Boxer Says to Impeach Bush After He Admits Crime

After Pres. George Bush admitted to spying on American citizens, Sen. Barbara Boxer has called for his impeachment. She did so after former Nixon aide, John Dean, noted that Bush had admitted in public speeches that he had illegally spied on US citizens...

Boxer called on legal scholars to investigate the crimes and to report on whether Bush has indeed committed an "impeachable offense." In a letter to legal scholars, Boxer writes:

On Sunday, December 18, former White House Counsel John Dean and I participated in a public discussion that covered many issues, including this surveillance. Mr. Dean, who was President Nixon’s counsel at the time of Watergate, said that President Bush is “the first President to admit to an impeachable offense.” Today, Mr. Dean confirmed his statement.

This startling assertion by Mr. Dean is especially poignant because he experienced first hand the executive abuse of power and a presidential scandal arising from the surveillance of American citizens.

Given your constitutional expertise, particularly in the area of presidential impeachment, I am writing to ask for your comments and thoughts on Mr. Dean’s statement.

Unchecked surveillance of American citizens is troubling to both me and many of my constituents. I would appreciate your thoughts on this matter as soon as possible.

As I wrote three years ago, I believed that Pres. Bush had committed impeachable offenses then, when he lied about intelligence that led to the US invasion of Iraq. His recent admissions only add to the list of his crimes. After being impeached, he should then be tried for war crimes.