrina has been used by ], ], ], and the ] to suggest failure by the administration to adequately provide for the need of its citizens. And as such they hold that the allegations of incompetence amount to an impeachable offense.<ref name="Boyle"/><ref>Hurricane Katrina
* Ramsey Clarke, ] ]
* by Robert R. Thompson, ], October 03, 2005
* By FRANCIS BOYLE, ] ]
* , ] ]
* Sunday Independent, ] ]
*
* The Nation, ] ]</ref>


On January 2, 2008, ], an 87-year-old, fourteen-term Democratic ], introduced New Hampshire House Resolution 24 in the State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee of the ].<ref name=NHdoc>{{Cite web|title=Bill Docket|url=http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/bill_docket.aspx?lsr=2013&sy=2008&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2008&txttitle=impeach|access-date=2023-01-05|website=www.gencourt.state.nh.us}}</ref> The resolution was "petitioning Congress to commence impeachment procedures" against Bush and Cheney for "high crimes and misdemeanors", including domestic spying, illegal detentions, signing statements, electioneering, the breaking of international treaties, and war crimes.<ref name=NHtext>{{Cite web|title=HR 0024|url=http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2008/HR0024.html|access-date=2023-01-05|website=www.gencourt.state.nh.us}}</ref> The bill further asserted that "section 603 of ] states that an impeachment may be set in motion by the United States House of Representatives by charges transmitted from the legislature of a state".<ref name=NHtext/>
The administration, and its supporters, contend that the principal responsibility lies with the local authorities.<ref>Responsibility Katrina
* By Farhad Manjoo, ], ] ]
* CNN, ] ]
* by LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer
* Media Matters, March 02, 2006</ref> Therefore any accusation of inadequate handling of the disaster should be addressed at the Governor ].<ref>Kathleen Babineaux Blanco
* ], September 08, 2005
* By Stephen Dinan, THE WASHINGTON TIMES, ] ] </ref>


On February 20, 2008, the bill was ruled "Inexpedient to Legislate" to pass by a 10 to 5 vote within committee, which passed the resolution on to the full House for a vote.<ref name=NHdoc/> The bill was ] in the New Hampshire House of Representatives on April 16, 2008.<ref name=NHdoc/> After three efforts to have the bill removed from the table were unsuccessful, it died on the table on September 24, 2008.<ref name=NHdoc/>
===Alleged abuse of power===
====In general====
{{see|Unitary executive theory}}


===House Republicans===
As ] in the war on terror, President Bush has asserted broad war powers to protect the American people. These have been used to justify policies connected with the war. Elizabeth Holtzman, John Dean, ], ], the ] and the ] have claimed that Bush has exceeded constitutional or other legal limitations on such war powers. <ref name="Conyers"/><ref>Abuse of Power
On July 25, 2008, Rep. ] (]) said that Bush had not broken the law in his own interest. He further cited the ] of the Constitution and said that we should use "our own good judgment" regarding their intent on impeachment.<ref>{{cite news |title=User Clip: Mike Pence on impeachment cspan-July 25, 2008 {{!}} C-SPAN.org |url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4821207/user-clip-mike-pence-impeachment-cspan-july-25-2008 |access-date=November 25, 2019 |work=C-SPAN |date=July 25, 2008 |language=en-us}}</ref>
* by Elizabeth Holtzman, The Nation, ] ]
* By JOHN W. DEAN, FindLaw, ] ]
* By JENNIFER VAN BERGEN, Findlaw, January 09, 2006
* By EDWARD LAZARUS, FindLaw, ] ]
* By ], Tomdispatch.com. Posted ] ]
* Alternet, ] ]
* Common Dreams, ] ]
* The Santiago Times, ] ]</ref> The ''Draft Impeachment Resolution'' by Boyle advocates that this is an impeachable offense.<ref name="Boyle"/>


