When the Constitution is under attack, Members of Congress are sworn to defend it. Impeachment is the weapon we gave them to defend against threats that come from within the halls of power. The question before each and every Member of Congress in the current crisis is this: "Is there a legitimate case that Bush and Cheney are an intolerable threat to the Constitution?

Numerous charges against Bush and Cheney are well known to the public. Elected bodies, good government organizations, citizens' groups, and countless individuals have examined the evidence and judged Bush and Cheney to be an intolerable threat to our constitutional democracy.

Their duty demands that they be "on the lookout" for threats. Each and every Member of Congress who claims ignorance of the charges against Bush and Cheney and the evidence that has been put before them is willfully turning a blind eye and is thus derelict in their duty to support and defend.

Each and every Members of Congress who is aware of charges that an official is abusing the power of their office to subvert the Constitution or for personal gain is duty-bound to judge the charges as having merit or to dismiss them as baseless.

The power to formally accuse lies with the House. Each and every member of that body who has concluded that there is a legitimate case that Bush and Cheney are an intolerable threat is duty-bound to act (e.g., introduce articles of impeachment). They're oath is not an oath to win; it is an oath to fight -- to "support and defend." Even if they believe it will be "the charge of the light brigade" they are bound by oath to take up the fight.

If they believe they need something more to make a judgment, they are duty-bound to actively seek it. If what they seek is out of reach, they must render judgment on the information at hand. If they find they are unable to dismiss the charges, then the charges have merit and they are duty-bound to move forward and call on their colleagues to impeach and put the charges before the Senate for final judgment.

Calls for investigation say one thing: "We don't have enough information." With regard to the charges against Bush and Cheney, all the information required to make a judgment is in the public record (link). The limbo of "I don't know" is not an escape. Vague claims to "need more information" are no better than the limbo of "I don't know."

Their oath is an individual oath. They bear personal responsibility for the damage done each day that they betray their oath by unnecessarily putting off their duty to judge.

Every day that they do nothing they betray their oath and demonstrate contempt for the concerned citizens who are calling on them to act. They do so at their peril. The citizens who are taking up the fight for impeachment are a very active bunch who will not quietly accept the dismissive contempt of their elected officials for long.

Every day that they do nothing they effectively exonerate Bush and Cheney. If exoneration is their intent they should do it honestly and tell the nation the reasons that they have concluded that the public's accusations are baseless -- a conclusion that is at odds with the majority of Americans who want impeachment to be a priority in the new Congress (link).

Dereliction through inaction is bad enough, but those who are mindlessly balking with claims that the impeachment of Bush and Cheney is "it's off the table" (no reason or justification, it's just off, period) are declaring their intent to betray their oath. (Throwing away the only weapon they have to defend against presidential abuse of power is "pre-emptive" surrender.)

If Speaker-Elect Pelosi does not withdraw her "impeachment is off the table" pledge, the oath she administers to the 110th Congress will require revision:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and be derelict in my duty
to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign
and domestic; that I will bear foreswear true faith and allegiance to the same;
that I will fail to take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation
or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully negligently and
faithlessly discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter:

So help me God.