2007-04-27 21:07:20 -

MANASSAS, Va., April 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "If Attorney General Alberto Gonzales continues to refuse to resign, it's time for Congress to impeach him -- and Republicans must take the lead," says conservative activist Richard A. Viguerie.

As the man who pioneered political direct mail, Viguerie has been called "the Funding Father" of the conservative movement. He is the author of Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause (Bonus Books, 2006).

"No other choice is available," says Viguerie. "Gonzales has refused to

resign so far, despite demands from Republican Senators and Representatives that he do so. And President Bush has erected a wall around the White House, shutting out reality, giving his long-time political crony unconditional support. If his boss won't fire him, and Gonzales refuses to leave voluntarily, he must be made to leave involuntarily."

"And the Republicans in Congress must take that next step," Viguerie adds. "President Bush already is a lame duck with the lowest public support since Richard Nixon, so in a sense he has nothing more to lose. What should scare Republicans, however, is that once again Bush seems willing to bring the entire Republican Party to destruction with him. The Republicans have already lost the House and the Senate. If they want to have any chance of retaining the White House or making gains in Congress in 2008, they must break decisively with this politically suicidal president."

Impeachment of a Cabinet member is authorized by the Constitution. Charges of impeachment must be passed in the House, and then the official is tried by the Senate. A president cannot grant a reprieve or pardon for impeachment. If impeached, the official is removed from office and is disqualified to hold and enjoy any other federal office.

Grounds for impeachment, under Article 2, Section 4 of the Constitution, are "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." ("Misdemeanors" is a constitutional term that does not have the current meaning of an offense less serious than a felony, according to the American Bar Association.) What constitutes impeachable "high crimes?" Dean John D. Feerick of Fordham University School of Law, in an article published in 1984, said:

"Most authorities agree -- and the precedents are in accord -- that an impeachable offense is not limited to conduct which is indictable. Conduct that undermines the integrity of a public office or is in disregard of constitutional duties or involves abuse of power is generally regarded as grounds for impeachment. Since impeachment is a drastic sanction, the misconduct must be substantial and serious."

"Gonzales's misconduct certainly meets those standards," says Viguerie. "I stand with my colleagues in the American Freedom Agenda [a new conservative civil liberties organization, see http://www.americanfreedomagenda.org]/ when we declared:

-- "Mr. Gonzales has presided over an unprecedented crippling of the Constitution's time-honored checks and balances. -- "He has brought the rule of law into disrepute, and debased honesty as the coin of the realm. -- "He has engendered the suspicion that partisan politics trumps evenhanded law enforcement in the Department of Justice. -- "He has embraced legal theories that could be employed by a successor to obliterate the conservative philosophy of individual liberty and limited government celebrated by the Founding Fathers. -- "In short, Attorney General Gonzales has proven an unsuitable steward of the law ... "

Viguerie specifically warned Republicans: "Don't expect much cooperation from Democrats in your call for the impeachment of Gonzales. He serves a useful purpose for them politically, and they don't want him out of office no matter how much they complain publicly. They want him to remain as Attorney General as a shining example of Republican incompetence and corruption, so they can use him as a campaign issues that keeps on giving to the Democrats. No, it is the Republicans who need to have Gonzales removed, and it is the Republicans who must take the lead in kicking him out."

In a final note, Viguerie added: "In his testimony before the Senate last week, he said he 'could not remember' deeds or actions more than 70 times, including many recent events. This strains everyone's credulity except the president's. If nothing else, he should be removed from office for Memory Deficit Disorder. You cannot run a Justice Department with well over 100,000 employees when your mind supposedly is that blank."

Contact: Margaret Wright (703) 396-6974 or Nancy Bakersmith, (703) 209-6190 or (571) 292-1817

Source: ConservativesBetrayed.com