==Municipal and county resolutions endorsing impeachment==
The Bush administration denies this allegation by explaining that the President is only asserting his Constitutional duty as ] to protect the country.
By early 2006, numerous municipalities (large and small, and in various regions of the United States) had begun considering resolutions endorsing an impeachment of Bush.<ref>{{cite web |title=Towns draft resolutions for Bush impeachment |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna11746261 |website=NBC News |access-date=3 December 2024 |language=en |date=9 March 2006}}</ref> By June 2007, 79 municipal governments had adopted resolutions expressing their support for impeachments against Bush and other Bush administration officials.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Luhn |first1=Alec |title=Council to Discuss Bush Impeachment Madison Joins the 79 Muncipalities National Discussing Impeachment Resolutions of Bush's Administration. (First Edition) Seventy-Nine Municipalities Nationwide Have Adopted Impeachment Resolutions. (Second Edition) |url=https://madison.com/news/local/council-to-discuss-bush-impeachment-madison-joins-the-79-municipalities-nationwide-discussing-impeachment-resoltuions-of/article_1c02fa1a-d491-5192-9cb7-756758f3f857.html |website=Wisconsin State Journal |access-date=3 December 2024 |language=en |date=19 June 2007}}</ref>


Several county governments adopted resolutions expressing their support for an impeachment of Bush. Among the first to do this was ] in August 2007.<ref>Multiple sources:
====Presidential Signing Statements====
*{{cite web |title=Dane County Board to vote on impeachment of Bush, Cheney |url=https://www.twincities.com/2007/08/11/dane-county-board-to-vote-on-impeachment-of-bush-cheney |website=Twin Cities |access-date=3 December 2024 |date=11 August 2007}}
{{see|Signing statement}}
*{{cite web |title=Dane County / Board to vote on Bush impeachment |url=https://www.twincities.com/2007/08/11/dane-county-board-to-vote-on-bush-impeachment |website=Twin Cities |access-date=3 December 2024 |date=11 August 2007}}
*{{cite web |title=Every Which Way But Wyndham |url=https://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2010/02/every-which-way-but-wyndham |website=The Daily Cardinal |access-date=3 December 2024 |language=en |date=February 14, 2010}}</ref>


==Summary of impeachment resolutions introduced==
President Bush is alleged to use so-called signing statements to amend portions of a law he disagrees with, instead of issuing a veto. Most prominently discussed is his comment on the ] which is commonly interpreted as reserving the right to waive this law.
{| class=wikitable
|+ Impeachment resolutions introduced in the ]
! Resolution #
! Date introduced
! Sponsor
! Number of co-sponsors
! Action called for
! Reason
! Actions taken
! Citation
|-
|
| December 18, 2005
| ] (D–MI)
| style="text-align: center"|38
| Launch of an ]
| Allegations against the Bush administration including, "intent to go to war before congressional authorization, manipulation of pre-war intelligence, encouraging and countenancing torture, retaliating against critics"
| Referred to ] on December 18, 2005
| <ref>{{cite web |title=H.Res.635 - Creating a select committee to investigate the Administration's intent to go to war before congressional authorization, manipulation of pre-war intelligence, encouraging and countenancing torture, retaliating against critics, and to make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment.
|url= https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/house-resolution/635 |website=congress.gov |publisher=United States Congress |access-date=4 January 2023}}</ref>
|-
|
| December 8, 2006
| ] (D–GA)
| style="text-align: center"|0
| Impeachment of Bush
| {{small|Alleged "high crimes and misdemeanors" outlined in three articles of impeachment:
<br>{{Smalldiv|{{hidden| |
*Article I: "Failure to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution," in violation of ] by, "manipulating intelligence and lying to justify war"
*Article II: "Abuse of office and of executive privilege," in violation of his oath of office, through, "disregard for that oath by obstructing and hindering the work of Congressional investigative bodies and by seeking to expand the scope of the powers of his office," and additionally, failing to, "investigate or discipline those responsible for an ongoing pattern of negligence, incompetence and malfeasance to the detriment of the American people (including by Vice President ] and National Security Advisor ])
*Article III:"Failure to ensure the laws are faithfully executed," in violation of his duties under Article II, Section 3 of the United States Constitution by having, "violated the letter and spirit of laws and rules of criminal procedure used by civilian and military courts, and has violated or ignored regulatory codes and practices that carry out the law," in conduct including, "illegal domestic spying," that is, "in violation of the ]"
}}}}
| Referred to ] on December 8, 2006
| <ref>{{cite web |title=H.Res.1106 - Articles of Impeachment against George Walker Bush, President of the United States of America, and other officials, for high crimes and misdemeanors. |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/house-resolution/1106 |website=congress.gov |publisher=United States Congress |access-date=4 January 2023}}</ref>
|}


