Sunday, June 17, 2007

OMNI NEWSLETTER #2 FOR IMPEACHMENT OF BUSH AND CHENEY: REPORTS, OPINION, COMMENT

 

OMNI NEWSLETTER #2 FOR IMPEACHMENT OF BUSH AND CHENEY: REPORTS, OPINION, COMMENT

BUILDING A CULTURE OF PEACE AND JUSTICE

JUNE 17, 2007, EDITOR: Dick Bennett

 

 

SPECIAL NUMBER 2 ON IMPEACHING PRESIDENT BUSH AND VICE-PRESIDENT CHENEY

(First Impeachment Newsletter December 7, 2006)

 

The materials that follow should provide all with rich information for letters, columns, talks, calls.  See at end to communicate with Lincoln, Pryor, and Boozman.

 

PLEASE VOTE IN THE NATIONAL CHENEY IMPEACHMENT POLL (and an argument for impeaching Cheney first)

Yesterday, another member of the U.S. House signed on to H.Res. 333, the Kucinich proposal to impeach Cheney first.  Maxine Waters becomes the 8th co-sponsor so far.  She is speaking out now.  How about you?

ACTION PAGE: http://www.actspeak.com/cheney_impeachment.php

You can vote yes, or you can vote no.  All we are asking is for you to express your opinion, just as 65,000 of your fellow concerned and active citizens have already.  The question on the action page is, "Do you think Cheney should be impeached or not?"

 

Some people have written us to say they want Bush impeached at the SAME time or nothing.  But impeaching Cheney is ALL about impeaching Bush as well.  Cheney is the one pumping Bush up with all the dictator talk.  Cheney is the prime mover behind the shredding of the Constitution.  The fastest way to constrain Bush, and to impeach him as well, is to take on Cheney first.  The road to impeaching Bush is through Cheney, who is not only the least popular, but also the most guilty.

 

We are not asking you to predict if enough OTHER people will speak out to make this happen.  We are asking YOU to speak out.  Whether you will yourself, that you can surely know, because all you have to do is click a mouse one time.

 

ACTION PAGE: http://www.actspeak.com/cheney_impeachment.php

 

Some have written us to say that time is short until the next election.  Unfortunately it is not short enough to keep Cheney from using nuclear weapons as he is pushing so hard to do to before then.  Only by confronting him with impeachment can we possibly hope to keep them from turning the debacle they have already created in the Middle East into the literal end of our world.  The only reason members of Congress are signing on to this initiative is because you ARE speaking out.  They will not do it on their own.  It has to come from US, we the people.

 

The New York Times and CBS News have reported what we had already heard that Cheney is determined to suck the U.S. into a shooting war with Iran, provoked through back channels with Israel, if he can't force that policy on Bush any other way.  We are in greater danger of the strategic debacle in the Middle East spinning wildly out of control every day that Congress does not act.

 

If you still like the vice president a lot in the face of all this and think he is doing a great job we welcome your no vote.  Otherwise, please vote yes to impeach.  It could save all of our lives.  It could save YOUR life, all of it.  Help turn the National Cheney Impeachment Poll into a national phenomenon.  That's where we are going with this.  We can do it with your help.  All we have to do is get enough people to say he SHOULD be impeached, and he will be impeached.

 

The situation is so extreme that The New York Times published an editorial last week, and we quote just some of its conclusions below.  How can anyone read these words of alarm and not be at LEAST motivated to at express an OPINION.  They are finally speaking out.  How about you?

 

DICK CHENEY RULES

New York Times Editorial

June 3, 2007

 

The Associated Press reported that Mr. Cheney's office ordered the Secret Service last September to destroy all records of visitors to the official vice presidential mansion right after The Washington Post sued foraccess to the logs. That move was made in secret, naturally. It came out only because of another lawsuit, filed by a private group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, seeking the names of conservative religious figures who visited the vice president's residence

 

This disdain for accountability is distressing, but not surprising. Mr. Cheney has had it on display from his first days in office, when he refused to name the energy-industry executives who met with him behind closed doors to draft an energy policy.

 

In a similar way, Mr. Cheney seems unconcerned about little things like checks and balances and traditional American notions of judicial process.  At one point, he gave himself the power to selectively declassify documents and selectively leak them to reporters. In a recent commencement address, he declaimed against prisoners who had the gall to demand the protections of the Geneva Convention and the Constitution of the United States.

 

Mr. Cheney is the driving force behind the Bush administrations theory of the unitary executive, which holds that no one, including Congress and the courts, has the power to supervise or regulate the actions of the president. Just as he pays little attention to old-fangled notions of the separation of powers, Mr. Cheney does not overly bother himself about the bright line that should exist between his last job as chief of the energy giant Halliburton and his current one on the public payroll.

 

From 2001 to 2005, Mr. Cheney received deferred salary payments from Halliburton that far exceeded what taxpayers gave him. Mr. Cheney still holds hundreds of thousands of stock options that have ballooned by millions of dollars as Halliburton profited handsomely from the war in Iraq.

 

Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed to be ours, and forward this message to everyone else you know.

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GROUNDS FOR IMPEACHMENT: REACHING FOR DICTATORSHIP

Directive gives Bush dictatorial power

National Security & Homeland Security Presidential Directive establishes "National Continuity Policy"

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=CHI20070521&articleId=5720

 

Bush To Be Dictator In A Catastrophic Emergency

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=ROG20070521&articleId=5721

 

Slip of the tongue? Rumsfeld admits that "Flight 93" was shot down

VIDEO Footage and transcripts

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=20070512&articleId=5626

 

 

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=CHI20070521&articleId=5720

 

 

 

 

NEW POLL SHOWS PUBLIC FOR IMPEACHMENT

Here is the result of the recent MSNBC poll regarding impeachment: 88% of America approves, and wants, impeachment.

 

Do you believe President Bush's actions justify impeachment?   * 437015

responses 

  Yes, between the secret spying, the deceptions leading to war and more, there is plenty to justify putting him on trial.

88% 

  No, like any president, he has made a few missteps, but nothing approaching "high crimes and misdemeanors."

4.4% 

  No, the man has done absolutely nothing wrong. Impeachment would just be a political lynching.

6% 

  I don't know.  1.9% 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BUSH CONTINUES TO ATTACK THE CONSTITUTION—AND UNDER THE PRETENSE OF PROTECTING IT  (from Chris D)

Bush Anoints Himself as the Insurer of Constitutional Government in Emergency
By Matthew Rothschild-May 18, 2007-
Taken from http://progressive.org/mag_wx051807

With scarcely a mention in the mainstream media, President Bush has ordered up a plan for responding to a catastrophic attack. In a new National Security Presidential Directive, Bush lays out his plans for dealing with a “catastrophic emergency.”

Under that plan, he entrusts himself with leading the entire federal government, not just the Executive Branch. And he gives himself the responsibility “for ensuring constitutional government.”

