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Hagel Warns of Impeachment of President

Submitted by David Weisberg, Mar 26, 2007 18:52

Impeachment of a president is, or ought to be, a gravely serious matter in our system of government. It is not a remedy that should be recommended whenever an administration fails to "respond to what the people of this country are saying about" some important issue of the day. For a Senator to suggest otherwise tells us more about the Senator than it does about the current administration.

Senator Hagel suggests that President Bush might be impeached if the latter continues to ignore the desires of the American people regarding the war in Iraq. According to Sen. Hagel, those desires require withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. Thus, we now have a new wrinkle in the constitutional provisions regarding impeachment: we apparently are supposed to believe that a president's failure to conform his administration's policies to the latest poll results amounts to a "high crime [or] misdemeanor" within the meaning of Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution. Sen. Hagel is apparently writing a brand new chapter in "Profiles in Courage": the highest standard to which every president must aspire is to follow opinion polls, and any failure to do so constitutes an impeachable offense.

Unless we assume that Sen. Hagel is running his mouth to garner free publicity, we have to believe that the Senator has thought deeply about the constitutional provisions relating to impeachment of a president. One wonders if he has thought equally deeply about other important provisions of our founding document. Hagel's astoundingly loose language regarding impeachment and the presidency should disqualify him from ever occupying that office himself.

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
The invasion and occupation of Iraq was a crime. It was a violation of international Law. This is a simple... [MORE]	mehdi oummih	Mar 27, 2007 00:36
Bravo. I share your sentiments, and hope that as Americans realize what is going on, they will act with their... [MORE]	Rosie williams	Mar 31, 2007 20:54
I agree with you mehdi. The war on Iraq was a big mistake and a big crime. It has caused... [MORE]	KM	Jul 19, 2007 15:54
Much of the disaster that has gripped our country can be traced back to ignoring our own constitution and laws.... [MORE]	mehdi	Nov 20, 2007 11:31
So, in Hagels view, ignoring Congress falls under which of the impeachable offenses, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and... [MORE]	C Foster	Mar 26, 2007 20:25
Bush should have been impeached long ago. He lied us into a war with a country that didn't attack us,... [MORE]	Orville H. Larson	Mar 26, 2007 19:26
You are trying to criminalize political differences. [MORE]	Cyrus Bear	Apr 3, 2007 23:26
Impeachment of a president is, or ought to be, a gravely serious matter in our system of government. It is...	David Weisberg	Mar 26, 2007 18:52
Amen David Weisberg. We elect the President to LEAD the country without regard to popularity. The President is not a... [MORE]	D Smith	Mar 29, 2007 03:51
There is an organization seeking to run a 3rd party ticket that will reduce party polarization. How do Webb and... [MORE]	Jim Cain	Mar 26, 2007 17:29
throw him his 30 pieces of silver & tell him 2 go out & play with the democrat .hope he... [MORE]	john labombard	Mar 26, 2007 16:30
It is amazing how many armchair generals we have in the private citizen sector that are so much more knowlegeable... [MORE]	J. Emerson	Mar 27, 2007 04:36
Hagel is a big mouth turn coat. He has no allegiance other than to himself. He's far from being a... [MORE]	billclintoon	Mar 28, 2007 05:32
I doubt anyone could run for President without finding a few people supporting them. j. emerson may support whom he... [MORE]	Gordon Crump	Mar 28, 2007 11:43
It worries me that people who knowingly tell an untruth just to win votes or feed their hate of a... [MORE]	Shirley E Maunz	Apr 4, 2007 00:42
When are you and every member of your family that is of legal draft age enlisting?????????? [MORE]	Rufus is Where?	Mar 26, 2007 15:43
Hagel gets credibility on "Republican" issues because of his affiliation. But when a senator of the same party as the... [MORE]	rick geiger	Mar 26, 2007 13:49
Bush needs to be stopped and he will not listen to the populace so what else do we need to... [MORE]	Frank	Mar 26, 2007 20:22
I think Hagel is an honorable American and unlike so many hawks, actually served in a war. I think that... [MORE]	William Smith	Mar 26, 2007 22:03
Is manufactuing false intellegence to justify war not treason? Is failure to defend the Constitution not impeachable? When a president ignores the... [MORE]	Tom Hughes	Mar 26, 2007 23:01
Frank: With respect, I don't understand your comments and ask you to expand. You didn't sleep? Why not? President Bush... [MORE]	D Smith	Mar 29, 2007 04:06
Mr Hughes: I'm willing to ignore your errors in syntax and spelling ("breaches of Constitutional breaches"), but cannot ignore unsubstantiated... [MORE]	D Smith	Mar 29, 2007 04:38
He's contracted Cindy Sheehan Disease. [MORE]	RufusLeeKing	Mar 26, 2007 12:33
"That bill gives the White House $24 billion more than it asked for to fund... [MORE]	ACD	Mar 26, 2007 12:01

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