John Dean Talks of Impeaching Bush

NewsMax.com ^ | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

John Dean, whose testimony helped lead to Richard Nixon's resignation in the face of impeachment, is suggesting that President Bush should be impeached if it can be proven that he misled the nation about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Dean's last foray into the public eye was to say he would reveal the identity of Woodward and Bernstein's alleged Watergate source, a promise he failed to honor in his book "Unmasking Deep Throat."

Blithely skimming by the fact that the search for arms in a nation the size of California has barely scratched the surface, and that large amounts of gear and pharmaceuticals meant to protect Saddam Hussein's soldiers from the effects of their use of biological or chemical weapons, Dean concentrates on the failure to uncover large numbers of easily hidden WMDs as suggesting that the president has deliberately misled the nation.

In a lengthy article in FindLaw.com, Dean says: "To put it bluntly, if Bush has taken Congress and the nation into war based on bogus information, he is cooked. Manipulation or deliberate misuse of national security intelligence data, if proven, could be 'a high crime' under the Constitution's impeachment clause. It would also be a violation of federal criminal law, including the broad federal anti-conspiracy statute, which renders it a felony 'to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose.'"

Among those he cites as authorities for his views are such viciously anti-Bush columnists as the New York Times' Maureen Dowd, now shown to have distorted a quote from the president drastically altering the meaning of his statement, and the vitriolic Bush-hating Paul Krugman, whose anti-Bush ravings suggest he's in the grips of a manic obsession.

Wrote Dean: "In an apparent attempt to bolster the President's credibility, and his own, Secretary Rumsfeld himself has now called for a Defense Department investigation into what went wrong with the pre-war intelligence. New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd finds this effort about on par with O. J.'s looking for his wife's killer."

Dean quotes Krugman as asserting that it is "'long past time for this administration to be held accountable ... The public was told that Saddam posed an imminent threat,' Krugman argued. 'If that claim was fraudulent,' he continued, 'the selling of the war is arguably the worst scandal in American political history - worse than Watergate, worse than Iran-contra.'"

"Krugman is right to suggest a possible comparison to Watergate," Dean wrote.

John Dean helped bring down one president. It looks as if he wants to relive his moment of Watergate notoriety by joining the sleazy legion of Bush haters to drive another chief executive out of office for the crime of ridding the world of a genocidal dictator whose existence threatened the peace and stability of the Middle East and thus the entire world.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Bush Administration
George W. Bush
Media Bias
Middle East
Saddam Hussein/Iraq

[kattracks]

Where was this Rat when clinton led us into a war in Kosovo, where the mass graves we were told about have yet to appear?

[DoughtyOne]

Dean, Woodman and Bernstein are the darlings of the media world. I've never had any use for the three of them. They were, are and always will be biased shills for the left.

[Rudder]

Dean should be locked for a day in a small room with G. Gordon Liddy.

[b4its2late]

They're crawling out from under the tombstones.

[berserker]

Link to John Dean's essay posted at FindLaw, Missing Weapons Of Mass Destruction: Is Lying About The Reason For War An Impeachable Offense? He notes that when Nixon resigned, he was facing an impeachment vote in the House for misuse of the CIA and FBI.

[Frank_Discussion]

Oooooh. Much Carnage, methinks.

[JonathansMommie]

Ping

[Trueblackman]

John Dean is the first of many rats on crack.

[Frank_Discussion]

I think an official response from the administation would be, written in 46-point letters: FOAD.

[1Old Pro]

Dean should be locked for a day in a small room with G. Gordon Liddy.

I'd pay to watch that on closed circuit TV.

[Frank_Discussion]

It'd look like a Hellraiser movie!

[lizbet]

Since he didn't really name who DEEP THROAT was in his book, how much of his testimony against Nixon was true? His testimony sank the Nixon Presidency.

[Darksheare]

He was inhaling.
As well as on the pay.