He laid this all out in a document entitled “National Security Presidential Directive/NSPD 51” and “Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-20.”

The White House released it on May 9.

Other than a discussion on Daily Kos led off by a posting by Leo Fender, and a pro-forma notice in a couple of mainstream newspapers, this document has gone unremarked upon.

The subject of the document is entitled “National Continuity Policy.”

It defines a “catastrophic emergency” as “any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government function.”

This could mean another 9/11, or another Katrina, or a major earthquake in California, I imagine, since it says it would include “localized acts of nature, accidents, and technological or attack-related emergencies.”

The document emphasizes the need to ensure “the continued function of our form of government under the Constitution, including the functioning of the three separate branches of government,” it states.

But it says flat out: “The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government.”

The document waves at the need to work closely with the other two branches, saying there will be “a cooperative effort among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government.” But this effort will be “coordinated by the President, as a matter of comity with respect to the legislative and judicial
branches and with proper respect for the constitutional separation of powers.”

Among the efforts coordinated by the President would ensuring the capability of the three branches of government to “provide for orderly succession” and “appropriate transition of leadership.”

The document designates a National Continuity Coordinator, who would be the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.

Currently holding that post is Frances Fragos Townsend.

She is required to develop a National Continuity Implementation Plan and submit it within 90 days.

As part of that plan, she is not only to devise procedures for the Executive Branch but also give guidance to “state, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private sector owners and operators of critical infrastructure.”

The secretary of Homeland Security is also directed to develop planning guidance for “private sector critical infrastructure owners and operators,” as well as state, local, territorial, and tribal governments.

The document gives the Vice President a role in implementing the provisions of the contingency plans.
“This directive shall be implanted in a manner that is consistent with, and facilitates effective implementation of, provisions of the Constitution concerning succession to the Presidency or the exercise of its powers, and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 (3 USC 19), with the consultation of the Vice President and, as appropriate, others involved.”
The document also contains “classified Continuity Annexes.”

 

LINDORFF’S CASE FOR IMPEACHMENT AND REBUKE TO THE DEMOCRATS. 

From: Dave Lindorff [mailto:dlindorff@mindspring.com]

Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 10:21 AM

Subject: Impeach Bush or Get Rid of the Impeachment Clause

Impeach this President, or Remove the Impeachment Clause

 By Dave Lindorff

 What is it about impeachment that has the Democratic Party leadership so frightened?

 

Talking with members of Congress, one hears the same refrain: ³I know Bush and Cheney have committed impeachable crimes, but impeachment is a bad idea.²

 

The rationales offered are many, but all are either specious or based upon flawed reasoning. Let¹s consider them separately:

 

Excuse one, offered by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is that impeachment would be a diversion from Democrats¹ main goals of ending the Iraq War, and passing important legislation. The reality, of course, is that many of the administration¹s impeachable acts relate directly to the war, so hearings would only build support for ending it. Meanwhile, with the slim majorities in both houses, Democrats cannot pass any significant progressive legislation that could survive a veto (or a presidential signing statement) and the record shows it.

 

Excuse two is that impeachment is divisive. This seems the height of absurdity. When voters handed Congress to the Democrats, they knew they were setting the stage for divided government. That was the whole point.

Moreover, divisiveness in Washington has largely emanated from the White House, not from Congress. Anyhow, given administration intransigence on all the issues that matter to Democrats, they have no alternative but to take a stand.

 

Excuse three is a claim that the public opposes impeachment. This is simply wrong. The few straightforward scientific polls done on impeachment, such as one published by Newsweek last October, show a majority of Americans to want it. Furthermore, if Bush has committed impeachable acts, it is inappropriate for House members, all of whom swore to uphold and defend the Constitution, not to act.

 

Excuse four is that old canard that impeaching Bush would mean making Cheney president‹a deliberately scary prospect but one which any politician in Washington knows is garbage. Firstly, if Cheney were to become president because of a Bush impeachment or resignation, it would only be for a few months, and given his stunning lack of support among the public‹currently about 9 percent and falling‹he would be the lamest of lame ducks, unable to do anything. But more importantly, his own party would be certain to remove him before any removal of Bush, and for exactly that reason‹they would not want to be going into the 2008 election with Cheney as party leader. This is exactly what happened to Spiro Agnew, whom a Republican attorney general managed to indict and remove before the collapse of Nixon¹s presidency. The same thing can be expected to happen to Cheney, who would surely face either a sudden health crisis, or an indictment for corruption.

 

Finally, excuse five is that the president¹s crimes and abuses of power need to be proven before any impeachment bill. This is completely backwards. An impeachment bill can be filed by any member of Congress who believes the president has violated the Constitution. At that point, it is up to the House Judiciary Committee to consider the bill¹s merits and decide whether to ask the full House to authorize impeachment hearings. It is at an impeachment hearing where investigations should proceed. After all, only after the Judiciary Committee votes out an impeachment article can the full House consider whether to actually impeach. Calling for investigations before an impeachment hearing is like asking for an investigation before a grand jury investigation. It¹s redundant, simply a dodge.

 

Besides, some of this president¹s high crimes are self-evident. Take the case of Bush¹s ordering the National Security Agency to spy on Americans¹ communications without a warrant. A federal judge has already labeled this violation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act a felony. There is no denying this felony occurred, or that Bush is responsible. The only question the House needs to vote on is whether the felony is a ³high crime² warranting impeachment.

 

The same applies Bush¹s refusal to enact over 1200 laws or parts of laws duly passed by Congress. Bush doesn¹t deny that he has usurped the power of the Congress, as laid down in Article I of the Constitution. Rather, he asserts‹with no basis in the wording of that document‹that as commander in chief in the war on terror, he has the ³unitary executive² authority to ignore acts of Congress. Again, there is no need for an ³investigation² to establish whether this happened. What Congress must do is decide whether this usurpation of its Constitutional role is an impeachable abuse of power.

 

Likewise the president¹s authorization of kidnap and torture. We know the president okayed torture. We know too, that he used his ³unitary executive² claim to refuse to accept a law passed overwhelmingly by the last Congress outlawing torture. Finally, we know the president did not, as required by US and international law, act to halt torture and punish those up the chain of command who oversaw systematic, widespread torture.

 

There are many impeachable crimes by this president (and vice president), such as obstruction of justice in the Valeria Plame outing case, conspiracy (or treason) in the Niger ³yellowcake² document forgery scandal, conspiracy to engage in election fraud, lying to Congress, criminal negligence in responding to the Katrina disaster, bribery and war profiteering, etc., which would require Judiciary Committee investigations.

 In the meantime, though, Democrats need to step up to their responsibility.

 If this president is not to be impeached, Congress may as well the Constitution to remove the impeachment clause. It will, in that case, have become as much an anachronism as prohibition.

