Rocky Anderson Speaks Out/ Iraq War Enters 5th Year

I don’t know a whole lot about the Salt Lake City Mayor, but I liked what I heard in the Situation Room:  Video: Salt Lake City Mayor calls for Bush impeachment

“If impeachment were every justified, this certainly is the time,” says Anderson, “This president, by engaging in such incredible abuses of power, breaches of trust with both the Congress and the American people, and misleading us into this tragic and unbelievable war, the violation of treaties, other international law, our constitution, our own domestic laws, and then his role in heinous human rights abuses; I think all of that together calls for impeachment.”

I think that’s what it comes down to.  I don’t see why this is even a right or left issue.  If we allow this president to sit in there and do these kinds of things, what precedent does it set?  If we unquestioningly hand over unchecked power under the guise of being “at war”,  it inherently provides a motive to keep that situation ongoing, or to provoke more war.   In light of the situation that we find ourselves in starting the 5th year in Iraq, it’s hard not to think that’s exactly what they’ve been doing. But, not to worry, Bush want to reassure us that he’s got everything under control today: President Bush Discusses Fourth Anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom

Prime Minister Maliki and General Petraeus emphasized that the Baghdad security plan is still in its early stages, and success will take months, not days or weeks. Yet, those on the ground are seeing some hopeful signs. The Iraqi government has completed the deployment of three Iraqi army brigades to the capital, where they’ve joined the seven Iraqi army brigades and nine national police brigades that were already in the area.

Are we just prolonging the inevitable?  Does Bush just recycle the same talking points to buy time until ‘08?  There was another blogger that beautifully chronicled the rhetoric over the past 4 years : Tracing the breadcrumbs from a chimp’s mouth is a painful reminder that we’ve been duped

To achieve victory over such enemies, we are pursuing a comprehensive strategy in Iraq. Americans should have a clear understanding of this strategy. – November, 2005
U.S. Fatalities: 2,192

Even if Bush’s had the best of intentions this whole time, it still makes him some sort of vigilante.  Would we want a vigilante president?

“I’m against vigilantes in the United States of America.” – Bush, March 23, 2005

I guess not.