Al Gore endorsed Obama last night, throwing in a strong kick in the pants to Dubya. A bit too late to mean much. It WAS a good speech and it made me, again, like gastrointestinal reflux makes you taste something you ate, hours ago, wonder what this world would be like if he'd found his voice before 2001. Some TV pundits commented how different the world and the nation would be if GOre had won, what a mistake the US had made.
It is tragic that the Democrats in congress refuse to do the right thing and impeach.
Perhaps, if the corpstream media talk more about the abject, horrific failure of Bush and Cheney, the Republicans will face the fact that history will look just as badly or worse upon them for not removing them from office and THEY will impeach them. How ironic if the Democrats blocked them from protecting the constitution? Would that show that the Democrats are NOT impeaching because they deem it politically advantageous to keep Bush dangling in the wind?
This past weekend I went to a local Democratic party event and went around asking attendees if they liked Kucinich's move. All but one did. I encouraged them to walk up to our congressman, Patrick Murphy, to tell him they wanted him to read the articles of impeachment and to sign on as a co-sponsor. They hadn't thought to do it face to face. Now is the time. THere will be plenty of face to face opportunities to meet your congressperson this summer, as the election heats up. Take those opportunities. I'm not just saying for you to TELL your member of congress. I'm saying you should send as many people as possible up to talk to him or her.
Now, Patrick was spending a lot of time having pictures taken with him and his constituents. Can't blame him. It's what the people want. But my friends were shy about talking to him while he was doing this, like it was more important for him to be uninterrupted while having pictures taken than to tell him that he needs to save the constitution. I can see this being the case anywhere in the US. I say, go ahead and talk to him while the picture is being taken. Don't dare miss the opportunity.
Now, at one point in the event, Patrick gave a speech. Here's where you have a real opportunity. The moment he finishes, before the next, lower level local candidate starts his or her stump speech about running for state or local office, jump in. Ask the crowd, "How many of you think Cheney has violated enough laws and the constitution so he should be impeached?" Then ask, "How many of you think Bush has violated enough laws and the constitution so he should be impeached after Cheney?"
Believe me, they will all agree. Be careful. Don't ask if they SHOULD be impeached. It's all about timing. That question should be asked of your member of congress.
Now, to maximize the response, before the house rep speaks (don't bother with a US senator. THey don't vote on impeachment hearings. It's a waste of time and they won't respond, since they act as jurors if it goes to the senate) set the scene up. Talk to as many people as possible, Plan this days ahead of time and make sure that your fellow impeachment supporters are there to prod the crowd and make a ruckus.
After you've asked your two questions, wrap up by saying, "If you think they should be impeached, tell congresswoman such and such personally." Then, spend the rest of the event going around to people you saw agreeing with your impeachment questions, and prod them to go up the congressperson and tell her or him that she should co-sponsor Kucinich's bill. Kucinich says to ask if they've read his articles of impeachment. If so, he says to ask why they won't sign it.
I told Patrick Murphy, a freshman who's in for a tough fight with a former marine whose son was killed in Iraq, that co-sponsoring impeachment would help him. I believe that. And Murphy, as the first and currently, only Iraq veteran, would be one important voice that would make a difference. He also has the power, though he may not realize it, to stand up to the "off-the-table" Pelosi police who are blocking impeachment. They're not going to cut his funding if he strays off the permitted territory.
Then again, I believe that moving impeachment forward will help all candidates, Democrat or Republican. The question always comes up about not having enough votes in the senate. At this late stage, that fact is a gift to the Democrats. Since they control the house, they can just keep hearings running and running until they run out the clock in January. It's the hearings stupid. The hearings will churn out hundreds, no, thousands of hours of prime-time TV coverage showing Republican rubber-stamped Bush, Cheney and company corruption and crime.
I believe that once this starts, the Republicans will go to Cheney and Bush and demand that they resign, just as Agnew and Nixon did. The GOP will cleanse itself of their horrific leaders. But it will be too late. The hearings will have made clear to all Americans the horrible, shameful crimes these enablers allowed to continue to happen.
By the way, Murphy told me he'd support impeachment when the house judiciary brought the bill to a vote, when they have enough evidence. That doesn't cut it for me. I like Patrick. He's generally voted the way I wanted him to, given the bills that have come to the floor. But he truly does, as the only Iraq veteran, have an opportunity to take a principled stand that no other legislator can do. He should take it. It will seal the success of his first run as an incumbent. The independents that make up 20% of the voters in his district will reward him for doing the right thing. So will some of the Republicans who have finally faced the fact that impeachment is the only right thing to do. And that's a reality that, for the candidates with the courage to take stands, which will play out across America.
So, go to those local events, with fellow impeachment supporters, and fan out, send constituents to your legislator, and beseige him or her with demands for impeachment. Go on, get out there and do it! <G>
Rob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is also published regularly on the Huffingtonpost.com. He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, Impeachment, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump speeches and debates. He recently retired as organizer of several conferences, including StoryCon, the Summit Meeting on the Art, Science and Application of Story and The Winter Brain Meeting on neurofeedback, biofeedback, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology. See more of his articles here and, older ones, here.
To learn more about me and OpEdNews.com, check out this article.
and there are Rob's quotes, here.
To Watch me on youtube, having a lively conversation with John Conyers, Chair of the House Judiciary committee, click here Now, wouldn't you like to see me on the political news shows, representing progressives. If so, tell your favorite shows to bring me on and refer them to this youtube video
My radio show, The Rob Kall Show, runs 9-10 PM EST Wednesday evenings, on AM 1360, WNJC and is archived on www.whiterosesociety.org Or listen to it streaming, live at either www.wnjc1360.com or here.
