Impeach, Investigate

Ethan Strimling, All Towns

As diarist cometman noted on Friday, U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, called on Congress to investigate the abuses of the Bush Administration and begin impeachment hearings against Vice President Cheney. I commend the Congressman for joining in the call for impeachment investigations.

Last spring, as a member of the Maine state senate, I introduced a resolution calling for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney.

I believed then, as I do now, that a full impeachment investigation is the only way the legislative branch can uncover the extent of this Administrations criminality and ensure that both Bush and Cheney's flagrant and repeated violations of the Constitution dont set a dangerous precedent for future presidents and vice-presidents. It's impossible to know to what extent the corruption of this administration goes without a full airing of the facts.

The duty of all elected officials is to ensure that the government works for their constituents and their interests. I firmly believe that a full impeachment investigation of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney is in the interest of every American.

Last spring when I introduced the bill, I took a lot of heat from people for bringing the impeachment issue to the Maine state legislature. But when over 12,000 Maine residents sign petitions calling for our state to impeach Bush and Cheney--that's something we cannot ignore.

The essence of federalism is that the burden of government must be borne at all levels, and when Washington can't or won't act, the states should lead the way.

In Congress, I'll fight every day to ensure that the federal government doesn't again abdicate its responsibility to the people by letting outrageous behavior pass unchecked.

-Ethan