Last week, to “commemorate” the 4th anniversary of the war in Iraq, anti-war protests were held throughout the country. It is not uncommon to see signs at these protests calling for the impeachment of President Bush, nor is it uncommon to see individuals who are anti-war acting anti-American (Here are some photos from the protest in San Fransisco)

Four years after the war in Iraq began, we have now grown accostomed to calls for impeachment from those against our involvement in Iraq. A new trend however appears to be emerging in which our elected leaders also feel it is a worthy topic of discussion. Most recently Chuck Hagel stated he believes Bush commited an impeachable offense:

Some lawmakers who complain that President Bush is flouting Congress and the public with his Iraq policies are considering impeachment an option, a Republican senator said Sunday.
Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee and a frequent critic of the war, stopped short of calling for Bush’s impeachment. But he made clear that some lawmakers viewed that as an option should Bush choose to push ahead despite public sentiment against the war.

“Any president who says ‘I don’t care’ or ‘I will not respond to what the people of this country are saying about Iraq or anything else’ or ‘I don’t care what the Congress does, I am going to proceed’ — if a president really believes that, then there are … ways to deal with that,” Hagel said on ABC’s “This Week.” …

In the April edition of Esquire magazine, Hagel described Bush as someone who didn’t believe he was accountable to anyone.

“You can impeach him, and before this is over, you might see calls for his impeachment,” Hagel told the magazine.

I do agree with Chuck on one point, “before this is over, you might see calls for his impeachment”. However those calls will go unanswered because the Constitution does not allow impeachment solely over a disagreement.

Article II Section 4 - US Constitution
Section 4 - Disqualification

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors

The fact that Bush disagrees with a majority of Congress does not in and of itself constitute an impeachable offense. The President’s policies and actions are in accordance with powers Congress granted him 4 years ago. Hagel believes that because “public sentiment” is against the war, Bush should pull out.

If Hagel and the other members of Congress wish for Bush to end the war in Iraq, they should draft legislation removing funding for the deployment. President Bush would most likely veto such legislation (and rightly so in my opinion), however that would allow the bill to come back into the House where a 3/4’s vote can overrule the President. If public sentiment were truly oppossed to the war, then Congress should put their money where their mouth is, so to speak.

Congress does not wish to do that however, not with an election less than 2 years away. The immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq would leave the country in a state of anarchy and allow a group similar to Hamas, or Hezbollah to take over.

In the world of politics, it is always safer to point the finger than it is to take action. Mr Hagel is a disgrace not only to the Republican party, but to all members of Congress for his ignorance to the Constitution.

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Constitution, Election 2008, Politics