House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers consistently lists among his reasons for not holding impeachment hearings, his fear of the corporate media. But last week the corporate media exhibited its fear of impeachment. Only those voices in support of Congressman Dennis Kucinich's articles of impeachment spoke. Others kept quiet. The network news shows avoided the topic, but the cable news shows gave us Keith Olbermann promoting impeachment on MSNBC, and Jack Cafferty on CNN saying things like:
"Congress continues to refuse to exercise its Constitutional responsibility, which is oversight of the executive branch of our government. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi long ago said 'Impeachment is off the table.' This is a joke. We have a president who has abused the power of his office over and over and over again. It's what got the Democrats elected to the majority in Congress in 2006. Now it's election time again, and every member of the House is up for reelection in November. The Democrats are no doubt worried what it will look like to many voters if they spend their time on impeachment. To hell with what's right or wrong. What will it look like? . . . What does it mean when Congress refuses to even consider 35 articles of impeachment against President Bush?"
One thing it doesn't mean, Chairman Conyers, is that Cafferty is any more on target in his acceptance of the notion that impeachment is electorally disadvantageous, than you are in your acceptance of the notion that a few corporate blowhards with their fat behinds planted on our public airwaves should have the power to control your every move.
Chairman? Chairman Conyers? You can stop cowering now. It's safe to come out from under the table. Sure, there were a few grumpy and screaming voices out there, but mostly there was silence. The corporate media does not want to take on this issue and will not be able to handle its actual existence the way it handles the threat of impeachment proceedings. If impeachment hearings get underway, the corporate media will have to deal with the substance of the charges. It will be impossible to simply avoid the matter or treat it dismissively. You know the substance of the charges as well as anyone, but apparently you have not considered what all that information could accomplish.
Seriously, the best the Washington Post could come up with this week was certified ass Dana Milbank ranting about his fear of a President Cheney, which didn't stop him from ranting about some other fear last year when Congressman Kucinich introduced articles to impeach Cheney. And, do you recall the year 2005, in which you sent the Post a letter in response to Milbank's stupid and inaccuracy-packed report on your Downing Street Minutes hearings? You came out looking better than ever, and you did so by crawling out, standing up, and speaking. That might be worth trying again.
I know you want to blame Barack Obama for your cowardice, but Congressman Robert Wexler is part of his campaign and is out there publicly lobbying you to fulfill your oath of office. Can you explain any possible scenario in which John McCain has to answer questions about Bush's impeachable offenses for months and is subsequently elected president? I don't see any way that's possible. You could guarantee victory in your piddly little beloved election by acting to preserve our democratic republic for future generations.
Chairman Conyers, are you familiar with President Bush's violations of the Posse Comitatus act? Here's a law with a questionable origin that serves an absolutely essential purpose. Your congressional career, in contrast, had absolutely essential origins and now serves no clear purpose at all.
Benito Mussolini said "The function of a citizen and a soldier are inseparable." The US Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Posse Comitatus Act all say otherwise. Are you on the side of fascism or the side of our ongoing revolution? Do you understand how clearly and appropriately fascism is an impeachable offense?
Please read this one article, from Kucinich's collection of 35. Then please study the other 34.
Article XXIII VIOLATION OF THE POSSE COMITATUS ACT
In his conduct while President of the United States, George W. Bush, in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty under Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution "to take care that the laws be faithfully executed", has both personally and acting through his agents and subordinates, repeatedly and illegally established programs to appropriate the power of the military for use in law enforcement. Specifically, he has contravened U.S.C. Title 18. Section 1385, originally enacted in 1878, subsequently amended as "Use of Army and Air Force as Posse Comitatus" and commonly known as the Posse Comitatus Act.
The Act states:
"Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."
The Posse Comitatus Act is designed to prevent the military from becoming a national police force.
The Declaration of Independence states as a specific grievance against the British that the King had "kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the consent of our legislatures," had "affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the civil power," and had "quarter[ed] large bodies of armed troops among us . . . protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these States."
Despite the Posse Comitatus Act's intent, and in contravention of the law, President Bush
DAVID SWANSON is a co-founder of After Downing Street, a writer and activist, and the Washington Director of Democrats.com. He is a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, and serves on the Executive Council of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, TNG-CWA. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a communications director, with jobs including Press Secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign, Media Coordinator for the International Labor Communications Association, and three years as Communications Coordinator for ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Swanson obtained a Master's degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia in 1997.
David, I have the utmost respect and admiration for your unceasing efforts to request that Congress do its job, but that they refuse to, and with no recourse (I did not know that adherence to an oath of office was optional, but there you have it) is yet more proof that our system of government is a failed experiment.
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
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Susan Guest (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 79 comments)
on Sunday, June 15, 2008 at 5:48:38 AM
So, then how do we create a real democracy, a functioning society and remove all the elements of greed and corruption. Not sure the American people have "suffered" enough yet. The decline so far has been painfully slow.
But I agree, this experiment in a new "Republic" has failed the people. We have no representation. Our will is continually usurped by those that we elect. The system serves the corporate and ownership classes and very efficiently is pushing the middle class into poverty while wiping out the national treasure.
We have an over built military and a crumbling infrastructure.
We have a health care system that is a profit maximization system for those that deny care and create the most costly and inefficient health care in the industrialized world.
And we are waiting for change in November.
The economic advisor that Barack Obama is considering is an inside Wall Street Crony.
Change? I suppose the President will have a new name. But we'll still be controlled by the one party "Corporate" agenda.
