The Genius of Impeachment: The Founders' Cure for Royalism

by John Nichols

A sharp and eye-opening argument that impeachment is an essential American institution. "I guess these are yours. Impeach Eisenhower. Impeach Nixon. Impeach Lyndon Johnson. Impeach Ronald... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1595581405
• ISBN13: 9781595581402
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: New Press
• Length: 230 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 7.4"

Customer Reviews

An Unimpeachable Source

When you take forever to read a book just over two hundred pages, you know you are reading a great book. When you take the time to highlight endless paragraphs and read them over and over again just to savor them, you know you are reading a profound book. It is not fiction; it is reality, and it is the story of impeachment from its creation in English law through its application under the Constitution of the United States. That is "The Genius of Impeachment," and that is the genius of this book. A confirmed liberal who writes for the "The Nation," author, John Nichols takes the gloves off with liberals and conservatives alike castigating Nancy Pelosi who declared that impeachment of George Bush was "off the table." He accuses Ms. Pelosi of misusing impeachment as a political strategy rather than constitutional check, as did the republicans who used it to get Bill Clinton in a way they couldn't get him at the ballot box. He is angry with republicans for attempting to impeach Bill Clinton for the wrong reasons! He challenges the perception that amongst politicians and some Americans that impeachment is the "third rail" of American politics citing example after example of republicans who supported impeachment against Richard Nixon being returned to political office while those who stood by him were defeated. He shows that even though Americans may be apathetic at the ballot box, their civic participation increases exponentially during serious discussions of impeachment. Most importantly, Nichols tells us that our obligation is to a nation and its constitution, not to a man, a political party, or a policy, that impeachment is the sole device we have to check the excesses of an executive, that even the threat of impeachment in the past has reigned in presidents who forgot or sought to stretch their constitutional limits. He refers to all nine presidents who were considered for impeachment charges. (That's right--nine!) He chastises democrats who espouse to the popular and inaccurate notion that criticizing the president about Iraq will make them appear weak on national security. The biggest skeptics of wartime presidents and promoters of the impeachment threat were, according to the author, republicans for whom he heaps praise and accolades. Congressman Abraham Lincoln, challenged President Polk for sending troops into Mexico and occupying it. Theodore Roosevelt challenged Woodrow Wilson when he targeted the censorship, arrest, and deportation of his critics: "To announce that there must be no criticism of the President or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." Dwight Eisenhower stated: "The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted." The author also quotes a broad list of republ

Rational Bi-Partisan Argument of Bush's Impeachment

For a book that explains the constitutions reasons why both Bush and Clinton should have been impeached on...this is amazing. The people and congress need to realize that the call for impeachment is in every party's benefit! Do the Republicans want Hillary Clinton to become president with all the new powers Bush has given the president? Nooo he wouldn't! And even as a democrat I don't want ANY president to have this much power!!! Impeachment is for us to keep tyrants in check... or just people who have abused their powers. The founders made sure we could take care of ourselves through history. No pay back...just protecting our country. It is MORE patriotic to support impeachment than it is NOT to! Read your constitution, bill of rights, and declaration of independence again. It is QUITE clear this kind of thinking is what the founders wanted! And you can't call the founding fathers unpatriotic. Though I have a feeling SOMEONE in this administration would find a way!

Impeachment Then and Now

This is the best treatment of impeachment for the ordinary reader. Nichols places the case for impeaching Pres. George W. Bush in historical context, showing that impeachment is the political tool intended by the framers of the Constitution to reign in an out-of-control executive. Furthermore, Nichols shows by historical example that impeachment is effective even if it ultimately fails to remove an intended target from office. This is "must reading" for all citizens who are unhappy with Pres. Bush's mishandling of foreign affairs and his flouting of the laws that he swore to uphold.

Understanding the power and need for impeachment

Author Nichols carefully and fully lays out the history of Impeachment from the founding of the Constitution and why it applies more so than ever today.

Should be required reading for all members of Congress

This is not just about impeaching Bush. This book outlines the history of impeachment from England though modern US. Discusses why our founding fathers gave us the power to prevent abuse of power. The founding fathers understood the need to maintain a balance of power which our Congress has failed to do over time (both Democrats and Republicans) and we now have a President that behaves like a king and locks up people, tortures and generaly disregards the law of the land when it gets in his way.