After blocking any serious investigation or impeachment hearings on crimes committed by President Bush, Speaker Nancy Pelosi finally addressed the allegations of presidential crimes on that forum of deep intellectual and legal thought: the television show The View. She agreed to answer a question from Joy Behar, who will have to suffice as a substitute for Peter Rodino. In a perfectly bizarre moment, Pelosi stated that there is simply no evidence of any crime committed by the President despite the findings of the International Red Cross, various international groups, and a legion of constitutional experts. It seems that America has now had its impeachment hearing before the august body of Whoopi Goldberg, Barbara Walters, Joy Bahar, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. If you feared that our democracy is de-evolving into a caricature of itself, just watch this video.
Here is what will suffice as the impeachment hearing of George Bush as the Speaker of the House of Representative is questioned by a comedian:
JOY BEHAR: You’ve ruled against impeaching George Bush and Dick Cheney, and now Kucinich is trying to pass that. Why do you insist on not impeaching these people, so that the world and America can really see the crimes that they’ve committed?
REP. NANCY PELOSI: Well, I think that it—I think it was important, when I became Speaker—and it’s, by the way, a very important position—President, Vice President, Speaker of the House—I saw it as my responsibility to try to bring a much divided country together to the extent that we could. I thought that impeachment would be divisive for the country.
In terms of what we wanted—set out to do, we wanted to raise the minimum wage, give the biggest increase in veterans benefits to veterans in the seventy-seven-year history, then pass research for stem cell research, all of that. This week, we’re going to pass equal pay for equal work. It has been a long time in coming—pay equity. We’re going to pass legislations for product safety, for toys that children put in their—there’s an agenda that you have to get done. You have to try to do it in a bipartisan way. The President has to sign it.If somebody had a crime that the President had committed, that would be a different story.
BEHAR: Can they still do it after he is out?
BARBARA WALTERS: When, when we first- when I interviewed you last year, you had just begun, and you were going to clean up the mess, remember?
PELOSI: We did.
WALTERS: You, you look around this country, 75 percent of the country, forget George Bush, thinks that Congress is doing a lousy job.
HASSELBECK: I think it’s 91 percent now.
PELOSI: Well, I don’t disagree with that because largely it’s predicated on ending the war in Iraq. That’s the main question, and we were not successful. In our House of Representatives, I’m very proud of our members because they voted overwhelmingly over and over again to bring the war to an end, to bring the troops home safely and soon, send it to the Senate, and it hits a dead end. But in terms of that particular standard, I would say I disapprove as well. But we do, we passed some of the things I just mentioned, the energy bill. We worked in a bipartisan way, and ovation, agenda, we have to create jobs, expand health care, protect the American people, and educate our children. And you can’t do that if you’re trying to impeach the president at the same time, unless you have the goods that this president committed these crimes.
BEHAR: They did it to Clinton.
PELOSI: But they didn’t have the goods and it was wrong, and it was wrong, and it was wrong when they did that. Not that I- I have total disagreement with president on the war, the reason why we went in, which was based on a false premise. But that’s a different story than saying “can we try to get something accomplished for people,” have concerns about the economy and the rest.
For the video, click here and here.
Ironically, even this statement only came about because Pelosi was trying to sell her new book, “Know Your Power: A Message to America’s Daughters.” It appears that the message is that you should not let principle get in the way of politics when it comes to such issues as presidential crimes.
It is obviously a very frustrating and insulting moment for many. The International Red Cross warned the president in 2002 that his administration was committing a war crime for which prosecution was possible, click here. A federal judge (before Pelosi and the Democratic Congress barred further judicial review) declared that the domestic surveillance program was clearly illegal, click here. The Judiciary Committee has voted to hold Bush officials in criminal contempt and referred the matter for prosecution. Dozens of constitutional experts (including myself) have detailed impeachable offenses over the years. Yet, Speaker Pelosi insists that there is no evidence of crime while refusing to investigate that allegations.
What is particularly troubling is that the Speaker is now on the record as suggesting that torture and illegal surveillance are simply not crimes. That will be a useful fact when future president decides to engage in the same unlawful conduct.
Obviously, the Speaker is fully aware that respected organizations and experts have detailed crimes ordered by this President. Indeed, it took repeated interventions by Congress to keep courts from continuing to rule on such illegality — destroying any notion of plausible deniability that Democrats have no knowledge of alleged crimes. The Constitution foresees that, once credible allegations have been made (as here), the House would investigate (which Pelosi has blocked). Instead of the proceedings envisioned by the Framers, Speaker Pelosi has reduced the matter to a fun exchange with a comedian on a gossip and gripe show. In next week’s episode, Elisabeth Hasselbeck will work out the details of the Iraq appropriations budget with Pelosi.
The Speaker had to compete on the home page for the View with pictures of male strippers and a segment “Sheri Can’t Cook!,” click here. Now, that is a perfect forum for discussing one of the most important constitutional questions of our time.
Annie,
We can work to get Pelosi thrown out by her own District and even if she wins, we need to start emailing Obama to tell him that she has to go as Speaker. I do not need a “light” Democrat as Speaker. I need someone like Dennis Kucinich as Speaker. Now that would be fun.
We know the REAL reason: she’s complicit in the US torture policy and program development and implementation. She took impeachment off the table to protect herself from being prosecuted and impeached.
It ALWAYS boils down to self-interest. That’s why the Constitution was designed the way it was, and in theory, still should be operationally functional.
When the elected officials uncouple from the citizenry, this is the inevitable result.
The question in my mind is only on how we recover and restore it?
We didn’t revolt – the government revolted from the people.
Earlier today I heard Dennis Kucinich tell Thom Hartmann during Hartmann’s radio show that he (Kucinich) has appointment with Speaker Pelosi later this afternoon. He will be presenting her with evidence of Bush’s crimes (in one case by public admission) and a reminder of the 35 articles of impeachment now being considered by various House committees.
