There are plenty of moderate Republican senators who, if Bush were to exercise his ridiculous idea of “executive authority” any further, would be more than willing to do something about it. But impeachment at this time is not entirely feasible.

The word “impeachment” sends a tingly sensation of joy down the spine of any die-hard anti-Bush enthusiast. On the other end of the spectrum, you can usually expect a roll of the eyes from a die-hard conservative who still supports the president (though they are thinning in numbers).

Recently, Democratic Representative and Presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich submitted a resolution to Congress calling for the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney. That resolution was placed in committee, effectively killing it for now.

Many in the far-left camp of the Democratic Party find it troubling that, while a Democratic majority was elected to Congress last fall, we still have yet to see any strong action by Congress against the Bush administration.

That is, while a few members of Bush’s cabinet have resigned, Bush and Cheney themselves have faced little to no reprimand. With 55 percent of the American public believing Bush has abused his power, we’re left asking: Why has no action been taken?

Before impeachment proceedings can begin, two things must be considered: first, is impeachment justifiable? Second, are such drastic proceedings feasible to carry out?

In my opinion, the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney is justifiable. In the lead-up to the Iraq War the public was clearly misled (as was Congress) on the threat of Saddam Hussein’s supposed nuclear weaponry ambitions.

Yet if Iraq isn’t reason enough for impeachment (many argue that no crime was actually committed, and since many Democratic legislators signed onto the Authorization to grant Bush the power to invade it absolved him of any fault), then consider the illegal spying program Bush and company implemented.

The Bush administration illegally tapped into the phone lines of American citizens without obtaining a warrant to do so – a warrant that, by law, could be obtained retroactively weeks after the initial wiretapping.

The list could go on, but suffice it to say I would find impeachment proceedings to be justifiable. However, whether or not they are feasible is another question.

It is true there is a Democratic majority in both chambers of Congress. The impeachment of Cheney or Bush could certainly be accomplished within the House of Representatives. However, the indictment of those two is another story.

Impeachment is not the end-all, final step to removing a presidential administration. Indictment, or the formal prosecuting of a person or persons, takes place in the Senate and requires a two-thirds majority for removing a president or member of his cabinet. With only a slim Democratic majority in the Senate, Bush and Cheney would not be prosecuted, should the indictment vote go along party lines.

It’s therefore not politically feasible for the Democrats to begin impeachment proceedings, especially if doing so would lower the public’s perception and approval of an already unpopular Democratic Congress.

That is not to say, however, impeachment shouldn’t remain an available tool for the Democrats to utilize. It should remain in place as a deterrent for the Bush administration, to keep them from doing any more damage to our nation and the Constitution.

There are plenty of moderate Republican senators who, if Bush were to exercise his ridiculous idea of “executive authority” any further, would be more than willing to do something about it. But impeachment at this time is not entirely feasible.

The Democratic majority in Congress should instead focus on correcting the wrongs the Bush administration has implemented. They should continue to keep a watchful eye on the members of the current administration and discuss any wrongs that have been perpetrated (as they did with former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales).

But the Democrats were not elected simply to impeach the president. They were elected to fix his mistakes, and that is what they should do.

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