During a town hall meeting at the University of New Hampshire on Monday, Congressman Ron Paul said an “impeachment process would be possible” against Barack Obama. The Republican presidential candidate said charges could be filed over the killing of American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki, a high-ranking al-Qaeda figure who was killed by an American drone in Yemen.
“Al-Awlaki was born here. He is an American citizen,” Paul said. “He was never tried or charged for any crimes…But if the American people accept this blindly and casually that we now have an accepted practice of the president assassinating people who he thinks are bad guys, I think it’s sad.”
Although federal agents have sought al-Awlaki since the Clinton administration, and the Authorization for the Use of Force passed following 9/11 allows the president to kill anyone he “determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11,” al-Awlaki’s birth in the United States has many debating the proper interplay between national security and civil liberties.
Paul is not the only Republican presidential candidate to have criticized the Obama administration’s handling of al-Awlaki. Governor Gary Johnson, who served as governor of the state where al-Awlaki was born, said: “I don’t want to minimize at all the threat that he was posing to the United States. But he is a U.S. citizen, he was a U.S. citizen, and never before have we targeted a U.S. citizen for death.”
Meanwhile, Herman Cain flip-flopped on the issue. In May, he responded to a question about the president’s kill list by saying: “I don’t believe that the president of the United States should order the assassination of citizens of the United States. That’s why we have our court system, and that’s why we have our laws.” However, this weekend’s TeaCon Midwest in Chicago, Cain told bloggers he now supported the action.
However, Paul acknowledged his strict constructionist views of the Constitution would impeach more than just Obama. “I just said almost every president I’ve known I’d probably have to vote for impeachment, because there’s very little respect for the Constitution,” he said, “and certainly there’s no respect for the Constitution for assassinating American citizens.”
For more information on the Impeach Obama Campaign, click here. To sign the Impeach Obama petition, click here.
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Thank you Dr. Paul. No "politician" has been more consistent over the years or a better friend to the Constitution than you. As always, you've got my support.
Can't wait for Obama to go away, particularly after a stunt like this! Outrageous.
Do we need this to impeach him? Can he not be impeached for his numerous FELONIES in office? What about TREASON? Giving money to a US listed terrorist org. is treason….he gave 20.3 MILLION to HAMAS!! His "birth certificate" that he claimed was IT is a forgery = FELONY His social security card, of a dead man from Mass, where he never lived, is a FELONY You try using an illegal SS card and see what it gets you!
Congress just says "duh" to all his felonies, including attacking Libya, but now we know why…to make it a Muslim Country!!
WAKE-UP RON PAUL!!! Do YOU really believe that the Senate or courts could or even would stop him? What about his civil rights? What do you really think the 60's were all about? DUH! SMELL THE ROSES!! YES, PAUL, OUR CIA IS ALSO A PLAYER!!! Again, DUH!
Cain supports the killing of American Citizens.
RP, Alawaki was a enemy combatant, he didn't care one iota about being any other nationality, he just wanted to murder people in the name of islam……..I don't think your string is tied on this one.
It's not about Alawaki–it's about the LAW. We have to uphold the Constitution for everybody or it works for nobody, I'm surprised you don't realize that if you understand freedom, and the difference between liberty and tyranny. If we give someone, even the president, the right to usurp the system for one, we have lost it for ALL. It's there for protecting the innocent, which might be YOU someday soon.
The law only works when there is security to practice and the military provides that security. I repeat Alikawi was a enemy combatant and forefited his rights. Your's is academics argument and they live in a perfect world.
It will be interesting to see if this happens. I've been reading that the dead terror suspects were seen dining at the Pentagon before they were killed? And that Anwar has been reported "dead" 4 or 5 times?
Fool me once, their fault. Fool me twice my fault. Cain and Soetoro are both typical. Cain has not been vetted 100% just like Sotoro.
100% ? O was not vetted .01%.
Cain has some outstanding accomplishments and a history to be inspected.
O has no history.
If Ron Paul & other members of Congress had any guts, Obama wouldn't even be in the Presidents Office. They all know Obama is an Illegal in the Presidents Office, but don't want to admit they goofed in not checking his right to be in office when he was running. Nancy Pelosi knew he was not eligible, as she signed a document saying so, however one whole line in the document was omitted, therefore, did not say he was ineligible, & none of the rest of the idiot members of Congress checked. Ron Paul & others in Congress don't have the guts to contest Obama & his thugs.
I seriously doubt if he can be impeached. He has too many thugs surrounding him to cover his ‘butt’…. among the ‘paid’ bodyguards as well… cause for sure, they dont wanna see him kicking and screaming out the White House doors … yelling… “I’m the King… I’m untouchable!”