HALF-FULL REPORT 07/08/11
The HFR Word of the Week is... impeachment. Here are the Constitution's instructions:
Article I, Section 2, Clause 5: "The House of Representatives... shall have the sole power of impeachment."We'll get to Zero in a moment, but first notice that the process of impeachment applies not only to the president and vice-president, but "all civil officers" of the federal government. This means, e.g., Attorney General Eric Holder and Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan can be impeached and removed from office. And the odds are increasing that they will be.
Article I, Section 3, Clause 6: "The Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments. When sitting for that purpose, they shall be on oath or affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two thirds of the members present."
Article II, 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."
