Executive powers forbid impeachment.

[L0oniX]

Where is it going to end? What are their limits? Are there any limits at this point in time? Example: will George W Bush declare executive privilege to extend his presidency because of the war? At this point it all seems very possible. Executive privilege abuse is now rampant. So what are you going to do about it?

[zonmoy]

1. what did the founding fathers say about what to do when

democracy dies and is replaced with tyranny.

[Vilis Veritas]

2. To hard to do it that way...

NSPD-51 will be the easy way to extend...a little false flag during the election and BAM!

Shadow Gov takes control.

[jmp]

3. Executive powers don't forbid impeachment.

The Dems lack of "courage" does.

[L0oniX]

4. even if the congress tries impeachment Bush will claim executive privilege

[jmp]

8. Bush can claim anything he wants ...

But it won't change the fact that he'd be an ex-President if impeached by the House and convicted in the Senate.

[onenote]

5. this is the issue that, more than any other, could lead to impeachment

Whether it will get there is hard to say because if it bogs down in the courts, the clock could run out.

But here's one scenario:
First, Congress votes to hold Meirs in contempt under the statutory contempt power and directs the US Attorney to bring the matter before a Grand Jury.

Second, Congress files an action with the court seeking "mandamus" (i.e. a court order directing the US Attorney to follow the Congress' order) and the US Attorney either ignores the effort or opposes it unsuccessfully.

Third, despite a court ruling that the invocation of executive privilege was not appropriate with respect to Meirs, the US Attorney refuses to take any action, essentially defying the courts.

At that point, impeachment becomes not only viable, but likely. Even the repubs will be hard pressed to support chimpy if, in effect, his position is that Marbury v. Madison was wrongly decided and the president is free to ignore the courts. Congressional repubs will recognize that if chimpy is successful in his attempt to destroy the system of checks and balances inherent in the Constitution in the name of a "unitary executive" theory, future congresses will have little ability to rein in presidents -- and the repubs have every reason to believe that the next president will be a Democrat.

This is going to get very messy....

[TheBaldyMan]

6. has Bush or Cheney actually said something that dumb?

or is this a RW fantasy to help cushion the poor KoolAid drinkers from reality?

Read your constitution. It has all the details within.

[pat_k]

7. It won't end until Congress says "NOT IN THE USA" by impeaching Bush and Cheney.