Bush should resign

[LuckyTheDog]

He clearly has lost the confidence of the American people. And the Downing St. documents show that he lied. The honorable thing to do would be to resign, explain himself, and ask for forgiveness.

That is what we should be demanding.

[Richard D]

1. The honorable thing for him to do . . .

. . . would be to turn himself in for trial on the charge of war crimes and treason.

[Conker]

12. That is the honorable thing to do, but

why would he turn himself in?Triana, had a good point.Bush will most likely not even admit that he was wrong.

[Imagevision]

26. Bush will pull a Nixon > Wait for the articles of impeachment then resign

and go to work for Carlyle ful time along with Cheney & Rumsfeld.

[Booster]

30. That's perfect. He's the one person who could probably bring

the Carlyle group down because of his ineptness - he's failed at everything else he's been in charge of.

[calimary]

38. And wouldn't that just be the sweetest? I mean, he fucks up everything

he touches. Squandering is his middle name. I once wrote a column about him called "The Happy Squanderer." It would be such sweet justice to see him on the Carlyle Group board of directors, and watch him work his "magic" on that outfit, as well. Wonder how long before they'd have to "seek reorganization"?

[driver8]

50. The Carlyle group would put him in an office with a computer that

has solitaire on it...that would keep him busy for a long, long time.

[AuntiBush]

32. But, alas... That would take an Honorable American, An Honorable Man

Of that he is not at all, nor at least 95 Republican followers.

No honor.
No integrity.
No care for life, liberty and the pursuit of justice for America and the world.

No, he and his coherts are "drunk" for "power," as "greed is the root to all evil."

[baldguy]

49. The honorable thing for him to do...

would be seppuku.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. He will resign after...

A formation of pigs flies over my apartment.

[Triana]

Has he *ever* admitted he was wrong...

...about anything?

[Blue Belle]

16. He admitted that he was wrong with the decision to appoint

people to various positions (in the debate). Guess he's still a little miffed with Paul O'Neil.

[LightningFlash]

3. He will never give up willingly!!!

Why do you think the propaganda machine is fighting 24/7 to disrupt the internet!????!?

BUSH WILL NOT RESIGN WHEN HE KNOWS HOW MANY CRIMES ARE COMING UP HIS PIKE......THE TRUTH HURTS.

[Jade Fox]

4. He won't, though....

Richard Nixon at least had enough dignity to resign rather than face the
the impeachment process, where his sleaziness would be put on trial for
the whole world to see.

Dignity is a concept alien to the Chimpster.

[mopaul]

6. he'll play it the hard way, instead of stepping down

but you never know about a cornered animal

[H2O Man]

13. I think that when

the pressure is on, he will fold. In 1967, a few people close to LBJ told Robert Kennedy that the president didn't have the backbone to stand up to a real fight. RFK was not sure, and of course Eugene McCarthy was the first democrat to take LBJ on. Towards the end of March '68, LBJ made clear he wouldn't fight it out in the primaries. His true nature was exposed: later books showed that he was a coward as far as physical confrontations since he was a young man.

This fellow is also a coward since the days he weas a young man. No real "tough guy" would disgrace himself by prancing around a ship's deck in a uniform , pretending that he had the balls to do what he didn't dare do when he was in the NG.

He only "dares" to be in fights when his daddy can pick the referee and judges, and when the corporate media serves to tie his opponent's arms behind his back. George W. is a cowardly pup. When the pressure was on in something as non-threatening as his first debate against Kerry, he looked like he would have a hissy fit. I think if the tide turns against him, he'll run and hide. I've known enough tough guys in my life that I can recognize someone who is the exact opposite: a coward and a bully to boot.

[unhappycamper]

5. Heeeeyah. And monkeys might fly out my butt.

from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.

[Call me Deacon Blues]

7. I think he should slam his resignation letter on Dick Cheney's desk

Buy a bike, and hit the road. Week to week he could stop at some small town or maybe an indian reservation or village on the blue highways, anonymously helping people in need before moving on, in order to atone for the grief he carries inside.

[calimary]

39. Oh, Lord, was that from "Then Came Bronson"? Dear God, I loved that show!

What memories... THANKS! GOD I loved that show!

[tavalon]

44. Followed by

a boat trip to the Hague.

[Independent_Liberal]

8. I'm starting to wonder...

There's a possibility he might pull a Nixon and resign in disgrace to avoid impeachment. If he knows it's over for him and his legacy is ruined, he might just give it up.

[LightningFlash]

10. If he actually does.....

We should shame them all and make sure that crooked ass Tom DeLay goes to jail.

