Power of the People Moves Corporate Media to Do the Right Thing

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Tag(s): Congress; Impeachment; Impeachment; Impeachment; Media Distortion; Media Independent; Media Mainstream MSM; Right Wing Media
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December 21, 2007 at 07:24:45

Headlined on 12/21/07:
Power of the People Moves Corporate Media to Do the Right Thing

by Dave Lindorff Page 1 of 1 page(s)

http://www.opednews.com

A massive outpouring of angry mail and phone calls to the nation's leading newspapers led to editors calling Congress members Robert Wexler (D-FL), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), after having turned down an op-ed by the three calling for immediate hearings on the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney.

At least one of those papers, the Miami Herald, which is in Rep. Wexler's congressional district, reversed itself and decided to run an edited version of the editorial it had rejected only days earlier.

Wexler, speaking on Florida Progressive Radio Thursday night, said it was clearly grassroots pressure and reporting on the Internet (inclulding by this site!) that forced editors at the Miami Herald to change their position on the editorial.

He is calling on Americans who want to see Congress begin impeachment hearings to put even more pressure on Congress to also change its position.

"I think it's obvious that Congress is way behind the people on this," he said, "and it's quite obvious that in this case the people have gotten it right."

Wexler said, "If the people in Congress could come up with reasons why the abuses of this administratiion are not serious to impeach, then I'd say Congress should not listen to the grassroots, but I don't think anyone in Congress could say that with a straight face. In fact, it's the opposite. They're saying, 'Even though this administration has committed these crimes against the constitution, we can't do anything about it.'"

Wexler said that he thought Democratic leaders in Congress, who have been aggressively blocking any effort to begin impeachment hearings, even to the point of pressuring state and local party activists into not passing impeachment resolutions, are risking alienating progressive voters--both Democrats and independents--next November by failing to act on impeachment.

"If Congress were really popular, with say 58 percent favorable ratings, then maybe they could do that," he says, "but the fact is that this Congress is very, very unpopular."

Wexler urged activists in favor of impeachment to put increasing pressure on their own congressional representatives, on their local news outlets, and on other members of the Judiciary Committee to support hearings on Cheney's impeachable actions, and vowed to bring a petition he has set up on line, which has garnered over 120,000 signatures in less than a week's time, to show every Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. "I will be asking every Democrat on that committee to support immediate hearings," said the six-term Congressman.

Wexler praised his colleague, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, for pressing forward with the impeachment issue, and for submitting a bill (H Res 799) for the impeachment of Vice President Cheney.

In another example of the effect of people power is that Rep. Anthony Wiener (D-NY), yet another member of the House Judiciary Committee, has signed onto Wexler's call for immediate hearings. Of the four, only Baldwin is a co-signer of Kucinich's impeachment bill. Since she is one of six members of the Judiciary Committee who are co-signers, that makes a total of nine Judiciary Committee members now who are in favor of Cheney impeachment hearings. That leaves 13 Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, including Chairman John Conyers, who have not expressed any support. But of those 13, five--Conyers and Reps. Brad Sherman, Mel Watt, Bobby Scott, and Artur Davis, voted against a Democratic leadership move to table (and thus kill) Kucinich's bill last Nov. 7, thus suggesting that they are in favor of hearings on the measure. If those five sign on to Wexler's call, that would mean a clear majority--13-8--of Democrats on the Judiciary Committee in favor of hearings on Cheney's impeachment.

In another development, Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) added her name to the Kucinich Cheney impeachment bill, bringing the total number of co-sponsors, plus Kucinich himself, to 25--the number who initially signed on to impeachment hearings on Richard Nixon in 1974.

Things are definitely moving in the right direction. The bankrupt and cynical effort by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic Party leaders to snuff out the impeachment demands of a majority of Americans and of the vast majority of Democrats is crumbling. If you haven't signed onto Wexler's petition, to to www.wexlerwantshearings.com and help build the momentum.

http://www.thiscantbehappening.net

Dave Lindorff, a columnist for Counterpunch, is author of several recent books ("This Can't Be Happening! Resisting the Disintegration of American Democracy" and "Killing Time: An Investigation into the Death Penalty Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal"). His latest book, coauthored with Barbara Olshanshky, is "The Case for Impeachment: The Legal Argument for Removing President George W. Bush from Office (St. Martin's Press, May 2006). His writing is available at http://www.thiscantbehappening.net

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19 comments

36 year old Bid rose well above the ignorant environs of his family's upbringing and filled his mind with the extremes of subversive underground counterculture and illegal substances until he wound up sitting naked on the end of his bed in one of his empty rooms of this world, bleeding, and trying to braid a noose to hang himself with out of a trashbag that contained the last of his worldly belongings... Then he cut off all his hair and moved straight away to the wild unknown country where he c...

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C.Bid36 year old Bid rose well above the ignorant environs of his family's upbringing and filled his mind with the extremes of subversive underground counterculture and illegal substances until he wound up sitting naked on the end of his bed in one of his empty rooms of this world, bleeding, and trying to braid a noose to hang himself with out of a trashbag that contained the last of his worldly belongings... Then he cut off all his hair and moved straight away to the wild unknown country where he c...

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Excellent news!

I have a feeling, though, that if the MSM picks up the story -it will be an attempt to make it laughable or completely play it down... whereas the White House will, of course, claim it's partisanship or revenge for Clinton's impeachment! You know the drill...