Um:
1) abolished habeas corpus, the big pappa bear
2) illegal spying on Americans [4th Amendment]
3) signing a law that gives retroactive immunity [no ex post facto law]
Those are three crimes against the Constitution that Bush swore to uphold and protect against all enemies foreign and domestic. That’s an oath he swore at least twice. In public with -VERY MANY- witnesses.
And those are just three of them.
I could have mentioned torturing: no unusual and cruel punishment.
That would make Bush the worst politician alive today if it wasn’t for Pelosi who clearly defends him after he clearly perjured himself twice. Once in a time of war.
If Bush is not held to the standard of the law, why would anybody else have to suffer its consequence?
I am confused. The Bush Administration has admitted to at least 3 instances of waterboarding detainees which is a violation of U.S. law and international law. This isn’t a crime? Pelosi and the neocons need to open their eyes and realize they are backing a felon who is going to be held accountable at sometime for these crimes. As to Pelosi, she may have trouble in November.
U.S. judge: White House aides can be subpoenaed
A federal judge has sided with Congress in its fight with the Bush administration over whether top White House aides can be subpoenaed by Congress. The House Judiciary Committee wants to question the president’s chief of staff, Josh Bolten, and former legal counsel Harriet Miers, about the firing of nine U.S. attorneys.
The left’s evidence of crimes boils down to nothing more than Bush having different opinions than the left on a multitude of issues.
There are plenty of libertarians who recognize that violating FISA, to which Bush has admitted, is a crime. It doesn’t have anything to do with “the left” or “the right.”
Nancy Pelosi is starting to make Mark Foley, Larry Craig, Eliot Spitzer, and Ted Stevens look pretty good right now.
For those who haven’t looked at Pelosi’s background, I’d encourage you to do so. I’d post the info here, but I don’t want to be further labeled as an “anti-Semite”. Suffice it to say, I wondered why she was such a strong Zionist.
All right Vince! Thanks for the update.
Ideal order of impeachment: Dick, then George, then Nancy.
Well, there can be some push back from the House. The District Court just refused to dismiss the contempt action against Miers, as pf 10:30 AM.
https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2008cv0409-49
zak, Obama can no more remove Nancy Pelosi as speaker than he can move mountains. Oh excuse me, maybe Obama can move mountains. I think some that believe in him think he can.
I thought Bush had a higher approval rating than Congress because those Americans in favor of him were whackjobs. I was wrong, Congress has the lower approval rating because it is full of the whackjobs. I hope Obama removes her as Speaker and tries to find someone with ethics and courage (if such an animal exists).
If I was more cynical, I would swear she was in the pocket of Bush or being paid off by someone else.
I have the answer: Impeach Pelosi for refusing to support impeaching Bush!
Here’s Nancy’s mailing address. People with evidence can send it there and Dundar can send his campaign contribution.
District Office – 450 Golden Gate Ave. – 14th Floor – San Francisco, CA 94102 – (415) 556-4862
Washington, D.C. Office – 235 Cannon HOB – Washington, DC 20515 – (202) 225-4965
Professor, thank you for saying that!!!!! That jaw-dropping statement by Pelosi is an absolute insult to the Constitution and the American people. We really aren’t that stupid, and many of us have started to pay closer attention as a result of these last 8 years. That’s why I tune in here to your blog, and I’m never disappointed.
Dundar,
Different opnions than the established law of the land on torture? Different opnions than the established international law on torture? Wake up Dundar. Being on the same page as Nancy Pelosi doesn’t win you any prizes. As Prof. Turley stated, Bush admitted on TV that he violated FISA. That was a crime. Rigging the intelligence to get us into war in Iraq was a “high crime and misdemeanor”. Impeachment should be on the table….for Pelosi.
Pelosi is a bigger disappointment than Bush. I was against Bush from the beginning, back in 1999, but I held out hope in 2006 that a Democrat majority in Congress would turn the tide, hold Bush and his minions accountable, and restore America as a land of freedom and justice. Instead, usual rotten politics gave us Pelosi and Hoyer and Harry Reid to lead the Congress, and all of them have proved to be inept and corrupted by their status as an incumbent in our political system. Pelosi has done the worst disservice to America by acting like a cohort of Bush, both of them ruling like dictators in their respective branch of government. Neither of them seems to remember that it is our government and not theirs – government of the people, by the people and for the people. Instead, Pelosi and Reid have conducted congressional business as usual for their own benefit, and not for the good of America. People everywhere, be they in California, NY or Florida, should send contributions to candidates running against Pelosi, such as Cindy Sheehan, and running against Reid and everyone else that deserves to be run out of DC on a rail. Almost all incumbents have proved themselves to be poor public servants. If we cannot vote them out of office, the system must be changed to restore representative government. We do not need professional politicians who stay forever. Let’s set a 4-year term for both houses of Congress and fix a 1-term limit and set compensation at $50,000. per year; maybe then we will have senators and representatives who truly want to serve the nation and our people instead of just lining their own pockets. For now, concentrate on getting rid of Pelosi as a first step; she must go!
Finally someone comes out and says what needs to be said to put this impeachment talk behind us once & for all:
“And you can’t do that if you’re trying to impeach the president at the same time, unless you have the goods that this president committed these crimes.”
The left’s evidence of crimes boils down to nothing more than Bush having different opinions than the left on a multitude of issues.
This is your brain on drugs. My opinion of The View just rose. I suggest every group send Ms. Pelosi the “missing” evidence of crimes.
“If somebody had a crime that the President had committed, that would be a different story.” Oh really,
LETS ALL SEND NANCY THE EVIDENCE–flood her office and tell her to live up to her promise on The View.