{| class=wikitable
In a story broken by ] of the Boston Globe, further allegations of abuse of power have come to light. In the article , the author claims that the President has issued over 750 ]s, which allow the President to select which parts of the laws will be enforced, based solely on his interpretation of constitutionality. Many legal scholars feel that this overrides the checks and balances afforded to the congressional and judicial branches of government. ] and ] power are checks on Congress reserved for the Supreme Court and President respectively to ensure the constitutionality of laws.
|+ Impeachment resolutions introduced in the ]
! Resolution #
Past ] response has been that this practice is not new, and that it has been used by many Presidents in the past.<ref> by the US Department of Justice ] ]</ref> The Boston Globe article argues that while factually true, it has never been used on such a large scale as that of President Bush.<ref> by Charlie Savage, Boston Globe ] ]</ref> The use of Presidential Signings to defeat certain portions of legislation amount to an end run against the unconstitutionality of ]s. The President has never used his veto powers, instead, waiting until after signing the bill to issue a Signing Statement, allegedly as instruction that that law should only be subject to presidential interpretation.
! Date introduced

! Sponsor
==Criticism==
! Number of co-sponsors
Although John Conyers introduced a motion to investigate the possible grounds for impeachment, this has been met with little support by Democrats and Republicans alike. In response Feingold introduced a motion to censure, which is also unlikely to pass.
! Action called for

! Reason
It has been suggested that the entire movement to impeach President Bush is nothing more than partisan politics{{fact}}.
! Actions taken

! Citation
Many on the left ''oppose'' the movement to impeach Bush, based on the rationale that it would lead to the (presumably) more-undesirable situation of a ] Presidency.{{fact}}
|-
|
| June 11, 2008
| ] (D–OH)
| style="text-align: center"|11
| Impeachment of Bush
| Alleged "high crimes and misdemeanors" in violation of his oath of office outlined in 28 articles of impeachment
| Referred (by a vote of 251–166) to ] on June 11, 2008
| <ref>{{cite web |title=H.Res.1258 - Impeaching George W. Bush, President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors.
|url= https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/house-resolution/1258 |website=congress.gov |publisher=United States Congress |access-date=4 January 2023}}</ref>
|-
|
| July 15, 2008
| ] (D–OH)
| style="text-align: center"|4
| Impeachment of Bush
| "Deceiving Congress with fabricated threats of ] to fraudulently obtain support for ]"
| Referred (by a vote of 238–180) to ] on December 8, 2006
| <ref>{{cite web |title=H.Res.1345 - Impeaching George W. Bush, President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors.
|url= https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/house-resolution/1345 |website=congress.gov |publisher=United States Congress |access-date=4 January 2023}}</ref>
|}


==See also== ==See also==
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* ] * ]
* ] * ]
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* '']''
* ] status
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* '']''
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== References == ==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
<references/>


