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Last Thursday the largest newspaper in my congressional district - the South Florida Sun-Sentinel - published an editorial lambasting my enthusiastic support for immediately holding impeachment hearings for President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Numerous letters to the editor have also criticized my support for this movement.
Below, you'll find the original Sun-Sentinel editorial, followed by my response, which was printed yesterday.
I assure you that I will not back down from this fight – no matter the consequences or political cost. The only thing that maters is that we deliver accountability for the Bush Cheney Administration and defend our government and our constitution.
If you would like to write a letter to the Sun Sentinel, you can email mail to sun sentinel
Thank you for your continued support.
Robert Wexler
DONATE
Sun-Sentinel Editorial
Impeachment not worth another minute of anybody's time South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board
June 12, 2008
ISSUE: Some in Congress want an impeachment.
The nation does have a few pressing issues pending that could use some attention from our federal lawmakers.
Let's see. There are a couple of wars going on, unemployment is on the rise as the value of a house continues to fall, millions of Americans have no health insurance, and did we mention that gas prices are expected to hit $5 a gallon? You get the idea. And still, some in Congress feel the nation is just itching for another presidential impeachment.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, who has made a career out of eye-rolling issues like these, said this week he wants the House to consider a resolution to impeach President Bush. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Delray Beach, who is smarter than this, supported the Articles of Impeachment, which won't go anywhere and thankfully have been buried in a committee not likely to hold hearings before Bush leaves office.
Last year, Kucinich led the misguided charge to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney, and Wexler supported that. In the case of Bush, Wexler called it a "sworn duty" of Congress to act.
Actually, it's nobody's sworn duty to take up any time to go after a badly battered president with only a few months left in office. This is a president so unpopular, presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain won't make many public appearances with him. This is a president who is such a non-entity, peace activists didn't even bother to protest his appearance in Berlin this week.
Nor should Congress bother with the ridiculous idea of impeachment, which Kucinich contends is warranted because Bush deceived the nation into war.
There's plenty of evidence to fuel Kucinich's ire, but not his choice of remedy. If Congress needs more things than impeachment to keep lawmakers busy, it has myriad options.
BOTTOM LINE: Get on with REAL issues.
Copyright (c) 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
The Wexler Response:
The Sun-Sentinel recently ran an editorial criticizing my support for the articles of impeachment against President Bush opining that Congress should instead "get on with REAL issues" such as the Iraq war. In fact, it is this very war -- entered into following an unprecedented campaign of lies and manipulated intelligence by the Bush Administration -- that necessitates impeachment hearings. This war has cost us the lives of 4,090 US soldiers, injuries to over 30,000, and more than a trillion taxpayer dollars when it is all said and done.
It is a dark day when the Sun-Sentinel has the gall to tell the parents of the soldiers who have died in Iraq that pursuing consequences for those that prosecuted this war of choice based on outright deception is not a "REAL" issue that Congress should address.
Sadly, the war is only the beginning. We now know that this Administration illegally ordered the torture of prisoners, obstructed justice by lying about the outing of a covert CIA agent and authorizing warrantless spying on American citizens.
No one can deny that if proven these allegations amount to High Crimes. Our failure to act sets an awful precedent and enables future Presidents to break the law and violate our Constitution without sanctions from Congress.
The Sentinel says impeachment is the wrong "remedy" for this litany of crimes. What then is the proper remedy? A harsh lecture? A strongly worded editorial? Or how about doing absolutely nothing in the face of these outrageous abuses of power?
Impeachment hearings need not distract us from other important priorities such as the economy, gas prices and bringing the troops home from Iraq. Congress can and should address all important issues - including safeguarding our constitutional rights and obligations.
Below, you'll find the original Sun-Sentinel editorial, followed by my response, which was printed yesterday.
I assure you that I will not back down from this fight – no matter the consequences or political cost. The only thing that maters is that we deliver accountability for the Bush Cheney Administration and defend our government and our constitution.
If you would like to write a letter to the Sun Sentinel, you can email mail to sun sentinel
Thank you for your continued support.
Robert Wexler
DONATE
Sun-Sentinel Editorial
Impeachment not worth another minute of anybody's time South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board
June 12, 2008
ISSUE: Some in Congress want an impeachment.
The nation does have a few pressing issues pending that could use some attention from our federal lawmakers.
Let's see. There are a couple of wars going on, unemployment is on the rise as the value of a house continues to fall, millions of Americans have no health insurance, and did we mention that gas prices are expected to hit $5 a gallon? You get the idea. And still, some in Congress feel the nation is just itching for another presidential impeachment.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, who has made a career out of eye-rolling issues like these, said this week he wants the House to consider a resolution to impeach President Bush. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Delray Beach, who is smarter than this, supported the Articles of Impeachment, which won't go anywhere and thankfully have been buried in a committee not likely to hold hearings before Bush leaves office.
Last year, Kucinich led the misguided charge to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney, and Wexler supported that. In the case of Bush, Wexler called it a "sworn duty" of Congress to act.
Actually, it's nobody's sworn duty to take up any time to go after a badly battered president with only a few months left in office. This is a president so unpopular, presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain won't make many public appearances with him. This is a president who is such a non-entity, peace activists didn't even bother to protest his appearance in Berlin this week.
Nor should Congress bother with the ridiculous idea of impeachment, which Kucinich contends is warranted because Bush deceived the nation into war.
There's plenty of evidence to fuel Kucinich's ire, but not his choice of remedy. If Congress needs more things than impeachment to keep lawmakers busy, it has myriad options.
BOTTOM LINE: Get on with REAL issues.
Copyright (c) 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
The Wexler Response:
The Sun-Sentinel recently ran an editorial criticizing my support for the articles of impeachment against President Bush opining that Congress should instead "get on with REAL issues" such as the Iraq war. In fact, it is this very war -- entered into following an unprecedented campaign of lies and manipulated intelligence by the Bush Administration -- that necessitates impeachment hearings. This war has cost us the lives of 4,090 US soldiers, injuries to over 30,000, and more than a trillion taxpayer dollars when it is all said and done.
It is a dark day when the Sun-Sentinel has the gall to tell the parents of the soldiers who have died in Iraq that pursuing consequences for those that prosecuted this war of choice based on outright deception is not a "REAL" issue that Congress should address.
Sadly, the war is only the beginning. We now know that this Administration illegally ordered the torture of prisoners, obstructed justice by lying about the outing of a covert CIA agent and authorizing warrantless spying on American citizens.
No one can deny that if proven these allegations amount to High Crimes. Our failure to act sets an awful precedent and enables future Presidents to break the law and violate our Constitution without sanctions from Congress.
The Sentinel says impeachment is the wrong "remedy" for this litany of crimes. What then is the proper remedy? A harsh lecture? A strongly worded editorial? Or how about doing absolutely nothing in the face of these outrageous abuses of power?
Impeachment hearings need not distract us from other important priorities such as the economy, gas prices and bringing the troops home from Iraq. Congress can and should address all important issues - including safeguarding our constitutional rights and obligations.