Impeachment???

There is about a 10% chance that Bush will manage to get himself impeached, joining the other two impeached presidents. Most people don't understand what, exactly, an American impeachment is, including the people who do it. It is nothing more than a recommendation, by the lower house of the US Congress, that the upper house investigate the president. When it has been used, it was a demand that the president be ejected from office, something the lower house has no right to demand, or even suggest. All the lower house can do is say that the upper house should investigate the president, and this recommendation is called an impeachment. The upper house is not even obligated to conduct the investigation if they feel the lower house's recommendation is without merit.

Clinton, of course, had what some call sex (but he didn't) with a very young subordinate, a crime for which his government prosecuted many other men. He then gave answers at an investigation which the lower house considered lies under oath (but he didn't). He then got caught. At this point, he apologized profusely and promised never to do such a thing again, but the lower house still passed a poorly worded bill of impeachment. The upper house, for reasons which escape me, then agreed to a full investigation, and found that Clinton was completely innocent of any crimes or misdemeanours. But he had still been impeached by the lower house.

Many people mistakenly believe that, if the upper house fails to find the president guilty and eject him from office, he has not been impeached. He has. Since an impeachment is such a minor thing, one would think it would have been used more than just twice. But it has been reserved for cases when the lower house was determined (but ultimately unable) to get rid of a president.

Bush, if he wants to prove the absolute power of the presidency, could deliberately violate conditions put upon him by the lower house, and anger them to the point of impeachment, knowing that the upper house will either refuse to investigate, or find him completely innocent if they do investigate.

I give the possibility of Bush getting himself impeached only a 10% chance, since Bush can easily avert the anger of the lower house by at least partially acceding to their demands, or at least apologizing for violating them. In addition, the lower house might not wish to further strengthen the presidency by another meaningless impeachment.

But there is enough animosity between Bush and the lower house that there is a slight chance that it could happen.