RawStory: CALLS FOR IMPEACHMENT -- Jerrold Nadler and Jonathan Turley

[AtomicKitten]

Congressman, law scholar urge House to consider impeachment inquiry at hearing

RAW STORY
Published: January 20, 2006
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Congressman_law_scholar_urge_House_to_0120.html

Calls urging an impeachment inquiry into President Bush's domestic surveillance program were heard during an unofficial House Judiciary Committee hearing held by Democrats on Friday, RAW STORY has learned.

An article written by Stewart M. Powell, White House correspondent for Hearst Newspapers, reports that Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and law professor Jonathan Turley both argued strenuously that the President's alleged crimes and misdemeanors may be impeachable offenses.

Rep. Nadler said that the legal justifications offered, so far, by the Bush Administration are "not even debatable. They're frivolous arguments; they're arguments that could only be made by a monarch -- by someone who's trying to justify absolute power in the executive branch."
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"This type of violation should be a textbook example of the impeachment issue because not only is it a federal crime but it violates the doctrine of separation of powers," Turley said at the hearing.

Congressman Conyers' opening statement at the hearing can be read at this link.

Excerpts from the article by Powell:
#

A Democratic congressman, a prominent legal scholar and a self-described target of government surveillance urged Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee Friday to consider impeaching President Bush for his domestic surveillance program.

....

Nadler, a lawyer and senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee's panel on the Constitution, called for the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee to explore whether Bush should face impeachment for alleged high crimes and misdemeanors stemming from his decision to authorize domestic surveillance without the court review required by a 1978 federal law.

....

Turley, a law professor at George Washington University since 1990 who has served as a defense lawyer in espionage cases, said Bush "committed a crime" by ordering domestic eavesdropping on telephone calls and e-mails inside the United States without the court approval required by federal law. Violations carry up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Turley said that Bush committed a potentially impeachable offense by claiming inherent powers under the Constitution to violate a law approved by Congress.
#

Developing...

[salvorhardin]

1. Working link

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/In_opening_statement_Democrat_takes_on_0120.html

[AtomicKitten]

5. I fixed the link -- sorry -- mine is different. n/t

[rateyes]

2. Getting good....

we need to elect a Democratic Majority House...

:popcorn:

[IndianaGreen]

3. Bush's claim about him having "zenith of power" because of 9/11

is the sort of claim that only tyrants have made throughout history. Bush must be impeached now, or else there is no one to stop him from imposing martial law and imprisoning his political opponents.

[aquart]

4. Nadler is my Congressman. Mine.

Chest swelling with pride.

[gordontron]

9. send him some love mail

:toast: lets just hope things keep going

[aquart]

17. I always do.

Anyone who criticizes things as much as I do, has to be willing to say when things are being done right, too.

[NYC]

14. Nadler is a good one.

I have Maloney.

[Rageneau]

6. this can't be true -- The WaPo sez no politician has mentioned impeachment

That's why they get so maaaaaaaaaad when someone suggests they poll on the subject. Nobody is talking about impeachment says the WaHoPo -- no rightwing Republican (which includes most of the Post editorial staff) that is.

After all, this isn't something serious like an unauthorized BJ -- the kind of thing the WaHoPo makes it its business to protect us from.

[struggle4progress]

16. Call is out to impeach Bush (Detroit Free Press)

FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES

WASHINGTON -- ... The recommendation by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., law scholar Jonathan Turley and Florida-based political activist Richard Hersh emerged at an unofficial Judiciary Committee hearing staged entirely by Democrats ...

Nadler, a senior Democrat on the committee's panel on the Constitution, called for the Republican-led committee to explore whether Bush should face impeachment for alleged high crimes and misdemeanors stemming from his decision to authorize domestic surveillance without court review.

Hersh, 59, testified that he learned in a Pentagon report unearthed last year by NBC News that he had been the target of government surveillance during participation in a meeting at the Quaker meeting house in Lake Worth, Fla., in 2004 ...

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060121/NEWS07/601210321/1009

[HuffleClaw]

7. yes, BUT

the ONLY 'news' that is going to come out of this will be the comparison to nazi germany, that much is clear. they'll DEMAND an apology, etc...

[kster]

8. I would be SHOCKED if they got

an apology from Mr.Turley.

[Moosepoop]

10. CNN had a small bit on the hearing last night.

They called it a "mock" hearing!!! :mad:

[Twist_U_Up]

11. Where the fuck is our Representation ????

We elected these so called leaders to lead....WELL FUCKIN LEAD THEN !!!

It is always the same people fighting these fuckers and the rest of our elected reps just sit around and play hide and seek.

I WANT ALL OF THEM ON THE HOUSE STEPS WITH PITCH FORKS READY TO BURN THE FUCKER DOWN IF THEY DONT GET SOME ACTION !!! THIS SHIT HAS GOT TO STOP

edit:for bush patrol:
well not burn it down it was sarcasm.thats alot a tax dollars wasted if they did that.hehe

[A Brand New World]

12. I watched the hearing last night on CSpan 2 and my impression

was that the whole panel was begging for impeachment. Actually begging the House Of Representatives to do their job. What more is it going to take before someone puts a stop to this regime? I'm really, really scared for my country right now.

[Triana]

13. Thing is, if the Republican congress...

...the congress at-large (ie: a majority of them) doesn't call for bu$hit's impeachment, then it doesn't really matter who else does. It won't go anywhere. No one will take these "unofficial" meetings seriously. I'm not trying to be defeatist, but them's the facts.

What other VIABLE scenario is there that could REALLY happen to get this criminal out of the White House? What is realistic to expect here? Not what we WANT to happen, but rather what CAN happen.

I love what Conyers et al are doing and I certainly think they (and we) should keep fighting, but at the same time, keep those expectations in check. Our government has been taken over by the biggest crime ring in this country - and the media is part and parcel of it. THAT is going to take a lot more than unofficial basement hearings to clean up. If everyone hasn't noticed, we have few serious or willing warriors on our side (except Conyers and a few others) - and no one is listening to them except us. We essentially have no representation in "our" government (it's not ours anymore, it belongs to corprat AmeriKKKA and THAT is who it serves).

So....what?

[MellowOne]

15. If only...if only n/t

[Josh]

18. Nadler, during the recount: "There's a whiff of fascism in the air" -

He said it after the Republican operatives all came down to Florida and rioted to stop the Miami-Dade recount. He's awesome.