 

About the author: Philadelphia journalist Dave Lindorff is co-author, with Barbara Olshansky, of ³The Case for Impeachment: The Legal Argument for Removing President George W. Bush from Office² (St. Martin¹s Press, 2006 and due out in paperback later this month). His work is available at www.thiscantbehappening.net <http://www.thiscantbehappening.net/> .

 

 

From Carl Barnwell:   I would debate one point in excuse four -

          In the case where Bush is removed, Cheney may be the "lamest of lame ducks" but I believe that Cheney could wreak a lot of damage in those few months.  Cheney and Bush must both go (the sooner the better).        I would remind you of John Nichols' most recent book in which he argues that

          impeachment was not meant to be used rarely and sparingly but was meant to be used often      in order prevent the very situation we have with this current administration.           The Founders understood the intoxication, aggrandizement, and usurpation of power.        It is for this reason that the Founders gave impeachment so much space in the Constitution.  

          The Genius of Impeachment: The Founders' Cure for Royalism (Paperback)  by  John Nichols

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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    Powell's Chief of Staff Proposes Impeachment
    By David Swanson
    AfterDowningStreet.com

    Thursday 10 May 2007

    On Thursday, May 10, 2007, Lawrence Wilkerson, speaking on National Public Radio, proposed impeaching President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

    Wilkerson is a Retired Army Colonel, the former Chief of Staff at the State Department from 2002 to 2005 under then Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Vietnam War veteran, the former Acting Director of the Marine Corps War College at Quantico, and currently a teacher of national security at William and Mary College.

    The program, On Point, was hosted by Tom Ashbrook, who focused the discussion on a need for greater public accountability for the Iraq War, but who maintained that the public was not outraged or interested. (Ashbrook should read some polls and invite on organizers of the impeachment movement.)

    Also on the program was Ken Adelman, who promoted the war and said it would be "a cakewalk". Adelman argued a case for not holding public officials accountable.

    Wilkerson said in early comments on the show: "This administration doesn't know how to effect accountability in my opinion." But he did not raise the possibility of impeachment until after a member of the audience had phoned in.

    The first caller who was put on the air demanded an investigation of the lies that launched the war, and asked for accountability "all the way up." In response to Adelman's claims that history would hold people accountable, the caller said "I would love to have a job where, worst case scenario, my historical record is flawed."

    Ashbrook framed the question in terms of alleged limitations of the U.S. political system, and Wilkerson replied: "Well I do think that that's a reality of our system. However, let me back up just a minute and say that I really do think that our founding fathers, Hamilton, Washington, Monroe, Madison, would all be astounded that over the course of our short history as a country, 200 plus years, we haven't used that little two to three lines in Article II of the Constitution more frequently, the impeachment clause. I do believe that they would have thought had they been asked by you or whomever at the time of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia 'Do you think this will be exercised?' they would have said 'Of course it will, every generation they'll have to throw some bastard out'. That's a form of accountability too. It's ultimate accountability."

    After an interruption, Wilkerson continued: "The language in that article, the language in those two or three lines about impeachment is nice and precise - it's high crimes and misdemeanors. You compare Bill Clinton's peccadilloes for which he was impeached to George Bush's high crimes and misdemeanors or Dick Cheney's high crimes and misdemeanors, and I think they pale in significance."

    Ashbrook asked for some examples of such high crimes and misdemeanors, and Wilkerson replied: "I think that the caller was right. I think we went into this war for specious reasons. I think we went into this war not too much unlike the way we went into the Spanish American War with the Hearst press essentially goading the American people and the leadership into war. That was a different time in a different culture, in a different America. We're in a very different place today and I think we essentially got goaded into the war through some of the same means."

  -------

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Murtha: Dems could impeach

By: Josh Kraushaar
April 29, 2007 12:17 PM EST

In this photo provided by CBS, Rep. John Murtha (D-Penn.), appears on CBS's 'Face the Nation' (AP Photo/CBS Face the Nation, Karin Cooper, HO)

 

 

Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) said Sunday that Democrats in Congress could consider impeachment as a way to pressure President Bush on his handling of the war in Iraq.

“What I’m saying, there’s four ways to influence a president. And one of them’s impeachment,” Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Murtha has been one of the most outspoken members of Congress on the administration's handling of the war in Iraq; others who have strongly criticized Bush have stopped short of calling for impeachment.

Murtha also expressed doubt that Congress and the Bush administration would be able to work out a compromise soon in negotiations on the $124 billion war spending bill. Congress' emergency funding measure contains a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq.

“They say we’re willing to compromise, and then we don’t get any compromise,” said Murtha. “We’ve already compromised. And we need to make this president understand, Mr. President, the public has spoken.”

Politico.com is co-host of the Republican presidential debate on May 3rd, and candidates will be answering our readers’ favorite questions.
Click here to submit yours.

Murtha said the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass another war funding bill with similar benchmarks for progress in Iraq after President Bush vetoes the legislation, as he has vowed to do.

“If he vetoes this bill, he’s cut off the money. But obviously, we’re going to pass another bill,” Murtha said. “It’s going to have some stringent requirements. ... I'd like to look at this again in two months.”

Rice on the Defensive

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appeared on several Sunday shows to defend the administration’s opposition to the emergency wartime funding bill with the troop withdrawal timetable.

“The president has said he will not accept anything that constitutes a timetable for American withdrawal,”  Rice said on ABC’s “This Week.”

On “Face the Nation,” she also said: “To begin now to tie our own hands and to say we must do this if they don’t do that doesn’t allow us the flexibility and creativity that we need to move this forward.”

Rice also said she would resist a subpoena from Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) to testify about the administration’s prewar claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Waxman is chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

“I’m perfectly willing to answer whatever questions Chairman Waxman has,” Rice said. “But … there’s a constitutional issue here that the White House will have to handle.”

Meanwhile, on ABC, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) sharply attacked Rice and the administration’s position on Iraq.
 
“When I listen to the secretary of state right now, it’s the same thing again — the same distortions, the same myth of supporting something that isn’t working and is weakening our country against our enemies,” Feingold said. “It has to stop, and I will fight to stop it.”

Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.), a Republican presidential candidate, responded: “This is assured defeat.  Defeat will happen in America, not in Iraq. That’s not what the American people want.”

 

 

 

 

CONG. DENNIS KUCINICH

 

The link following is a video of Cong. Kucinich asking a very important question and suggesting_ _The time is now._ 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAIJyKhJhiM

 

 

 



Impeach Cheney First?
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?pid=187164
Despite House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's efforts to convince Democrats to keep presidential accountability "off the table," Kucinich is just one of many House Democrats who have acknowledged in recent days that they are hearing the call for action loud and clear from their constituents and from grassroots activists across the country.

"I get one call after another saying, 'Impeach the president,'" says Congressman John Murtha, D-Pennsylvania. Congresswoman Diane Watson, D-California, says constituents in Los Angeles "are saying impeachment. I am hearing that more and more and more."

