Kucinich brings resolution to impeach Cheney to the House floor

Edit to update at the end of the post...

The resolution is HRes333. It is available in THOMAS, however, the text of the resolution can be downloaded from Kucinich's House web site here.

The resolution almost certainly won't pass or even be debated - immediately after the motion was read by the House Reading Clerk, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer moved to table the motion. ("Tabling" a motion effectively kills it.)

The vote is currently taking place, and while it is still early, all Republicans are voting to table, as is an overwhelming majority of Democrats.

When will the Democratic leadership stop being afraid of their own shadows?

I'll update with a final vote tally and how the AZ delegation voted (I'll bet that no more than one votes against the motion to table) after the House posts the roll call results on its website.


Update1: In an interesting twist, approximately 80 Republicans who originally voted to table the resolution have switched their votes to 'nay' and as the vote stands currently, the motion to table will fail by approximately 30 votes, though the vote-switching is continuing. End update1.

Update2: The motion to table was defeated; however, a motion to refer the resolution to the Judiciary Committee passed in a mostly-party line vote.

Ultimately, though the House Democratic leadership may be slightly embarassed right now, they ended up in a stronger position, and one that they should have sought from the outset.

They're in a game of hardball with the White House and the House Republicans, and so far, they've been trying to play that game with a wiffle bat. With this resolution now sitting in the Judiciary Committee, ready to be reported out at any time, they've got themselves a Louisville Slugger at the ready. End update2.

Update3: The AZ delegation's votes -

On the motion to table - Aye: Renzi, Mitchell, Giffords; Nay: Shadegg, Flake, Franks, Grijalva; Not Voting: Pastor.

On the motion to refer to the Judiciary Committee - Aye: Mitchell, Giffords, Grijalva; Nay: Shadegg, Renzi, Franks, Flake; Not Voting: Pastor.

End update3.


Later!