Impeachment Call Echoes Near Independence Hall

[tommcintyre]

William Hughes
November 12, 2006

"In the U.S., our first executive magistrate is...subject to censure, if necessary, to punishment. He is the...'accountable' magistrate of a free and great people." - Del. James Wilson (1)

Philadelphia, PA - Within shouting distance of fabled Independence Hall, representatives from a nationwide coalition of organizations met on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006, to call for the impeachment of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. In the National Constitution Center's Kirby Auditorium, across the street from where the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on July 4, 1776, and the U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, voices were raised demanding "real change" in the most lawless administration in the history of our Republic. A panel of seven activists shared their views. Elizabeth Holtzman, who gained prominence for her distinguished role in the 1974 House Judiciary Committee's Impeachment Inquiry into the Watergate-related crimes of then-President, Richard M. Nixon, set the tone for the event. (2) Today, this panel launched a grassroots movement, a "Citizens Impeachment Committee," to restore the honor and integrity of our federal government. (3)

Holtzman, a Democrat, from New York City, and a former state's attorney and expert on impeachment, served in the House of Representatives from 1973-81. (4) She told the audience: "It is an extraordinary subversion of the Constitution to send people to die, to be maimed on the basis of a lie...The president knew if he told the truth we wouldn't be in this war...Those framers of the Constitution knew that some day there was going to be a Richard Nixon as President of the United States. And they knew there was going to be a George W. Bush as President of the United States. They knew that subverting the Constitution was the greatest danger to befall our country. So, that all of us here have to be soldiers in that cause." Holtzman added that the illegal acts of Nixon, the lying and the unlawful wiretapping, "are not too different from today. This president has subverted the Constitution and represents a threat to our democracy."

Background: Both Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the soon-to-be Speaker of the House of Representatives; and Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), tagged to be the new Chair of the House's Judiciary Committee, are reporting that impeachment is "off the table." They are both seriously mistaken. The people spoke on Nov. 7th. It is the collective will of the people to hold President Bush and V.P. Cheney accountable for their serial abuses of power. The Republic belongs to the people, not the Wirepullers. (Res Publica Est Res Populi: The Republic is the Property of the People.) It is our sons and daughters who have died in Iraq. It is our money, in the hundreds of billions of dollars, which has been wasted there in a war launched based on a pack of outrageous lies. (5) It is our Constitution that has been ignored, and our rights violated by the widespread and unlawful surveillance program, initiated without legal process and proper U.S. Federal Court oversight, by the Bush-Cheney Gang. It is important, particularly, for Rep. Pelosi to remember recent history. An arrogant House Speaker, Tom "Bad Check" Foley (D-WA), (1989-95), forgot that he was only a trustee of his high office and not an owner of it. His constituents rebuked him for his hubris. Foley was voted out on the street. Foley's fate in 1995, could be Pelosi's fate in 2008!
More: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=16500

[krispos42]

1. A state assembly or legislature needs to start articles of impeachment

Section 603 of the Rules of Order that Congress runs buy. They started it in California and Illinois. Let's finish it!

[midnight]

22. If it is started already, then let's finish it already.

Does anyone know what California or Illinois is waiting for?

[krispos42]

25. Excellent question. Here's the IL link

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=0125&GAID=8&GA=94&DocTypeID=HJR&LegID=25794&SessionID=50

Hasn't moved since May. Maybe they're out of session?

[IntiRaymi]

2. Let's keep this rolling.

This absolutely MUST be viewed as a genuine grassroots movement.
We cannot emulate the bullshit repubclican partisanship of the 90's. That and the fact that we have a far better case for Crimes and Misdemeanors.

[humbled_opinion]

4. Exactly my point.

Wait let me see we the people stand by while Clinton gets crucified and tortured for something that was a private consenual affair and hurt no one except he and his wife. And we pussyfoot around atrocities that could very well mean the end of this countries Democratic existence...

I think people are losing perspective.

[humbled_opinion]

3. I agree what is the sense in the tiptoeing..

"This president has subverted the Constitution and represents a threat to our democracy."

Ahem.. I think that is exactly what all the clamour was up until the election, Right? So in view of the results, why would the leadership deny the will of the people?

Did I misread the election results or something?

[IntiRaymi]

5. The Supreme Court also subverted the constitution.

Is there a procedure for impeaching a supreme justice?

[tommcintyre]

6. Yes, a supreme court justice can be impeached

"The only way a Justice may leave the job is to resign, retire, die, or be impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate. No Justice has ever been removed by impeachment."
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/6-8/government/national/justices.html

[humbled_opinion]

9. I love that link... n/t

[tommcintyre]

12. Yep, it's never too early to teach 'em right. ;>) nt

[humbled_opinion]

15. An excellent and tactful insult to wanna be pundits... thanks... n/t

[lumpy]

7. Impeachment is called for. Bush is gong to

continue to stand in the way of this country making any advancment in foreign or domestic policy.
He has such a taste for power that he will have to leave the WH kicking and screaming. Better now than later. We can't afford to put up with his dictatorial ways for 2 more years.

