Can a state legislature impeach Bush?

Illinois started it, and now California has joined them. Both states have introduced proposals to their legislatures to impeach President Bush. And California wants to impeach Cheney, too.

Can states do that?

Apparently, yes. The amendments for impeachment submitted by California Assemblyman Paul Koretz of Los Angeles reference Section 603 of Jefferson's Manual of the Rules of the United States House of Representatives, which allows federal impeachment proceedings to be initiated by joint resolution of a state legislature.

The resolution, according to Koretz's press release, "bases the call for impeachment upon the Bush Administration intentionally misleading the Congress and the American people regarding the threat from Iraq in order to justify an unnecessary war that has cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives and casualties; exceeding constitutional authority to wage war by invading Iraq; exceeding constitutional authority by Federalizing the National Guard; conspiring to torture prisoners in violation of the 'Federal Torture Act' and indicating intent to continue such actions; spying on American citizens in violation of the 1978 Foreign Agency Surveillance Act; leaking and covering up the leak of the identity of Valerie Plame Wilson, and holding American citizens without charge or trial."

It sounds like a long shot, but it's a shorter shot than expecting a Republican-controlled Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings.

For more information, and a kit to help with promoting this resolution and passing others in your towns and cities, visit http://www.impeachpac.org/resolutions.

http://www.democrats.com/node/8696

(Thanks to Eric Dickey.)