==Further reading== ==Further reading==
* ], ''Articles of Impeachment Against George W. Bush'', (2006) ISBN 1-933633-08-5 * ], ''Warrior King: The Case for Impeaching George Bush'', (2003) {{ISBN|1-56025-606-0}}
* ], ''Warrior King: The Case for Impeaching George Bush'', (2003) ISBN 1560256060 * ] & ], ]: The Legal Argument for Removing President George W. Bush from Office, (2006) {{ISBN|0-312-36016-9}}
* Dennis Loo & Peter Phillips, Eds., ''Impeach the President: the Case Against Bush and Cheney'', (2006) {{ISBN|978-1-58322-743-5}}
* ], ''Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush'', (2004) ISBN 031600023X
* ], ''Impeachment: A Handbook (Yale Fastback Series)'', (1998 Reissue) ISBN 0300079508 * ], ''The Genius of Impeachment: The Founders' Cure for Royalism'', (2006) {{ISBN|978-1-59558-140-2}}
* Elizabeth de la Vega, ''U.S. v. Bush'', (2006) {{ISBN|978-1-58322-756-5}}
* ], ''Impeachment: A Handbook (Yale Fastback Series)'', (1998 Reissue) {{ISBN|0-300-07950-8}}
* ], '']'', (2006) {{ISBN|0-9779440-0-X}}
* ] with Cynthia Cooper, ''The Impeachment of George W Bush'' A Practical Guide for Concerned Citizens, (2006) {{ISBN|1-56025-940-X}}
* ], ''Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law'', (2007) {{ISBN|0-9778253-3-7}}
* ], ''Takeover: The Return of the Imperial Presidency and the Subversion of American Democracy'', (2007) {{ISBN|0-316-11805-2}}
* ], '']'', (2008) {{ISBN|978-159315-481-3}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Wikisource|Representative Kucinich announced his intention to offer a privileged resolution|Congressional&nbsp;Record, Volume&nbsp;154, pp.&nbsp;H5088–H5107 (June&nbsp;9,&nbsp;2008)}}
* from the Center for Media & Democracy's SourceWatch
* , by Congressman ]. .
*
* (July 22, 2007)
**
*
* by John Dean
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060318101931/http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060130/holtzman |date=2006-03-18 }} an article in the January 30, 2006, issue of ''The Nation'' magazine
* by Virginia Rodino

* Group organizing events to publicize the Downing Street Memos and advocate a congressional resolution of inquiry into the possible crimes of George Bush.
{{Presidency of George W. Bush}}
*, which reports a Zogby Poll which shows 42% of Americans agree that "if President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment?"
{{Federal impeachment in the United States}}
*
* an article in the January 30, 2006 issue of ''The Nation'' magazine
*
* by ], a private U.S. citizen who is running for U.S. Senate in 2006 as a Democrat in Rhode Island.
*
* by Garrison Keillor
* Why Bush's pre-9/11 conduct is best characterized as criminal negligence, by historian and former State Department intelligence analyst Kenneth J. Dillon.
*
*
*
*
*
* ; Library Of Congress link to
*
*
*
*


] ]
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Latest revision as of 20:23, 3 December 2024

Talks and activities of a possible impeachment of George W. Bush
A protester calling for the impeachment of Bush on June 16, 2005.
Window display in New Orleans calling for impeachment in March 2006
Man protesting in Albuquerque, New Mexico in support of impeaching both Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in July 2008

During the presidency of George W. Bush, several American politicians sought to either investigate Bush for possible impeachable offenses, or to bring actual impeachment charges on the floor of the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee. The most significant of these efforts occurred on June 10, 2008, when Congressman Dennis Kucinich, along with co-sponsor Robert Wexler, introduced 35 articles of impeachment against Bush to the U.S. House of Representatives. The House voted 251 to 166 to refer the impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee on June 11, where no further action was taken on it. Bush's presidency ended on January 20, 2009, with the completion of his second term in office, rendering impeachment efforts moot.