Then go after Jack Abramoff and the rest of them, this war will be over when they ALL go to pay for their crimes!!!!

:mad: :mad: :mad: :thumbsdown:

[goclark]

14. Maybe he'll fake an illness

We already know that he takes falls and pretzels hurt him and he needs an earpiece cause he can't "hear" well and and and

I'm sure they can think of something

[woodsprite]

9. Cornered animal --

I'm thinking that we'll be lucky if he doesn't push the "little red button" before he vacates the office. If he thinks he going down, he'll be happy to take all of us and any other country's people with him. He truly is evil incarnate - and if he were to read this, he'd think that was a compliment.

I can either see that happening, or Cheney/Rove/Rumsfeld just ousting him and publicly taking over the WH in a coup.

Either scenario is not good.

[Deja Q]

11. We demand he be impeached and locked up for life.

DSM
Saddam's pistol
Abu Gharib
9/11

any number of war- or non-war offenses

No. They're more likely to impose martial law.

[Patty Diana]

36. and put on real tv, live from his cell__24-7

[Jack Rabbit]

15. Impeachment/resignation

EDITED for grammar

Richard Nixon did not resign for the good of the country. He never did anything for the good of the country unless it converged with his own interests. Richard Nixon resigned because impeachment and removal from office was a foregone conclusion.

Nixon was the only president to resign the office. Of the three presidents who found themselves embroiled in an impeachment process, he was the only one who was clearly guilty of offenses that warranted removal from office.

Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton both chose to ride out their impeachment trials. Both were impeached in partisan squabbles and neither was about to hand to their enemies a victory on a silver platter. In Johnson's case, Congress had overstepped its authority by passing the tenure of office act, forcing Johnson, an accidental president, to retain cabinet officers in whom he had no confidence. At least that was remotely a Constitutional issue, which is more than we can say about the travesty of the Clinton impeachment. The fight Johnson was having with Congress was over Reconstruction policy, which was, by any account, a matter of great moment; the problem the Republicans of the 1990s had with Clinton was simply petty partisan politics. The Republicans were out to find any excuse they could to impeach a Democratic president; they found a very poor excuse and used it.

Of the two, Johnson's decision was the more courageous in that he was less certain to survive. The Republican Senate fell only one vote short of removing him from office. Clinton was never in danger of being removed; neither of two counts against were supported by a majority of the Senate, let alone the two-thirds required for conviction.

The impeachment of Bush will be quite different. The charges will involve violations of international law. Bush is to be impeached for planning and prosecuting an unjustified and unnecessary war of aggression and fabricating facts and dissembling intelligence reports in order to gain Congressional authorization for this act. He could not have possibly done that without the assistance of cabinet officers and White House staff; if Bush is to be impeached for these reasons, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice should be impeached with him.

It isn't just a president who needs to be removed; the administration needs to be removed. That's never happened before.

Bush's personality is much like Nixon's, except that Bush, who is from a patrician family, has a sense of entitlement that Nixon, whose father was a small businessman, did not. Both are basically insecure men, but Nixon's insecurity stemmed from his personal background while Bush's comes from an repressed awareness that he is unworthy of the position to which he was born. While Nixon's story isn't exactly rags to riches, it is still the all American tale of one from modest surroundings propelling himself upward with his ability; this one just happens to be mixed with a tragic flaw in the hero which ultimately caused him to fall from a great height. Bush's story, on the other hand, reads more like the history of decadent European aristocracy in its death throes prior to a popular upheaval. This is a man of no ability, just inherited wealth and power. He uses it for aggrandizement, self-preservation and the preservation of a corrupt and decadent social hierarchy.

When Nixon said he was protecting the institution of presidency, he was kidding himself. It was only himself that he was protecting. He resigned, the Vice President succeeded him and order was restored from a state of lawlessness. It was a happy ending.

Bush, on the other hand, may resort to a similar defense of protecting an institution, but it won't be the presidency. More likely, he'll say he's defending America from her enemies. He won't be kidding himself like Nixon was; however, Bush's America is an empire, not a democratic republic. Going to war is his prerogative and his reasons are nobody's business; if he is less than honest about it, that is of no matter. The president is an emperor, above the law, in a system of government where checks and balances are trifling, inefficient features to be swept away by a strong leader. He is there to protect and promote the interests of large private business, at home and abroad, even at the expense of the common welfare; equality is at best an empty word, at worst another trifling, inefficient feature that holds the American empire back.

Thus, when Bush is impeached, it will be necessary to impeach others as well. He and his aides have so corrupted American democracy that it will be necessary to purge the whole lot of them in order to purify the institutions of government.

