On Impeachment - Questions and Concerns

What are the rules surrounding impeachment?

Does an impending impeachment curb an official's ability to exercise their powers in any way?

If not, perhaps Congress ought to submit a bill to suspend any elected officials' powers while they are under indictment or in impeachment proceedings.

I think of these people (Bush, Cheney, Gonzales) and wonder --if these are the things that they choose to do out in the open in front of God and everybody--what might they do if any of the effective restraints on their actions were to be removed? Where are they holding back? What would they do if there were no Congressional balance at all? (Given the last vote to fund the war--methinks we're already there.)

I am concerned that the circumstances in which the ruling cabal finds itself could cause the members to discount any remaining restraints on their actions that they had felt to date. (An impending impeachment might have the effect of a person "letting loose while he still can".)

Legal boundaries appear to have been no barrier to their actions. The Republican philosophy is : "I am the President. That makes it legal." Ahhh, yes, an ugly holdover from the Nixon years. Would Nixon have approved torture?

What if impending impeachment loosens their restraints, they lose their common sense, and they use their almost limitless powers to do something heinous while they still have the chance.

What would that something be?

Would it have to do with Iran?

God help us all.