Who to Impeach First? Bush, Cheney, Gonzo or...?
Wed Jul 11, 2007 at 05:06:35 AM PDT
For quite a while now we here on Dkos have been debating whom Congress ought to launch impeachment proceedings against first. The typical candidates are Bush, Cheney and Abu Gonzalez. Various strategies have emerged. Cut off the head of the beast, start at the bottom and work up to gather facts along the way to the top. And so forth. Many also make their choice based on the basic views about who is causing, and has caused, the most harm.
But now, there may be a new candidate for the legal process. And he doesn't work at the White House. Senator David Vitter.
Why Vitter? His only crime is to be a regular customer of at least two known prostitution rings. What's so bad about that, right? Well, first off, the "DC Madam" is facing a federal prosecution, and the likelihood of a stint in prison (with very little chance of a commutation), due to the services procured by Sen. Vitter. Equal Justice should require that if she is to be punished for selling, shouldn't the buyer have some culpability? After all, for prostitution to be a viable trade it, it requires (at least) two participants. One of whom is paying for the service. All equal before the law, right?
But then there's also the fact that Vitter has staked his career on being holier-than-thou. On living in a glass house and throwing every stone he can lay hands on. And, as David Corn showed us yesterday, Vitter strongly supports impeachment for sexual misconduct. As he said of Clinton in 1998:
"his leadership will only further drain any sense of values left to our political culture."
What's good for the goose might be good for the gander. Or, as Corn put it, "In considering impeachment, Vitter asserted, Congress had to judge Clinton on moral terms." OK, Senator Moral Uprightness, put your money where your mouth is.
But why should we waste our time on such an exercize? Well, perhaps it might be good to have a trial run under our belt to work out any kinks in the process before we proceed against the war criminals at The White House.
