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Articles of Impeachment Prepared For Obama: Will Congress Have the Courage to Act?
27 June 2011
A number of Congressmen have said that Obama’s violation of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution with respect to Libya is an impeachable offense, but have failed thus far to take action. A number of legal experts, including former Democratic U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, former Republican Deputy U.S. Attorney General Bruce Fein, and Professor of Law Francis Boyle, have publicly offered their services to assist in carrying out impeachment proceedings to any member of Congress willing to step forward and introduce Articles of Impeachment. In April of this year, after Obama failed to seek Congressional authorization for his military attack on Libya, Bruce Fein drafted articles of impeachment. Those articles make the point that "Barack Hussein Obama has mocked the rule of law, endangered the very existence of the Republic and the liberties of the people, and perpetrated an impeachable high crime and misdemeanor." Fein’s articles of impeachment discuss the run-up to the Libya conflict and conclude: "President Barack Obama, in flagrant violation of his constitutional oath to execute his office as President of the United States and preserve and protect the United States Constitution, has usurped the exclusive authority of Congress to authorize the initiation of war, in that on March 19, 2011 President Obama initiated an offensive military attack against the Republic of Libya without congressional authorization. In so doing, President Obama has arrested the rule of law, and saluted a vandalizing of the Constitution that will occasion ruination of the Republic, the crippling of individual liberty, and a Leviathan government unless the President is impeached by the House of Representatives and removed from office by the Senate. "In all of this, President Barack Obama has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States." In interviews with Ben Smith of Politico among others, Fein argues: "If another country did to us what we are doing to Libya, we would incinerate it with nuclear weapons." As to President Obama’s contention that the U.S. is not at war with Libya and, therefore, the War Powers Act has not been triggered, Fein says, "If it’s not war, then the United States is committing murder in Libya." The White House also claims that no state of war exists because U.S. personnel are in little danger. Says Fein: "The same would be said if the U.S. launched ICBMs with nuclear warheads and utterly destroyed a country, without itself sustaining casualties." Fein says of Obama: "He’s been more bold than any other president. If he can wipe out the war powers authorization, why can’t he wipe out Congress’s authority to spend? If we’re going to be a government of laws, and not descend into empire, this is Caesar crossing the Rubicon." Fein says a number of Congressional offices have expressed interest in his proposal. "They actually need to defend constitutional prerogatives," said Fein. "There’s definitely been interest on the Hill. There’s at least two dozen who have been open to the idea that this is a serious constitutional crisis." Francis Boyle, professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law, called Obama’s position an insult. He says the War Powers Act is triggered by hostilities with another state. Another provision states the legislation comes into play any time we are armed in the airspace of another state. Boyle is also offering his services to any congressperson who wants to draw up a Bill of Impeachment against the president. |