The magic word

Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) has uttered the magic word--impeachment. While not urging Congress to take the ultimate step against George W. Bush, the Senator did acknowledge that some view impeachment as a legitimate tool to rein in a president who refuses to listen to the legislative branch.

Hagel's declaration marks the largest crack in Republican ranks to date, and gives the idea of impeachment legitimacy that it lacked before. This does not mean that W will be impeached, of course; the numbers in Congress and the clock ticking down on the Bush administration make even hearings on a move to impeach a remote possibility at best. But Hagel's words take the struggle against Bush's slow-motion coup against the Constitution to a new level.

(Is the Senator from Nebraska also signaling that he will not run for President? Recently, he called a news conference--and effectively brought his home state to a standstill--to announce that he was undecided about a presidential candidacy. Many wondered at such a quixotic escapade. Perhaps Hagel has not determined that he will not try for the White House.)