Editorial

Paul Fischer

Jan 9, 2005

Editorial1

Bush Will Not Be Impeached

              This year crucial congress and senate elections will be held. Democrats are looking to pull ahead into a majority for both the Senate and Congress. This would allow them to theoretically impeach President Bush.

              There are 33 seats in the Senate that are up for reelection this year – 17 of them are democrat controlled and 15 controlled by the republicans. Here in Vermont Independent Jim Jeffords also holds a seat. In order for democrats to achieve their majority they would have to hold all 15 seats down and swipe seven away from the republicans. If Jim Jeffords were to be replaced by independent Bernie Sanders then the democrats would have six seats to go.

              A better bet for the democrats is in the house where all 435 seats are up for grabs and only fifteen are needed for the majority. Although the GOP dismisses the idea of a take over by democrats, head of democratic campaign Rahm Emanuel of Illinois suggest that the scandals may result in a democratic take over.

              If the democrats were to take the house but not the Senate then the situation would be comparable to the Bill Clinton scandal in 1999. it is conceivable that president Bush would technically be impeached after congress passed Articles of Impeachment, a bit like an indictment. President Bush would then go on trial before the Senate. While he will probably be impeached it is unlikely that he will be convicted of a real crime by the Senate much like Mr. Clinton in 1999.