Why Republicans should support impeachment

Let's just stipulate that President Bush has claimed an unprecedented collection of executive powers. He has asserted:

• the right to detain whomever he wants for as long as he wants to without access to legal counsel.
• the right to initiate a preemptive war.
• the right to authorize wiretaps without a court order, in direct contradiction of federal law and the U.S. Constitution.
• the right to claim executive privilege and to shield that privilege from any legal challenges.

Maybe you feel he did all these things to protect our country, and that he was justified in doing so. Fine. But let's also stipulate that presidential powers, once claimed, rarely disappear. And let's further stipulate that there is at least an even chance that the Democrats will take the White House in 2008.

Do you really want a Democratic president to have these powers?

The only way to make sure that these powers do not remain part of the presidential toolbox is for Bush to pay some kind of price for claiming them. A low approval rating is not enough. Impeachment - even if he is not subsequently removed from office - is a fair price. It remains in the history books for all time. It is something that future presidents will try to avoid.

Think about it.