Kucinich, for his part, has sent more signals than anyone else in the caucus about his interest in raising accountability issues. The congressman, who has broken with Pelosi on issues relating to the funding of the war in Iraq, has been blunt about his frustration with the caution of Congress when it comes to addressing executive excess.

 

Spread this far and wide:

Kucinich Introduces Historic Articles of Impeachment Against Vice President Richard Cheney

Documents:

http://kucinich.house.gov/SpotlightIssues/documents.htm

Go here to call/email your Representatives:

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml

Ladies and gentlemen, your tireless efforts for impeachment have finally borne fruit. Your countless emails, calls, letters, town hall meetings, street protests, and huge marches have persuaded one courageous Member of Congress to start the impeachment process.

That Member is Dennis Kucinich, and here are his Articles of Impeachment, officially known as H.Res. 333. In a nutshell, Kucinich  believes Cheney should be impeached because he:

 1. Manipulated intelligence to fabricate a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction

 2. Manipulated intelligence to fabricate a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda

 3. Openly threatened aggression against Iran absent any real threat to the the United States Let's show our support for Kucinich's heroic efforts by asking the rest of Congress to co-sponsor these Articles , and by telling the

media we demand impeachment now.

http://www.impeachcheney.org

Ask your Congress Member to support impeachment proceedings against Vice President Cheney: http://tinyurl.com/yttnxq

Ask members of the House Judiciary Committee and Speaker Nancy Pelosi to lead, follow, or get out of the way:

http://tinyurl.com/2ar8ch

Tell the media that you support Kucinich's proposal to begin impeachment proceedings: http://tinyurl.com/2cag7t

Learn more at: http://www.impeachcheney.org

It's Time to Poll on Impeachment

After the Downing Street Memos proved George Bush lied about Iraq's WMDs, Democrats.com began lobbying corporate media polling organizations to include impeachment questions in their polls. For two years, those pollsters have contemptuously dismissed our requests. But

now that Rep. Dennis Kucinich has introduced Articles of Impeachment for Dick Cheney, it is time for pollsters to include impeachment questions in every poll they take . You can ask them to here:  http://tinyurl.com/ys4yax

Public to Demand Impeachment at Capitol on Wednesday

  http://www.impeach07.org

 

 

 

VERMONT STATE FOR IMPEACHMENT

Great news! In addition to the 39 Vermont cities that passed Impeachment Resolutions, today the Vermont State Senate passed such a resolution! This is the first state house to pass one, so this action could really elevate the debate.

http://wjz.com/topstories/topstories_story_110100239.html

 

 

 

Here are two interesting stories about impeachment this week. 

Today, Kucinch has filed articles of impeachment of Richard Cheney, and investigations of Cheney would surely drag Bush down as well.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2007/04/articles_of_impeachment_to_be.html

The second story is about Medea Benjamin and dozens of other influential politicians, artists, activists and academics calling for impeachment at the capitol this Thursday!

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0704/S00240.htm

Abel

 

 

 

 

 

PETITION FOR IMPEACHMENT of PRESIDENT BUSH and VICE-PRESIDENT CHENEY

 

TO: SENATORS LINCOLN AND PRYOR and REPRESENTATIVE BOOZMAN

 

 

Here is an abridged list of Charges for Impeachment and here is the link to extensive evidence: http://www.impeachforpeace.org/evidence/  At least eight books have been published advocating the impeachment of President Bush.

 

 

Charges:

 

ILLEGAL WAR

George W. Bush intentionally misled the Congress and the public regarding the threat from Iraq in order to justify a war against Iraq, intentionally conspired with others to defraud the United States in connection with the war against Iraq in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 371;

 

ILLEGAL SPYING

*Update - Recently Found Guilty by District Court

George W. Bush has admitted to ordering the National Security Agency to conduct electronic surveillance of American civilians without seeking warrants from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, duly constituted by Congress in 1978, in violation of Title 50 United States Code, Section 1805;

 

GENEVA CONVENTION VIOLATIONS

*Update -Found Guilty by the Federal Supreme Court

George W. Bush conspired to commit the torture of prisoners in violation of the "Federal Torture Act" Title 18 United States Code, Section 113C, the UN Torture Convention and the Geneva Convention, which under Article VI of the Constitution are part of the "supreme Law of the Land;"

 

George W. Bush conspired to deny due process to prisoners of war, indiscriminantly bomb cities, transfer prisoners of war from an occupied territory, and planned, prepared, initiated and waged of a war of aggression in violation of U.S. Military Code section 2441, Geneva convention (I Art 3, II Art 18, Art 19, III Art 13, Art 17, Art 33, Art 34, Art 49, IV Art 3), and the 1945 Nuremberg Principles articles 6(a) and (b);

 

ILLEGAL DETENTION

*Update - Found Guilty by District Court

George W. Bush has acted to strip Americans of their constitutional rights by ordering indefinite detention of citizens, without access to legal counsel, without charge and without opportunity to appear before a civil judicial officer to challenge the detention, based solely on the discretionary designation by the President of a U.S. citizen as an "enemy combatant," all in subversion of law;

 

ILLEGAL RELEASE OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

George W. Bush authorized the leaking classified national secrets to further a political agenda, exposing an unknown number of covert U. S. intelligence agents to potential harm and retribution while simultaneously refusing to investigate the matter;

 

ILLEGAL FREEZING OF ACCOUNTS AND RESTRICTION TO FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY *Update - Found Guilty by District Court

George W. Bush ordered the freezing of financial accounts, without limit to how groups were chosen to be on such a list, and he ordered himself the power to create blacklists of any individual he felt was associated with the aforementioned groups, thereby creating a system of "guilt by association."

 

ILLEGAL USE OF SIGNING STATEMENTS

George Walker Bush has attached signing statements to more than one hundred bills before signing them, within which he has made over eleven hundred challenges to provisions of laws passed by Congress, a figure that exceeds the total number of such challenges by all previous presidents combined, and has used this practice to exempt himself, as President of the United States, from enforcing or from being held accountable to provisions of the said laws. By declining to veto even bills, and instead attaching signing statements challenging hundreds of laws passed by Congress, he has sought to exempt the executive branch from accountability to said laws, thereby violating Article 1, Section 7 and Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution. These articles of the Constitution dictate that the president has the option of signing or vetoing a bill, and upon signing the bill to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed."

 

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FROM ABEL

Here are some typical arguments against impeachment and some good rebuttals if you are interested.

 

Abel

 

Arguments Against Bush Impeachment...

 

 

If we impeach Bush, we’ll get President Cheney!

 

The most recent impeachment resolution introduced by McKinney included Bush, Cheney, and Rice. Although, even if we only initially pursue Bush, initiating the impeachment process will lead to an investigation that will implicate lots of people in the Bush administration who are guilty of committing crimes, including Cheney.

