There are people – I am one of them – who think that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney have committed impeachable offenses. Some of us have written our Congress Members to ask that they sign on to an impeachment effort; essentially to prepare an indictment of Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney. Many Congress Members have not done so. (For a Politico report on a pro Impeachment speech by Rep. Wexler -- with video of the speech (D-Pa)click here.) On this page recently one writer says, in effect, that Congress Member Jerrold Nadler lacks balls , courage in less sexualized terms, while others have been sitting in at his office. They want Mr. Nadler to sign on the impeachment idea and he has not. Because he lacks balls? Well that’s what they say. I have great respect for Mr. Nadler as a progressive Congress Member, worked with him and “the kids” for decades. What does Mr. Nadler say? Well, I called up, asked, got this statement below. Two caveats: I did not speak with Mr. Nadler directly and the people I spoke to have not responded when I asked for a review the quote they gave me. After the jump. Congress Member Nadler on Impeachment

I see no scenario in which 67 Senators, including 16 Republicans will vote for impeachment. Therefore any efforts to impeach President Bush and Vice-President Cheney would be symbolic It is vital to end the war in Iraq and to elect a Democrat president of the US. Unless we do those two things we cannot turn our country around. I do not want to undermine these two goals for the symbolic action that impeachment would be. The House Judiciary Committee has used its oversight authority to investigate, document and hold accountable many of the wrongful acts and omissions of the Bush administration. We are not giving him a pass.

I am concerned that this impeachment talk detracts us from the efforts to elect a progressive congress and a progressive president. Further it divides progressive people at a time when unity is both difficult and needed. We need to win as one step to ending the Bush war in Iraq, restoring our Constitutional liberties, and giving poor and middle-class people an even break.