Why are the Democrats keeping impeachment off the table, in the face of more and more flagrant crimes and violations of the Constitution? "Spineless" no longer works, since they have succeeded in getting rid of Rumsfeld, Gonzales and Rove, by way of hearings, subpoenas and various other manuevers. Bush and Cheney are much weakened, and yet they are still being shielded from accountability.

Before the 2006 elections, we were told that the Democrats were avoiding impeachment because it would lose them votes. Yet as soon as the results were in, giving the Dems a clear majority in the House (it only takes a majority to impeach- count the votes), Pelosi and Conyers again announced that impeachment is off the table.

Why are they protecting Bush and Cheney? Politically, it makes much more sense to expose their crimes and discredit them once and for all. This is happening anyway, as more and more truth leaks out.

The revelation that Pelosi knew about waterboarding back in 2002 and did not object, gives us a clue. The Democrats have overtly been complicit in many of the illegal actions of the Bush administration. They voted to let him invade Iraq, and have not rescinded that decision, continue to fund the occupation, despite the evident disaster of this military adventure. They have acquiesced to torture, warrantless wiretapping, media consolidation, and many other executive outrages. They have not formally objected to signing statements that overrule the laws they pass, or insisted on the oversight that the Constitution assigns to them.

Digging deeper, it's evident that the Bush and Cheney family fortunes, via their corporations Carlyle and Halliburton, have profited enormously from the invasion and occupation of Iraq. The national treasury has been looted by pirates, and the country is facing bankruptcy. If the financial transactions of these and related companies were brought to light, how many members of Congress would also be implicated? How many succumbed to the blandishments of Abramoff and the K Street gang, and are susceptible to blackmail because they accepted bribes and favors? How many would have to retire in disgrace, like Cunningham?

Darker speculations yet have led many to wonder to what degree the Bush and Cheney crime families have made Mafia-style threats to members of Congress? Who killed Paul Wellstone and Dennis Carnahan? Who sent anthrax to key Senators right after 9-11, effectively closing down the Senate office buildings for several months? How have Bush and Cheney obtained protection against impeachment from a Democratic Congress? What bribes or threats have they used?

A can of worms indeed! I say, let's open the can and clean house! Any member of Congress who is NOT actively working for impeachment has violated the oath of office to uphold and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign AND DOMESTIC. They deserve to be replaced.

Check out www.newbroomcoalition.org We need a clean sweep of Congress.