Boxer asks presidential scholars about former White House counsel’s statement that Bush admitted to an ‘impeachable offense.’

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Boxer asks presidential scholars about former White House counsel’s statement that Bush admitted to an ‘impeachable offense.’

Submitted by kspidel on 12-20-2005 – 4:34 pm

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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today asked four presidential scholars for their opinion on former White House Counsel John Dean’s statement that President Bush admitted to an “impeachable offense” when he said he authorized the National Security Agency to spy on Americans without getting a warrant from a judge.

Boxer said, “I take very seriously Mr. Dean’s comments, as I view him to be an expert on Presidential abuse of power. I am expecting a full airing of this matter by the Senate in the very near future.”

Boxer’s letter is as follows:

On December 16, along with the rest of America, I learned that President Bush authorized the National Security Agency to spy on Americans without getting a warrant from a judge. President Bush underscored his support for this action in his press conference today.

On Sunday, December 18, former White House Counsel John Dean and I participated in a public discussion that covered many issues, including this surveillance. Mr. Dean, who was President Nixon’s counsel at the time of Watergate, said that President Bush is “the first President to admit to an impeachable offense.” Today, Mr. Dean confirmed his statement.

This startling assertion by Mr. Dean is especially poignant because he experienced first hand the executive abuse of power and a presidential scandal arising from the surveillance of American citizens.

Given your constitutional expertise, particularly in the area of presidential impeachment, I am writing to ask for your comments and thoughts on Mr. Dean’s statement.

Unchecked surveillance of American citizens is troubling to both me and many of my constituents. I would appreciate your thoughts on this matter as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Richard Cook

I honestly believe that we must do something before this man and his cohorts totally destroy this nation. I have real problems with what is going on. this administration is fighting the terrorists that they claim are "muslim extremists" and yet at the same time it seems as though our government is being guided and run by "christian extremists" and that makes is seem more like the crusades that GW first called it. This nation has lost credibility with all of it's allies, england is not happy with Tony Blair and the other countries of this grand coalition that GW says is fighting in Iraq are trying to get out of there.

Need to take action before this country is ruined and the constitution and all of our rights are taken away from the people of this great nation.

Lawrence Baldwin

We have had Presidents that deliberately misled (lied to) Congress before and got impeached for their trouble. We have also had at least one President that unlawfully used his office to defy safeguards within the Constitution aguinst domestic spying and was impeached for it. This president has committed both offences and is so brash as to have admitted to domestic spying.
Bush and Cheney are sufficiently power mad that they see nothing wrong with retaliating aguinst individuals and groups that do not agree with them as evidenced by Secret FBI investigations into Greenpeace, animal rights groups and the Catholic coalition that recently tried to go to Guantanimo to see if torture was being used as Bush invited anyone to do that didn't believe him. These acts are not only abuses of power, but go aguinst Constitutional guarentees Bush swore to uphold.
Impeachment needs to be initiated for the offences of domestic spying that were implemented by Bush & Cheney. Even if both houses are stacked aguinst making it possible, we cannot subscribe to such uneven application of the law. How would Nixon feel if he knew Bush was not even charged for the same offence that tore Nixon's little empire apart?

Herbert Ershkowitz

For the last 20 years or more, we have heard right wing groups such as the Federalist Society argue that the country has gone down the wrong path because it had abandoned the original principles laid down by the Founders in the Constitution. But no where in that document is their a place for the usurption of power advocated by the vice president today in defending the tapping of domestic telephone lines. In fact, Hamilton, Madison, and Jay in the "Federalist Papers," are quite clear that the country is protected from presidents who have decided to act like monarchs by the impeachment process. We are faced with the problem that a Republican House of Representatives will not bring charges against a Republican president. The only hope for the nation is to elect a Democratic congress with enough forsight to do the job that the Founders expected Congress to do, when faced with a president totally out of control.

George Duncan

Did you not notice that 2 of the four responses to Boxer are repeats of #1???

Gina Judd

I think we should start with his father, who made him.

Dennis Christoffersen

Bush should be IMPEACHED on thease items.
(1) Not finishing the job in Afghanistan no benloden.
(2) Lying about wepens of mass distruction.
(3) Going after Saddam Hussein Bush VENDETTA HE TRYED TO HAVE MY DADDY KILLED.
(4) PHONE TAP WITH OUT COURT ORDER.
(5) The merder of our SERVICE MEN AND WOMAN in Iraq for the Bush Vendetta.
THANK YOU MR. DEAN FOR STICKING UP FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, LETS GET THE BORN AMERICANS BACK TO WORK.