Subject: Debunking Some Myths Regarding Impeachment: "We need to work with the Republicans to pass legislation. Impeachment would be divisive." - Bush's actions undermine our entire system of government. That must be fixed before we get back to the daily business of governing. - If Bush is not impeached for his actions then this will set a precedent that allows future Presidents to start wars at will, torture prisoners, wiretap citizens without warrants and suspend habeas corpus. We must act now to prevent that from happening again in the future. - Members of Congress take an Oath of Office promising that they will defend the Constitution from "enemies both foreign and domestic". This is their primary duty. When the Constitution is safe then they have the luxury to attend to other matters. - Impeachment will only involve parts of Congress for a short time. Clinton's impeachment only took about four months. The actual trial in the Senate only took two months. Other business can take place in parallel. "It is political suicide to call for impeachment." - A majority of all Americans favor impeachment. It may be political suicide to be on the wrong side of this issue. - Legislators take an oath to protect the Constitution so it is their duty to protect it from Bush's crimes by calling for impeachment regardless of the political consequences. - Democrats won in a landslide in the election after drafting Articles of Impeachment against Nixon. - Republicans lost in the election after impeaching Clinton, not because people opposed impeachment in general but because they opposed impeachment over a personal matter. "Why bother with impeachment when we need a 2/3 majority in the Senate to convict?" - To convict Bush we only need 16 Republican Senators in addition to all the Democrats. - After investigations and the trial, it will be obvious to everyone that Bush is guilty of serious crimes. At that point, many Republicans will feel compelled to vote for a guilty verdict. - Many Republican politicians oppose Bush because they feel he is hurting them politically. If Senators want to get reelected they may have to vote Bush guilty. - Bush committed crimes and it is our duty to oppose those crimes and defend the Constitution regardless of our chance of success - If we can force a debate on impeachment then it will expose Bush's crimes even if he is not convicted. - It is better to fight for justice and lose then to accept injustice. "But won't we just end up with Cheney as President and he is worse than Bush?" - Cheney would be included in Articles of Impeachment. - An investigation into possible grounds for impeachment serves an educational and political purpose, whether or not we get to impeachment. We shine a light on the misdeeds of the administration and its supporters in Congress, and we help to build an opposition. - It would be virtually impossible to investigate Bush or Cheney without incriminating the other one. - Cheney is already running the show now backstage. "We (Congress) do not have a mandate from the public." - The victory for the Democrats in November of 2006 was widely seen as a vote against Bush and against the Iraq war. Exit polls confirmed this. - Congress does not need a "mandate" to defend the Constitution. They already took an Oath of Office promising to do that.