 

In addition, no matter who we get to replace Bush, we’ll be showing those in power that anyone who breaks the law will be held accountable.

 

Promoting impeachment will seem too “extreme.”

 

Demanding that crimes be investigated is NOT extreme. Some previous impeachment attempts were considered extreme because they were pursued for actions that didn't rise to the level of a Constitutional crisis, which is what the impeachment tool is meant to be used for. Nixon's impeachment, however, was bipartisan.

 

  We should wait to impeach...

 

Wait to impeach? We've waited 3 or more years too long already. We had enough evidence to impeach years ago. Remember, an impeachment only means you have enough evidence to warrant a trial, just like an indictment. Our congress people didn't take an oath to bipartisanship. They took an oath to the Constitution. Besides which, our troops, Iraqi civilians, and our own civil liberties are all waiting for this.

 

Before we impeach, we should get some legislation passed...

 

And with unconstitutional Presidential Signing Statements, veto power, and the power of "Commander in Chief" at his disposal, how do you think Congress is going to get anything accomplished without first impeaching Bush?

 

If your tire blows while you're driving, do you stop to fix it? Or do you continue driving on your rim because to stop would take too much time?

 

It hurts the democracy to go through a presidential impeachment. And Bush is a lame duck anyway.

 

Holding government officials accountable for their actions strengthens our democracy. Letting lawlessness stand weakens it.

 

Sometimes reprimanding a child (president) doesn't make the family (Washington) a happy place. But you still have to do it so the child and his siblings (future presidents) learn about accountability. Impeachment is horribly UNDERUSED, which is part of why there's so much corruption at the top. Politicians must learn to fear it. People think things are better because we improved the make-up of our law-making body, Congress. But Bush is BREAKING LAWS. So, it doesn't matter how many laws Congress passes if they don't serve their OVERSIGHT duties as well by impeaching. They swore to defend the Constitution. What are laws without enforcement?

 

Besides, Bush can still do a lot of damage. Our troops, Iran, and our Supreme Court are all endangered so long as he remains in office. Waiting until Bush is out of office will leave us complicit in any further crimes he commits. The Union of Concerned Scientists has estimated that the death toll from a "tactical" nuclear weapon of the kind Bush is contemplating using in Iran would be at minimum 3 million men, women, and children. The path of death would stretch across country boundaries into India.

 

Perhaps worst of all, we set a terrible precedent by allowing Bush to stay in office after he's broken so many laws. Impeachment will stop future presidents from using Bush's actions as justification for even more lawbreaking and erosion of civil liberties.

 

I'm a Democrat/Republican. If we support impeachment it will lower the chances of my party winning in 2008.

 

So, your party would rather win elections than do what's right for the country? I hope you're wrong. I also hope the public is willing to throw additional support to any party that holds our elected officials accountable for their actions. This has been historically true with every single impeachment effort launched. And this impeachment effort would begin with majority support (unlike most past impeachments including Nixon).

 

Impeachment will never happen. The Republicans will block it.

 

Well, all we need is a majority of support in the House. And 2/3rds vote in the Senate to remove Bush from office will happen once the evidence gets aired on the floor of the House, and subsequently the national media outlets. The political pressure will become too great.

 

Today's impossibility is tomorrow's reality. Republican Congress members will realize that tying their political future to Bush reduces their chances of getting elected. Remember, one way or another, Bush is gone by 2009 but members of Congress may retain their offices beyond that date. Bush's poll numbers are extremely low, and most Americans support impeachment. This is a bipartisan movement. This means that if we make the pressure unbearable for Members of Congress, they'll turn on him to keep their own seats (like they did with Nixon). It's already starting to happen. While many Members of Congress have behaved unethically in the last few years, it's important to understand that this is related to their warped view of what's in their self-interest. Let's wake them up to their true self-interest (impeaching the president), by showing them our support for impeachment.

 

And even if we only impeach, and the Senate fails to do their duty and remove him from office, it will only implicate the Senators who fail to do their sworn Constitutional duty.

 

But Speaker of the House Pelosi said that Impeachment was "off the table."

 

Pelosi most likely said this to remove any appearance of conflict-of-interest that would arise if she were thrust into the presidency as a result of the coming impeachment. What we need to do is to pressure Pelosi not to interfere with impeachment maneuverings within her party. Sending her Do-It-Yourself impeachments legitimizes her when she joins the impeachment movement in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

FROM ABEL

Here are some typical arguments against impeachment and some good rebuttals if you are interested.

 

Abel

 

Arguments Against Bush Impeachment...

 

 

If we impeach Bush, we’ll get President Cheney!

 

The most recent impeachment resolution introduced by McKinney included Bush, Cheney, and Rice. Although, even if we only initially pursue Bush, initiating the impeachment process will lead to an investigation that will implicate lots of people in the Bush administration who are guilty of committing crimes, including Cheney.

 

In addition, no matter who we get to replace Bush, we’ll be showing those in power that anyone who breaks the law will be held accountable.

 

Promoting impeachment will seem too “extreme.”

 

Demanding that crimes be investigated is NOT extreme. Some previous impeachment attempts were considered extreme because they were pursued for actions that didn't rise to the level of a Constitutional crisis, which is what the impeachment tool is meant to be used for. Nixon's impeachment, however, was bipartisan.

 

  We should wait to impeach...

 

Wait to impeach? We've waited 3 or more years too long already. We had enough evidence to impeach years ago. Remember, an impeachment only means you have enough evidence to warrant a trial, just like an indictment. Our congress people didn't take an oath to bipartisanship. They took an oath to the Constitution. Besides which, our troops, Iraqi civilians, and our own civil liberties are all waiting for this.

 

Before we impeach, we should get some legislation passed...

 

And with unconstitutional Presidential Signing Statements, veto power, and the power of "Commander in Chief" at his disposal, how do you think Congress is going to get anything accomplished without first impeaching Bush?

 

If your tire blows while you're driving, do you stop to fix it? Or do you continue driving on your rim because to stop would take too much time?

 

It hurts the democracy to go through a presidential impeachment. And Bush is a lame duck anyway.

 

Holding government officials accountable for their actions strengthens our democracy. Letting lawlessness stand weakens it.

 

Sometimes reprimanding a child (president) doesn't make the family (Washington) a happy place. But you still have to do it so the child and his siblings (future presidents) learn about accountability. Impeachment is horribly UNDERUSED, which is part of why there's so much corruption at the top. Politicians must learn to fear it. People think things are better because we improved the make-up of our law-making body, Congress. But Bush is BREAKING LAWS. So, it doesn't matter how many laws Congress passes if they don't serve their OVERSIGHT duties as well by impeaching. They swore to defend the Constitution. What are laws without enforcement?

