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Let the impeachment hearings begin.

Yeah, I know. It isn't over until they count and recount all the votes. But Democrats are on the verge of capturing majority control of the Senate and will rule the House by 27 votes. Americans are not quite done with George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

Let's face it. That was one impressive performance Tuesday. And not just by outstanding Democratic candidates, but more so by American voters, who clearly had enough of the Bush administration and its enabler, the hypocritical Republican Party.

Clearly, voters wanted change and they kicked Republican rump, electing Democratic congressional candidates whom they now expect to deliver.

Despite the constant moaning from Republican talking heads about the implications, voters enthusiastically set the table for the historic ascension of the first woman speaker of the House, California Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

It's a start. Now its up to Pelosi and the Democrats to listen up and deliver.

Sure, they have plans, lots of them. They want to de-escalate the Iraq war and refocus on the terrorist threat; get back to balanced federal budgets; reverse the tax cuts for the rich and corporate America; provide wage relief for middle America; implement real homeland security, starting with our seaports; reform the Medicare drug plan; move toward a real solution to the national health care crisis; and, work out a pragmatic compromises on immigration, Social Security and global warming.

One big problem. The so-called "Decider" is still staying the course in the Oval Office. He needs to stay somewhere else - now, not two years from now.

Bush and his dark sidekick, Cheney, have done plenty to earn an early exit. At the top of any bill of particulars, they are culpable for the completely unnecessary deaths of nearly 3,000 American troops in Iraq and the wounding of 20,000 others. Their reckless, deceitful rush to war ultimately killed as many as 655,000 Iraqis.

If Congress could consume the better part of two years impeaching former President Clinton for a consensual affair, why shouldn't Bush and Cheney face the impeachment music in the House and a trial in the Senate on charges of war-mongering and deceiving Congress and the people?

Given the way Republican candidates shunned Bush and Cheney lately, it would be interesting to see if and how many GOP senators get their consciences back and vote to impeach, though Pelosi insists she will not push for impeachment.

sIt's not like the war is the only potential impeachable offense. Indeed, a Zogby poll back in January showed that 52 percent of Americans think Bush should be impeached for illegal wiretapping. And then there's that torture thing.

Impeachment is not a partisan cheap shot. It's not vengeance. It's not payback for Clinton. It's not about hating Bush.

It's about Americans holding their president and vice president fully accountable for willfully breaking the law, violating the Constitution and deceiving the American people - high crimes and misdemeanors.

Spohn is the Tribune's deputy editorial page editor.