Visualize Impeachment

How Newsweek tried to bury reality.

Thanks to Greg Saunders post on Tom Tomorrow's blog I have learned of a wonderful example of corporate "under"-reporting. Buried at the end of a Newsweek article reporting the results of an opinion poll you can read this gem:

"Other parts of a potential Democratic agenda receive less support, especially calls to impeach Bush: 47 percent of Democrats say that should be a “top priority,” but only 28 percent of all Americans say it should be, 23 percent say it should be a lower priority and nearly half, 44 percent, say it should not be done. (Five percent of Republicans say it should be a top priority and 15 percent of Republicans say it should be a lower priority; 78 percent oppose impeachment.)"

As Saunders pointed out: 23 plus 28 equals 51! The poll also had the usual 4 points margin for error (in other words, the percentage could as easily be 55 in favor of impeachment as 47). And what does "Other parts of a potential Democratic agenda receive less support" mean? Less support than what? From earlier in the article:

" 68 percent [of respondents, regardless of party] want increasing the minimum wage to be a top priority, including 53 percent of Republicans; 62 percent want investigating impropriety by members of Congress to be a top priority; and 58 percent want investigating government contracts in Iraq to be a top priority. Fifty-two percent say investigating why we went to war in Iraq should be a top priority."

Well, it's not like we have any lack of cause for impeachment: the Geneva Convention became part of U.S. law when the Senate ratified it. Therefore, violations in Iraq under U.S. occupation at Abu Ghraib constitute commission of "high crimes and misdemeanors" specified in the U.S. Constitution. Then we also have the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in Guantanamo. For perspective, consider that two Air Force attorneys for the prosecution resigned in protest over the travesty of justice the administration wanted them to commit. (Wall Street Journal, Aug 1, 2005).

And the best thing about Impeachment? The President can not appeal it to the Supreme Court!