 

Besides, Bush can still do a lot of damage. Our troops, Iran, and our Supreme Court are all endangered so long as he remains in office. Waiting until Bush is out of office will leave us complicit in any further crimes he commits. The Union of Concerned Scientists has estimated that the death toll from a "tactical" nuclear weapon of the kind Bush is contemplating using in Iran would be at minimum 3 million men, women, and children. The path of death would stretch across country boundaries into India.

 

Perhaps worst of all, we set a terrible precedent by allowing Bush to stay in office after he's broken so many laws. Impeachment will stop future presidents from using Bush's actions as justification for even more lawbreaking and erosion of civil liberties.

 

I'm a Democrat/Republican. If we support impeachment it will lower the chances of my party winning in 2008.

 

So, your party would rather win elections than do what's right for the country? I hope you're wrong. I also hope the public is willing to throw additional support to any party that holds our elected officials accountable for their actions. This has been historically true with every single impeachment effort launched. And this impeachment effort would begin with majority support (unlike most past impeachments including Nixon).

 

Impeachment will never happen. The Republicans will block it.

 

Well, all we need is a majority of support in the House. And 2/3rds vote in the Senate to remove Bush from office will happen once the evidence gets aired on the floor of the House, and subsequently the national media outlets. The political pressure will become too great.

 

Today's impossibility is tomorrow's reality. Republican Congress members will realize that tying their political future to Bush reduces their chances of getting elected. Remember, one way or another, Bush is gone by 2009 but members of Congress may retain their offices beyond that date. Bush's poll numbers are extremely low, and most Americans support impeachment. This is a bipartisan movement. This means that if we make the pressure unbearable for Members of Congress, they'll turn on him to keep their own seats (like they did with Nixon). It's already starting to happen. While many Members of Congress have behaved unethically in the last few years, it's important to understand that this is related to their warped view of what's in their self-interest. Let's wake them up to their true self-interest (impeaching the president), by showing them our support for impeachment.

 

And even if we only impeach, and the Senate fails to do their duty and remove him from office, it will only implicate the Senators who fail to do their sworn Constitutional duty.

 

But Speaker of the House Pelosi said that Impeachment was "off the table."

 

Pelosi most likely said this to remove any appearance of conflict-of-interest that would arise if she were thrust into the presidency as a result of the coming impeachment. What we need to do is to pressure Pelosi not to interfere with impeachment maneuverings within her party. Sending her Do-It-Yourself impeachments legitimizes her when she joins the impeachment movement in the future.

 

 

 

 

FROM ABEL

Violations of law (impeachable offenses)

 

Manipulation of intelligence to justify an illegal invasion and occupation

 

Lying to America about Iraq’s posing an imminent threat, WMDs and links to 9/11

 

Initiation of a war of aggression, highest violation of Nuremberg Charter

 

Authorizing torture, international war crime

 

Warrantless wiretapping of US citizens

 

Violated numerous Constitutional rights of US citizen

 

Facilitation and support of war profiteering

 

Gross criminal negligence in addressing the aftermath of Katrina and climate change

 

 

Crucial Facts

 

Over 3,000 soldiers dead and over 20,000 wounded

 

655,000 Iraqis dead and countless more wounded

 

War will ultimately cost over $2 trillion www.csmonitor.com/2006/0110/dailyUpdate.html

 

national debt increasing $4-600 billion/yr. to the current $8.7 trillion total

 

Bush Tax Cuts will cost $4.3 Trillion by 2016

 

 

 

The Nation (Feb. 5, 2007), “For the Republic”: “…investigations that could lead to impeachment may, as one ingredient of Congress’s activity, strengthen rather than weaken the efforts to end the war.  Investigations, resolutions, legislation, not to mention citizen action, can all find their place as part of the common effort.”

 

From Rachel News Feb. 22, 2007
Editorial: Making Martial Law Easier
  As we have pointed out before, the U.S. now has all the trappings
  of a police state, though for the most part it is not yet being
  operated as one. Nevertheless, even the New York Times has noticed
  that we are inching toward martial law.
 

“Culture of Obedience”

SALT LAKE CITY  Rocky Anderson may not be the most liberal mayor in America. But here in the most conservative state, he might as well be.

 Just being himself is enough to galvanize, divide or enrage people who have followed his career as Salt Lake City’s mayor, and who are now watching him become, in the twilight of his final term, a national spokesman for the excoriation and impeachment of President Bush.

 [“President Bush is a war criminal,” Mr. Anderson, a Democrat, said at a rally here on Monday marking the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq. “Let impeachment be the first step toward national reconciliation and toward penance for the outrages committed in our nation’s name.”]

Mr. Anderson, a 55-year-old lapsed Mormon and former civil litigator with a rich baritone and a mane of patrician-silver hair, is no stranger to strong talk and political stances that leave his audiences breathless with exasperation, admiration or sometimes a mixture of both.

Theres a real resistance to change and an almost pathological devotion to leaders simply because theyre leaders, he said, in describing fellow Utahans who do not share his views and who in large numbers support the president (and gave him 72 percent of their vote in 2004). Theres a dangerous culture of obedience throughout much of this country thats worse in Utah than anywhere.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/22/us/22rocky.html?hp

 

 

 

 
 

Monday, February 26, 2007

Organizing Notes

WE HAVE BECOME DEATH

The U.S. now has more firepower stationed in the Persian Gulf than at any time since the beginning of the Iraq war.

The photo above is the crew of the USS Eisenhower which is today on alert in the Arabian Sea.

Last night before going to bed I read the latest article by Seymour Hersch at the New Yorker magazine on U.S. plans for Iran. I now have absolutely no doubt that Busy-Cheney will attack Iran along with Israel.

But even more so the article clearly spells out the larger plans to widen the war in the region by funding Sunni terrorist groups in Lebanon, Syria and Iran to create more turmoil in those Shiite dominated nations. The plan is to create an Iraq-style civil war between Sunni and Shiite throughout the Middle East in hopes the U.S. can then divide and conquer the entire region.

Just like the crew member in the photo above, with the very sick death mask on his face, the U.S. is now without a doubt the leading death agent on the planet. Our foreign policy is war and death. And the fact that the weapons corporations can make a substantial profit at it - all the better they say.

This is worse than Hitler. This is the most horrendous display of evil that one can imagine.

According to Hersch, the Bush-Cheney cabal have asked Saudia Arabia to fund Sunni terrorist groups to go into these Shiite countries and create civil war. These are the same Sunni groups that are killing American GI's right now in Iraq. Do you see the insanity here?

You must do something immediately. You have to get people to read and publicly discuss this article by Seymour Hersch linked here. http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/022507Z.shtml

 

People must come to grips immediately with the pure evil of current U.S. plans for endless war in the Middle East.

We are in big trouble at this moment.

Get busy.

 

Bruce K. Gagnon
Coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
PO Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 443-9502
http://www.space4peace.org
globalnet@mindspring.com
http://space4peace.blogspot.com (our blog)

 

APRIL 30, 2007, RALLY TO IMPEACH BUSH AND CHENEY, UOFA CAMPUS, organized by Abel Tomlinson.

