Given the cross-currents in coverage surrounding efforts to impeach the Vice President and the President, people of principle need to maintain right focus if they wish to positively influence the political process.
Being a member of the New York Dennis Kucinich MeetUp Group, I am introduced to various views on impeachment circulating the web in forums I might not otherwise have discovered.
Recently, I was referred to peacecandidates.com, and told it was a "good site with lotsa actions, info, and insight." Of particular interest I found:
"Kucinich Lets Supporters Down - Gives New Lousy Excuse for Not Introducing Impeachment"
Subsequently, a message from another person in the MeetUp Group asked, "Did Dennis Pull the Impeachment Resolution? There is something on that peacecandidates.com site stating it. I found this link, but it seems a bit hokey. Does anyone know anything about this?"
"Obama camp sabotaging impeachment efforts?" (by Webster Tarpley)
Upon reading the two screeds linked above, I have the following response to offer. There's a lot of confusion about the relationship between Mr. Kucinich and Mr. Obama and I hope to clear this up...
Webster Tarpley is someone whose analytical savvy is worth contemplating.
However, I am not at all convinced anything impugning Kucinich's integrity exists in the connection between his stalled impeachment effort and Obama's drive for the White House. Nor is this what Tarpley is suggesting. I believe Mr. Kucinich's actions on the impeachment front, carefully measured with deference to Mr. Conyer's sensibilities, are not being influenced by any element forcing him to undermine the principled cause he has been pursuing via both H. Res. 799, as well as Articles of Impeachment against the President he has yet to submit to the Congress.
Furthermore, I rather suppose Kucinich's 2nd round Iowa Caucus "endorsement" of Obama was strictly a political move done for the sake of better assuring his posterity in the race, and NOTHING more. He was solely looking to subdue Ms. Clinton, so she would not run away with the nomination. This simply was a way he could bide time in the hope his candidacy might gain traction going into Super Tuesday. It was all strictly politics. More on Kucinich and Obama below.
Per impeachment, think back to April '07 when Kucinich introduced H. Res. 333. Then, he correctly cited the need to go after VP Cheney first. Considering that Rep. Wexler, too, has raised the impeachment banner against the VP (adding pressure), and now, the further prospect Kucinich will file Articles of Impeachment against the President (adding even more pressure), the House Judiciary Committee gets the message that some people will not let up.
Kucinich supporters who question the Congressman's motives, really, ought to bite their tongue and be quiet. This guy knows how to play politics. Let's make no mistake about this. His entire political career abounds with evidence his motives are noble and well-intended. Yet, this still requires one play the game of politics in order to remain viable.
Any talk Mr. Kucinich is serving some contrary, unappealing, back-stabbing interest is just plain slanderous. Thus, I believe the harsh commentary peacecandidates.com has tendered about the impeachment delay is no more than "White Trash" rage unworthy of serious consideration.
Getting back to the issue raised by Webster Tarpley...
Apparently, certain camps who supported Kucinich's effort to impeach VP Cheney are abandoning ship for the sake of Obama. Well, we see with our own eyes how pragmatic most people's political motives are. For all too many the race for the presidency is a popularity contest with very little grounding in principles buttressing policies.
Truth is the practical matter Mr. Tarpley raises about Mr. Obama is spot on. However, one need read between the lines to take in the big picture.
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