For that reason, we may expect them to stand and fight for their empire. I'm not betting on resignation.

I'm afraid the ending won't be as happy as Nixon's downfall. More to the point is the conclusion of King Lear, with the Shakespearean foresighted young man Edgar faced with the task of rebuilding a devastated kingdom. In this tragedy, Bush and the neoconservatives play the parts of Edmund, Goneril and Regan; we are Lear and Gloucester while the constitution herself is Cordelia, hanged in the end. Out of this rubble there will be hope of a new and better world, but also a longing for what was treacherously destroyed.

[DrDebug]

17. Very good points

I agree. George doesn't even resign when it gets too hot. It'll be like Hitler shouting in his bunker that the soldiers should fight harder! He'll probably continue until the bitter end.

There is one huge difference as well. George Bush has started an illegal war and that is much worse than what Richard Nixon did. And somehow I think that Nixon was a lot smarter as well.

[Jack Rabbit]

22. In fairness, Nixon inherited the Vietnam War from LBJ

He took four years to reach a peace accord that he could have had the day he took office.

Nevertheless, Nixon was not impeached for Vietnam. The House Judiciary Committee had before it a proposed article of impeachment based on the secret bombing of Cambodia, but rejected it. We can argue all day whether it was a valid article or not, but they had already approved three articles of impeachment charging Nixon with obstruction of justice arising out of the cover up of the Watergate burglary, abuse of power and contempt of Congress; these would be sufficient to bring Nixon down.

This is the text of the rejected article of impeachment:

In his conduct of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, on and subsequent to March 17, 1969, authorized, ordered, and ratified the concealment from the Congress of false and misleading statements concerning the existence, scope and nature of American bombing operations in Cambodia in derogation of the power of the Congress to declare war, to make appropriations and to raise and support armies, and by such conduct warrants impeachment and trial and removal from office.

Personally, I think it is a valid reason to impeach. However, it might have been difficult to make the case before a "jury" (the Senate) that would include partisan defenders of Nixon and the war; and, as mentioned, they already had a good case against him anyway.

[DrDebug]

24. Thanks for the rejected article.

I think that that article would be harder to make it pass. The cover up and the obstruction of justice were the easy way out.

There is one more difference between Nixon and Bush and that made a lot of difference as well: Nixon didn't have the backing of his own party

And that's the mysterious part of George W. Bush. Almost the entire Republican Party still backs him. One of the reasons Nixon didn't want to wait until an impeachment was because he knew that a lot of members in his own party could vote him out.

If I also remember it correctly it was Henry Kissinger who came up with the idea of the illegal Cambodia invasion and not that many dared to go against Kissinger, because he was (and still is) very powerful. Like an Octopush he still has tenticles everywhere. He might even be worse than George Sr.

[B Calm]

46. LBJ inherited the Vietnam War from Kennedy and Kennedy

inherited the Vietnam War from Eisenhower because IKE was the first president to send troops into Vietnam!

[tsuki]

51. Thank you. Everyone forgets that Ike was in Vietnam.

[TahitiNut]

23. Excellently stated. For the first time in American history, however, ...

... I believe these people would only be brought to justice at the instigation of other nations. Even that's a toss-up -- it's not clear that there's sufficient resolve among members of the EU and OAS to cooperate in prosecuting this adminstration for their war crimes and crimes against humanity. I've seen absolutely no political will on the part of either the people or our legislators to do anything more than emulate Scarlett O'Hara: "I'll think about that tomorrow."

[Jack Rabbit]

31. It would be better to bring Bush and friends to trial in federal court

If that's possible, that is the road to take. We Americans could show that our system of justice is fair enough to try and punish our own leaders when they are accused and convicted of committing outrageous crimes against peace and also show that, in spite of Bush's assault on American democratic institutions, those institutions survived and still function.

Nevertheless, we are accusing these people of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Specifically, we are accusing them of:

• Planning and prosecuting an unprovoked and unnecessary war of aggression against Iraq;
• Fabricating facts and dissembling intelligence reports in order to influence public opinion, both in America and world wide, and for the purpose of gaining authorization for the war against Iraq from the United States Congress and the United Nations Security Council;
• Violating the rights of the Iraqi people under the Fourth Geneva Convention during a state of military occupation;
• Establishing and maintaining a system of detentions centers in which the rights of prisoners of war and other protected persons under the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions are routinely violated and denied;
• Using illegal interrogation techniques in those facilities in violation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

If the federal government is unable or unwilling to bring charges and prosecute, then an international tribunal should be convened for that purpose.

