The Case for Impeachment

As the new year begins and tensions over the situation in Iraq and the middle east mount, there is increasing talk of Impeachment. Lawmakers are growing increasingly wary of the President's isolation. His policies are more and more out of sync with the national mood.

Today many political leaders from all parts of the political spectrum openly question his plans and policies, his intelligence, his unwillingness to compromise and his general leadership of the country.

The blogosphere has been full of talk of impeachment for a long time. But now the discussion is more open and it's quickly moving to the main stream media.

An in depth report this morning on National Public Radio by Gareth Smyth of The Financial Times and NPR's Renee Montagne shows how real this discussion has become.

Below are a few of the comments and the points made in this excellent analysis. The transcription of the audio report is mine and I freely admit this is an abridged transcription. A link to the full audio report is at the bottom of this discussion.

Renee Montagne: "How serious has the opposition to [the president] become?" Gareth Smyth: "...the opinion makers are becoming increasingly concerned with George Bush's new strategy on Iraq, which very much sounds like a new strategy on Iran.... and the US seizure of the Iranian employees, perhaps diplomats and perhaps not, in northern Iraq..... and at the US military deployment in the Persian Gulf....." "That sense of crisis over the international situation has led many people here to believe that [the government] can no longer afford the luxury of a President who puts rhetoric above the national interest." Renee Montagne: "Are conservatives and fundamentalists part of this opposition?" Gareth Smyth: "There are a minority of reformers who are critical of the President and this is where the talk of impeachement has begun." "The President, since he has been elected has failed to build political bridges, even to people who you would consider to be his allies. Traditional conservatives and even fundamentalists.... criticism is coming from these corners as well." Renee Montagne: "You also mention the economy is a problem?" Gareth Smyth: "The most common charge you hear is that the economy is being mismanaged. The president has brought in new managers with very little experience. Now lack of experience and failure to build bridges is not a particularly good way to run any country." Renee Montagne: "Just recently we saw protests at universities. Does this reflect a growing unease among younger people?" Gareth Smyth: "There is an anti-intellectual tone in many of [the President's] pronouncements, which obviously doesn't go down well in many universities."

Smyth and Montagne conclude that the situation is very serious and has gotten to the state where much of the Iranian Parliament and the Iranian public have lost faith in President Ahmadinejad.

Link to the full NPR report HERE.

Perhaps the U.S. experience and our frustration with George Bush is not as unique as we all would like to think.

TECHNORATI TAGS: PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD IRAN IRAQ IMPEACHMENT DEMOCRACY WAR ON TERROR PRESIDENT BUSH DEBATE

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