We need a peaceful revolution, we need to construct a real democracy, but I'm afraid gas will need to get to about $10 per gallon, the national debt to over $50,000 for every man women and child and poverty will have to increase another 20 percent.
We are well on our way... but still no visible action in the streets... just what will it take? Or will we simply die of a thousand cuts?
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August Adams (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 442 comments)
on Sunday, June 15, 2008 at 8:18:19 PM
"WE must not only create an historical record of the misconduct of the Bush administration", Kucinich said, "but WE must make sure that any future administration is forewarned about the Constitutionally proscribed limits of executive authority and exercise of power contravening the Constitution".
John Conyers? Where are you? You got the power. Let's have some impeachment hearings on Rep Kucinich's 35 Articles of Impeachment Link CLICK HERE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDZ8seg4Nr4.
Haven't you heard? Rep Kucinich has 60 more Articles of Impeachment to be added soon. This is your time to act. John Conyers are you there?
Calling John Conyers?
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Gene Cappa (28 articles, 0 quicklinks, 29 diaries, 205 comments)
on Sunday, June 15, 2008 at 9:10:38 AM
Of course Conyers has been threatened, by Pelosi, that if he should attempt to bring this before the House he will be removed as Chair of the Judiciary Committee. I say, bring it on and then bring Pelosi up on obstruction of justice charges.
It would seem natural that if we could have the House hear the case of Clinton and his blow job which had nothing to do with our nation's security, the Constitution, our nation economy, or in any other way a threat to our nation or its citizens, these issues against Bush should at least be heard by the House.
Pelosi is obstructing justice and that matter might need to be dealt with before justice can be served.
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Dennis Kaiser (14 articles, 0 quicklinks, 10 diaries, 229 comments)
on Sunday, June 15, 2008 at 2:11:27 PM
to use the word "fascism", it makes us appear as conspiracy theorists or tin-foil hat wierdos. Corporatism is a more acceptable term for our owners. As we bloom into a full-blown corporate state our military installations are being handed over to corporate crony buds. Kelly AFB with all its buildings and machinery was turned over to Boeing. Carswell AFB in Fort Worth is now home to a concentration camp where corporate slaves are worked for pennies a day, just like in uncle Adolphs day ! http://www.infowars.com/?p=2693
Farber and Thyssen have now turned into Halliburton and Blackwater. We are being strip mined by the corporate congress and its willing enablers like Conyers and Pelosi. Are you feeling it at the gas pump? Are you feeling it at the grocery store ? Get ready to give all that you have to the owners, your home, savings, car and by legislation even your freedom. The private jails are waiting for vagrants and homeless, and there we will find work and three squares a day, if you can stomach Vita-pro T.M.. Twelve cents an hour is what the masters are paying.
We are toast. The corporate darling Obama will show his true colors after the election, if Clinton killers let him live that long.
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john riggs (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 426 comments)
on Sunday, June 15, 2008 at 10:29:58 PM
Seeing as how we are a Democratic Republic by our Constitution any attempts to alter the type of government by anyone is illegal. You would think that since the last great fascist government was Germany we would not be exactly enamored about mimicing that disaster. My theory about it raising it's ugly head has come about from the military industrial complex which has it's greedy hands in just about every aspect of our lives. Dwight Eisenhower warned us about them back in 1960 and we natually have ignored his warning to our detriment. It is high time to start trust busting as well as impeaching for doing one without the other will not solve anything.
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Hayesml47 (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 471 comments)
on Monday, June 16, 2008 at 1:10:52 PM
There doesn’t seem to be much daylight between the positions of McCain and Obama with respect to keeping everything “on the table” regarding the threat of attack on Iran, keeping everything “on the table” with regard to the need for ’some’ domestic, anti-terrorist spying, and keeping everything “off the table” regarding the impeachment of the Iraq war criminal, Bush.
The 2008 Elections Of Whales and Worms
By DENNIS LOO June 16, 2008
Many people regard Obama’s upcoming nomination for president as a sign that change is underway and that the nightmare of Bush and Cheney will be over beginning in late January 2009. New York Times columnist Frank Rich, for example, sees Obama’s emergence as a changing of the guard. Others have cited Obama’s campaign as indicative of millennials beginning to take the political stage. Millions are pleased that finally an African-American is going to be nominated by one of the two major parties and see this as in and of itself a step forward.
For the well-meaning people who are feeling this way, I have this question: How can the same Democratic Party, and the same specific individuals, who have co-operated in, permitted and/or legalized the Bush regime’s atrocities – including torture and war crimes – now tell us that the candidate that they endorse is the solution to the horrid things that this system and these individuals have themselves facilitated and colluded in?
At the accelerated rate at which the real truth of these war crimes (and the complicity of all; republicans and democrats) is revealed, and known by the world, all existing members of this two-party ‘Vichy’ government, fronting for the corporatist Empire ruling America, will be toxically contaminated, criminally complicit, and thus unelectable by November.
Both major party presidential candidates are now known to be ‘damaged goods’ in terms of their complicity and gutless co-option in the face of international war crimes, torture, and NSA spying on Americans.
Only Nader is clean.
“It is never too late to enforce the Constitution. It is never too late to uphold the rule of law. It is never too late to awaken the Congress to its sworn duties under the Constitution. But it will soon be too late to avoid the searing verdict of history when on January 21, 2009, George W. Bush escapes the justice that was never pursued by those in Congress so solely authorized to hold the President accountable.” –Ralph Nader
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Alan MacDonald (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 51 comments)
on Wednesday, June 18, 2008 at 9:39:18 PM
7 comments
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