Is It Time To Recall Congress, Impeach Obama?

mukraker

[mukraker]

I have a simple question I'd like to ask of my fellow FReepers.

Has the time come for We, the Peiople, to recall EVERY Member of Congress? Should we then move also to IMPEACH President Barrach Hussein Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden?

Taking a look at what this bunch has done to America in the last 6 months, can We, the People, wait another 18 months for the next election?

Can America afford to wait?

[television is just wrong]

impeach them all

[Vendome]

yes. But how 535 members of Congress and the Senate would be alot of work.

How would we create the target and the message?

[WhiskeyX]

U.S. Constitution
Article I...Section 6. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the United States. They shall in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place.

Note the phrase “except treason, felony and breach of the peace” and compare to recent events ranging from the suspected inauguration of a person not eligible to the Office of the President to financial fraud and intimidation of Citizens and their elected representatives.

[mukraker]

Yeah, I know. That's why the House needs new Members first.

It is possible to petition for recall of Members of Congress in 18 States. This is done through State Election Boards, by filing the requisite petitions for recall election.

There are 18 states that do allow for recall of Senators and Representatives:

Alaska
Arizona
California
Colorado
Georgia
Idaho
Kansas
Louisiana
Michigan
Minnesota
Montana
Nevada
New Jersey
North Dakota
Oregon
Rhode Island
Washington
Wisconsin

Each of these States has it's own requirements for filing recall petitions.

[Bellflower]

It might be wise to give it a little longer to brew.

[ctdonath2]

Considering the “flag@whitehouse.gov” line-in-the-sand, yes.

[leprechaun9]

But there is no prohibition against the town hall attendees and any others signing a petition of NO CONFIDENCE against every member of Congress.

[mukraker]

...except a simple no confidence petition/vote has no effect. These people need to be removed from office - now.

[mrsixpack36]

I guess the proper term would be “expelled”. Remembering Jim Traficant.

[navyblue]

I agree with your sentiments, and I’ll go and stand in the corner if I’m wrong, but as a poly sci grad, I do not recall any way you can “recall” a congresscritter. Yeah, I know about the Gray Davis thing. Being a Californian, I was right in the thick of it. I’m afraid we just have to suffer through these next few months and come out with all guns blazin for the next Concressional elections next year. We gotta hit them in the primaries. I’ll be there with my bod and my wallet as I suppose you will too.

[navyblue]

I also note the post by Mukraker where he/she says there are 18 states, including my own that do allow for a recall of congessmen. I'll check that out and if it's correct I'm gonna ask for my money back for my Parties and elections class that I took. But what can I say? I went to a liberal State school.

[Star Traveler]

I was looking down that list of states you gave, and being from Oregon, too (in Oklahoma now, though) I know about the initiatives on the ballots there. Yeah, the citizens can put a lot of stuff on the ballot. You’re right, and especially so in Oregon.

But, I kinda doubt you’re going to get that kind of result in Oregon, though... LOL...

I love Oregon for the country and scenery and it’s actually not a bad place to live. And for the most part, on an individual level, with people there, it’s a “live and let live state” where one-to-one people pretty much do leave you alone. While the “body politic” may be different, the actual people and living and walking around and neighbors and just socializing, it’s fine.

But, that’s not what we’re talking about with this kind of initiative on the ballot. And in Oregon, it would never fly...

I think you’re going to run into that in many different places, even in some relatively conservative areas, because getting someone impeached or removed from office doesn’t just take a slim majority, but in those kinds of cases, it really does take an “overwhelming majority” and it can be quite divisive. So, in consideration of that, I don’t think it can “fly” in too many places. I think the only way is through the ballot box and even that is looking pretty bad these days, in terms of getting rid of liberals and leftists. And that’s because of the thinking of the mass of people in the country nowadays. I think we’ve got the kind of government that a lot of people vote in themselves.

That doesn’t mean it’s my kind of government, but people in general are voting these politicians in office.

[mukraker]

Oh, I don't think the idea has a snowball's chance in Iraq. But I think just getting people talking about the possibility, or the idea that Members of Congress might be recalled over their recent votes to bankrupt America, just might have the effect of making them put on the brakes just a little.

America does get the government we deserve. It just hurts to see so many of my fellow Citizens paying so much attention to American Idol, yet virtually ignoring the fact that the people they've put in charge of governing our Republic are selling us all down the river.

[mukraker]

Take heart. It took me about 8 years to unlearn what I was taught during 3 years as a PoliSci major at UW schools.

[navyblue]

"Take heart. It took me about 8 years to unlearn what I was taught during 3 years as a PoliSci major at UW schools."

Damn! Didn't they tell ya man? Ya gotta to into the 4th year before they tell ya everything you've learned up to this point is BS. Jus kiddin Muk, muck on!

[arrogantsob]

Right and each body has sole control of the expulsion process. Even an indictment in a court of law for a felony does not automatically remove a Congressman.

[arrogantsob]

Recall petitions have no power over the Congress. Even if every voter in a state signed one it would not remove a Congressman from Congress. Only the HOuse has the power to remove one of its members and only the Senate can remove a sitting Senator.

Once an election has been certified it is out of a state’s hands.

Why don’t you read the Constitution regarding the removal oa a legislator? It is quite clear.

[arrogantsob]

It may be correct but it is irrelevant to what happens in Congress. Congress can constitutionally take such “petitions” and replace the toilet tissue in the bathrooms with them. This is a complete sideshow demonstrating ignorance of the Constitution.

[arrogantsob]

Members of Congress are not concerned with this phoney blustering of “recall”. They know they cannot be recalled by any state or petitions. Why are you pushing this unconstitutional silliness? Why make “conservatives” look like idiots who do not even know what the constitutional method of removal is?

Congressmen have run elections and been elected FROM JAIL.

[mukraker]

I am very familar with the Constitution.

Article I, section 5 does state:

"Each House shall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members..."
"Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member."

However, Article I, section 4 says "The times, places and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof"

This gives States the power to hold recall elections. 18 States currently allow the practice.