7. Impeachment Momentum. More states and cities have either passed or are debating impeachment resolutions against Cheney and Bush. The momentum builds. This is not an academic exercise, as one of the ways impeachment can begin in the U.S. Congress is by way of state demand.

The states debating the issue in their legislatures include California, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, Vermont, and Washington. Latest news: 38 separate towns in Vermont ( http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/19417 ) have passed resolutions urging the state legislature to approve the impeachment of Bush and Cheney, thus joining other cities across the country.

It is inexplicable to me why the Democratic leaders in Washington (read: Pelosi and Reid) are trying to squelch these state and local moves for impeachment. Don't they read the polls? More than half of the American people are in favor of beginning impeachment hearings in reference to the lies and deceptions that took the U.S. into war in Iraq -- and most of the other congressional probes involving CheneyBush scandals haven't even had public sessions yet.

8. Iraq Escalation. Even CheneyBush's handpicked new leader for the Iraq campaign, Gen. David Petreaus, admits that the military escalation in Iraq is senseless unless it's accompanied by serious political negotiations among the affected Iraqi groups.

"There is no military solution to a problem like that in Iraq. Military action is necessary to help improve security. ... But it is not sufficient. There needs to be a political aspect," said Petraus in his first press conference in Iraq ( http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article1487615.ece ) since Bush's escalation began. Read between the lines: Bush's "surge" is destined to fail, but it being pushed for domestic political reasons; the Pentagon has begun planning for a fallback position when the U.S. has to abandon the "surge" plan.

Not incidentally, and as could have been predicted, Bush has asked Congress for several more billion dollars to pay for 8,000 more troops for the escalation, in addition to the 21,000 already in-country or in the pipeline. One can hope that Congress will refuse to enable more deaths and  turn down the supplemental request.

KEEP THE PRESSURE BUILDING

True, the positive news seems to move at a glacial pace, while the negative seems to be growing exponentually each day. But think about it: The past six years have been dominated mainly by bad news for the Constitution and for those weak countries we've invaded.

Now at least there are positive developments, encouraging rays of hope in the air as the CheneyBush administration continues to unravel and collapse in on itself.

That's why it's so vital that we keep up and even increase the momentum of progressive developments in our effort to restore Constitutional government, and to end the wars in the Greater Middle East. And as we do, we must not allow the Busheviks to catch their breath and regain their balance and control of the political agenda. #

Bernard Weiner, Ph.D. in government & international relations, has taught at Western Washington University, San Francisco State and San Diego State Universities, worked as a writer/editor with the San Francisco Chronicle for nearly two decades, and currently co-edits The Crisis Papers (www.crisispapers.org). To comment: crisispapers@comcast.net .

First published by The Crisis Papers and Democratic Underground 3/13/07.

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