Republicans Threaten To Impeach Obama Over Executive Order On Guns

Jan. 15, 2013 - Prominent Republicans are saying that they would move to impeach Barack Obama if he uses executive orders to limit access to firearms. The White House will announce its plan of action on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 11:45 ET. Obama will reveal "concrete proposals" to limit our Second Amendment rights, including a ban on "assault weapons" and ways to "strengthen" background checks for gun buyers.

The White House has 19 executive actions that it says are ready for Obama to implement. Such action by Obama would be unilateral. That is, it would be the Executive branch of federal government bypassing the Legislative branch (Congress) to unilaterally make law.

"The president is also expected to outline 19 executive actions that he can unilaterally take, according to Capitol Hill Democrats briefed on his plan," reports The Hill. "Those executive actions are likely to include more aggressive enforcement of existing gun laws, increasing federal research on gun violence and stronger prosecutions of those who lie on gun background checks.‬"

A Special Election to Replace Burris? Maybe

Frustrated Illinoisans have been pleading with representatives in Springfield for a special election to replace U.S. Senator Roland Burris (Democrat) for some time. There is at least one concerted petition effort to that end. Today (Feb. 26), Eric Zorn notes in his Chicago Tribune column that some Democrats are actually saying they could get behind a special election. (Don't hold your breath.) In fact, since before former governor Rod Blagojevich (Democrat; photo right) filled the seat by appointing him to fill the seat vacated by that Obama guy. Now, reports Zorn, there may some hope for advocates of a special election. This would mark an about face by Democrats who so fiercly opposed a special while Blago was still in charge. They blew it then. Will they blow it again? My guess: Maybe. Even as Zorn was filing his report, The Daily Herald filed a report that gives a more optimistic (albeit it only slightly moreso) report: The Illinois General Assembly can constitutionally pass a law that moves up the date of the next election for President Barack Obama's former Senate seat, said Attorney General Lisa Madigan. State Republicans sought Madigan's opinion, issued late Wednesday night, which came as controversy swirls around Sen. Roland Burris' appointment. Full Story... Yes, well, okay, Madigan (Democrat) says it can happen. She did not say that it will happen. Huge difference there, and it's up to the state legislature, which is controlled by Democrats, who turned down an opportunity late last year to make it happen. Why did they turn it down? Purely for political self interest. Rather than risk losing the senate seat to a Republican, Democrats broke their promise for a special election in a party-before-people power play. The Illinois Republican Party states the following on their "Freinds of Blago" website: Following the arrest of the Governor, Blagojevich Democrats promised to strip Rod of his appointment power and proposed a special election to give people a vote in choosing their next U.S. Senator. Illinois Republicans agreed and waged a vigorous grassroots campaign for a vote of the people – a campaign where thousands of people responded. Unfortunately, Blagojevich Democrats broke their promise to the people and allowed a tainted governor to appoint Roland Burris. Now our junior senator faces questions about his testimony before the Blagojevich Impeachment Panel and House Democrats are accused of covering it up. Irony abounds here. Barack Obama, whose former senate seat this is all about, promised "change" and a new way of doing things. What are we getting? The same old Democrat way of doing things in Illinois. No change here. Zorn quotes DePaul University College of Law professor Jeffrey Shaman on the subject. He specializes in the Constitution, and Zorn notes that Shaman has his doubts: Shaman pointed out that the legislature already directed when such elections are to take place. State law, in effect when Burris was sworn in, says temporary senators serve "until the next election of representatives in Congress"—in this case, November 2010. Shaman said, "You can't change a law like that retroactively. And if you did, it would then require removing a duly appointed senator by extralegal means. The Constitution says senators may be removed only through impeachment." True, you can't change the law "retroactively." But what the good professor seems to miss, and this layman fully understands, is that any law can be amended or replaced, affecting all things subsequent to such changes. Let's say the law is changed so that a special election would be allowed to fill a vacant US Senate seat. Then, after that law is in effect, Roland Burris were to be impeached. No problem. Law in place, seat vacated, special election. Is that so difficult that a layman has to explain it to a Constitutional "expert?" Zorn seems to favor the idea of a special election. However, he ends on a pessimistic note: "I suspect it will all be an academic exercise," Zorn wrote, "The fine idea of the Democrats who control state government will be to give lip service to this fine idea. But because it could result in a Republican taking Obama's former seat, they'll quietly kill it before real judges get to decide." Like I said: Maybe. Don't hold your breath. RELATED: Illinois special Senate election idea hits trouble - Feb 25, 2009 Burris Special Election Blocked By Top Illinois Dems- Feb 25, 2009 Illinois GOP Renews Calls for Special Election Illinois' Embarrassing Timeline Chicago News Bench Merchandise Chicago News Bench RSS Feed

Should Roland Burris Be Impeached?

