Impeachment---What is it??

You can look it up and maybe you should since it may become a part of the political landscape from now on. Impeachment is a two step process. A legislative body votes articles of impeachment or just impeaches someone and then the senate or in some cases the same legislative body rules on conviction and removal. Everything about it is vague and a civil officer (whatever that means) may be removed from office if the legislative body finds he or she has done something that warrants such action. It sounds a little like that Supreme Court decision on pornography when a justice trying to define pornography said, "I know it when I see it."

We all have a history schoolbook memory of impeachment by Congress of President Andrew Johnson and how he avoided being expelled from office by one vote. He was very unpopular and many thought it was political and a way to remove a president without shooting him. (although they tried that too)

Our modern day memory is of Bill Clinton and many think he was successfully found guilty and impeached when in reality the House (Republican controlled) voted out articles of impeachment against him and lost at trial in the Senate. To complete the impeachment process it takes impeachment and conviction followed by removal from office. At the time, I remember thinking it felt like a "witch-hunt." Clinton had engaged in an extra-marital affair and then lied under oath about it. ( I have often said, Clinton Lied, Nobody Died....Bush....(you finish it))

Everyone was quite disgusted with Clinton and the Republicans saw a chance to get rid of him seeing as they could not defeat him in an election. I remember I was constantly arguing with someone that impeachment was inappropriate and even dangerous if Congress used it to remove a President they didn't like.

What is my point here? This is a long way to get to the present day and the Governor of Illinois. Today Blagojevich was impeached and removed from office and I, for one, am worried. He has not been indicted, charged with a crime and he had no trial. Yet, he is gone for acts unknown. Oh, of course I know about the alleged selling of the Senate seat and other charges of buying and selling favors, etc but all I know is the talk---and more talk. Where are the actions. I can talk about a lot of things but the conspiracy that comes from that talk needs an act toward an end. Everyone respects the Atty General Fitzgerald but noone is perfect and he may have acted too soon. After all, he has now requested more time to investigate. That smells of someone without the requisite elements necessary for the crime. With delay and more time, it is hoped that some useful information might drop out of the tree.

Being a staunch believer in "process", I am worried about what is happening here and that is my point. Maybe Blagojevich is a crook but the people elected him and unless he is convicted of a crime, impeachment is closer to a lynching than I like. What will stop this from happening elsewhere? If a political party wants to remove a duly elected official, they can discover something off-base, whip it up publicly on our 24-7 news cycle or on the blogs and have the person out within 30-60 days. There isn't any appeal.

The public is like a mob that acts with one mind based upon information that may be accurate but may not. That is why we have our legal system that affords the accused rights...rights to an attorney, a trial, a jury of peers. We did not give that to the Governor of Illinois. He is gone---Should we hang a sign...Mission Accomplished!!

It is "frakkin" cold!!

Sub-zero temperatures, snow drifting and blowing in 25 mile hour winds....and I am hibernating until tomorrow when I head for the Florida sun. I am in luck though because tonight is the beginning of the final season of one of my two favorite television shows (okay, there are really three)----24 and Damages and --- Battlestar Gallactica!! So, to get ready they are showing the entire previous season all day today. Wow!! What better way to hibernate than watch a repeat of last season. The trial of Baltar, Roslyn's illness, the revealing of the four ceylons onboard, Cara's return and quest for Earth, deception, and love... the joining of forces to survive. It is amazing stuff and so well done. I know most of you do not know what I am talking about but those few who do, have fun tonight. More on the other great tv shows later. Talk to me about your favorites.

A Quick Note

I am trying to upgrade this blog with more information.  A start is the list of "movies to see" which I am posting on the right.  It will be updated from time to time to give those of you who might be interested an idea of what I like and recommend for viewing.  For obvious reasons, I will not list any movies of Phil's.  They are for you to see if you choose.  I am going to try to add some pictures from time to time and maybe a clip or two from youtube.  I need to become more tech-savvy about this and I will.   My New Year's resolution is to do more writing and complete some projects I have been dreaming about.  More later.

