The Impeachment of George W. Bush: A Practical Guide for Concerned Citizens [Paperback]

Elizabeth Holtzman (Author), Cynthia L. Cooper (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 22, 2006

No one is better placed or qualified to call for the impeachment of George W. Bush than Elizabeth Holtzman. She is a former Congresswoman and Brooklyn District Attorney who was a vital member of the House Judiciary Committee during the impeachment of President Richard Nixon.

In The Impeachment of George W. Bush, Holtzman and her coauthor, acclaimed journalist Cynthia L. Cooper, have written a clear, lucid and damning legal brief that reveals that the 43rd President of the United States of America has committed high crimes and misdemeanors.

This book focuses on four articles of impeachment: The Offense of Wiretapping Surveillance in Defiance of the Law; the Offence of Lying and Inducing America to Support a War; The Offense of Reckless Indifference to the Lives and Welfare of American Troops; The Offense of Torture in Violation of U.S. Laws and Treaties. It also provides an invaluable guide to how citizens can get involved in campaigning for impeachment, as well as an important historical analysis of impeachments past. The publication of this book is a summons to action in this process.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With the midterm elections—and the possibility of majority shifts in both the House and Senate—talk of presidential impeachment is in the air. Holtzman, former congresswoman and Brooklyn D.A., and Cooper, a journalist and lawyer, have assembled a compact but thorough legal and constitutional accounting of five major issues upon which they claim the current president could be impeached. They are "Deceptions into Taking the Country into War in Iraq"; "Reckless Indifference to Human Life in Katrina and Iraq"; "Illegal Wiretapping and Surveillance of Americans"; "Permitting Torture"; and "Leaking Classified Information." While the authors have a clear political agenda, their book also provides a useful guide to the theory behind and the legal mechanisms of presidential impeachment, clearing up many misunderstandings readers might have, such as the fact that "high crimes and misdemeanors are not limited to actual crimes" and the correct use of the Independent Counsel Act (which Holtzman helped author in 1978). The book argues its points based on examples from the impeachments of Nixon and Clinton (Holtzman sat on the House Judiciary Committee during the Nixon impeachment). While this volume will be read and cherished by those who agree with its political stance—and dismissed and argued against by those who don't—it's an important, comprehensive argument and document for our current political moment. (Oct.)
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About the Author

Elizabeth Holtzman served for eight years as a U.S. Congresswoman and won national attention for her role on the House Judiciary committee during Watergate. She was subsequently elected District Attorney of Kings County (Brooklyn), the only woman ever elected DA in NYC, serving for eight years.
Holtzman was also the only woman ever elected Comptroller of New York City. She currently works with Herrick Feinstein, LLP, and lives in New York City.

Cynthia L. Cooper is a journalist and author in New York with a background as a lawyer. She writes on human rights, justice, law and political issues and her articles have appeared in The Nation, Women’s eNews; American Bar Association Magazine; Perspectives on Women and the Law; Marie Claire; Glamour among others. Her books include Mockery of Justice, and Who Said It Would Be Easy with Elizabeth Holtzman.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Nation Books; 1 edition (August 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156025940X
• ISBN-13: 978-1560259404
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,567,366 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important work that clearly and succintly makes the case., October 13, 2006

By 

Brian J. Mich (Brooklyn, New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Impeachment of George W. Bush: A Practical Guide for Concerned Citizens (Paperback)

Bringing the credibility of her many years of public service, most notably her work as a Congresswoman during the Watergate Committee and as a prosecutor, Elizabeth Holtzman, with Cynthia Cooper, has produced an important work that is, at the same time, both lawyerly and accessible. They provide the reader with the background - both historical and legal - of the important role of impeachment in the maintenance of our democratic system and then proceed to seamlessly lay out the evidence that overwhelmingly supports their conclusion. While I may not have been the hardest person to sell on their conclusion, the argument is so well-drawn that it is hard to imagine that anyone approaching the book with an open-mind wouldn't come away thinking that impeachment is a necessity or, at least, an option that needs to be explored more in the public discourse.

The most amazing (and, unfortunately, troubling) point made so well by this book is how close the parallel is between the behavior and attitude toward our democratic principles of the current White House and that of Nixon Administration. All the elements that moved the impeachment process after Watergate exist now: dishonesty in proceeding with military action, illegal electronic surveillance of American citizens, the retaliation against persons who challenge the Administration's actions, and the contempt of Congress and the democratic process. Add to those the additional factor that President Bush has demonstrated a total disregard for human life in his irresponsible execution of an unwinnable war and his failure to respond effectively to the devestation created by Hurricane Katrina and it is clear, as was the case over thirty years ago, that action needs to be taken.

As Ms. Holtzman and Ms. Cooper point out, the necessity to act comes not only from the need to remove the President from office, but, also, the need to send the message to all future Presidents (one that should have been clear from the Watergate years) that the disregard of our Constitution and laws will never be tolerated. It is for that reason alone that every person needs to read this book.

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Illuminating volume about Bush and impeachment, September 20, 2006

By 

Rebecca Jones "R.Jones" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Impeachment of George W. Bush: A Practical Guide for Concerned Citizens (Paperback)

Elizabeth Holtzman and Cynthia Cooper have produced an illuminating and vitally important book about the impeachment process, explaining clearly the case for impeaching President Bush. The book is very readable and, in describing the history and standards for impeachment, shows why impeachment is especially needed now.

I was very impressed by the chapters explaining Bush's personal responsibility in the torture scandals; his reckless indifference to human life in Katrina during which, according to the book, he -- and he alone -- could have mobilized all of the federal resources, but did not; and, his astonishing deceptions leading to the war in Iraq. The book shows how democracy itself will be damaged unless President Bush is held accountable.

Holtzman's experience in Congress during Watergate and the impeachment of Nixon, and Cynthia Cooper's contribution as an author, lawyer and journalist make this an extremely valuable book. Definitely recommend it.

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What we all should know!, November 13, 2006

By 

Allan Avery "Yorktown76" (Tulsa, Oklahoma USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Impeachment of George W. Bush: A Practical Guide for Concerned Citizens (Paperback)

George W. Bush has turned his presidency into one continuous scandal. If it were not for his six year tenure with a Republican controlled Congress he would already have been impeached.

This is an excellent and well researched book--one that should be read by anyone who considers him or herself to be a true patriotic American.

It would also serve one well to balance the severity of the actions that George W. Bush and his administration have had on America vs. the actions of Bill Clinton and the Clinton Administration.

Hopefully the United States can begin to enjoy a breath of fresh air now that Congress is controlled by the Democratic Party.

My congratulations to Elizabeth Holtzman for a wonderfully informative and worthwhile literary contribution.