Little-Known House Rule Opens the Way to Impeachment

Apparently there is a little-known House rule that state legislatures may bring Presidential impeachment proceedings. Pursuant to that, there's a bill in the Illinois lege to do precisely that. Of course, the House won't convict, but the House rules do mandate that the proceedings be treated before other business, so they'll have to go on record with their partisan acquiescence to this President's transgressions. Unlike, say, Feingold (see Leonard Pitts' column "History Will Scold Those Who Stayed Silent").

I think the phrase "Republican-controlled Congress" is a little revealing about the authors' motivation, but the facts of the matter are not really in dispute.

Yes, a Democratic prosecutor indicted Delay. Does that mean Delay shouldn't answer to the charges? Sure doesn't look like it to me. In Wisconsin, Republicans convicted in the Caucus Scandal are likewise crying partisanship, conveniently glossing over the fact that Democrats have actually been charged with more crimes by the Democratic prosecutor.

As folks have been saying for a couple of years now, if you can impeach a President for lying about his sex life, you sure as hell can impeach one for illegally surveilling American citizens, torturing prisoners, and violating the Geneva Convention.

You go, Illinois!

Full text of HJR0125