Here We Go Again

Recently, a friend of mine was reacting to a person who was being very critical of Caroline Kennedy's candidacy for the Senate from New York. My friend stabbed at the air with her finger and asked, "What do the following have in common?" Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, Caroline Kennedy? There was silence at the dinner table because the answer was obvious. These are women who seek powerful positions and when they enter the public arena, the press hammers them pointing out every misstatement, gaffe, and of course, their "lack of experience."

The gentleman argued that Caroline Kennedy could not even speak well, saying "you know" over 200 times in a recent interview with a reporter. Sound familiar.... does Katie Couric help your memory? I am not sure that Caroline Kennedy should be the next senator from New York but it is impossible for me to reach that decision when I have to first deal with the knee-jerk sexist reaction to her even thinking about it.

Let's talk about experience. What has she done and what experience do you want or think is a pre-requisite to becoming a senator? She is a lawyer, graduate of Colombia Law School, an author of books on privacy law and the constitution, is a "community volunteer" on boards like the Commission on Presidential Debates, the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defense Fund and Education Fund and the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. She was very involved with all of these as well as raising 70 million dollars for New York City Schools. All of this was done while she was a mother to her children. There have been millions of words written about experience and how it differs from culture to culture and men to women. Would we even be talking about this if the potential nominee were a male Kennedy??

Some may say, there you go again, claiming sexism like you did with Sarah Palin. Well, yes I am and I want to give you examples of why I am right. Let us look at some other Senators. How about Bill Bradley from New Jersey---his experience as a professional basketball player in the NBA definitely qualifed him, didn't it? Or how about Sonny Bono--an actor or for that matter Fred Thompson, another actor. And the new Junior Senator from Minnesota, Al Franken, a former SNL comic and radio host whose qualifications have never been questioned. Sports and entertainment are big pre-requisites, it seems. Did we have this discussion when those men stepped into the political spotlight? Where is it written that one must have some sort of political resume before applying for the senate? If you are a man, we accept a doctor's background (Frist), a man without a college degree (Truman), basketball player, (Bradley), and actors, even comedians but women are different.

It reminds me of a conversation I had with an attorney before I made my decision to go to law school in my late thirties. He asked derisively Why? Why do you want to become a lawyer? He was a lawyer and clearly didn't see the "big" deal. I answered that a law degree would give me status. He scoffed and said, "That and one dollar will get you a cup of coffee? My answer was .... when I walk into a room, I am a woman easily ignored and often dismissed. If I walk in and I am a lawyer, people stop and say, "really." And that has been my experience with sexism. A man walks into a room and he is instantly a person people look to for answers, an authority. When I can say I am a lawyer and a judge, I get instant acceptance, instant respect as a person with substance. But, I have to have those credentials first. A man doesn't.

Caroline Kennedy has a problem with speaking. Does it really mean she is stupid? How many of you thrown into the public eye could respond smoothly and coherently and if you could, would that really make you a good senator? Speaking well may be a gift but it can also be learned. Truth is there are no qualifications to be a senator and that is probably because the Founding Fathers didn't want to be prevented or limited by faux standards. Once elected, what do you as a senator do? You show up and vote. Your staff does all the research, preparation, and writing for any proposed legislation. You remain busy getting elected and re-elected. The latter is most important and Caroline Kennedy certainly can do that.

I don't often agree with the opinion writer Margaret Carlson but in a recent column she said it well when she indicated that Caroline Kennedy's real challenge was to get up after being knocked down. Carlson wrote, She now has to show she is a trooper by getting up after being ridiculed. Think of all the philandering, felonious, lying, cheating politicians who have no trouble asking for votes after doing worse. All she did was stammer.

I think it is ironic that right now, I bet Kennedy understands Sarah Palin better than she ever thought she would.