I think so, what about you? Illinois Review weighed in on Monday, noting that Chris Robling on WGN TV also thinks it's time for Sen. Roland Burris to go. Be sure to vote on our Roland Burris Tweeter Poll, too (find the poll here)! CNB RSS Feed

Free Blog Poster "Impeach Roland Burris"

Show the bastids how you feel!

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ALSO: Vote in the Roland Burris Poll

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Blago's Public Self-Immolation Tour

In one day of media blitzkrieg, Rod Blagojevich may had done more damage to his reputation than did his arrest on December 9, 2008. Yesterday's tour of the national television interview circuit seems to have piled up even more damage, in fact, than everything he's done or said since his arrest on December 9, 2008 combined. Blago claims he was trying to warn the American people of a great injustice that might endanger everyone's right to a fair trial. Let's be honest here. Blago was not trying to warn anybody about anything, and he was not interested in speaking to all of the American people. There were only 12 people in the entire nation that Rod Blagojevich was hoping to reach yesterday, and they are the 12 who will eventually sit in the jury of his federal criminal trial. If I am correct in that assumption, Blago's lies and foolish behavior may have poisoned his potential jury pool moreso than anything said so far by Patrick Fitzgerald. FEATURED FREAK Blago was the featured freak in yesterday’s media circus, but seemed oblivious to the fact that the ring masters were poking him with a stick, urging him to make another bizarre move, then laughing with the crowd gathered under the big tent. His obvious lies and self contradictions did not help him, either. BLAGO THEATER My favorite Blago moment of yesterday came when Ring Master Larry King interviewed. Earlier in the day, Blago appeared on "Good Morning America." Then he yukked it up with the gals on "The View," who were less than sympathetic but smartly mixed some good questions with intermittent doses of humor. Barbara Walters nearly busted out laughing at one point, as Blago did the typical politician's dance-around-the-question routine. Considering that Blago is surely about to be removed from his job as governor, however, it was all like joking with a man who has a date with a metaphorical firing squad. Sort of funny in a squeamish way, kind of tragic and great theater. Shakespeare could have written this play, and I'll predict here and now that the drama of Rod Blagojevich will be a hugely successful stage play before the end of 2010. LYING TO LARRY KING The Larry King appearance was the best one, I felt. King was low key but insistent, repeating questions that Blago refused to answer. Barbara Walters did that too, but she understandably was having a bit too much fun it all and it showed. King, on the other hand, appeared less sadistic as he repeatedly asked Blago if he “said those things” on the federal wire tap tapes that we’ve heard described so much: “Bleeping golden,” “parachute,” and so on, in reference to Blago’s phone conversations to allegedly try to sell Obama’s former Senate seat. Blago consistently said throughout the day, including on King’s show, that he could not comment on the tapes because he has not heard them. King, incredulous but sedate, pushed him. Blago lied and contradicted himself. Surely, King said, someone would remember having said such things. He told Larry King - and millions of viewers - that he cannot comment on those tapped phone recordings because he hasn’t “had the opportunity to hear” them. He was saying, in other words, that because he has not heard the tapes, he does not know what’s on them even though he’s the one speaking on the tapes, and as King said, they must have been memorable conversations. Then, suddenly, Blago tripped all over himself. Just after saying he couldn’t comment on taped conversations that he could not recall and has not heard, he said he is confident that if the American people could hear “the entire tapes” he would be exonerated. Really? How is it that Rod Blagojevich could be so certain that he would be exonerated by the very tapes that he insists he himself has not heard? If he hasn’t heard them, and if cannot recall what was said on them, how could he know that they would exonerate him. To say the tapes would show him to be innocent of illegal activity is to say that he knows what was said on the tapes, which further implies that he recalls at least some of the conversations captured on those tapes. The only conclusion I can come to on this is that he either lied about not knowing what is on the tapes, or he lied about knowing that the tapes - if played in full - would exonerate him. Perhaps he lied on both counts, but he told another interesting lie to Larry King. THE BURRIS DECISION Blago told King that he had pretty much made a decision the night before his December 9 arrest as to who he would name to fill Obama’s vacated US Senate seat. Burris was not named by Blagojevich until December 30. If, as he told Larry King, he had already decided on the night of December 8, why would he have waited three weeks to publicly announce Burris as the choice? Granted, Blago spent a day in detention being fingerprinted and processed by federal authorities. Granted, he huddled with attorneys in the days immediately following his arrest. But Blago also creeped us all out by quickly going back to work, and if he had truly chosen Burris by the time he went to bed on December 8, why couldn’t he have had a quick press conference to announce his choice of Burris within the three weeks after his arrest? While Blago was making his tour of New York television studios, the Illinois State Senate got together at noon on the same day. Blago didn't bother to show up that day. Instead, he was in New York cabbing it from studio to studio, hoping for a sympathetic interview that would allow him to convince Americans from coast to coast that his trouble in Illinois are all just a Vast Democrat Conspiracy to oust him. Why? Because, he said on all of the talk shows, he was the only guy standing between the State Legislature and higher taxes for the people of Illinois. Yup, and I almost believed that he believes that. The self-immolation of Rod Blagojevich on national television took schadenfreude to new heights for millions of viewers, and my favorite moments of Blago's Public Self-Immolation Tour were during his appearance on Larry King Live. Perhaps Blago really believed that appearing on major television shows and dancing around his hosts' questions would engender some kind of sudden sympathy. Perhaps he was advised to do this by his newly hired public relations firm. They're the same firm that put alleged wife-killer Drew Peterson on the talk show circuit. Can you argue with success, though? May Blago's new PR firm has him on the right track. After all, Drew Peterson is still a free man. RELATED: Rod Blagojevich, Drew Peterson just trying to play us for fools `The View' from Illinois: No, Blago, this is not bigger than you. To Gov. Rod Blagojevich: Americans have their own problems... Who's who in the Blagojevich impeachment saga CNB RSS Feed