[Corin Stormhands]

G. Gordon wouldn't need a whole day.

[lilylangtree]

Where were idiots like Dean when Clintoon bombed Somalia ('93), Haiti ('94), Bosnia ('95), Afghanistan ('98), Sudan ('98), Iraq ('98) and Yugoslavia ('99). Why did Clintoon bomb these countries? To divert attention away from his erupting public sex scandals. With the bombing of Yugoslavia, it was supposedly for genocide, regardless that it was an illegal war, NATO changed its charter and violated its own laws and rules to bomb a European member. Upon investigation, the announcement in the Wall Street, a year later, indicated there was no genocide. The story entitled "War in Kosovo Was Cruel, Bitter, Savage; Genocide It Wasn't--Tales of Mass Atrocity Arose And Were Passed Along, Often With Little Proof". Were there any cries for impeachment over Clintoon's lying and abuse of power? Not a peep out of people like Dean.

[bigfootbob]

"Dean should be locked for a day in a small room with G. Gordon Liddy."

Dean would soil his panties and cry like a girly boy.

[American in Israel]

Get a life Dean.

[Billthedrill]

Dean was an insignificant little weasel with a prominence unmatched by any particular talent in 1973 and he's an insignificant little weasel with a prominence unmatched by any particular talent in 2003.

[Frank_Discussion]

Well, until G. Gordon ripped his lungs out.

[colorado tanker]

I haven't cared about what Dean has to say in thirty years. Does anyone else?

[300winmag]

Where was this Rat when clinton led us into a war in Kosovo, where the mass graves we were told about have yet to appear?

Yeah, let's impeach klinton on this, first. If convicted, he would lose his pension and lifetime Secret Service protection. I could live with that. Then they could investigate what Bush knew, and have at least a tiny shred of credibility.

[ImpotentRage]

Okay!! I want to buy the first ticket.

[1stFreedom]

Go ahead and impeach Bush.

Cheyney would make a fine President.

[WOSG]

Damn. So we could have impeached Clinton for bombing that Sudanese pill factory because he got bad intel on it thinking it was Al Qaeda???? Wow, talk about missed opportunities!!!

And what a contrast: No Kosovo graves, but more graves than expected from Saddam's atrocities. but the NYT is not reporting it.

[El Gato]

Dean should be locked for a day in a small room with G. Gordon Liddy

A better idea? Just a few minutes locked away with Liddy's SEAL son, who can't be happy that his Dad was imprisoned for 4 1/3 years of an original 20 year sentence, while the real culprit, at least in the eyes of the Liddys, (Dean) got off with a four month sentence.

[Conservative til I die]

Liddy should have taken care of Dean.

[AIRFORCE76]

I agree. However, since we tried that and the weasel sena-tors in the GOP showed their cowardice, why bother? Just kidding. John Dean was a gutless puke 30 years ago and hasn't changed one damned bit.

[lainie]

Liddy: "I am proud of the fact that I am the guy who did not talk," he says. "I resisted all three branches of the U.S. government in attempting to get me to be a little rat like John Dean."

[San Jacinto]

John Dean helped bring down one president

That is certainly a true statement in a literal sense. However, the context in which Dean "helped bring down" a president is generally misunderstood. It was not a case where Dean suddenly had an attack of conscience and decided to come clean; nor is it even a case where Dean told the truth in order to save his own neck. Instead, Dean was the driving force behind Watergate-- both the break-in and the cover-up. He deftly shifted the blame and played the part of the foolish underling to the hilt.

Read Silent Coup for the true facts of Nixon's downfall.

[San Jacinto]

how much of his testimony against Nixon was true?

See post #29 and read Silent Coup by Colodny and Getlin, , St. Martin's Press--about 1991.

[Clear]

Perhaps a little quote from this site's policy statement:

Please remember to use courtesy when posting, refrain from personal attacks and do not use profane or obscene language.

Seems like most in here totally ignore that sentence, huh?

[CholeraJoe]

Well, until G. Gordon ripped his lungs out.

Through his eyeballs.

[jla]

G. Gordon wouldn't need a whole day.

The G Man wouldn't need a whole minute.

[AZLiberty]

This is consistent with the on-going Bush strategery, which is to let the Demoncrats support the wrong side of an issue until they're blue in the face, and only then to present the information that makes them look like the idiots they are. He's done this over and over.

[Clear]

Isn't the "G-man" a convicted felon?

[rmh47]

"G. Gordon wouldn't need a whole day."