 

 

Songs by DONNA STJERNA AND KELLY MULHOLLAN

 

SONG BY DAN DEAN

Dr Bennett,

Here are the lyrics to my song, Intolerable Acts, along with a brief "preamble" I presented before I played.  Feel free to edit for length or content.  The song is also available for listening or download online at:

http://www.purevolume.com/dandean

Thanks for all you do,

Dan

 

I'm always pleased to see my fellow citizens exercise their constitutionally protected right to peaceful assembly and free speech.  As many of you probably are, I am disturbed to see a perfectly natural feeling like patriotism, a love of one's country, be manipulated (as it has throughout

history) to drum up support for another war for profit.  In 1774, King George's British Parliament passed five laws which American colonists called "Intolerable Acts," including one prohibiting town meetings.  Resistance to these acts eventually brought about our country's first "regime change."  I know I'm fortunate to live in this country, but I can't ignore the terrible things for which our government is responsible – slavery, genocide, unilateral invasions of sovereign nations, being the only nation to ever use a weapon of mass destruction - the list goes on.  This song is about the disconnect between the America we want to see, the one envisioned by those who designed our government, and the America we have created – the potential lauded in songs and poems, and the unfortunate reality of our collective history.

 

                    intolerable acts

oh say can't you see by the rockets' red glare the collateral damage – bombs bursting in air somehow i don't think everyone saw what i saw our government is waging a war without end asking "how did our oil get under their sand?"

i guess what i'm feeling is shock,

because it sure isn't awe

 

it's time to reread that u.s. constitution reclaim old glory as the symbol of revolution that it was back when our forefathers and mothers expressed their dissent we the people need the power, not the corporations who could stand to improve their reputations i hold these truths to be self-evident these are intolerable acts

 

oh beautiful and spacious skies

where the smog stained flag of convenience flies where profiteers prosper and put on those patriot acts oh purple mountain majesty with its peak mined away and its rivers of mercury oh leaders of nations who refuse to listen to the facts

 

when in the course of human events

it becomes clear our leaders don't have common sense it's the duty of all true patriot souls to protest just like back in seventeen seventy six when the people got tired of old george's tricks the extent of our love for our country is put to the test

 

we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave the country that was built on the backs of the slaves the land where my fathers died – land of the pilgrim's pride land of the natives who suffered our genocide one nation under god in whom we're told to trust but if you worship another we'll bomb you to dust when millions of people around the world disagree yet we refuse to rethink our priorities...

 

it's time to reread that u.s. constitution reclaim old glory as the symbol of revolution that it was back when our forefathers and mothers expressed their dissent we the people need the power, not the corporations who could stand to improve their reputations i hold these truths to be self-evident these are intolerable acts

 

POEM BY RUSS (I never received Russ’s poem)

 

SPEECH BY ABEL TOMLINSON

Impeach for Peace Rally Speech

 

Hello everybody!  I’m sincerely sorry Medea Benjamin couldn’t make it, she was offered a meeting with Hugo Chavez who had the balls to call Bush the Devil at the UN, but that’s o.k. I‘d like to thank everyone here for showing up to participate in this courageous expression of patriotic dissent.  Thanks to everyone who helped organize this event, thanks to OMNI for their support, and great thanks to the wonderful musicians and poets here today! 

 

Now let’s get to the point.  We must impeach our criminal leaders! George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney! 

 

Why impeach?  We could spend all day listing the crimes including any of the 34 scandals during Bush’s first term, but instead I’ll focus solely on the highest crimes.  Briefly, the charges are manipulating intelligence and lying about Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction and ties to 911 to justify their illegal war of aggression; they conducted warrantless spying of our computers and telephones; they authorized torture; illegal detainments that violate several Constitutional laws; and illegal use of signing statements to over 100 Congressional laws, allowing escapement from accountability with a telling example from McCain’s anti-torture bill, which pegged Bush’s pro-torture views.  The US Supreme Court and District Courts have already found the Administration guilty of most of these charges. 

 

Bush and Cheney are guilty of the most serious international war crimes by conducting a “war of aggression” and committing a “grave breach” of the Geneva Conventions with authorization of torture.

 

The most glaring impeachable offense is their lies to the American People about Iraq’s posing an imminent threat, Weapons of Mass Destruction and links to the 9/11 attacks. 

 

Evidence clearly indicates intentional manipulation of pre-war intelligence to gather public support for war. The top secret Downing Street memo clearly states that “intelligence and facts were being fixed” regarding WMDs in order to justify the Iraq Invasion.  We also know that most of the intelligence sources used such as “Curveball” and others were known to lack credibility by many intelligence experts, but critics were silenced. 

 

Last night on 60 Minutes, former CIA director George Tenet stated forcefully that those in the CIA knew for a fact that Iraq had no connection to 9/11, but Bush and Cheney ignored the CIA and lied to America and the World.  Even today, there is a significant percentage of dumb American’s who still believe this lie, mostly Fox News viewers. 


Unfortunately, many Americans are also uninformed about the actual support for impeachment. Let’s thank all of the media for this, not just Fox News.  There is a serious suppression of impeachment polling or news stories related to impeachment by all mass media.  Washington Post chief pollster Richard Morin was asked about lack of impeachment polling and he responded, “this question makes me angry”. The director of Gallup Poll also said he would only do impeachment polls if the issue gained mainstream attention.  Uuuuh…duhhh, what the hell does he think creates mainstream attention on such issues, perhaps polls and media coverage of them. 

 

The last impeachment poll was from Newsweek in October 2006.  This poll found that 51% of Americans support impeachment, and even 20% of Republicans, so we are not just a majority, but a bipartisan majority!  Sadly, Newsweek did their best to hide this fact even in their own report and all other mass media followed suit.  Likewise, there have been no new impeachment polls since the Democrats won both houses of congress in November.  The whole situation seems very fishy at best.  Shit, by now 60% of America could support impeachment.

 

Not only do the majority of Americans support impeachment, but many major cities and 5 states introduced measures supporting impeachment.  In addition, 39 Vermont cities and the Vermont State Senate recently passed impeachment resolutions, which have greatly elevated the level of debate nationwide. 

 

Also, the tremendous Congressman and Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich has just introduced articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney in the US House of Representatives with the idea that Bush would be easily co-ensnared with investigations into the well-known crimes.

 

Likewise, we recently started this new student RSO Impeach for Peace UA a couple weeks ago and we already have nearly 100 members.  Our objectives are simple: to raise awareness about impeachment at such events and to pass impeachment resolutions on campus and in the City of Fayetteville.  We could be a shining example for the Red State South and we could show the rest of the country that we’re not all inbred Rush Limbaugh-Fox News zombies.