[TahitiNut]

34. Of course it would. I doubt it'll happen.

The international courts are courts of "last resort" - i.e. they only take jurisdiction when the otherwise sovereign nation fails to act. That sets up a 4-6 year deadline. If, 6 years from now, after three elections including a presidential election, the US hasn't acted, then it'd be up to other countries to bring an action in an international court. If that's not done before 8 years from now, it probably won't ever happen. It's not a case of any statute of limitations, since there are none for such crimes. It's also not a case of pardoning the offenders, since such a pardon wouldn't be internationally legitimate. It's a matter of political will against the 800 pound global gorilla. The Howard (Australia), Blair (UK), and Bush (US) governments would all be complicit in increasing degrees. One possible scenario would begin with domestic prosecutions and convictions in either Australia or the UK ... but I don't see that happening either.

These are sad times for free people all over the world.

[DrDebug]

35. You'd surprised... there is a group who is very busy... Check it out

http://www.worldtribunal.org/main/

The World Tribunal on Iraq (WTI) is a worldwide undertaking to reclaim justice. It aims to record the severe wrongs, crimes and violations that were committed in the process leading up to the aggression against Iraq, during the war and throughout the ensuing occupation, that continue to be widespread to this day. It is our intention to also record the social, political, environmental and cultural devastation. In the end, the evidence gathered and presented will serve as a historical record that breaks the web of lies promulgated by the war coalition and its embedded press.

WTI is a horizontal network of local groups and individuals worldwide that work together in a non- hierarchical system. The project consists of commissions of inquiry and sessions held around the world investigating various issues related to the war on Iraq, such as the legality of the war, the role of the United Nations, war crimes and the role of the media.

On June 23rd to the 27th 2005, at the start of the third year of the occupation of Iraq, the culminating session will take place in Istanbul. This session will reach a decision following an examination of the results of the previous sessions as well as new reports and testimonies, while evaluating the implications of the aggression against Iraq for the world at large.

More snips

(A) An investigation of the wrongs committed against the people of Iraq:

1.Whether the “coalition governments” are guilty of a gross and criminal violation of the life, liberty and dignity of the people of Iraq as a result of war. Whether those governments that are outside the coalition forces, but have provided the forces with various facilities, are guilty of complicity.

2.Whether the current occupation in Iraq is illegal, illegitimate and in violation of the sovereignty of the people of Iraq.

....

2.Have we been lied to? If we cannot rely on the media to get to the truth, then what are the implications?

http://www.worldtribunal.org/main/?b=21

And they have the backing of Amnesty International and many more organizations.

[Jack Rabbit]

42. The 800-lb gorilla is why I am uncomfortable with universal jurisdiction

(U)niversal jurisdiction is criminal jurisdiction based solely on the nature of the crime, without regard to where the crime was committed, the nationality of the alleged or convicted perpetrator, the nationality of the victim, or any other connection to the state exercising such jurisdiction.
--Princeton Principals on Universal Jurisdiction, 2001

The notion of bringing charges against these people is quixotic enough.

It seems pathetic for a country like Belgium (for example) to bring charges against war criminals from an military-industrial giant. Is Belgium going stand alone if the giant decides it's going to "rescue" the accused from prosecution?

That is one problem with universal jurisdiction. The other is that a rogue state may decide that she, too, has the right to prosecute people under her idea of international law. That could get a bit chaotic.

Let's let international cases be tried in international courts with a mandate from the international community. That way most of the world is giving support to the process. The Bushies can rattle their sabers, but if most of the world's nations declare that they will arrest any suspected war criminal from the United States who turns up on their soil, the Bushies are going to find, at a minimum, that their style has been cramped. That and a concerted effort at economic and diplomatic sanctions to force compliance with the tribunal might just turn things around.

It will take teamwork to subdue an 800-lb gorilla. But it can be done.

[tk2kewl]

18. He should speak to some folks in Japan about what would be honorable

[Doctor_J]

19. I still don't think he has a clue what's going on anywhere in the world

His bubble world gets more and more secure, with Rove's zombies insulating him ever more vigilantly from the truth. He won't resign because he DOESN'T KNOW HE DID ANYTHING WRONG. He thinks we're winning the war in Iraq. He thinks giving SS money to Wall Street would be good for America. He still doesn't have a clue where Iraq is. If he were to actually face unscripted questions about US or world affairs, he would be shaking and drooling and cussing at the questioners after 10 minutes.

