October 03, 2005

Why, that's a good question: A quick lesson about The Constitution.

Somebody on Fark.com (actually, TotalFark.com (the best $5/mth I spend)) asked the following question: "So, what WOULD it take to impeach the President?"

Why, that's a darn good question! I wonder: How many people have actually read The Constitution of the United States of America? At all? Okay, now if you're older than 25, other than in High School? That's what I thought. Let's revisit a couple of parts, shall we? Here are the relevant sections:

Article 1, Section 2, Clause 5 reads:
"Clause 5: The House of Representatives shall chuse(sic) their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment."

Article 1, Section 3, Clause 6 reads:
"Clause 6: The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present."

Clause 7, same Section and Article continues:
"Clause 7: Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law."

Lastly, Article 2, Section 4 states IN IT'S ENTIRETY:
"The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors"

This leads us to ask "Okay, what EXACTLY are 'High Crimes and Misdemeanors'?"

According to this writeup (Slate, pops), anything the Congrass says.

This also implies "And nothing else." For the lay person, that means that as long as the Legislative Branch is held by the same party as the Executive branch, nothing will happen.

This is the exact reason why the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branches of our government were DESIGNED to be held by different groups.

I bet you're wishing you had bothered to go an vote now, aren't you?

I am urging, nay pleading to you, the reader: The next time you have an Election, be it local, state or Federal, get off your ASS and vote. If you're not registered for vote, do it now. I don't care which way you vote. Just vote. Only 1 out of every 5 registered voters voted in the last election. And only 30% of those who are ELIGIBLE to vote are registered. Note: If you're one of the 3 dozen people who live in New Hampshire, Wyoming or North Dakota, you can't use that website.