G. Gordon should be told that he is required to take a whole day.

[gcruse]

Documents from Dean v. St. Martin's

Responding to the 1991 publication of Silent Coup, John and Maureen Dean filed a libel suit against Leonard Colodny and his publisher, St. Martin's. In the only public legal document relating to the lawsuit's conclusion, Judge Sullivan dismissed the lawsuit in 1999. The lawsuit generated videotaped depositions from Watergate participants and legal documents prepared by both sides. In 1996 Mr. Colodny filed for summary judgement (dismissal) of the lawsuit. John and Maureen Dean responded. Mr. Colodny's Motion for Partial Summary Judgement reviews Mr. Dean's involvement in the Watergate break-in and cover-up.

Looking beyond the legal terminology and the specifics of the lawsuit, these documents contain a wealth of information about Watergate, drawn from published and unpublished sources. They also include the reasoning, argument, and point of view of their respective side.

• Motion for Partial Summary Judgement by Leonard Colodny
  
  
• Response to Motion for Partial Summary Judgement by John W. Dean and Maureen K. Dean

[jla]

Isn't the "G-man" a convicted felon?

In addition to being set-up for the fall, he's also one patriotic, honorable, and highly intelligent man.
Now, is that all clear for you?

[4integrity]

that would fix 'em!! LOL!!

[CyberAnt]

It's just payback to the repubs for impeaching x42 (for sex). I actually heard Jonathan Altar of Newsweek say that on TV last night - intimating the "right-wing misconstrued the Constitution" in order to do it. These people aren't stuck on the 2000 election - they're stuck on impeachment!! Poor things!

For a so-called "journalist" of his calibur to make such a statement and not tell the truth - x42 was impeached BECAUSE HE LIED IN A COURT OF LAW. Why else would he lose his law license ..?? Why else would the USSC prohibit him from bringing a case before them - forever ...?? - well ... I find that statement unconscionable!

[MIgramma]

Re: first of many rats on crack.
Yeah, for sure!
Yesterday evening I was listening to some non-familiar talk show as I was working out in the yard and there was some nutjob who is sueing Bush because he claims that Bush lied to us about WMDs.
The Fool ranted for about half an hour how Bush had made him and his kids and the whole country a laughingstock.
He claimed that he believed Bush and had bet a co-worker that he would kiss the other guy's a... on a busy thoroughfare if no WMDs were found and was all boo-hooing and going to sue Bush.

[CarmelValleyite]

Dean is still alive??????????????????????????

[fhayek]

Exactly. It was all right for x42 to lie in a court of law, (yeah it was about sex, it was a sexual harassment case) suborn perjury; obstruct justice and altogether violate the civil rights of Paula Jones. Rights, by the way, that the Supreme Court validated.

But lets impeach Bush for dethroning a meglomaniacal madman who had 1) terroized his own people 2) obtained and used WMD in the past 3) attacked several of his neighboring countries 4)violated the terms of cease fire in the first Gulf War and 5) supported terroist activities. Mr. Dean, the world is a far better place with Saddam deposed.

[geopyg]

Silent Coup is a great book written by a couple of invetigative journalist. Lots of documentation behind it, not just a bunch of rambling false memories by a once-famous person trying to make a buck.

[dyed_in_the_wool]

Someone should ask Dean if his wife is still whoring.

[Destro]

On Kosovo and Bosnia....damn right about that!!

[Knightsofswing]

In Mr. Liddy'd book "Will" he had expected the order to kill Dean, & he is still awaiting that order too. IMHO dean was "deep throat" . It was dean who had the Watergate idea, to save his callgirl friend from getting busted in a federal case. He wanted the book of girls that the demorats used for "escorts" & pleasure.
So I do not give not one darned thing what Mr. dean thinks. He should have gone to levenworth anyway.

[Lawgvr1955]

The book Silent Coup can be read online for free at


http://www.nixonera.com/etexts/silentcoup/fullbook.asp

[Lawgvr1955]

That is except for Chapter Two: Golden Boy

[bigfootbob]

"Please remember to use courtesy when posting, refrain from personal attacks and do not use profane or obscene language.

Seems like most in here totally ignore that sentence, huh?"

I don't believe my posting violates those regulations. From what I see most posters adhere to the rules on the most part. The moderators will zot you or you'll get flamed into mea culpa if you don't.