- Last Thursday the largest newspaper in my congressional
district - the South Florida Sun-Sentinel - published an editorial lambasting
my enthusiastic support for immediately holding impeachment hearings for
President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Numerous letters
to the editor have also criticized my support for this movement.
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- Below, you'll find the original Sun-Sentinel editorial,
followed by my response, which was printed yesterday.
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- I assure you that I will not back down from this fight
no matter the consequences or political cost. The only thing that
maters is that we deliver accountability for the Bush Cheney Administration
and defend our government and our constitution.
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- If you would like to write a letter to the Sun Sentinel,
you can email letters@sun-sentinel.com.
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- Thank you for your continued support.
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- Robert Wexler
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- Sun-Sentinel Editorial
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- Impeachment not worth another minute of anybody's time
- South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board
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- June 12, 2008
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- ISSUE: Some in Congress want an impeachment.
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- The nation does have a few pressing issues pending that
could use some attention from our federal lawmakers.
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- Let's see. There are a couple of wars going on, unemployment
is on the rise as the value of a house continues to fall, millions of Americans
have no health insurance, and did we mention that gas prices are expected
to hit $5 a gallon? You get the idea. And still, some in Congress feel
the nation is just itching for another presidential impeachment.
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- Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, who has made a career out
of eye-rolling issues like these, said this week he wants the House to
consider a resolution to impeach President Bush. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Delray
Beach, who is smarter than this, supported the Articles of Impeachment,
which won't go anywhere and thankfully have been buried in a committee
not likely to hold hearings before Bush leaves office.
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- Last year, Kucinich led the misguided charge to impeach
Vice President Dick Cheney, and Wexler supported that. In the case of Bush,
Wexler called it a "sworn duty" of Congress to act.
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- Actually, it's nobody's sworn duty to take up any time
to go after a badly battered president with only a few months left in office.
This is a president so unpopular, presumptive Republican presidential nominee
John McCain won't make many public appearances with him. This is a president
who is such a non-entity, peace activists didn't even
- bother to protest his appearance in Berlin this week.
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- Nor should Congress bother with the ridiculous idea of
impeachment, which Kucinich contends is warranted because Bush deceived
the nation into war.
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- There's plenty of evidence to fuel Kucinich's ire, but
not his choice of remedy. If Congress needs more things than impeachment
to keep lawmakers busy, it has myriad options.
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- BOTTOM LINE: Get on with REAL issues.
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- Copyright (c) 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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- The Wexler Response:
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- The Sun-Sentinel recently ran an editorial criticizing
my support for the articles of impeachment against President Bush opining
that Congress should instead "get on with REAL issues" such as
the Iraq war. In fact, it is this very war -- entered into following an
unprecedented campaign of lies and manipulated intelligence by the Bush
Administration -- that necessitates impeachment hearings. This war has
cost us the lives of 4,090 US soldiers, injuries to over 30,000, and more
than a trillion taxpayer dollars when it is all said and done.
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- It is a dark day when the Sun-Sentinel has the gall to
tell the parents of the soldiers who have died in Iraq that pursuing
- consequences for those that prosecuted this war of choice
based on outright deception is not a "REAL" issue that Congress
should address.
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- Sadly, the war is only the beginning. We now know that
this Administration illegally ordered the torture of prisoners, obstructed
justice by lying about the outing of a covert CIA agent and authorizing
warrantless spying on American citizens.
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- No one can deny that if proven these allegations amount
to High Crimes. Our failure to act sets an awful precedent and enables
future Presidents to break the law and violate our Constitution without
sanctions from Congress.
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- The Sentinel says impeachment is the wrong "remedy"
for this litany of crimes. What then is the proper remedy? A harsh lecture?
A strongly worded editorial? Or how about doing absolutely nothing in the
face of these outrageous abuses of power?
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- Impeachment hearings need not distract us from other
important priorities such as the economy, gas prices and bringing the troops
home from Iraq. Congress can and should address all important issues -
including safeguarding our constitutional rights and obligations.
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- http://www.wexlerforcongress.com/
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- PO Box 810669
- Boca Raton, FL 33481
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