He is the perfect Resident to prance in a flight suit on a carrier - he has the intellect and emotional depth of a six-year-old. Most grown-ups, especially ones who deserted a military assignment, would have been ashamed to pull such a stunt, but he felt like a 1st grader who put on his Halloween costume and started out around the block. Rove put on his costume and said, "Wow, Georgie, you look like such a little soldier. Let's go show Mr. and Mrs. Green next door".

A statesman would have at least addressed the fact that his lies have been exposed and that more than a quarter million people have died because of them, but he simply doesn't know.

The man has WAY too little intelligence, gravity, and dignity to think of doing the honorable thing.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

40. That's why he can sleep at night, even as the citizens of this country are

beset by nightmares and insomnia. MKJ

[Jose Diablo]

20. No, I don't want him to resign

He will then be able to give pardons to all his crooked friends.

I want him impeached, convicted and then incarcerated with all his bums with him.

[KansDem]

21. Do you remember when Republicans called on Clinton "to resign?"

Some even from the floors of Congress, if I recall correctly.

So how long before a GOP calls on Bush to resign? Remember, it doesn't have to be tied in with the actual impeachment. Just some wild-assed requests for resignation anywhere in the public forum would be consistent with the GOP.

[yodermon]

25. He needs to:

1) Fire Cheney as VP.
2) Appoint John Kerry as VP.
3) Resign.

And those monkeys are giving me some serious lower intestinal discomfort.

[killbotfactory]

27. He should be in jail

awaiting trial for his numerous war crimes

[slybacon9]

28. Unlike Kerry or Gore, Bush won't ever quit...

That's why he's in office. Watch Rocky III...

I'm just sayin'...

[sellitman]

29. Honorable.... and bush can't be in the same sentence.

He hasn't done anything honorable his whole life, Probably doesn't even know the meaning of the word.

[Jack Rabbit]

33. Just dug up this piece of mine from two years ago

From Democratic Underground
Dated July 17, 2003

They Should Resign
By Jack Rabbit

It is the lack of interest in facts that should most concern the citizens of a democratic state. Democracy assumes an open society in which the government shares information with the citizens in order for them to make an informed judgment. Even where secrecy is important, the government at the very least should not be deliberately misleading the citizens for any reason. The idea that the government may have been misleading the citizens in order to go to war for the benefit of the wealthy friends of those in power is particularly odious to democratic principles.

This is indeed why arises the question of this administration being allowed to continue, let alone whether Mr. Bush should be removed from office. It is clear that more people than Mr. Bush knew or should have known that their public utterances and decision to go to war were based on dubious information. The information delivered by the CIA to the White House, so we must assume that somebody knew about it.

One conclusion is inescapable. Top administration officials knew that they were lying about the reasons to go to war. They should resign. If Mr. Bush is an honest man, then he should demand their resignations. On the other hand, if he, too, is so little concerned about the real facts - so long as the ones presented gave him enough public support for a long enough time to invade a sovereign nation for reasons so nefarious that they could not be named - then he, too, should resign.

Read more.

[wookie294]

37. Calls for impeachment should also include calls for resignation

RESIGN NOW!!!

[fricasseed_gourmet_rat]

41. At first I was scared by the prospect of a President Cheney

but then I realized, everybody hates Cheney. Aren't his approval ratings below 30%? As soon as Bush resigns and Mr. Go-Fuck-Yourself is sworn in, that's when the REAL calls for impeachment will start.

Ah, how I wish that were the case.

[donheld]

43. Bushie has never done an honorable thing in his life

Sadly :grr:

[B Calm]

45. The honorable thing would be that Congress impeach him along

with this entire crime family and put them on trial for war crimes!

[Disturbed]

47. Impeachment the entire stinkin' Bush Regime!!!

Even if this will never occur, the Articles of Impeachment need to be brought to show the world that the U.S. still has a conscience and a vast number of Americans are not in support of the Bush Regime.

[PATRICK]

48. Wow, this is satire right?

Bush is genetically incapable of honor in the conventional sense otherwise Gore would be President on the obvious burden of evidence not the games played in repressing the recount.

Ask for forgiveness?

I am afraid it would be easier for him to go insane the "other way" and push the button so to speak.

We should demand, but should we resign ourselves to letting people believe he is capable of this? That is a pretty big pill.

He can't be trusted. He should be tossed and arrested. Would you expect Al Capone to do the right thing and turn himself in? This is saying that Bush made a single blunder for which he should take manly responsibility. It is vastly underselling the TRUTH.

He may be a coward but he is unable to do the things you cited. Nixon went nuts trying to avoid it. Bush simply can't do it.