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Tag(s): ACLU; Common Dreams; Commonsense; Congress; Congress; Freedoms; Future; GrassRoots; Hearings; Impeachment; (more...) Impeachment; Impeachment; Impeachment; Law; Lies; Message; People; People; Politicians; Polls; Power; Radio; Russia; Strategy; Truth; Writing; Writing (less...)
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December 1, 2007 at 12:46:12

Is it too late to impeach? Identifying and Rebutting Common Pro/Con concerns and Proactive Tools

by Kathryn Smith Page 2 of 3 page(s)

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And contrary to Biden’s statement that “causes for impeachment must be provable”, there is overwhelming proof of cause. The Valerie Plame leak is only one of those, since according to Rep. Henry Waxman, D-CA, the Constitution prohibits the declassification of information by the Vice President of the USA. Only the President has power to declassify information, specifically when that is not done to avoid embarrassment or for purposes of self-gain. Bush and Cheney both stand on very shaky legal ground, writes Waxman in an open letter to Bush as posted to Talking Points Memo. And let’s not forget that Valerie Plame’s life was endangered by the vengeful leak.

And, according to an article by John Dean, leading our nation to unprovoked violence is specified by the Constitution as an impeachable and imprisonable offense.

Never in any American time has it been more exigent to impeach. As reported by the BBC, Vladimir Putin recently issued a statement to the Russian people, promising that he will strike the USA with nuclear weapons if we strike them first. He did so based on the realization that Bush’s desire to place nuclear weapons shields in Russia and Europe were truly aimed at Russia and not at Iran, because Iran, he pointed out, does not pose a threat to the USA. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6719507.stm

Our civil liberties are being eroded so quickly, and wrapped up in such a veil of secrecy, that even Congress doesn’t know the extent of the abuses. The People have no way of knowing the nature or the extent of the violations, since all is happening so quickly (a calculated strategy, of course) and the gag orders in the National Security Letters portion of the Patriot Act assure that not a soul knows what is happening, since anyone violating the gag order suffers five years in jail. So much for free speech America. Bush himself strong-armed Congress into passing the Patriot Act, according to the ACLU. Is there any more reason to argue against impeachment and to support him?

So what is the solution?

First let’s all of us, together, empower the citizens with hope: Depression governs our masses. Our active involvement in encouraging the masses would be key to spawning proactivity:

Folks, we are wrong in thinking that A) politicians won’t care if we step forward with letters, protests, et al. Politicians want to be re-elected: Let’s not forget that fact. B) And votes can only be rigged to an extent which will not raise suspicion, based on the polls. That’s why the Democrats won last time around. C) As a member of the ACLU and Moveon.org, I have been very much encouraged to see politicians reversing their positions 180 degrees when signatures by the hundreds of thousands or millions have been delivered to Congress. It’s true that the lone voice won’t count, but the voice of the masses does carry power. Again, politicians want to be reelected. D) Notice how many politicians are resigning to avoid scandal? That’s an obvious sign that our opinion DOES matter and that our voice DOES count! Truth of wrong-doing does not like to see the light of day. And our action, as a group, can only be effective in bringing that truth to light.
So let’s take heart and take a proactive position like never before:

A) VERY IMPORTANT: Nancy Pelosi might put impeachment back ON the table (and remove whatever is UNDER the table) when Representatives nation-wide are convinced that impeachment is an absolute necessity, that there is legal proof aplenty to support impeachment, and that they will lose their seat in office if they don’t follow through.

Please call your local representative, and circulate e-mails asking that others do the same.

B) “John Conyers is not waffling about impeachment. He is being arm-twisted. He needs to hear from the public” offered a Congressional Aide I spoke with. It would be key to contact his office (by phone, since letters by non-constituents will be screened out) and offer your concerns and support for impeachment.

C) Rep. Robert Wexler, as member of the House Judiciary Committee, has stated that based on Kucinich’s bill to impeach Cheney first, he will “urge the House Judiciary Committee to schedule immediate impeachment hearings” but he wants to hear from the public first. Call his office and you will be part of the solution.

D) Letters to the editor are the most-read pages in the newspaper, according to Moveon.org and the ACLU, and are read by politicians as indicators of public opinion. Write your editor a letter showing why you think Bush and Cheney must be impeached.

You can host a letter-to-the-editor party in your home, church or synagogue, in which participants read their letters out loud. That way, group feedback serves to edit the letter, and assures that the impact to other readers will be similar to the sentiment offered by the group response.

Whether you host a party or just write solo, writing letters does not require creative writing skills. Neither does it require being a good writer, as many people errantly believe. It only requires facts to back up your assertions. And that you keep your letter down to 250 words or less. That’s it. It’s a network out there, and you never know who you are going to reach: Go for it!

VERY IMPORTANT: Opinionated rants will have little effect, and may even only turn readers off to the cause: The last thing we need! But clear-cut facts which inform public opinion will promote awareness and sense of urgency. Stressing the hope will spawn proactivity.

