Actually, Article I, Section 3, 7 says:
“Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.”
Sounds to me like they can impeach anybody who is currently enjoying an office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States. I would think that having the lifetime title of “President”, as well as a pension, would qualify an ex-President to be impeached in order to remove those things.
Ah good catch!
That is what I was thinking.
If he is impeached and convicted, then they could remove his title, pension and protection!
No, impeachment is for removal from office. If an ex-president is getting a pension or some other benefit through the government, that can be cut off through legislation, through law. Not through impeachment.
Impeachment is an indictment for removal from office and nothing more. It ensures that the people control their own government, that those elected or appointed can be removed from office should they cease to act in “good behaviour.”
More to the point, conviction on an impeachment after his term was over would prevent him from running for Congress, running for the Senate, or doing a Grover Cleveland and running again in 2016.
Using 18th Century construction, it would also revoke his pension.
I’m for it.
Here is what I understand about the process. If any of this is wrong or technically incorrect, feel free.
Nixon avoided jail when he was granted a full pardon by Ford and he was not impeached prior to his resignation.
A POTUS (Obama) is only impeachable while he or she is POTUS. If he is impeached and convicted, he can still be charged in a court of law where Congress has no vote (trial by judge and jury).
If Obama is not impeached, he can still be charged post-presidency if certain criteria are met and if there is sufficient evidence to warrant the charges just as Nixon would have been had Ford not pardoned him.
BINGO, We could hold the rats liable and indict Pelosi and Reid!
Presidents do NOT enjoy the lifetime title of “President,” except by custom. And it’s a very recent custom. Until sometime in the last fifty years, former Presidents and Vice Presidents were called by the highest office they occupied before entering the Presidency or Vice Presidency. Thus, the last few former Presidents should have been called:
Sen. Nixon
Gov. Carter
Gov. Reagan
Amb. Bush
Gov. Clinton
Gov. Bush
The authority for this position is Miss Manners.