A few declarations.
-While I'm registered as a Democrat, I consider myself to be a dynamic critic of the Democratic party, just as, well, not quite as much, but almost as much as I am a critic of republicans.
-My articles express my personal opinion, not the opinion of this website.
If Al Gore really wants to do something that will make a difference to this nation and the world he should start pushing for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney. That would actually make a difference whereas his lame "I am Mr Global Warming" tends to hurt the cause more than help it. Gore has always seemed like a dorky attention hog(man-bear-pig) to me. Just so super serious! I think he was hoping that Hillary and Obama would negate each other and he could step in as the alternate candidate.
by
Hayesml47 (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 391 comments)
on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 8:25:33 AM
up to their corrupt eyebrows. We got a candidate that is reputed to be a Constitutional scholar and can't bring himself to see there have been crimes committed at the direction of Bush/Cheney cabal. We have a Speaker that after the Democrats took control of the House assured the Bush/Cheney cabal that impeachment was "off the table". We got Conyers who held hearings when he had no power but as soon as he took the Chair he retreats. And of course we got middle-of-the-roaders like Murphy and the turncoats like Holden and Schuler.
It is way past time to take matters in the hands of us citizens and turn these people out and hold them criminally responsible. Strike/Boycott this sham of an election and this tragedy of an economic system.
by
ed kriner (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 20 comments)
on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 10:58:10 AM
"By the way, Murphy told me he'd support impeachment when the house judiciary brought the bill to a vote, when they have enough evidence. "
Other members of Congress have used similar words to avoid a straight answer. It feels like a hit in the face, because of the gross lie that is implied, - being that 'there is insufficient evidence'. The evidence is all around, is heaped up and overflowing. There is no avoiding the evidence. Dennis did not present mere bullet points as articles of impeachment - He presented the articles together with the evidence. Why do they resort to such a pathetic misrepresentation as "when they have enough evidence"? If those words hold any meaning for them, then what do they actually mean by "evidence"? Because it is already there - in front of them, surrounding them, piled high and overflowing. They walk through it, wade through it, try and move some of it aside to get through any day. Yet still they suggest it isn't there? How can they do that without choking on their own words?
Is there not already more than sufficient evidence to call for immediate and urgent hearings on impeachment?
by
Aurora (0 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 338 comments)
on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 4:37:41 PM
Bush & Co are criminals, that's for sure. The crimes are well laid out in the Impeachment resolution. The Hearings would uncover the evidence. Of course Bush & Co. will lie until the end of time, they lied us into a war, they passed legislation that that curtails our civil rights, they engaged in selective rendition and torture. They broke US and International laws, they are criminals and the world should hold them accountable.
But if you ask me - it is Our Congress people. It is our "progressive movement". It is all of us that are to blame.
The Democrats are the worst, and yet we continue to support them and this BS notion that change will happen in November. Maybe, but no accountability for the crimes will happen in November.
The constitution will remain weakened. The laws broken, will remain broken, Our international reputation, the loss of blood and treasure will remain lost, in fact, it will get worse. The FY09 budget projects an additional $400 billion deficit.
Move On - has become impotent. The Democratic Party has failed us. I am no longer a democrat and I have been for years. I won't send another dime to the party or any other progressive voice that fails to put Impeachment at the top of their list.
Not a dime to another candidate that does not openly call for impeachment.
I've sent back Obama's request, I've sent back Clinton's request, I've sent back Pelosi's request and I write in on the forms, "Not another dime until Impeachment hearings start".
I may not vote in November. Yeah, there will be change, but the mantra that anything is better than Bush may win the Democrats the Election, but it just means that we the people will be more easily sold out.
If we cannot get our Representatives to act on Impeachment, then what makes you think we can get them to act on ANYTHING else, that involves something less substantial.
Health Care - The opposition is incredibly well funded and entreneched.
Wall Street, or getting rid of Corporations? Just look to Obama's Economic policy advisor - a Wall Street insider. Who's that gonna help?
We need to stop funding the corrupt politicians. I'm sorry, No Impeachment, no Money. No Impeachment, No vote.
No longer in my name, in any way.
This government has not had a people's agenda in a really, really long time.
It's time we get down right angry.
But you know what, you know who is really to blame. The average American joe. The guy that's sitting on the couch and hasn't a clue to what is going on or what is at stake.
All the soccer mom's on the field that don't have time to organize an impeachment rally.
All the little leaguers and their parents, that have time to run around and play ball, but no time to commit to taking back the government.
Impeachment, should be on the lips of every Congressman, the fact that is not, is that not enough people really give a damn.
And that to me, is so sad. It is the heart and soul of what is wrong with our country.
So don't blame Bush, that's a given, blame your Congressman, and look in the mirror.
I've been doing a lot, writing, attending meetings at my Reps office (speaking to staffers) and getting no where. But you know what, I can do more, and so can everybody else.
I never see an Impeachment sign. I never see a local rally. I rarely see anyone at our local village hall meeting - and no one there talks of Impeachment (it's a Republican County) but SO WHAT?
We are ALL to blame - because we keep accepting and supporting these bums. Truth is, most of their money comes from the corporate sector anyway. They don't really care about our vote - because we prove over and over again that we will vote for the lessor of two evils instead of for the change we want to see.
And for those that say Obama can't support Impeachment? I say, he can't have my vote. And McCain never had it.
by
August Adams (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 429 comments)
on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 5:55:50 PM