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This quote summarizes the nature of my concerns and the content of personal experiences which stir my activism: "Necessity is the plea for every infringement on human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves". --Paul Revere, House of Commons

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3 comments

Between jobs, passions are motorcycles, music, and green-tech
truthtruffleBetween jobs, passions are motorcycles, music, and green-tech

I'd like to see impeachment

I think it boils down to this: At some point, don't know how, don't know

when, but anyway our Congress became more about money than it

did about representation. This isn't just about the war, it's also about

the accumulated and ever-expanding debt, and about a lot of other things

which kind of got deliberately ignored or swept under the rug as it were,

and for them to carry impeachment forward also highlights the need

for other reforms, primarily fiscal, but also political. I think there's people

that basically have the view that they 'own' our political process, and

that's something that needs/requires a resurgence of public participation

in all branches of government.

The War Powers Act of '73 was conceptualized and implemented to

bring a supplemental check on warmaking powers after the Murkin

publik finally got sick of the last War Without End, Vietnam.

Evidently, the Act is worthless in the contemporary context. This is why our

troops are still at 'war' 5 years after the fact. Does the fabrication

of pre-war evidence, the spying, and the rest of it all ball up into

something that constitutes grounds for impeachment? Well,

depends on who you ask, and it speaks directly/indirectly to the

whole 'superpower' thing, what really goes on, and who's really

being represented, foreign golf buddies, and whatnot.

Meanwhile, though, the world can push back. The contest continues,

the resource search continues, the political influence-peddling continues,

the overspending continues, and the hawks lobby for more more and

more. Recently, there's even been buck-passing, with Rove announcing

now that the Democrats pushed the war button, pushed em into it.

Kind of Springer-esque, 'they made me do it', kind of disgusting. All

that's missing are those crutches and the foam neck collar. Ya gotta

wonder what's Really Going On, here, and if Congress truly listens to

anyone anymore, other than maybe DynCorp or something,or, more likely, if

they've just been bull-shat by the professional lobbyists such as the

'defense' people beyond any stretch of the imagination or decency or

common sense in the name of making a buck at all costs.

As the debt balloons, and the neverending saga continues, and the

Democrats prove themselves unworthy to mount significant opposition

to a military-industrial horseshit story run amok, voters are left

wondering what to do. Should we rename the country The People's

Republic Of Exxon, or the People's Consumer Paradise, People-Something,

at any rate, as long as we've got Dick Tater in charge...nuff said. Oil.

You're wearing it. What a sad sideshow. Where's the burning hoops

and the dogs? Arf! Arf! Jump!

http://www.impeachbush.org

by truthtruffle (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 100 comments) on Saturday, December 1, 2007 at 4:22:28 PM

"I am a patriot in the tradition or Mark Twain who stated that 'a patriot is one who supports his country 100% of the time...and the government when it deserves it." As such I am passionate about protecting the rights of US citizens under the Constitution and a believer in the principle of Eternal Vigilance."
Abraham007"I am a patriot in the tradition or Mark Twain who stated that 'a patriot is one who supports his country 100% of the time...and the government when it deserves it." As such I am passionate about protecting the rights of US citizens under the Constitution and a believer in the principle of Eternal Vigilance."

Freedom of speech at its best

Very moving article and exemplary use of free speech to express a point of view, grounded in facts and a deep respect of the Constitutional values that made this Republic more than just a possibility. Way to go!

by Abraham007 (5 articles, 36 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 45 comments) on Sunday, December 2, 2007 at 8:35:56 AM

57Yo m I'm a "been there, done that! Bought the tee shirt,to hide the scars!" type of person Ive workedï¿½many jobs fromï¿½a chicken slaughterer to managing a branch of a multinational and many jobs in between.Raised in colonial PNG Left School 16,Grad Hi school 22 Night School, University 36ï¿½ BBus (majored in Psyche and Marketing), Dip Comp prog and project Mmnt.at 50 I've been in 48 different community org ,23 on board with 18 prez or deputy prez.First social campaign at 17 for the aborigine...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Andris57Yo m I'm a "been there, done that! Bought the tee shirt,to hide the scars!" type of person Ive workedï¿½many jobs fromï¿½a chicken slaughterer to managing a branch of a multinational and many jobs in between.Raised in colonial PNG Left School 16,Grad Hi school 22 Night School, University 36ï¿½ BBus (majored in Psyche and Marketing), Dip Comp prog and project Mmnt.at 50 I've been in 48 different community org ,23 on board with 18 prez or deputy prez.First social campaign at 17 for the aborigine...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Last time I said

I thought that the Dems hadn't impeached the Deadly Duo was largely on pragmatic grounds ie Pelosi might have difficulties hold disciplin on the senate. Her resposes seemed to give me the impression she needed 5 more sure votes to be a winner.

I doubt that she, being a seasoned veteran would have told you all of her reasoning. More likely she would have told you what she thought you might accept as being her reasoning. She wouldn't be disposed to publicize her strategic weaknesses. A bit convoluted but that's politics.

I wonder if your efforts shouldn't be better spent boxing in Bush and Co. if you like a harm minimumization campaign.

by Andris (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 531 comments) on Sunday, December 2, 2007 at 4:17:09 PM