Politicks

Vermont Senate Passes Non-Binding Resolution Calling for the Initiation of Impeachment Proceedings Against President Bush and Vice-President Cheney

By The Politico

If it sounds too good to be true… Last Friday, the Vermont State Senate passed a non-binding resolution that called for the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee to initiate impeachment proceedings against President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

The resolution was passed 16–9. Three Democrats and all six Republicans voted against the resolution.

The resolution stated that both the president and vice president acted “in ways that raise serious questions of constitutionality, statutory legality, and abuse of the public trust....” The resolution alleges that the president and vice president have cost this country much of the international “good will” that arose after 9/11.

From comments made by the Democratic Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives, this resolution will not reach the floor of the House because the resolution is partisan and divisive. He claims that it will distract Washington from trying to get our troops out of Iraq.

Interestingly, all this sound and fury means nothing. The resolution passed by the Vermont Senate was “non-binding,” which basically means that it has no legal impact and cannot become law. So the Vermont Senate’s actions on Friday were merely symbolic, and its members were really just telling everyone how they feel about Washington.

Not only is the resolution “non-binding,” it isn’t even a joint resolution. The Republican Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives refused to take up a similar resolution. And while a joint resolution from both chambers would not have given legal force to the non-binding resolution already adopted by the Senate, a united front from the Vermont Legislature would have made the resolution more symbolic.

So when you get down to it, the Vermont Senate simply went renegade. All the fuss of last Friday has no impact on either the president or vice president of the United States. Looks like those Vermont taxpayer dollars are being put to good use!