Well, it sure as heck was - and too bad it was on Friday, the political burial site for anything that might disturb our golf game or our lawn-mowing.

At the hearing, Bush toadies like Representatives Dan Lundgren, Mike Pence, Lamar Smith, and Trent Franks did their best to obfuscate and deflect charges, but they came off lame. So did two law professors summed by the minority: Jittery Jeremy Rabkin of George Mason, and Smug Steven Presser of New York University - who really couldn't see making a big deal out of it all. I mean, aren't war-time Presidents entitled to behave like Roman Emperors?

Predictably the hearing will get little coverage in most of the "3-T" media, usefully stigmatized with the word liberal, sold by constant repetition by right wing think tanks as a horrible thing.

In reality, most of the "most watched" and listened to media is timid, tepid, and tardy. Impeachment should have been on the front page of every newspaper worthy of the name, on every television news show, and every radio station - every day for the last five years. And the reporting should have been clear and hard.

Yes, it is late in the game. But, it's still important to impeach the lawbreakers. Yeah, yeah, with any luck Bush will be hitting the road in a few months.

The biggest threat is not Bush, specifically, but the precedent he and his gang have set by not just declaring themselves above the law, but by declaring - by their actions - that they are the law.

Former Congressman Bob Barr, now the Libertarian candidate for President and hardly, hardly a elitist liberal, says incoming presidents will see the expansion of executive powers as a "floor not a ceiling."

With an unprecedented "war" declared not by Congress but unlawfully by the President - justifying the use of deadly force against whoever and wherever the President decides, the potential for the abuse of power is serious. Bruce Fein, an assistant attorney general from the Reagan administration, testified that letting the precedent of this administration stand is a "loaded weapon lying around."

Impeach who for what, you ask?

Try these. Misleading or lying to Congress about the intelligence for the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Flouting FISA by not seeking judicial approval. Approval of torture in violation of the Geneva Convention and the 8th Amendment. Scrapping habeas corpus - and the 4th and 6th Amendment generally. Ignoring legislative subpoenas and legitimate requests for information that would provide the oversight our system of government requires.

Will it happen? Who knows. It's sad that many Americans don't seem to really care about what's happening as long as gasoline is cheap, the soap opera is sexy, their ball club is winning, or the lawn looks nice enough to suit the neighbors.

Bob Barr said, "If it comes a choice of congressional inquiry, or congressional silence then, by God, I choose inquiry." I may vote for the guy. At least his head is in the right place, his heart is strong, and his guts are in working order.

And Vince Bugliosi, who got famous for prosecuting Charles Manson, was another of the witnesses at the hearing, had it exactly right, "Americans should be outraged." I agree.

You can view pdf files of the Articles of Impeachment (pdf) submitted by Dennis Kucinich. You can print copies of a petition (pdf) here. And you can sign the Impeachment Petition yourself here.

Last I looked, a pod cast of the hearing testimonies was available at C-SPAN and pdf transcripts at the House Judiciary site.Take a big bowl of pop-corn, some to eat and some to throw. Then get off your butt and call or write your representative.