Thursday, June 17, 2004
Impeaching Bush, Subpoena-ing Ashcroft, Etc.
From the Associated Press:
As of thirty minutes ago, the vote mentioned above hadn't taken place yet. Here's Reuters:
More than 400 legal scholars from across the country urged Congress Wednesday to consider impeaching President Bush and any high-level administration officials who approved the Iraqi prisoner abuses.
In a letter released by two Harvard Law School professors, scholars asked Congress to identify everyone who should be held accountable for the torture at Abu Ghraib prison, and determine what sanctions are appropriate. The sanctions, they said, could include "impeachment and removal from office of any civil officer of the United States responsible."
But Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., meeting with the professors, declined to specifically address the impeachment issue. He instead said the best way to correct the matter is to "elect John Kerry" president.
He said Democratic senators are trying to round up enough support for a vote Thursday to subpoena the Justice Department for memos that could have laid the legal groundwork for justifying the prisoner abuse. Attorney General John Ashcroft has declined to make public the Justice Department memos, written in 2002.
As of thirty minutes ago, the vote mentioned above hadn't taken place yet. Here's Reuters:
The top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee asked the Republican-led panel on Thursday to subpoena Justice Department memos on U.S. torture policy of enemy combatants in the war on terror.
The request by Patrick Leahy of Vermont, made at the start of a scheduled committee meeting, triggered a spirited debate. Some Democrats admitted it was unlikely Leahy could muster the votes to issue a subpoena, but they at least wanted to put the committee on record.
A vote was expected later on Thursday.