Kucinich–Wexler impeachment articles

The Kucinich–Wexler impeachment resolution contained 35 articles of impeachment covering the Iraq War, the Valerie Plame affair, creating a case for war with Iran, capture and treatment of prisoners of war, spying and or wiretapping inside the United States, use of signing statements, failing to comply with Congressional subpoenas, the 2004 elections, Medicare, Hurricane Katrina, global warming, and 9/11.

The 2003 invasion of Iraq was the most substantial portion of the articles of impeachment introduced by Kucinich and Wexler. Fifteen of the 35 articles directly relate to alleged misconduct by Bush in seeking authority for the war, and in the conduct of military action itself. Five other articles address allegations partially or tertiarily relating to the war, including the "outing" of Valerie Plame, treatment of prisoners (both in Iraq and from operations in Afghanistan and other countries), and building a case for Iran being a threat based in part on alleging Iranian actions in Iraq.

Justification for invasion

Further information: Iraq and weapons of mass destruction, Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda, Downing Street memo, Bush-Blair memo, Legitimacy of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and Bush-Aznar memo

The first four impeachment articles charge the president with illegally creating a case for war with Iraq, including charges of a propaganda campaign, falsely representing Iraq as responsible for 9/11, and falsely representing Iraq as an imminent danger to the United States.

Legitimacy of invasion

Further information: UN Charter, War of aggression, Jus ad bellum, and Legitimacy of the 2003 invasion of Iraq

Articles 5–8 and 12 deal with the invasion of Iraq and include charges that funds were misspent before the war, that the war was in violation of HJRes114, that Iraq was invaded without a war declaration, that the war is a violation of the UN Charter, and that the purpose of the war was to control the country's oil supplies.

Conduct of the Iraq War

Further information: 2003 invasion of Iraq

Articles 9, 10, 11 and 13 deal with conduct of the war, including failing to provide troops with body armor, falsifying US troop deaths and injuries, establishing a permanent military base in Iraq, and creating a secret task force to develop energy and military policies with respect to Iraq and other countries. Articles 15 and 16 cover contractors in Iraq and charges that the president misspent money on contractors and provided them with immunity.

Valerie Plame

Further information: Plame affair

Article 14 is about the revelation of the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame.

Treatment of detainees

Further information: Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse, Bagram torture and prisoner abuse, United Nations Convention Against Torture, Geneva Conventions, Command responsibility, and Hamdan v. Rumsfeld

Articles 17–20 concern the treatment of detainees, the "kidnapping" and detention of foreign nationals, and the use of torture.

Attempt to overthrow the government of Iran

Article 21 claims that the president misled Congress and the American people about threats from Iran, and supported terrorist organizations within Iran, with the goal of overthrowing the Iranian government.

NSA warrantless surveillance controversy

Further information: NSA warrantless surveillance controversy and Separation of powers

Articles 24 and 25 charge the president with illegally spying on American citizens, directing US telecom companies to create databases of citizens, and violating the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution.

Signing statements

Further information: Signing statement § Controversy over George W. Bush's use of signing statements

Article 26 concerns the presidential use of signing statements.

Congressional subpoenas

Article 27 is about failing to comply with congressional subpoenas.

2004 elections

Further information: 2004 United States election voting controversies

Articles 28 and 29 charge the president with tampering with the 2004 elections and violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Medicare

Article 30 states "Misleading Congress and the American People in an Attempt to Destroy Medicare."

Katrina

Further information: Criticism of the government response to Hurricane Katrina

Article 31 concerns the supposed failure to plan and respond to Hurricane Katrina.

Global warming

Article 32 charges the president with "Systematically Undermining Efforts to Address Global Climate Change."

9/11

Articles 33, 34 and 35 concern 9/11, alleging that the president failed to respond to prior intelligence, obstructed post-9/11 investigations and endangered the health of 9/11 first responders.

Political views and actions

An early effort to impeach Bush was begun by Lyndon Johnson administration Attorney General Ramsey Clark.

