That's Vermont With An "I"

Sometimes the parade has to lead when the parade marshalls won't budge:

When Vermont Governor Jim Douglas, a Republican with reasonably close ties to President Bush, asked if there was any additional business to be considered at the town meeting he was running in Middlebury, Ellen McKay popped up and proposed the impeachment of Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney [...]

By an overwhelming voice vote, Middlebury called for impeachment.

So it has gone this week at town meetings across Vermont, most of which were held Tuesday.

Late Tuesday night, there were confirmed reports that 36 towns had backed impeachment resolutions, and the number was expected to rise.

In one town, Putney, the vote for impeachment was unanimous.

Tsk tsk. Sure leaves Governor Douglas in a pickle, especially since he just spent two nights at the White House.

But it leaves the Democratic Congress in a pickle too, especially if calls for impeachment spread like wildfire across the country (other than Vermont, similar were also heard from the Washington State Legislature and the mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah).

Even Republican Senator Chuck Hagel said this:

"The president says, 'I don't care.' He's not accountable anymore," Hagel says, measuring his words by the syllable and his syllables almost by the letter. "He's not accountable anymore, which isn't totally true. You can impeach him, and before this is over, you might see calls for his impeachment. I don't know. It depends how this goes."

Of course Hagel talks a good talk yet always falls in line votewise when his party calls, but even a company man like him admits that impeachment can't be dismissed. Democrats can't afford to dismiss it either, especially when the people overwhelmingly demand it.

As I've mentioned before, I'm not gung ho about Bush and Cheney being impeached because saving the victim (our country and its democratic principles) takes precedence over chasing the perps, so to speak. However, we the people certainly have the power to demand accountability and the right to exercise that power.

The people of Vermont are doing exactly that. They understand that the Bush Administration has been waging a full frontal assault on the democratic principles of this country. They're mad as hell and refuse to take it anymore. It would be wise for the Democrats no matter how reluctant they are to ultimately pay attention, pursue the truth wherever it leads and not take impeachment off the table.

More on Vermont's push for impeachment from The Nation's John Nichols.



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