White House: Do Vermont impeachment resolutions occur monthly? Ron Brynaert

Published: Wednesday April 25, 2007 Print This Email This Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino mocked impeachment motions being undertaken by a Democratic Congressman and Vermont's state senate during a White House press briefing Wednesday afternoon. "Now that the word 'impeachment' has popped up in DC or elsewhere in the country, how seriously does the administration take those calls?" Perino was asked by a White House correspondent. "How seriously do we take Representative Kucinich's --" said Perino before being cut off by the reporter, who noted, "Well, there's that and the decision by the assembly in Vermont." Perino responded, "The assembly of the what?" "In Vermont, the resolution by -- in the state of Vermont," the reporter informed her. Perino said that she was unaware that Vermont's state senate had voted to pass the symbolic resolution to get Congressional members to pursue Articles of Impeachment against President Bush and Vice President Cheney for their roles in such issues as the hyping of false WMD intelligent before, during and after the invasion of Iraq, presidential signing statements, and the US Attorney firings. "Oh, I didn't even know there was a resolution in the state of Vermont," Perino said. "Is that a monthly occurrence? You know, I don't know. The president and the vice president have served honorably, and I don't think there's any merit to those impeachment claims." Perino concluded the briefing before responding to the follow-up questions: "Would you rather have anyone than Kucinich call for impeachment? Is there anyone else you'd rather have than Kucinich?" Later this afternoon, Vermont's House rejected the impeachment resolution. "On a roll call vote of 60-87, the House voted against the resolution that the Senate passed last week," the Rutland Herald reports. "That vote came as hundreds of supporters of the resolution were gathered at the Statehouse to lobby for the measure's passage." On Tuesday, RAW STORY reported on Kucinich's impeachment actions (link), and a story about Californian Progressives pushing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to put impeachment back on the table can be read at this link. Excerpts from Rutland Herald article: # Rep. Thomas Koch, R-Barre Town, was the first legislator to speak out against the resolution on the floor Wednesday. Passing the resolution would add to the acrimony of modern politics and not make our troops any safer, he said. One of the lessons we learned from the Clinton impeachment is that it should not be treated lightly, Koch said. It ought to be reserved for the most egregious, most urgent high crimes and misdemeanors. It should not be about whether or not you support the president or the war. Rep. David Sunderland, R-Rutland Town, questioned if Bushs alleged misdeeds rose to the level of impeachment. To prove his point, he referenced congressional testimony indicating that the president has the right to wiretap terrorists and read statements from prominent Democrats on the threat Saddam Hussein posed to the world. I dont think it is the intent to impeach these other individuals based on statements made and actions taken based on the best information available at the time, Sunderland said. Democrats siding with House Speaker Gaye Symington in opposing the measure included Rep. David Deen of Westminister. He noted that while he does not support this administration, the current hearings and investigations in the U.S. Congress are working.



