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Wexler Calls For Cheney's Impeachment
By John Bresnahan
Jan 15, 2008
(The Politico)
Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) is urging the House Judiciary Committee to begin
impeachment hearings against Vice President Dick Cheney, despite opposition
from House Democratic leaders.
Wexler, who first gained national attention for defending former President
Bill Clinton during his impeachment in 1998, said Cheney has to be ousted in
order to restore the balance of power between the executive and legislative
branches, which in his view, has been eroded by an ever-expanding claim of
authority under Cheney and President Bush.
"There's a litany of issues that need to be heard," Wexler said. "This
administration has abused the power of executive privilege. This
administration has completely avoided testifying before Congress on any one
of a host of six, seven, eight issues.
"Whether we are talking about the manipulation of intelligence on Iraq," he
went on, "whether we are talking about the outing of a covert CIA agent,
whether we're talking about the illegal use of torture, whether we're
talking about the potentially unlawful firing of U.S. prosecutors - on all
of these issues, the administration has thus far successfully used the power
of executive privilege."
But impeachment hearings would be different, Wexler said, since the White
House could not raise a privilege claim in order to avoid answering
questions from lawmakers.
"In an impeachment hearing, the administration does not have the power of
executive privilege," Wexler said, noting that the secret tapes that helped
bring down President Richard Nixon did not surface until the House Judiciary
Committee began impeachment hearings.
The House voted on Nov. 6 on a resolution by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio)
to bring articles of impeachment against Cheney for pushing for the 2003
invasion of Iraq, repeatedly suggesting that there ties between al Qaeda and
the late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and advocating military action to
overthrow Iran.
When Republicans, in a bid to embarrass House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other
Democratic leaders, voted for the measure, the House was thrown into a brief
deadlock. The measure was eventually approved and sent to the Judiciary
Committee, where Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) has declined to take
action, despite pressure from Wexler and liberal activists outside Congress.
By John Bresnahan
Jan 15, 2008
(The Politico)
Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) is urging the House Judiciary Committee to begin
impeachment hearings against Vice President Dick Cheney, despite opposition
from House Democratic leaders.
Wexler, who first gained national attention for defending former President
Bill Clinton during his impeachment in 1998, said Cheney has to be ousted in
order to restore the balance of power between the executive and legislative
branches, which in his view, has been eroded by an ever-expanding claim of
authority under Cheney and President Bush.
"There's a litany of issues that need to be heard," Wexler said. "This
administration has abused the power of executive privilege. This
administration has completely avoided testifying before Congress on any one
of a host of six, seven, eight issues.
"Whether we are talking about the manipulation of intelligence on Iraq," he
went on, "whether we are talking about the outing of a covert CIA agent,
whether we're talking about the illegal use of torture, whether we're
talking about the potentially unlawful firing of U.S. prosecutors - on all
of these issues, the administration has thus far successfully used the power
of executive privilege."
But impeachment hearings would be different, Wexler said, since the White
House could not raise a privilege claim in order to avoid answering
questions from lawmakers.
"In an impeachment hearing, the administration does not have the power of
executive privilege," Wexler said, noting that the secret tapes that helped
bring down President Richard Nixon did not surface until the House Judiciary
Committee began impeachment hearings.
The House voted on Nov. 6 on a resolution by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio)
to bring articles of impeachment against Cheney for pushing for the 2003
invasion of Iraq, repeatedly suggesting that there ties between al Qaeda and
the late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and advocating military action to
overthrow Iran.
When Republicans, in a bid to embarrass House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other
Democratic leaders, voted for the measure, the House was thrown into a brief
deadlock. The measure was eventually approved and sent to the Judiciary
Committee, where Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) has declined to take
action, despite pressure from Wexler and liberal activists outside Congress.
