Impeachment: Why not NOW?!?

John Conyers has a resolution on the table to investigate whether or not to investigate. Democrats are all tied in knots. Pelosi says, Impeachment-- no way.

And yet, never before have a president and vice-president done so much that deserves impeachment. This is obscene.

The standard line coming from inside the Beltway is that there's no point in starting impeachment proceedings right now because the Republicans would never allow impeachment to be passed to the Senate. Excuse #2 is that it would cause Republicans and the public to rally around the President.

Is this another case of DLC spinelessness?

I think may indeed be Democraticus spinophobia.

First of all, let's consider the Republican perspective of having to defend Bush during impeachment proceedings in the House, while his ratings are in the deep freeze, against impeachment charges, while every member of the House is running for re-election. Seems to me that some Republicans might not be so eager to vote to protect Bush.

Second, if impeachment proceedings begin, that gives the investigative committees subpoena power. Wouldn't it be interesting to have the press carrying daily news of evidence of presidential and vice-presidential misdeeds in the months before an election?

So why not now?

Bob in HI