Calif. Impeachment Forum: Malloy, Rep. Waters & others + crowd of 1,000
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=1069705Video at
http://www.afterdowningstreet.orgOriginally posted Mon May-01-06
A thousand people filled the historic Crest Theater in Sacramento on Saturday night to discuss the impeachment of George W. Bush. Down the street at the Convention Center, California Democrats were holding their state convention. The Progressive Caucus of the Democratic Party presented the debate of our future: “Impeachment: Dialogue, Debate & Action.”
When the Moderator arrived on stage with panelists the place erupted with cheers. “MIKE MALLOY!!!!!!”
The first speaker was Tim Goodrich, an honorably discharged member of the Air Force, deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. Noticing the discrepancies between Bush’s rhetoric before the Iraq war and the realities he found there himself (including weekly bombings going back twelve years that were being increased) Mr. Goodrich decided to see the truth for himself. He joined Global Exchange on a fact-finding delegation to Iraq in 2004. He returned and began speaking out against the war and co-founded Iraq Veterans Against the War.
He spoke of how “naive and uninformed I was about foreign policy that I was about to be implementing.” He remembered climbing up into B-52’s to sign bombs that were about to be dropped. He heard Bush saying he would “try diplomacy first” as he sent 100 planes on bombing runs on one day in 2002.
He called for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney.
And the crowd had something to say:
BACKBONE!
JAIL TO THE CHIEF!
IMPEACH BUSH! IMPEACH BUSH!
Mike Malloy received a second standing ovation when he went to the podium to address the rowdy and enthusiastic crowd.
“I’m old enough to remember when the entire country was a ‘free speech zone’ and the entire Democratic Party was ‘progressive.’ Let’s hope the Democratic Party can return to that.
“We must remove this administration that is being run as a criminal enterprise. They behave as if they are beyond Constitutional law and international law. They view checks and balances as an impediment to corporatism.
“They are acting outside the Constitution, which was also done by Nixon, Reagan and Bush I... This is the most aggressive and blatant assault on the Rule of Law, by the Bush administration that uses juvenile coyness and deliberate obfuscation.
“This administration must be removed from office legally and peacefully.”
Mike’s questions to the panel were about the grounds for impeachment and any other reasons the panel would add;
Which element for impeachment is most compelling and most important to Democrats, to Congressional Democrats and to those running for office?
Which reasons are most prosecutable?
How can we take action?
Prior to the election of a Democrat majority in the House and Senate, with no current majority in Congress, is this an exercise in futility?
How did this happen and how do we not get here again?
The panelists included Bob Fertik, co-founder of Democrats.com and afterdowningstreet.org. His answer to the first question:
“I think going to the debate with an earpiece is an impeachable offense. And stealing two elections is an impeachable offense.”
He later said we have to “DEBUSHIFY AMERICA.”
It was a fun night.
After her introduction (and an impressive list of committee memberships, including Judiciary) Representative Maxine Waters pointed out that she is also the Chair of the House Out of Iraq caucus. She said that she was in Congress during the Clinton impeachment. “Infidelity pales in comparison to what this president has done.” All the primary reasons for impeachment-- violating FISA law, using torture and using detention/rendition-- are high crimes and misdemeanors.
Rep. Waters said that after 9-11, this administration “fashioned this phony war on terrorism.” After 9-11, people were afraid and that fear was used. “People are afraid and they are being taken advantage of.”
When she discusses why Congressional Democrats are “not moving aggressively to resist this president,” she hears a lot of “He’s the president” and “He’s the commander in chief” as excuses for inaction. So, Rep. Waters says, “Let’s impeach Cheney!”
Rep. Waters pointed out that members of Congress are used to issues “organized into the possible and impossible” and they “view their work in terms of the possibility of success.”
(So, she is faced with the attitude in Congress of impeachment as an exercise in futility and faced in California with a crowd of 1,000 that sees it as vitally important).
The event clearly had an affect on her and the crowd was left with the impression that she would carry the message back to the House and to the Judiciary Committee.
It seemed that from the perspective of Congress, they don’t understand what the public really thinks. “I would think that people are so........”
The crowd filled in the blank during the Congresswoman’s pause: “OUTRAGED!”
“.....outraged, I would think people would be out in the streets...”
ARE MANY IN CONGRESS WAITING FOR THE PUBLIC TO DO SOMETHING WHILE MANY IN THE PUBLIC ARE WAITING FOR CONGRESS MEMBERS TO DO SOMETHING?
California Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood) introduced amendments to California Assembly Joint Resolution 39, calling for state initiated impeachment of George Bush and Dick Cheney.
He watched an interview with one of the weapons inspectors, who said that Saddam had outdated weapons-- BEFORE Bush took the country to war. He said that a couple of years ago it was clear to him that this president deserved to be impeached.
“Only a couple weeks ago did it occur to me that I was the one that was going to have to do it.”
He said that Bush was on record before he was president, saying that he intended to start a war, finish it quick and easy, as a means to a successful presidency.
“That is heart of impeachment.” This administration is “violating the constitution with impunity.” Assemblyman Koretz calls for impeaching both Bush and Cheney.
His additional reasons for impeachment are Bush federalizing the national guard and implementing “a phony war that destabilized the Iraq and possibly destabilized the region.”
Shayana Kadidal is staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York City. He is counsel in the Center’s pending challenge to the NSA’s warrantless surveillance program.
Mr. Kadidal's additions to the list of impeachable offenses were the Bush administration's assault on the separation of powers and their efforts at Total Information Awareness datamining, as well as giving false information to the Senate (quoting Founder James Ardell on impeachment), lying to commit a war of aggression and violating the oath of office.
Oh-- AND PLAMEGATE.
Mr. Kadidal suggests that since this illegal war and the illegal wiretapping are tied up with national security, people need to be encouraged to recognize that there has been “no net benefit” in terms of security. The administration is “not making us more secure, they are making us less secure.”
Elisabeth De La Vega is a former federal prosecutor with more than 20 years experience. She pointed out Bush appointed 30-40 staff who were on record as wanting to attack Iraq. Before 9-11 their focus was attacking Iraq. On 9-11, their focus was “how to use this to attack Iraq.”
There is an ongoing “conspiracy to defraud the nation to prosecute this war” and an “overwhelming case” for impeachment. Ms. De La Vega called it “RECKLESS DISREGARD FOR THE THE TRUTH AND THAT’S FRAUD.”
She advised that we “have the courage to talk to people that don’t agree with you. Be sincere, not histrionic. People are persuaded by sincerity.” People talking to each other about this in “committees of correspondence” can reach a tipping point, a geometric progression of awareness and action.
Mike Malloy asked about impeachment actions around the country and what effect they have. Bob Fertik of Democrats.com said,
“This is giving us hope. Hope is the scarcest commodity right now. We expect our leaders to do this for us, that’s why we elect them-- but they’re not. Efforts to impeach are better from the bottom up because Washington is so poisonous....
“EVEN FOX NEWS CAN’T STOP THE PEOPLE FROM SPEAKING.”
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