Democrats in Congress

On June 16, 2005, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) assembled an unofficial meeting to discuss the Downing Street memo and to consider grounds for impeachment. Conyers filed a resolution on December 18, 2005, to create an investigative committee to consider impeachment. His resolution gained 38 co-sponsors before it expired at the end of the 109th Congress. He did not reintroduce a similar resolution for the 110th Congress.

Keith Ellison (D-MN) was the leading figure behind the resolution to impeach Bush brought to the Minnesota State House of Representatives in May 2006. Ellison was elected to the United States House of Representatives in November 2006. During the campaign and when he was named to the House Judiciary Committee, Ellison repeatedly called for an investigation into a possible impeachment. In support of his candidacy, he "received a $1,000 contribution from ImpeachPAC". Ellison would later note that his "opinions really have not changed over time, but the circumstances" regarding his position in Congress had, and he was a "step before impeachment".

At another unofficial hearing convened by Conyers on January 20, 2006, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) called for the committee to explore whether Bush should face impeachment, stemming from his decision to authorize domestic surveillance without court review.

On May 10, 2006, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) indicated she was not interested in pursuing impeachment and had taken it "off the table", reiterating this phrase on November 8, 2006, after the election. In July 2007, Pelosi stated that she "would probably advocate" impeaching Bush if she were not in the House nor Speaker of the House.

On December 8, 2006 (the last day of the 109th Congress), then-Representative Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) submitted a resolution, H. Res. 1106. The bill expired along with the 109th Congress.

John Conyers brought up the subject of impeachment on the July 8, 2007, broadcast of This Week with George Stephanopoulos, stating:

We're hoping that as the cries for the removal of both Cheney and Bush now reach 46 percent and 58 percent, respectively, for impeachment, that we could begin to become a little bit more cooperative, if not even amicable, in trying to get to the truth of these matters.

Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich's major point in the Democratic Presidential Debate on October 30, 2007, was that Bush and Cheney should be impeached for the Iraq War. On November 6, 2007, Kucinich introduced a resolution to impeach Vice President Cheney in the House of Representatives.

In November 2007, Joe Biden, then a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, stated that he would move to impeach if President Bush were to bomb Iran without first gaining congressional approval. However, no such bombing occurred during the rest of Bush's term.

On June 9, 2008, Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), introduced a resolution, H.Res. 1258, to impeach president George W. Bush, which included 35 counts in the articles of impeachment. At the end of the evening on June 10, Kucinich offered a motion to refer HRes 1258 to the House Judiciary Committee. On June 11, the House voted 251-166 to send the resolution to the Committee. The effort to impeach President Bush was not supported by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who believed the move would be "divisive and unlikely to succeed."

On July 14, 2008, Kucinich introduced a new impeachment resolution (H.Res. 1345) limited to a single count.

State-level Democratic party actions

On March 21, 2006, the New Mexico Democratic Party, at a convention in Albuquerque, adopted a plank to their platform saying “the Democratic Party of New Mexico supports the impeachment of George Bush and his lawful removal from office.”

On March 24, 2007, the Vermont Democratic State Committee voted to support JRH 15, a state legislative resolution supporting impeachment, calling for its passage as "appropriate action."

On January 2, 2008, Betty Hall, an 87-year-old, fourteen-term Democratic State Representative, introduced New Hampshire House Resolution 24 in the State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. The resolution was "petitioning Congress to commence impeachment procedures" against Bush and Cheney for "high crimes and misdemeanors", including domestic spying, illegal detentions, signing statements, electioneering, the breaking of international treaties, and war crimes. The bill further asserted that "section 603 of Jefferson's Manual of Parliamentary Practice states that an impeachment may be set in motion by the United States House of Representatives by charges transmitted from the legislature of a state".

On February 20, 2008, the bill was ruled "Inexpedient to Legislate" to pass by a 10 to 5 vote within committee, which passed the resolution on to the full House for a vote. The bill was tabled in the New Hampshire House of Representatives on April 16, 2008. After three efforts to have the bill removed from the table were unsuccessful, it died on the table on September 24, 2008.