Still Time to Impeach Bush!!!

You have less than 48 hours to impeach George W. Bush.

Perhaps you'd like a cracker instead?

Blagojevich Beats Bush!

Democrat Rod Blagojevich has defeated George W. Bush in the race for impeachment. Today,the Illinois governor was impeached before President Bush - or VP Dick Cheney. I hate to break this to all the morons who still have "Impeach Bush" stickers on their rusty Volvos, but with just days left for the Bush Administration, dat ain't gonna happin'. Subscribe to Chicago News Bench

BLAGO: THEY IMPEACHED ME FOR BEING GOOD

HE'S NOT QUITTING... DEVELOPING: As Blago speaks.......... "The legislature has been trying to impeach me since November, 2006..." "In my view, those of us who make the rules....should do unto others, as they would do unto you..." "Since the moment of my re-election in November, 2006....the House stood in the way [of my legislation proposals]...." Said the causes of his impeachment are all the great things he's tried to get passed in the state legislature! Blago is craaaaa-zzz-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! (I am reminded of a kid who brings home a lousy report card and blames it on the stupid teacher. "The teacher just hates me!") O-MI-GOD, Blagojevich has lost his freeking mind. He's trying to deflect the impeachment charges of abuse of power and corruption by bragging about some guy who got a liver transplant. WTF?!? Blago says he's not guilty of any wrongdoing. He ended by quoting the poem "Ulysses" by Alfred Tennyson (see full poem in the post just below this one). End of conference. Weird. Subscribe to Chicago News Bench

Rod "Ulysses" Blagojevich, Poet

The poem quoted (in part) by Rod Blagojevich at the end of his first post-impeachment news conference this afternoon: Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892 "Ulysses" from Poems, In Two Volumes (London: Moxon, 1842) It little profits that an idle king, By this still hearth, among these barren crags, Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole Unequal laws unto a savage race, That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me. I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades 10 Vext the dim sea: I am become a name; For always roaming with a hungry heart Much have I seen and known; cities of men And manners, climates, councils, governments, Myself not least, but honour'd of them all; And drunk delight of battle with my peers, Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy. I am a part of all that I have met; Yet all experience is an arch wherethro' Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades 20 For ever and forever when I move. How dull it is to pause, to make an end, To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use! As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life Were all too little, and of one to me Little remains: but every hour is saved From that eternal silence, something more, A bringer of new things; and vile it were For some three suns to store and hoard myself, And this gray spirit yearning in desire 30 To follow knowledge like a sinking star, Beyond the utmost bound of human thought. This is my son, mine own Telemachus, To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,-- Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil This labour, by slow prudence to make mild A rugged people, and thro' soft degrees Subdue them to the useful and the good. Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere Of common duties, decent not to fail 40 In offices of tenderness, and pay Meet adoration to my household gods, When I am gone. He works his work, I mine. There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail: There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners, Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me-- That ever with a frolic welcome took The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed Free hearts, free foreheads--you and I are old; Old age hath yet his honour and his toil; 50 Death closes all: but something ere the end, Some work of noble note, may yet be done, Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods. The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks: The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends, 'T is not too late to seek a newer world. Push off, and sitting well in order smite The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths 60 Of all the western stars, until I die. It may be that the gulfs will wash us down: It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles, And see the great Achilles, whom we knew. Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho' We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. Subscribe to Chicago News Bench

