Straight From the Horses' Mouth

I generally write Jim McDermott (my congressman) about once or twice a month, expressing to him my views and frustrations with our government. Fortunately, I don't often have to persuade him, as he is generally on the same page as me. Recently, however, I've grown increasingly frustrated with the Dems' inability to rein in the Cowboy President, while Dickie Boy runs around without supervision, wasting money and planning wars with all his little neo-con clubhouse buddies.

So I was pretty happy to see this note in my inbox today. Generally I get the stock response from McDermott's office, with perhaps a line or two inserted by him here or there. This one, however, felt much more personalized as it directly addressed many of the specific issues I wrote to him about last week.

Dear Jonathan:

I have received your message demanding impeachment of the President, and I appreciate knowing your views in this matter. I share your outrage over the conduct of the Bush Administration. Because Vice President Cheney has played perhaps the most critical role in developing the disastrous policies of this Administration, endangering both national and international security, I have joined several members of the House of Representatives in calling for his impeachment.

For many months, I viewed impeachment as a drastic course of action that would distract Congress from the considerable work requiring its attention. Over these same months, however, the Vice President insistently has pursued provocative actions that have threatened civil liberty, undermined the rule of law, and jeopardized our international standing. Impeachment of our highest elected officials should be considered only when those individuals commit intolerable acts. Sadly, the Vice President egregiously has violated the public trust, placing himself above the law and beyond its constraints. It is appropriate that the Congress now exercise its authority and obligation to remove him from office.

As you know, the impeachment process is protracted and complex. As the 110 th Congress progresses, I will keep your remarks in mind. Again, thank you for contacting me. I appreciate hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Jim McDermott
Member of Congress

Now we're getting somewhere.