House Republicans

On July 25, 2008, Rep. Mike Pence (IN) said that Bush had not broken the law in his own interest. He further cited the Framers of the Constitution and said that we should use "our own good judgment" regarding their intent on impeachment.

Municipal and county resolutions endorsing impeachment

By early 2006, numerous municipalities (large and small, and in various regions of the United States) had begun considering resolutions endorsing an impeachment of Bush. By June 2007, 79 municipal governments had adopted resolutions expressing their support for impeachments against Bush and other Bush administration officials.

Several county governments adopted resolutions expressing their support for an impeachment of Bush. Among the first to do this was Dane County, Wisconsin in August 2007.

Summary of impeachment resolutions introduced

Impeachment resolutions introduced in the 109th U.S. Congress
Resolution # Date introduced Sponsor Number of co-sponsors Action called for Reason Actions taken Citation
H.Res. 635 December 18, 2005 John Conyers (D–MI) 38 Launch of an impeachment inquiry Allegations against the Bush administration including, "intent to go to war before congressional authorization, manipulation of pre-war intelligence, encouraging and countenancing torture, retaliating against critics" Referred to House Committee on Rules on December 18, 2005
H.Res.1106 December 8, 2006 Cynthia McKinney (D–GA) 0 Impeachment of Bush Alleged "high crimes and misdemeanors" outlined in three articles of impeachment:
  • Article I: "Failure to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution," in violation of his oath of office by, "manipulating intelligence and lying to justify war"
  • Article II: "Abuse of office and of executive privilege," in violation of his oath of office, through, "disregard for that oath by obstructing and hindering the work of Congressional investigative bodies and by seeking to expand the scope of the powers of his office," and additionally, failing to, "investigate or discipline those responsible for an ongoing pattern of negligence, incompetence and malfeasance to the detriment of the American people (including by Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice)
  • Article III:"Failure to ensure the laws are faithfully executed," in violation of his duties under Article II, Section 3 of the United States Constitution by having, "violated the letter and spirit of laws and rules of criminal procedure used by civilian and military courts, and has violated or ignored regulatory codes and practices that carry out the law," in conduct including, "illegal domestic spying," that is, "in violation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act"
 Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary on December 8, 2006
Impeachment resolutions introduced in the 110th U.S. Congress
Resolution # Date introduced Sponsor Number of co-sponsors Action called for Reason Actions taken Citation
H.Res.1258 June 11, 2008 Dennis Kucinich (D–OH) 11 Impeachment of Bush Alleged "high crimes and misdemeanors" in violation of his oath of office outlined in 28 articles of impeachment Referred (by a vote of 251–166) to House Committee on the Judiciary on June 11, 2008
H.Res.1345 July 15, 2008 Dennis Kucinich (D–OH) 4 Impeachment of Bush "Deceiving Congress with fabricated threats of Iraq WMDs to fraudulently obtain support for an authorization of the use of military force against Iraq" Referred (by a vote of 238–180) to House Committee on the Judiciary on December 8, 2006