It Ain't Over Yet For Rahm Emanuel: Subpoena Likely

Uh oh, trouble ahead for Team Obama. Associated Press is reporting that Obama's chief of staff-to-be, Rahm Emanuel, is likely to be subpoenaed by Gov. Blagojevich's attorney. This comes, as you probably know, on the heels of Team Obama declaring that it's own internal investigation turned up no wrongdoing in Emanael's dealings with Blago. We have yet to see an independent investigation of Obama's team members, by the way. (Had to take a break from my vacation to bring this to your attention, in case your spiked egg nog haze has kept you from paying attention to the news.) Among the others likely targeted for subpoenaes from Blago's legal team: Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL). Obama chief of staff may be subpoenaed 26th December 2008 (Australia Time), 7:46 WST A lawyer for embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has asked a panel considering his impeachment for allegedly trying to sell president-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat to subpoena more than a dozen witnesses, including Obama's incoming chief of staff. (Story from AP at The West Australian newspaper site...) MORE ON THIS: Blagojevich's Lawyers Seek Subpoenaes for Emanuel, Jackson Jr. - FOXNews Rahm Emanuel Discussed Obama Shortlist With Blagojevich Staff - ABC News Rahm Emanuel: First post-election disappointment - EnerPub Obama, team lawyered up for inquiries - MLive.com

UPDATE X2: HOUSE VOTES IMPEACHMENT

BREAKING (6:20 PM, 12/15/08) - ILLINOIS HOUSE VOTES UNANIMOUSLY (113-0) TO IMPEACH GOVERNOR ROD BLAGOJEVICH. NEXT: THE STATE SENATE MUST APPROVE IT. UPDATE, 7:53 PM: THE SELECTION PROCESS WAS FOR HOUSE REPS WHO HAVE SERVED SIX TERMS OR MORE AS CRITERIA FOR BEING ON IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY COMMITTEE. REPS CHOSEN INCLUDE JULIE HAMOS, JOHN FRITCHEY, LOU LANG. MORE FROM CHICAGOBREAKINGNEWS.COM... (Say, when will Bush and Cheney be impeached? Ha!)

UPDATE 2: MADIGAN REMARKS, PRESS CONFERENCE

UPDATE 2X: Illinois AG asksh high court to declare gov. unfit (AP) FROM PRESS CONFERENCE, EARLIER: LISA MADIGAN ASKED SUPREME COURT TO PREVENT BLAGOJEVICH FROM MAKING DISBURSEMENTS OF STATE FUNDS. ASKS FOR LT. GOV. QUINN TO TAKE OVER. MOTION TO DECLARE BLAGOJEVICH UNFIT TO ACT AS GOVERNOR. THE COURT HAS DISCRETION TO HEAR THE MOTION OR NOT. MADIGAN ENCOURAGES STATE LEGISLATURE TO IMPEACH AS SOON AS POSSIBLE; SAYS HER LEGAL MOTION WILL NOT REPLACE NEED TO IMPEACH. Earlier: Atty. General Lisa Madigan (D-IL) has asked the Illinois Supreme Court this morning to prevent Governor Blagojevich from appointing a successor to Obama's old Senate seat and to allow Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn to assume the duties of running the state. Madigan is having a press conference as this is written. MORE: News Summary for December 11, 2008 Illinois AG asks high court to declare gov. unfit Madigan launches legal attack to oust Blagojevich Calls to impeach embattled Illinois governor grow

BLAGO IMPEACHMENT "WILL HAVE TO BEGIN NOW"

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat, was arrested early this morning by FBI agents. He is charged with trying to "sell" the US Senate seat left vacant by Barack Obama (5th District), among other alleged offenses. The Illinois constitution gives the power to appoint a replacement for a vacated US Senate seat only to the Governor, and until Blagojevich is convicted he is still Illinois' top executive. Now, finally, there is a serious move afoot to impeach (still) Governor Blagojevich. CHICAGO (CBS) ― Within hours of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's arrrest, state lawmakers were calling for impeachment proceedings to begin. Democrat John Fritchey, told CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery that impeachment proceeedings will have to begin now. Full Article... RELATED: Impeachment hearings likely against Blagojevich Resignation or impeachment, GOP chairman, state comptroller say

Impeaching Blagojevich

Impeaching Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich? Many in Springfield would like to. Or should they just let the feds indict him? After all, Tony Rezko is now saying he'd like to sing like a canary. Either way, we win. The Chicago Tribune writes today: Illinois will have to put up with another two years of Blagojevich as governor if he serves his full term. That won't be pretty. He gets more reckless and isolated by the day as he tries to assert influence over a legislature that ignores him as much as it can. Do we really have to put up with this for another two years? It's starting to look like the answer will be: No. FULL STORY...

IMPEACHING BLAGOJEVICH

Skewered and about to be roasted. How will Blago flunkies like David Fagus spin this? A proposal to begin impeachment proceedings against Gov. Rod Blagojevich is gaining steam in the Illinois House, following blockbuster allegations that surfaced against the governor in the trial of former top fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko. FULL LOAD at CBS2 Chicago...