It is so frustrating to me when smart people like Josh (he's a Brown grad too, snark) just up and ignore the remedies that the Congress has available to it.

My main reason in not favoring impeaching Bush is because reaching back into the past and then fighting to get documents and witnesses and probably having to go through the courts for some of that even though we shouldn't have to seems like a gaint waste of time. And then not only would 17 Enablers/Repub Senators not vote to convict but all of the above would probably pretty much run out the clock on his term. So what would be the point?

However - if he were to do something new like not uphold the Constitution that was as clear as day to everyone and it didn't require documents or witnesses that would hide under executive privilege then yeah impeach him. He is moving perilously close to that.

If he were to blatantly violate or disregard the Constitution then all it would take to try him is a hand full of Constitutional scholars and there are plenty of those who are ready to step up.

Now I don't recall the rules of evidence in an impeachment but I think I do remember they are much loser than in a criminal or civil case. So given that I am pretty certain that some of his past deeds could also be presented to show a pattern of behavior. Like FISA for instance.

the bushco fascists have been moving, VERY effectively, into fascist rule for years

decades if you want to (legitimately) count RayGun.

He's a good writer, but, ya know what?

he is f$$$ing clueless -

and I mean clueless in the sense of someone who has to read "Nickled and Dimed" to know WTF niclkled and dimed is about.

In the leather chairs by the fireside of the the Ivy covered halls,

all us unwashed peeee-ons is pawns in the Great Game...

I just want to rub this elitist a$$holes face into a puddle.

Josh Marshall, after all, is a journalist, not a lawyer or legislator. I don't know what he did his dissertation on but I guess it might not have been the Federalist Papers. If it was, then woops, I admit that then it's a fair fight. :)

Viewing this from abroad, I have to say it counts very much to put America on record as saying what has been done in its name is not right.  Letting, W fade off the stage without making a stand hurts America long-term.  A defensible position internationally, is having Democrats do everything in their power, including drafting articles of impeachment.  Let the record show that Republicans were not for defending the constitution and Ok with Bush's abuses.

I don't see any reasons given why the other methods you favor are superior to impeachment.  Can the application of all of the alternative methods mentioned deal with as many of the admin's crimes, and prevent them from continuing as well as impeachment?  And is it more likely that congress would be able to execute multiple actions rather than one?  Especially a bunch of congressional actions that even "smart people" don't know about vs impeachment which is known to the apparently less smart masses and already favored by many of us.

Re funding, Bush has already shown a willingness and ability to illegally obtain funds.  He did a lot of troop movement w/o congressional funding. And, a $TRILLION has gone missing in the past from the pentagon and a lot of money is missing from Iraq.  AND I hear that he's been making $BILLIONS responding to all of those Nigerian bankers trying to transfer funds.

But given the scope and magnitude of this admin's crimes and systematic dismantling of the Constitution and usurpation of power, I do think that this is the time to impeach. Before it is literally too late. It is, to me at least, utterly inconceivable that the NeoCons will yield the vast new presidential powers to the democrats.  I don't think that Cheney would be pleased to know that, say Gravel, could order a warrantless wiretap on him to see what his real role was in, well, every criminal activity of this administration.  To continue the precedent of ignoring the rule of law and closing the opposition out of everything they do.  To let the Dems inherit the ability to stonewall congress, to commit crimes at will and declare all evidence inaccessible due to executive privilege.  Will the war mongering and war profiteering NeoCons allow the Defeat-o-Crat, treasonous, terrist loving, Paris Hilton tax opposing scum to:

1) Stop their "Forever War's" multi $BILLION income stream
or, given that Dems are politicians, too:
2) Divert the stream into their own and their cronies' pockets.

Either way, they won't give up huge sums money obtained by committing serious crimes without committing more serious crimes to prevent it.

Elections have been stolen before... some conspiracies suggest 2000 and 2004.  They been caught installing operatives in key places to aid in stealing votes.  AFAIK, none of the fired USAs have been removed or replaced, so dragging out the investigation until 2008 will render it moot.  They will have gotten the desired effect anyway.  They've been illegally using government agencies, employees and money to help particularly vulnerable Rep candidates.  What else have the done that has gone undiscovered?  With a group of politicians you never find the last crime.

Republican obstructionism combined with Dems' inability to override presidential vetoes means that, while Reps may not get all they want, they certainly won't get much they don't.  The effects of Democratic "wins" in 2006 have been minor at best.

Hopefully, they will only proceed as far as election stealing.

But, to put on the tinfoil hat, we can also look at some other facts that may or may not be unrelated.  (Unrepentantly copied from another of my posts elsewhere).

Many things we thought we'd never see happen in America:

. Suspension of Habeas-Corpus.
. Dismissing the Geneva Conventions as "quaint."
. A "president" calling the Constitution a "goddamned piece of paper."
. The nebulous definition of "enemy combatant."  Pretty much what the WH wants it to be.
. Extrordinary rendition for ECs.
. Torture of ECs.
. 2 Bush "wins." One via an UNPRECEDENTED SCOTUS decision.
. Falsified evidence for war in Iraq. (OK, this has happened before.)
. $1 TRILLION unaccountable from defense budget. $1,000,000,000,000.00
. 2 planes flown by an amateurs hitting the the twin towers.
. A plane flown by an amateur hitting the Pentagon.
. But this I would expect: A 4th flight being stopped by the passengers once they knew what was happening.  It's a good thing it wasn't a flight to a Republican convention.  Everyone would've gotten a deferment so they wouldn't need to fight.
. Losing 2 AUFs simultaneously.
. All other standard governmental corruption on an industrial scale.
. A privatized Walter Reid making the wounded sleep in their own urine.
. Any dissent w/administration being seriously called treason.
. No draft while fighting the supposedly most important war of the ages.
. A president taking direct orders from the god of Abraham... the same god
supposedly giving orders to the other side.
. Survivor, "Idol", Britney, Lindsey, Paris, Steroids.  Sorry, got distracted there for a second.

AND:

* A population that, by and large, doesn't care (enough).

And a few random facts:

. Bush made it legal to move troops into states w/o Governors' OK.
. The loose definition of "catastrophic emergency" in the NSPDs. Essentially "The Declaration of Martial Law - EZ form" (thanks BB)
. Stacked SCOTUS, "Bushie" USAs.
. $1 TRILLION "mad money."
. A decimated National Guard.
. Control of the largest mercenary army in the world.  These boys may be redeployed to the US soon.

An admittedly "gut feel" from me:  I would not put the precipitation of a "catastrophic emergency" past the group in charge.  Not even the manufacture of one if needed.  A group capable of defrauding their own nation into an illegal war of aggression is capable of pretty much anything to get what they want.

A lot can happen between November and January if it needs to.
Conclusions are left as an exercise.
Responses are due before Nov 2008.

Things I never expect to happen:
Cheney: "Hillary, here's the number to call to get a warrantless wiretap. Have fun!"