New Hampshire To Vote On Impeachment

In February of 2008, I wrote a column about New Hampshire State Representatives Betty Hall’s attempt to force the US House of Representatives to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Bush and Vice-President Cheney (More Impeachment Pie, Please!). The entire NH House will vote on Ms. Hall resolution, New Hampshire House Resolution 24, on on April 16, 2008. There are several factual and political misrepresentations on the part of Ms. Hall that makes HR24 invalid.

The Constitution of the United States does not provide for any direct input into impeachment by the States, which Ms. Hall so callously suggested in HR 24. Impeachment is the purview of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the oversight is afforded to the chief justice of the Supreme Court. The passing of HR24 does not mandate the U.S. House initiate anything. At best, it instructs our U.S. Representatives as to a course of action they could take, but Ms. Shea-Porter and Mr. Hodes are under no obligations to carry the message of HR 24 onto the House floor. Anyone suggesting such a power exists is woefully misguided.

As to Ms. Hall's resolution. From the very beginning, it is a poorly written declaration and reeks of political bias. Ms. Hall tries to legitimize HR24 by referencing a manual written by Thomas Jefferson called "A Manual of Parliamentary Practice," in particular Section 603. Guess what, there is no 603, nor was there ever. Jefferson covered impeachment under section 53 of the manual. Section 53 affords no such impeachment recourse on the part of the states. The Manual of Parliamentary Practice was never intended to be used as a replacement to the Constitution of the United States, as Ms. Hall is attempting to do with HR24.

As to the charges listed within HR24. They are vague at best, political tripe at worst. If it is the intention of the NH House to present a resolution to the US Congress, then HR24 is inadequate to merit any consideration beyond a select group of fringe supporters.

The NH House must be aware that there are articles of impeachment currently sitting in committee (U.S. HR333). Do you know whose names are absent from HR333? Our very own Ms. Shea-Porter and Mr. Hodes. Why then would the N.H. House ever waste time on HR 24, when there are already articles to impeach sitting in committee that New Hampshire’s own sitting Representatives have not signed on to support?

Ms. Hall is using a flawed process for political means. There is no integrity in House Resolution 24, and its text is taken almost verbatim from the pages of MoveOn.org and Code Pink, as well as other progressive propagandists.