Oh, and no one's suggesting Bush and Cheney should be removed from office without or before a trial.   An impeachment itself is merely an indictment, to be followed by a trial. Impeachment HEARINGS in the House are preliminary to that indictment, but the Republican controlled Congress would not even allow hearings into what many -- and not just Democrats -- saw as possibly treasonous acts, such as outing a CIA agent and the entire brassplate organization she worked in. (Just to name one.)

One person pleads guilty to a misdemeanor and others are suspected of felonies and/or treason.   Whose continuing position in the government is more problematic?