See also

References

  1. ^ "Impeaching George W. Bush, President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors. (2008 - H.Res. 1258)". GovTrack.us. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  2. Man, Anthony (June 10, 2008). "Impeach Bush, Wexler says". South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
  3. "Bill Summary & Status - 110th Congress (2007 - 2008) - H.RES.1258 - All Congressional Actions - THOMAS (Library of Congress)". Archived from the original on 2016-07-04. Retrieved 2009-01-26.
  4. "Ramsey Clark speaks out against war at college by josh davidson Staff Writer". independent.gmnews.com. Archived from the original on 17 December 2005. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  5. "Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark Calls for Bush Impeachment". Democracy Now!.
  6. H.RES.635 - Creating a select committee to investigate the Administration's intent to go to war before congressional authorization, manipulation of pre-war intelligence, encouraging and countenancing Archived 2015-03-18 at the Wayback Machine torture, retaliating against critics, and to make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment Sponsor: Rep Conyers, John, Jr. (introduced December 18, 2005)
  7. Wilson, Conrad (2006-12-08). "The Insurgent". Retrieved January 27, 2007.
  8. Pugmire, Tim (2006-08-09). "Ellison compares Bush to Nixon". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
  9. Hotakainen, Rob (2007-01-25). "Will Ellison pursue impeachment? Not for now, he says". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on February 14, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
  10. Hotakainen, Rob (January 27, 2007). "Impeach Bush? Not yet, says Dem".
  11. Babington, Charles (2006-05-12). "Democrats Won't Try To Impeach President". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  12. NANCY ZUCKERBROD (8 November 2006). "Pelosi Says Democrats Are Ready to Lead". The Washington Post. Associated Press. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  13. Berman, Ari (2007-07-31). "Why Pelosi Opposes Impeachment". ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  14. Evans, Ben (2006-12-08). "McKinney Introduces Bill to Impeach Bush". Associated Press.
  15. Rep. Conyers on Impeachment, retrieved 2023-01-05
  16. Spillius, Alex (2 November 2007). "US presidential candidate insists he saw UFO". Telegraph. Philadelphia. Archived from the original on 3 November 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
  17. "Poll: Vermont Wants Bush, Cheney Impeached, Nearly Two-Thirds Of State's Likely Voters Want President, VP Removed Before Term Ends". CBS News. November 1, 2007. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
  18. Claffey, Jason. "Dover NH, Rochester NH, Portsmouth NH, Laconia NH, Sanford ME". Durham: Fosters.com. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
  19. Leech, Adam. "Biden: Impeachment if Bush bombs Iran". Seacoastonline.com. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
  20. "Impeaching George W. Bush, President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors". Thomas.loc.gov. Archived from the original on 2015-07-18. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
  21. "Kucinich effort to impeach Bush kicked into limbo - CNN.com". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  22. "Kucinich to Introduce Sole Impeachment Resolution". Roll Call. July 10, 2008. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  23. rtsp://video1.c-span.org/15days/e071008_kucinich.rm
  24. Jones, Jeff (2006-03-21). "N.M. Dems Call For Bush's Exit". Retrieved 2007-01-27.
  25. Vermont: 36 towns call for impeachment probe of president, by Shay Totten & Christian Avard Vermont Guardian, March 6, 2007.
  26. ^ "Bill Docket". www.gencourt.state.nh.us. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  27. ^ "HR 0024". www.gencourt.state.nh.us. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  28. "User Clip: Mike Pence on impeachment cspan-July 25, 2008 | C-SPAN.org". C-SPAN. July 25, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  29. "Towns draft resolutions for Bush impeachment". NBC News. 9 March 2006. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  30. Luhn, Alec (19 June 2007). "Council to Discuss Bush Impeachment Madison Joins the 79 Muncipalities National Discussing Impeachment Resolutions of Bush's Administration. (First Edition) Seventy-Nine Municipalities Nationwide Have Adopted Impeachment Resolutions. (Second Edition)". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  31. Multiple sources:
  32. "H.Res.635 - Creating a select committee to investigate the Administration's intent to go to war before congressional authorization, manipulation of pre-war intelligence, encouraging and countenancing torture, retaliating against critics, and to make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment". congress.gov. United States Congress. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  33. "H.Res.1106 - Articles of Impeachment against George Walker Bush, President of the United States of America, and other officials, for high crimes and misdemeanors". congress.gov. United States Congress. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  34. "H.Res.1258 - Impeaching George W. Bush, President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors". congress.gov. United States Congress. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  35. "H.Res.1345 - Impeaching George W. Bush, President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors". congress.gov. United States Congress. Retrieved 4 January 2023.

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