I wrote last month about my approval of and involvement in the effort to impeach Bush and Cheney. There was some discussion in the comments about the legality of impeachment—in other words, what law or laws, specifically, had been broken in order to merit the ousting of our president.

While I still believe that the issue does not necessarily hinge on what law has been broken (a “misdemeanor” is all it takes), it was worth reading this detailed list of offenses and their corresponding laws that the president and vice president have broken.

The constitution clearly gives congress the power to impeach at their discretion: “Section 4. The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

If we, as a people, can permit so many “crimes and misdemeanors” at the top of our society to go unpunished, how can we honor and maintain the rule of law here “below”?

Update: Truthout has an article that summarizes past impeachable offenses, including Andrew Jackson:

unmindful of the harmony and courtesies which ought to exist and be maintained between the executive and legislative branches