 

There were also nationwide protests in dozens of cities this Saturday, April 28th.  All of this impeachment activity was summarized nicely by former Attorney General Ramsey Clark when he recently said, “The Winds of Impeachment are Sweeping the Nation”. 

 

Now let’s talk briefly about the arguments against impeachment.  Most of the arguments are very weak, but two are worth rebutting. 

 

The first is that impeachment will distract from Iraq Withdrawal.  This argument is weak because Bush has promised to veto withdrawal bills and with his illegal use of signing statements, he could negate any bill even if he signed it, so I hate to burst the bubble, but we’re probably staying in Iraq until Bush is out of office, so why not accelerate his departure with impeachment?   Impeachment may be the only option to end the War soon.

 

The other argument I wish to rebut was mentioned by Barbara Walters last week on the View.  Impeachment was being discussed and the four women seemed to reflect America’s support for impeachment.  The ditzy conservative, Elizabeth was against impeachment and the two more liberal women, Rosy and Joy supported impeachment.  Barbara Walters, the moderate one, said she didn’t support impeachment because it would tie up business in Congress. 

 

Please allow me to rebut Barbara!  Has our congress really got shit done since Bush has ruled as supreme leader?  The vast majority of accomplishments were wrong at best and evil at worst, with most legislation aimed at helping the wealthiest 10% of Americans and Corporations. So hell yeah, Let’s tie them up until we get a new president!  Furthermore, one of the priorities on Bush’s Agenda is arguably to invade Iran, so again let’s impeach to prevent further atrocities. No business is better than bad business.

 

The Primary purpose of impeachment is not simply punitive justice for our criminal leaders, but more importantly in regaining the world’s respect and setting an example for future Presidents.  We must impeach to exemplify democratic accountability and that it is wrong to wiretap, torture, and manipulate intelligence and lie to justify an illegal war.

 

Regarding global respect, many people now see the billboard of America as the tarnished arrogant image of Abu Ghraib, Gitmo, and illegal Iraq War.  Even Colin Powell said America is losing it’s moral authority.  We’re also losing diplomatic credibility and persuasive power.  How are we supposed to encourage democracy and human rights in China, Russia or Israel, when our moral voice rings hollow.  When we criticize them for unfair elections or human rights abuses, they can say, “eat shit” you rig elections and illegally wiretap, imprison and torture people, so why can’t we?

 

If we don’t impeach our criminal “leaders”, we’ll continue sending a message to the rest of the world that we’ve completely abandoned our respect for the rule of law. If America, the shining example of democracy, abandons the abiding of our own laws, then other countries will begin to follow our corrosive example, until we become a world of lawlessness with a reversal of societal evolution back to the Dark Ages.  Let’s impeach to show the world that this is not King George’s America and we’re not his sheepish lockstep followers.

 

But we mustn’t simply impeach Bush because he’ll only be replaced by another Bushclone like Cheney. We must impeach ‘em all and let God sort ‘em out. For the past 6 years, an assload of neocons has been constipating progress and staining the walls of the white house with blood and greedy corruption.  It is time to cleanse and purge, like a grand enema of justice flushing out this stinky rotting fecal matter from the highest offices of our government. Let’s patriotically create a brighter and better America than we’ve ever had, a country of peace and justice that we can proudly deliver to our children and the next generation of Americans. 

 

Impeach Now! Impeach Now! Impeach Now!

 

 

CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

 --Senator Blanche Lincoln: Web Site (they have contact links): www.lincoln.senate.gov; http://www.lincoln.senate.gov/index.cfm; http://www.lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html

Washington Office: 355 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510-0404

Phone: (202) 224-4843 Fax: (202) 228-1371. 

Fayetteville office:  251-1380.  Lincoln’s staff is better informed than Boozman’s (see below), but obviously (her vote to join Bush in appropriating $95 billion more to keep the occupation going) they need a lot of education.

Northwestern Regional Office
4 South College Avenue, Suite 205,
Google Maps puts the marker 308 feet south of Meadow Street.
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 251-1224; FAX (479) 251-1410
Community Affairs Specialist: John Hicks

State Central Office

912 West Fourth Street
Little Rock, AR 72201
TEL: (501) 375-2993
FAX: (501) 375-7064

Donna Kay Yeargan
State Director

Community Affairs Specialist: Tamika S. Edwards and Kim Mullen

Cydney Pearce
Office Manager\Special Projects Coordinator

Cathy Bozynski
State Scheduler and Caseworker (Passports, Post Office, and Railroad Retirement)

State Staff

Shelly Baron,
Constituent Relations Specialist

Margie Goss
Staff Assistant

Mary Anderson
Caseworker (Education, EEOC, Health Insurance, Housing, IRS, Labor, OPM, Small Business, and Workers' Compensation)

Betty Ruth Davis
Caseworker (FEMA, Medicare, and Social Security)

Cynthia Edwards
Caseworker (Corps of Engineers, FCC, Farm Services, Fish and Wildlife, Forestry, Justice, Natural Resources, Parks, Prisons (State), Rural Development, Veterans, and USDA)

Rod Sweetman
Arkansas Military Liaison\Caseworker (Academy Appointments, Immigration, Military, Prisons (Federal), and Veterans) Staff members:

Getting to her office:

 --Senator Mark Pryor: Web Site (see contact link):   www.pryor.senate.gov ;  http://pryor.senate.gov/contact/      Pryor has no office in NWA, so call or write him and his staff in DC:   Washington Office: 217 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510-0403. Phone: (202) 224-2353 Fax: (202) 228-0908

Main District Office: 500 Pres. Clinton Ave., Suite 401, Little Rock, AR 72201.

Phone: (501) 324-6336 Fax: (501) 324-5320.

--Congressman John Boozman, District 3, 12 counties from Benton to Washington

Lowell office: 479-725-0400.  213 W. Monroe, Suite K, 72745.  Boozman's new office in Lowell is located at 213 West Monroe in Lowell between I 540 and Business 71.  Go there, talk to Boozman’s staff members.  They are all polite young  people, but now, made blind and deaf by the US Corporate/War complex, they need your peaceful explanation of reality and values.  To reach that office take Exit 78 off I - 540 and go east. You will be on Hwy 264 which is also West Monroe. The office is in the Puppy Creek Plaza, past the McDonald's on the right.  His suite is in the back of the complex to the left.  Or write or call.   Ms. McClure is Assistant Chief of Staff for the Lowell office, Ms. Breazeal focuses on gangs, and Ms. Stacy Davis is constituent staff member.

Ft. Smith office: 479-782-7787; 30 South 6th St. Rm 240, Ft. Smith 72901.

Harrison office: 870-741-6900; 402 N. Walnut, Suite 210, Harrison 72601.

DC address: 1708 Longworth House Office Bldng., Washington, DC 20515; 202-225-4301.  Leslie Parker, appointments secretary: 202-225-4301.  (Or she was, let me know if it’s now someone else.)