[Jcrowley]

8. k & R n/t

[AndyTiedye]

10. Investigate, Then Impeach

[cassiepriam]

14. Impeach, Indict, Imprison.

I love your bumper sticker.

[AndyTiedye]

16. Send Them to the Hague

If we try to indict them, they'll just pardon themselves/each other.
Send them to the Hague. pResidential pardons are not accepted there.


Bush** does the "frog march".


The Peace Palace. The Hague. Netherlands.
Home of the International Criminal Court



The U.N. Prison in the Peace Palace.
Home of convicted war criminals.

[cassiepriam]

17. Of course, only way to get the crooks. Hope the Hague is big

enough for the whole lot of them.

[MGD]

24. Investigate, Then blackmail.

This is like having pictures of your boss with a dead prostitute. You can turn the photos over to the authorities and get a new boss who may be just as bad or you can put the pictures in a nice secure place and hang them over your boss' head for the rest of his life.

[pacalo]

11. Excellent -- thank you!

Getting back to (Elizabeth) Holtzman. When she gave her talk, which I found very impressive, I could just see her in a court room making an effective closing argument to a jury, summing up all the facts and the law for it to consider in reaching their verdict. I watched her first-rate legal mind at work as she was speaking and recalling her days working as a young Congresswoman on the legendary House Judiciary Committee which drove a deranged Nixon, and many of his closes corrupt collaborators, from public office. Holtzman finished her compelling remarks by stating: "We can't have a President who puts himself above the rule of law, if we want to continue to have a democracy...We are not a Banana Republic. We are the United States of America...We need to investigate...No Americans should ever have to give one drop of blood for a lie-ever...Polls show that the American people are ahead of the politicians. They can make Washington sit up and pay attention because they did it once before...I believe we have the evidence we need. As a former prosecutor, I would like to have more...We are going to bring George W. Bush and Richard Cheney to account and to impeachment." (10)

[maryallen]

13. IMPEACH NOW!!!

[jhasp]

18. Do not impeach

Impeachment is a bad idea. We don't have the numbers for a conviction-so we won't be rid of Bush even if we go through with this. We should be using this opportunity to demonstrate the differences between the Democratic and Republican parties in terms of principles and priorities. Useless impeachment proceedings tell the American public that partisan politics are more important to Democrats than health care, increasing the minimum wage, education, and finishing what they started in Iraq. Republicans still have the power to filibuster and Bush still has a veto pen. If we focus on impeachment and investigations, then this will just be red meat to their base (and a lot of independents out there) to obstruct and veto our priorities. On the other hand, if we hold back and use the threat of investigation and impeachment over the Republicans, then this will give us leverage to get our priorities passed. :hippie:

[AndyTiedye]

19. Impeach When We Have the Numbers. INVESTIGATE Until We Do

[Spangle]

21. Election in 2 years!

Don't have numbers to convict? Those who will be voting will be thinking about when WE are voting next!

When the articles of impeachment are drawn up, they are done so after it's decided that it's been proven the President has commited an impeachable offense. That may or may not come after an investigation.

If the congress person didn't vote to impeach, then those from the state he/she is in can demand they are brought home/resign, etc. IN fact, that kind of presure most likely will start before the voting happens.

Any who, I doubt that we could get through ivnestigations, impeachments, then trial in the senete before election day 2008. However, the whole mess will REMOVE from poltics alot of dirty people. We can not just focus on JR! He is and always has been the puppet.

[thecrow]

20. Breathtaking.

All I can say.
Who would have thought there would be this day.
And the sybolism.
Breathtaking.

[lumpy]

23. I would trust Elizabeth Holtzman to make the

correct decision whether to impeach Bush or not. She is the expert on the subject, and has the experience and knowledge to bring a case for impeachment against Bush and Cheney. We all know the case for impeachment is there, just waiting for action. The Citizens's Impeachment Committee is a beginning.
I believe impeachment proceedings should begin as soon as possible, the sooner the better; you know that the Democrats in Congress will continue be stymied by the administration. The root of our problems has been the Bush/Cheney administration, and if the root is pulled out, the sooner we can get to restoring some modicum of integrity and sanity to our country. Very little will truly be accomplished if this incompetent, inept, foolhardy bunch will be there to thwart any actions the Congress might try to take.
Bush/Cheney should not be allowed to continue their assault against our Constitution and the very foundation of our Democracy. And they will continue to do so. The only way we can truly breath a sigh of relief is if they are put out of business, now.

[Senator]

26. kick

[VegasWolf]

27. Good! State efforts like this should make Cheney lose his bowels with

the Democrats in charge!

[earth mom]

28. Power to the People! Impeach! eom

[Vidar]

29. Glad to see some folks believe in liberty. Getting hard to tell at DU.

[AntiFascist]

30. kick