Monday, May 14, 2007
Ending Impeachment Myths VI -- "There's more important business to attend to right now."
This myth is most frequently employed as a softer, gentler version of the argument discussed in part V. Like several other arguments, the user implicitly agrees that impeachment is deserved. The disagreement is the relative priority of pursuing impeachment versus other legislative agendas (e.g. ending the war, healthcare, restoring civil liberties, etc.).
This disagreement over "priority" sneaks in the false choice at the center of this myth. The speaker presumes that it is impossible to pursue any of the other worthy and important goals listed if impeachment is taken up. This is absolutely not true.
First, anyone pursuing these other goals must surely recognize that the current administration will do everything in its power to oppose any progress. Many of these goals stem from problems created by the current leadership! It is silly to expect that any progress can be made towards these other goals while the Bush administration remains in power.
Second, Congress routinely works on many tasks at the same time. Although an impeachment effort might occupy most of the time that key Democratic leaders have in a day, there are many other capable legislators in the Democratic majority that can be organized to tackle these secondary problems.
I do not label such serious problems as "secondary" lightly. As grave as they are, they pale in comparison to the Constitutional crisis currently going on. We plainly have an executive branch that the Founding Fathers would consider to be edging towards tyranny. Many of the same complaints found in the Declaration of Independence are being echoed today in more modern language.
Impeachment is the "safety valve" of our checks and balances, designed to legally and peacefully reign in an executive who refuses to acknowledge the co-equality of the legislative and judiciary branches. We have such an executive now, as evidenced by the frequent use of "signing statements" to undermine passed legislation, claims of "executive privilege" used to deny the information needed by Congress to do its job, and many other infractions.
Put more simply: If the precedent of the Bush administration is allowed to stand -- if the executive branch is allowed to build on this administration's legacy, the power of Congress will have been weakened to the point where it effectively no longer exists. At that point, there is little chance of progress on any other "more important" goals.
SUMMARY:
This disagreement over "priority" sneaks in the false choice at the center of this myth. The speaker presumes that it is impossible to pursue any of the other worthy and important goals listed if impeachment is taken up. This is absolutely not true.
First, anyone pursuing these other goals must surely recognize that the current administration will do everything in its power to oppose any progress. Many of these goals stem from problems created by the current leadership! It is silly to expect that any progress can be made towards these other goals while the Bush administration remains in power.
Second, Congress routinely works on many tasks at the same time. Although an impeachment effort might occupy most of the time that key Democratic leaders have in a day, there are many other capable legislators in the Democratic majority that can be organized to tackle these secondary problems.
I do not label such serious problems as "secondary" lightly. As grave as they are, they pale in comparison to the Constitutional crisis currently going on. We plainly have an executive branch that the Founding Fathers would consider to be edging towards tyranny. Many of the same complaints found in the Declaration of Independence are being echoed today in more modern language.
Impeachment is the "safety valve" of our checks and balances, designed to legally and peacefully reign in an executive who refuses to acknowledge the co-equality of the legislative and judiciary branches. We have such an executive now, as evidenced by the frequent use of "signing statements" to undermine passed legislation, claims of "executive privilege" used to deny the information needed by Congress to do its job, and many other infractions.
Put more simply: If the precedent of the Bush administration is allowed to stand -- if the executive branch is allowed to build on this administration's legacy, the power of Congress will have been weakened to the point where it effectively no longer exists. At that point, there is little chance of progress on any other "more important" goals.
SUMMARY:
- The "more important business than impeachment" argument is based on a false choice.
- It seems reasonable to predict that progress cannot be made on other important matters while the current administration holds office.
- For our government of the people, by the people, and for the people, there can be no more important business than protecting the Constitution.
