Obama is absolutely right. Impeachment should be left for egregious violations of the law, not things that are arguably unconstitutional. Thats cutting the line far too fine and setting up a slippery slope.

The system is was also designed for impeaching criminals and abuse of power, but only works if the there is leadership and interigty in the other branches of government.

Well that pretty much confirms that Obama won't be my vote in the primary. What a wimp.

Bush and Cheney are responsible for the deaths of thousands upon thousands of troops and innocent civilians. How is impeachment not the correct course of action in this case?

The Republicans tried to impeach Clinton for lying about sex, but lying about the reasons to go into war is okay?

When people do bad things, you should punish them. What kind of lesson is Obama trying to send the kids of the world?

I used to think Obama was okay until I read this piece of information. Edwards is now the only good choice (since Clinton is also a Bushie supporter…and a panderer).

Gutless prat.

Bush lied to get us into a war, has use the Constitution as toilet paper, and Obama says Vote the bums out?!?!. They're term-limited.

Are we sure he went to Harvard?

Grave, grave, intentional pants? Strange. Or did Mr. Obama actually refer to breaches?

Please learn the difference between "breaches," such as those Mr. Obama discussed, and "breeches," which frontiersmen wore in early America.

Grave pants … or grave buttocks?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breech

Wow is that all it took for Obama to lose your vote? Or was it something else that made you back off your vote. Listen giving up on this man right now would just be wrong. If you listen and see what his vision is for this country, it's a united one. He's right why impeach them now it would turn into a serious media circus. Hell you thought Paris Hilton was bad…wait till CNN covers this one! It would open up scar after scar he's putting his faith in a system that built the greatest country in the world. Just because Republicans did it to prove a point. A leader of Obama status does not have to follow. An impeachment would be devistating to this country. If it was necessary yeah impeach them but it could back fire.

@ Jeb

I think Obama meant that they should have been voted out in 2004. If the country wasn't smart enough to get rid of the "bums" when we had the chance, why worry about impeachment now?

I must say this, I'm not a fan of President Bush's policies, but I do love him as a child of God and I respect him as our, my current President. Senator Obama is right as usual! What would impeaching President Bush and Vice President Cheney do? NOTHING! We have enough problems to deal with, without trying to impeach the President and Vice President.

Bill Clinton wasn't impeached for LYING to Federal authorities. Don't tell me it was just sex, either. I sick of these people bashing this man (who is not my favorite President) and forgetting EVERYTHING that happened in the Clinton White House. Leave him alone, he is having enough problems as it is.

I stand corrected, I make a mistake (too bad Hillary Clinton can say the same about her vote for the Iraq War, or she likes to put it "George Bush's War."), Bill Clinton was impeached by the House but acquitted by the Senate.

The statement stands, leave President Bush alone!

IF…3000 soldiers - including 1 of my own family members killled and 10's of thousands seriously wounded…was based on a pack of lies.

Bush and Cheney deserve much worse than impeachment.

My gut instinct tells me the war is to help out their oil buddies and after all Cheney still gets $20 mil from a company that is now making billions in Iraq.

With all due respect to Senator Obama, impeachment should not be taken off the table. Subpoenas have already been sent to the White House and the Vice President, demanding documents relating to the administration's decision to eavesdrop on American citizens without a legal warrant. All previous 'requests' for these documents have been rebuffed by the administration. This is very serious business, and right now it appears as though someone is hiding something. Any violations, probable or otherwise, against the US Constitution, should be investigated to the fullest extent of the law.

Maybe Obama can't take charge of business and punish the ones who do wrong. Our next President needs to get the people out of power who do wrong. If Mr. Obama continues on like this He won't get my vote.

Warrantless wire taps, secret torture camps, claims that the VP's office is not part of the executive branch and not subject to subpeonas, faked war intelligence, attempted sale of US ports to Arab countries, hijacking of the US Supreme court - If none of these qualify, then what would be an offense worthy of impeachment?

True…there are even reports that Cheney may have personally visited CIA analysts in an effort to manipulate pre-war intelligence reports to exagerate the WMD threat.

I was thinking something far worse than impeachment would fit the crime…if they indeed are guilty of deliberately manipulating the facts to get a yes vote to invade Iraq.

Obama is trying to not rock the boat but it is reasonable question to consider impeachment.

Impeachment is not reasonable in the face of a lack of evidence. Perhaps if senate investigation uncover evidence of an uncontroverted attempt to lie to the American people about Iraq there may be some grounds. I must remind you all that such evidence has NOT been discovered despite speculation.

Moreover, Bill Clinton (my favorite president mind you) lied before a GRAND JURY. That is uncontroverted evidence of obstruction of justice and perjury. In other words he directly and willfully broke the law.

People either don't understand the difference or choose not to because of bias.

They would never have enought votes to impeach anybody! They can't even pass an immigration policy. Obama knows that. All it would be is a big waste of time. They ARE investigating this administration, and after they ARE voted out there is no reason they can be brought up on charges then.

Let's not forget the mis-handling of hurricane Katrina, the whole Gonzales debacle, the immigration bill that is clearly against the will of the people, the war in Iraq that has killed almost 4,000 US troops and an unknown number of civilians many times that, and the outrageous prices of oil and gas.

He wants to hide behind "national security" on everything. Won't release documents and tells us he can't talk about things because of "national security". And that can't be the answer to everything. That is pure BS and fear mongering.

In most other jobs, you can be dismissed for incompetence. Can't they impeach him just for sheer incompetence?

