The Plame Is on Bush

Dubbed the "Leaker-in-Chief" by the Los Angeles Times, President Bush was accused today of having authorized selective leaks concerning weapons of mass destruction. The White House reponse was not a denial but an assertion of the president's right to declassify information. How that is done, however, also seems to be in the hands of the president. Even if it is legally justifiable, the president's selective revelations that may have led to the Plame affair and to the war in Iraq are morally wrong.

I have made the argument before that the President should be impeached, but this time I think we can move the charge from high cimes and misdemeanors to treason.

Why treason?

The arguments in favor of WMD in Iraq led America into a bloody, drawn out conflict with a country that was not at all a danger to the United States. Iraq was stable, very authoritarian, but not a haven for terrorists. Iraq would have been better off without Saddam Hussein but Iraq today would be better off without the daily violence and lawlessness (for example: today's explosion that killed between 40 and 80). Iraq is in such a bad shape, that the American government even pays to get some good stories published. Sad but true. Iraq has also become a haven for terrorists and has increased hatred against the United States.

The war amounts to treason because it betrayed many American lives and threatened the future safety, power, image, and position in the world of the United States of America. It has also led to a negative image of democracy even though a true democracy should safeguard the population from the government.

Therefore I think Bush should be impeached. It is the only moral thing to do. I know it's not realistic but it is the only right thing to do!