(CNN) - Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said it would be "great" to impeach the president, but that the Democratic controlled Senate would prevent such action.
On a conference call with bloggers Tuesday night, the former Godfather's Pizza CEO called the health care law and the Obama administration's stance over the Defense of Marriage Act impeachable offenses.
The news was first reported by POLITICO and later confirmed to CNN by the Cain campaign.
"There are a number of things where a case could be made in order to impeach him, but because Republicans do not control the United States Senate, they would never allow it to get off the ground," Cain said on the call. "The president is supposed to uphold the laws of this nation … and to tell the Department of Justice not to uphold the Defense of Marriage Act is a breach of his oath."
I am a Republican and I believed that we were a party of great intellect in the tradition of William Buckley et al. The Republicans have become a party of the lowest common denominators : fear, ignorance and hysteria.
This guy is sounding more and more like Glenn Beck.
Please make this guy go away – we already have too many prominent idiots in the news (Bachmann, Palin, and the like) and we frankly don't need this guy piping in with his garbage. No we should not enforce the defense of marriage act: it fails to provide equal protection to all that want to marry, man and woman, man and man, and woman and woman. Until all under the law are treated equally, no one should be subjected to this wacko crap.
You must be absolutely out of your mind(s)...You get a president who speaks for all Americans and you want to tar and feather him, as in the old days. Move ahead US, don't languish in the past or the world will eventually pass you by.
Why is it that all of these Republican candidates wont actually state their ideas to fix things? Perhaps they dont want the voters to know what their plans are. That is probably because a lot of the things they want to do will be very, very unpopular. I think that perhaps, they have something very sinister plans for this country.
All this talk about impeachments and treason...makes it sound like the GOP doesn't have confidence it can win by having the better candidate. You didn't see Obama put Bush's people on trial, even though many wanted him to. In fact he kept Bush's secretary of defense, Robert Gates.
In my opinion, the government, the court systems, and the corporations have all failed us. We stand in need of a strong leader to whip things back into shape and restore America to its former (sometime former, not sure exactly when) glory! Such a move requires additional legislative powers not available to a president. We need a dictator, because dammit, we deserve one! I hereby propose myself as Dictator for Life. Now, who wants to be King (or Queen – we're proposing a progressive totalitarian government, after all) and Tyrant? And we're going to need a Commissar of Evil, while we're at it. Progress through Repressive Regression! will be our slogan. Who's with me? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Cain ought to impeach himself from the Tea-Gop group. He is not WASP enough.
Wow...Hermann Cain – why don't you all eliminate those that sign these pacts. Good lord...they are coming out of the wood work. I guess the crazier you talk the more the right wing Tea Party people listens.
Herman Cain is very courageous to recommend impeachment. If a white person had suggested this, we'd, of course, label that person "racist". But Cain is black, so it is obviously not racially motivated.
Another reason to impeach: The long form birth certificate released in April appears to be fraudulent. The mainstream media, even Fox, won't touch it. But if you go to wnd.com you can read about the "layers" which would not appear in a real, authentic birth certificate. Just go read worldnetdaily, and you will see what is clearly an impeachable offense.
Impeachment of Obama would not solve the problem. He is just one small part of it. To bring America back to where it used to be, it will be necessary to reinstall a totally new Congress. And by impeaching Obama, you would still have Joe Biden to contend with. No improvement there.
Jesse in Texas
Is anyone going to want to eat at Godfather's Pizza after this? I can't imagine that this garbage is good for business.
President Obama has not committed any act that would be an impeachable offense under the Constitution. Mr. Cain either has not read the Constitution or does not understand it. Either disqualifies him as a serious presidential candidate.
Trailing in the polls are we, Herman?
Do we really still have politicians who think that a President should be impeached for doing nothing illegal? Heck, impeaching Clinton was borderline as it was (because all he did was perjure himself).
This is one of the fallacies of affirmative action handouts. Greed is one of its residuals when the wrong people are given an opportunity to better themselves,they usually end up biting the hand that feeds them. Good example above.
Cain is a moron....he will bring the whole GOP down. We're better without him.
One question for you, Mr. Cain: Are you ignorant or simply preying on the ignorance of your audience?
Republicans: Refusing blame term after term after term.
Just what we need, another long drawn out partisan political battle brought to you courtesy of the GOP.
Of course, many in the GOP believe that being a Democrat is an impeachable offense.
Cause Cain or any of the other GOP would do better. If McCain had gotten in all this stuff still would have happened, if not worse, then who would they blame? Obviously not the previous administration so no doubt this would have all been Clinton's fault. Heck, let's make it Kennedy's fault. Facts mean nothing to conservatives anyway.
"Socalgal
There are just too many levels on which he should be impeached."
This is the kind of foolishness we're up against: Because you hate the president doesn't mean he should be impeached. Impeachable offenses have nothing to do with your silly biases, but rather the rule of law as it stands, not as you think it should. Obama has done nothing to invoke impeachment. To think otherwise you really should reassess your fitness to vote.
Cain is a fool. And, unfortunately, so are you SoCalGal
He will say ANYTHING to get the media to notice him but alas, he is a NOBODY and will be a NOBODY for the rest of his life.
amazing! what the h–l is happening to the republican party? bachmann & perry are into dominionism (the christian version of sharia law), the tea party, herman, palin, romney, pawlenty. it is like the whos who of crazy! i am still amazed the republicans allowed this takeover. unforgiveable
So Cain is saying that if a President does something with which Cain does not agree, he should be impeached for it. Makes sense.
It's clear this guy hasn't bothered to take Law 101 yet. You can't take legal action based on personal opinion or feelings. Neither "Obamacare" nor the "Defense of Marriage" are impeachable offenses. Needless to say the fact that one hasn't passed and the other isn't completed would make that case even more difficult.