Impeach them! I can see right through the veneer of the lies, Cheney ducking the press not even telling them where he is at for the weekend, refusing to tell us whom he met with in 2001 to form the new Energy policy.

Remember when they tried to go after Reagan when he left office? It was too late.

There needs to be an impeachment now. Cheney is being sneaky and hiding papers for a reason it seems.

Anonymous

You can't prosecute a president for OFFICIAL acts while he was in office. Its called executive priviledge and its in the Constitution.

As for the comment directly above this is hopeless liberal rhetoric. Incompetence is hard to prove, you cite areas where it is easy to blame others for the events in question. Those cases are tenuous at best.

Do you realize how bad it would hurt democratic presidential ambitions in 08 to try to impeach Bush? It would make all our candidates look like those loonies Gravel and Kucinich and guarantee another GOP victory by alienating moderate voters who are sick of the GOP but perhaps not ready to vote for the televised revolution that you're dreaming of.

I realize that the Democrats were voted into majority because the majority of Americans do not approve of this president and his course of actions. The Democrats have been charged with bringing a "change of direction".

Now another recent article says the Democrats are losing approval. Why? Because they are not doing the job we elected them to do. And Bush is forcing their hand. If you remember about a month ago, the Iraq war finding bil lhad to be passed. The Democrats asked for a reasonable measure that the Iraqi government was training troops and would be ready to stand on it's own. Bush vetoed the bill, saying there would be no time tables for withdrawal.

So the Democrats are damned if they do and damned if they don't. If they don't give the troops funding, they're slammed for not funding the troops. If they give Bush the bill he wants, they're slammed for not fighting to help end the war.

The problem is BUSH - not the Democrats. And "executive privilege" does not mean he is free to do whatever he wants with no responsibility or accountability.

I agree with him that impeachment proceedings would only worsen the situation in Washington and get even less done in this country over the next 18 months, but he shouldn't dismiss it as unjustified. It is a fundamental part of "how our system is designed;" it's the greatest check the legislature has on the executive. Again, I agree with his prediction, and personally I'm unsure exactly what the President would be impeached for, but he should acknowledge that impeachment will always be an option.

Well these guys are just plain FRAUDS. We need to start factually addressing the possibility of ethics contempt or corruption.

…As far as proving we went to Iraq intentionally based on misinformation, manipulaton of intelligence or FRAUD.

What is painful to watch is how they keep changing their story on the reason why we're in Iraq…a long way from failure to comply with UN compliance on WMD inspections. It's like watching a used car salesman.

I'm really disappointed in Obama on this one.
I say IMPEACH CHENEY. This VP is corrupt and dangerous and obviously feels he is above the law.
IMPEACH CHENEY.
And if we can do that, and the Moron is still in office, start impeachment proceedings against him.

The people (we) need to devote the remaining time of this administration by keeping this government honest. Bush is a lame duck at this point and Bush and Cheney have both been recognized as "meeting their own needs" not the people's. Let's stay alert to this administration, watch what the two are doing that is not 'we', keep writing/calling government when we don't agree, and let's look forward to the new better administration that is for 'we the people'. It is our responsibility to vote and then to keep government honest by paying attention to what is being done. 'We' were not paying attention and 'we' were taken advantage of. Let our newly awakened Congress (because of 'we') move in the right direction again. Obama is right!

Obamma is between a rock and a hard place if he stands strong on world peace then he is naive per Hillarthy Clinton Machine; This is the same Hillary clinton who is married to one of our most beloved Presidents faults and all!
We all know Hillary Clinton will be wicked and if Bush is bad you wont know what hit you will Hillary,
Obamma must come and say so, and tell us why kick the bums out for a pair who have committed mass murder under color of their office is acceptable and not a grave offence?

Comment for Republican debate:
American Governments have used Pakistan, threatened Pakistan and abused Pakistani's,constantly threaten to invade its soveriegn bounderies to please hardliners in Isarel because Pakistan is a Neuclear nation; but Pakistani's according to polls consider democrats worse then rebublican, why?
Do they believe that democrats gave away Pakistani brethren land of Palestine to Israel?
If so why would any Muslim vote for anyone else except Ron Paul; Dennis Kusinich, Mike Gravel or the Man of the times Barrak Obamma?
Is ten million dollar pledge to Pakistan enough when Pakistan needs ten thousand schools to liberate those you call terrorists from their ignorance and why was Congress arguing against aid to an old ally Pakistan while never debating the contiual aid for weapons of mass destruction of over 24 plus billion pledge to Israel?
Self employed small businesses all over want to know the answer?

It amazes me sometimes how politicians can characterize something that is so black & white as another color altogether.
What exactly does Bush and his "Crime Family" have to do to justify Congress taking time out of there very busy schedule and enforce the Constitution. Maybe we need more hearing on steroid abuse!
Impeachment scholars have repeatedly stated that the Founding Fathers gave us impeachment "as a remedy" for exactly what Bush and Cheney have done and continue to do.
If this administration has not crossed the line, then where is the line?
As far as Mr. Obama's statement, I can only interpret it one way. He does not want to affect his presidential campaign so he has chosen his career over doing his job.
Isn't that part of the overall problem? Politicians begin their re-election campaign the moment they are elected giving them no time to do what they were elected for. (another reason for campaign finance reform)
If Bush or Cheney slime their way out of office it should go on one of those TV shows that documents the "greatest crime commited"
I write about this all of the time in "The Lang Report" because I get so frustrated sometimes I want to scream.