Should George W Bush be impeached if the NSA program is found, on appeal, to have violated FISA?

Question

A federal judge recently ruled that Bush's violates the 1978 FISA law, which is a federal criminal law against wiretapping Americans without a warrant. Bush has already admitted to authorizing this program more than 30 times. If this judge's ruling is upheld on appeal, then George W. Bush will be guilty of committing more than 30 federal felonies. In that case, should he be impeached and prosecuted?

Answer 1

Yes. Because at that point, he will have been found (again) to have willfully violated federal law.

The point of impeachment is that it is a trial. If Bush has an affirmative defense that such illegal action was justified, then that defense can be presented at the trial, which is conducted by the Senate under the auspices of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

The very thought that Bush shouldn't even be tried for his crimes, whether convicted or not, just means that this country has abandoned the concept of the rule of law. If someone in power can break the law at will, and never even have to submit to a trial on the merits, then we've become exactly the sort of tyranny we claim to oppose.

{EDIT}

It's really amusing how many people don't even bother trying to answer the question, "if the appeal confirms the program was illegal". And I'd bet none of them have actually read the laws in question, or even read the judge's holding itself before whining about it.

Answer 2

He is guilty of way more than that but will you ever find out no not likley. Yes he should be tried but with his terms being over by the time it should be and is upheld then. I love the way Fox news spins Domestic spying as Americans talking with people out of the country. When it really means that he has been tapping people within this country that were not talking to people outside of it. I hope they still charge him with treason and whatever else they can find on him when he is out of office.

Answer 3

He should be impeached. He should be prosecuted just like any other American would be if they had violated a federal law. But, the appeal process will drag out...and if he gets in trouble Cheney will just pardon him.

Answer 4

No. The dude is gone in two. Let's save the tax payer's time and money and not waste any more time trying to impeach to a guy who isn't worth the money.

Let's keep the last painful months of his presidency nice and quiet.

Answer 5

Yes he should be arrested for high treason.. no joke this is a serious offense and before you neogoons start talking about Billy boys hyper active libido .. consider that he never listened in to your pillow talk with your lover..

uh oh .. leogirl is getting into technically this time.. that's a riot ? is that how you would calculate that heinous violation ????

Answer 6

Absolutely NOT! He is stopping more terrorist attacks by using it. Had we had it before 9/11, we might have stopped it! He has a backbone and will do what it takes to stop any more terrorist attacks while he is in office. I dread the day a liberal spineless jerk is President. We'll have another 8 years of doing NOTHING and we will be attacked again. Wake up America! President Bush is finally a man who will stand up to these terrorist's and try to stop them. More than I can say for the previous administration! Anyone that wants to listen to my conversations is welcome to do so. I have nothing to hide and if it stops just ONE attack it's damn well worth it!

Answer 7

president Bush will not be touched. Neither will Clinton, Reagan (bless his soul) or even that worthless carter. He authorized this program 30 times in a nation of over 300 million people. What that means that .0000001 of the population was affected. Yeah.....that's really abuse. jeez

Answer 8

This is so typical of you left wing whacko's.
You bitchhh and moan that your government is compromising your privacy, but you forget why they do it.
Why don't you want your calls listened to? Hell, you phone any call centre these days, they record your calls for "training and coaching purposes" and nobody seems to mind - but when the government listens so it can save your ungrateful a$$ and protect your country, instantly your tampon string self combusts.
People like you make me sick.

Answer 9

Absolutely not,
The president is doing a fine job except for defending himself from the stupid press abuse in the nightly news

Answer 10

IMPEACH George W. Bush TODAY, PARTY TONIGHT!