Impeachment Talking Points...from After Downing Street.org

[marmar]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/15468

Ten impeachable offenses committed by Bush and Cheney are:
1. Violating the United Nations Charter by launching an illegal war of aggression against Iraq without cause, using fraud to sell the war to Congress and the public, and misusing government funds to begin bombing without Congressional authorization.
2. Violating U.S. and international law by authorizing the torture of thousands of captives, resulting in dozens of deaths, and keeping prisoners hidden from the International Committee of the Red Cross.
3. Violating the Constitution by arbitrarily detaining Americans, legal residents, and non-Americans, without due process, without charge, and without access to counsel.
4. Violating the Geneva Conventions by targeting civilians, journalists, hospitals, and ambulances, and using illegal weapons, including white phosphorous, depleted uranium, and a new type of napalm.
5. Violating U.S. law and the Constitution through widespread wiretapping of the phone calls and emails of Americans without a warrant.
6. Violating the Constitution by using signing statements to defy hundreds of laws passed by Congress.
7. Violating U.S. and state law by obstructing honest elections in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006.
8. Violating U.S. law by using paid propaganda and disinformation, selectively and misleadingly leaking classified information, and exposing the identity of a covert CIA operative working on sensitive WMD proliferation for political retribution.
9. Subverting the Constitution and abusing Presidential power by asserting a "Unitary Executive Theory" giving unlimited powers to the President, by obstructing efforts by Congress and the Courts to review and restrict Presidential actions, and by promoting and signing legislation negating the Bill of Rights and the Writ of Habeas Corpus.
10. Gross negligence in failing to assist New Orleans residents after Hurricane Katrina, in ignoring urgent warnings of an Al Qaeda attack prior to Sept. 11, 2001, and in increasing air pollution causing global warming.

[Jcrowley]

1. Thanks for that

K&R

[Poiuyt]

2. K & R!!!

[mom cat]

3. K&R ... This is far worse than anything Nixon ever did. We cannot

sweep this under the rug, or the voters will sweep the dems under the rug in the next election. The polls say that the repukes lose the election rather than believing that the Dems won. The driving force behind this election is a revulsion, a sickness unto death at the devistating assault on democracy, decency and ethics. The corrupt administration should not be allowed to stay in power and have control over the military and the nuclear button!

[porphyrian]

4. Kick for people who still don't get it. - n/t

[WillyT]

5. Sums It Up Quite Nicely !!! - K & R !!!

:kick:

[seemslikeadream]

6. yep

I got a couple of reasons myself

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2698070&mesg_id=2698251

[neilepi]

7. Based on what the two people who had been involved in the Nixon case...

...referenced in an earlier post some of the above would not fit into the definition of "impeachable acts". Number 10 immediately stikes me as being in that category as my understanding is that negligence, per se, is not impeachable whereas abusing power and acting in breach of the constitution clearly are. In the video the point was made that although a very clear case could be made against Bush for signing orders authorising unconstitutional wire-tapping there is not necessarily a similarly clear-cut case against Cheney.

Number 7 also strikes me as a very difficult case to prove even though, if it could be proven, it might fall into the impeachable category.

What I gleaned from the discussion about the Nixon situation was that the event which did most to turn public opinion in favour of impeachment was the firing by Nixon of the investigator, creating the appearance that he believed himself to be above the law.

The new, unique, 2007 Anti-Bush Graffiti calendar

[immerlinks]

8. Should be number 1 on Nancy's to do list

If she can get them both impeached and removed at the same time. Nancy Pelosi becomes president. I can't wait for January!

[cassiepriam]

9. How about squandering the US treasury and incurring debt for generations?

[TahitiNut]

14. Technically, all revenue legislation must originate in the House.

Thus, it can be argued that the House is responsible for fiscal discipline - or lack of same.

[cassiepriam]

15. Many members of congress met their fate last Tuesday. nt

[leftofthedial]

10. several of these are actually categories of numerous offenses

[Anita Garcia]

11. Any documentaries/movies?

We would like to show an impeachment movie for our progressive movie night in December. Do you know of any?
rec'd

[marmar]

12. Here's a link to a DVD by Dave Lindorff and Barbara Oshansky...

http://www.squeakywheel.net/impeachbroadcast.html

and some details:

Now available for broadcast:

The Case for Impeachment

"The Legal Argument for Removing President George W. Bush From Office," a speech by journalist David Lindorff and constitutional rights attorney Barbara Olshansky



Click here for information on how to obtain: Audio for radio or video DVD public access TV broadcast!
Click here for information on: Volume discounts for audio CDs and video DVDs as premiums for your nonprofit group's fundraising campaigns!

Investigative journalist DAVID LINDORFF and Center for Constitutional Rights attorney BARBARA OLSHANSKY present in-depth analysis of the constitutional arguments they maintain justifies the impeachment of President George W. Bush, which include: making false claims to justify the Iraq War, torture and abuse of prisoners in U.S. custody, the holding of American citizens and foreign nationals without charge, trial or access to attorneys and the unlawful warrantless surveillance of U.S. citizens.

This 59:00-minute audio and video program was recorded at a public forum sponsored by Between The Lines Radio Newsmagazine in New Haven, CT on June 24, 2006

DAVID LINDORFF, a journalist for over three decades, has written for numerous publications including Business Week, Salon, and The Nation. He's the author of three books, This Can't Be Happening!, Killing Time and Marketplace Medicine. BARBARA OLSHANSKY is the director counsel for The Center for Constitutional Rights who is currently managing habeas litigation on behalf of 300 detainees held at the U.S. Naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- among them were three prisoners who committed suicide on June 10.

A Zogby poll conducted in June 2005 found that 42 percent of respondents said they would favor impeachment proceedings if it is found that President Bush misled the nation about his reasons for going to war with Iraq. Another Zogby poll conducted in January 2006 found that 52 percent of those surveyed supported impeachment if President Bush engaged in illegal surveillance of US citizens. Both polls registered more support for impeaching President Bush, than for the GOP-led impeachment of President Clinton in 1998.

Order DVD or CDs as premiums for your nonprofit group's fundraisers.

We are offering "The Case for Impeachment" in audio CD and video DVD format to our Between The Lines affiliates and other nonprofit organizations. Contact us for details on pricing and shipment at [phone], ext. 3 or at [e-mail]

[Anita Garcia]

16. Thanks, checking it out today!

[mmonk]

17. Thanks for that.

I still have a DVR recording of their book TV appearance and of course, the book. It's so much easier giving people a DVD to watch, etc., especially to friends who say they don't believe the things you tell them (because its not on the MSM or radio they listen to).

[TahitiNut]

13. I don't understand.

Why isn't "blow job" in that list? I thought that was the only reason to take impeachment "off the table" - since the precedent showed it counterproductive.

:dunce:

[mmonk]

18. Must have been a typo

;)