I'm trying to stay optimistic this time.

by C.Bid (0 articles, 7 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 571 comments) on Friday, December 21, 2007 at 9:08:42 AM

I advocate...

any Rep. opposing the start of hearings to be actively worked against come elections so that their seat may be given to someone who WILL uphold their oath and support the Constitution! Take names! They should suffer the consequences for allowing criminal behavior -if not be charged themselves... First step, get rid of them!

by C.Bid (0 articles, 7 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 571 comments) on Friday, December 21, 2007 at 9:12:43 AM

I am nothing more than a patriotic American that is doing whatever I can to further the cause of democracy, the rule of law, and am absolutely outraged on how the Bush administration is defying our Congress, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! Footnote: I write in a style that I believe is appropriate in today’s world where we can’t trust the Mainstream News Media, and rather than concentrating on one article alone, which may or may not receive the exposure and emphasis it should, I prefer...

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William CormierI am nothing more than a patriotic American that is doing whatever I can to further the cause of democracy, the rule of law, and am absolutely outraged on how the Bush administration is defying our Congress, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! Footnote: I write in a style that I believe is appropriate in today’s world where we can’t trust the Mainstream News Media, and rather than concentrating on one article alone, which may or may not receive the exposure and emphasis it should, I prefer...

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That's why we have to keep hammering Congress

That's why we have to keep hammering Congress, the local papers, and especially the huge papers, NY Times, Wash. Post, LA Times, etc. The power of the people is beginning to show - and people, when they can see their freedom rapidly disappearing, are finally waking-up and taking action.

If everyone would keep calling Congress, at least two times per day, we could move mountains. We just need to awaken more people, and it's happening at a rate right now that is surely causing alarm to the fascists, and soon, I'm still predicting that one major network will break the silence, which will be a coup in of itself - as they will dominate the ratings and force the others to follow.

William Cormier

by William Cormier (112 articles, 5 quicklinks, 16 diaries, 280 comments) on Friday, December 21, 2007 at 11:21:22 AM

RETIRED CONSTRUCTION SUPT.MARRIEDOVER 60GOALS: MAKING THE PUBLIC AWARE OF JUST HOW CORRUPT THIS ADMINISTRATION REALLY IS, AND EDUCATING THE IGNORANT 30%
GUY P. FRASERRETIRED CONSTRUCTION SUPT.MARRIEDOVER 60GOALS: MAKING THE PUBLIC AWARE OF JUST HOW CORRUPT THIS ADMINISTRATION REALLY IS, AND EDUCATING THE IGNORANT 30%

corrupt media

I hope you are right, but msm is about the same class of liars as the bush administration. By rights msm should also be held accountable for the lies, omissions, and influence that led us to attack a country that was not a threat to us

by GUY P. FRASER (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 55 comments) on Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 4:26:56 AM

Richard Mynick is a US citizen who, despite the best efforts of the corporate media, noticed something disturbing about how the 2000 election was decided, & felt it augured poorly for democracy.
Richard MynickRichard Mynick is a US citizen who, despite the best efforts of the corporate media, noticed something disturbing about how the 2000 election was decided, & felt it augured poorly for democracy.

Conyers was on DemocracyNow! yesterday, & was not making

any promising noises whatsoever. He seemed mired in cowardice, doubletalk, & quasi-senility. Amy Goodman tried very carefully to draw him out on his attitude towards impeachment, and his responses ranged from flatly negative to silly gibberish. He talked like a man who is frightened -- trying not so much to make sense, as to simply avoid drawing the ire of powerful people (ie, Pelosi & Co).

It seems odd that of the 4 sponsors of the new impeachment initiative, only Baldwin signed Kucinich's original effort. Why should that be? For that matter, why is it necessary to have a new initiative? Is the new one different in any meaningful way from Kucinich's? Or is it just the same basic thing with a new name -- simply to circumvent the fact that Kucinich's bill is now mired in committee?

by Richard Mynick (2 articles, 3 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 1026 comments) on Friday, December 21, 2007 at 11:32:24 AM

Brett Paatsch is an Australian born secular humanist with degrees in management and science and an interest in politics. He is a former pro-American that wishes to be pro-American again and thinks the impeachment and repudiation of President George W Bush for the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 is necessary to reestablish trust in American signatures on international treaties and confidence in the global rule of law.
Brett PaatschBrett Paatsch is an Australian born secular humanist with degrees in management and science and an interest in politics. He is a former pro-American that wishes to be pro-American again and thinks the impeachment and repudiation of President George W Bush for the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 is necessary to reestablish trust in American signatures on international treaties and confidence in the global rule of law.

I saw that. Drafted an article calling for Conyers to resign

His simultaneous position that impeachable offences have definately occurred and that he still won't support Wexler and other Committee members who are calling for impeachment, for the upholding our their oaths to protect the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic, is blatantly obstructionist and ethically untenable. There is a nasty two word tag for a black man that protects his priviledges and doesn't want to rock the boat and risk lossing what he has and it is probably for the better that that word is prohibited on this site. But the first of the two words is House.

If Conyers won't uphold his own oath then he could at least get the hell out of the way. By resigning he could at least allow for the possibility that the important role of Chair of the House Judiciary Committee might get a chance to be occupied by someone else. Someone that might uphold their own personal oath and who might put the impeachment issue to the committee and then back to the Congress rather than act like some bean counting crystal ball holding apologist. If Conyers won't act he could at least stop being a blocker and use his resignation to show he is willing to let others act. He could stop surrendering to his perception of the media and make news.

Folks please keep up the pressure and the momentum. Keep the pressure on the main stream media to report and on the other members of the House Judiciary Committee. It takes very little individual effort now to do something small and potentially useful. Using the online petitions from Democracy.now you can send an email to Pelosi and to the other Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee. Please do at least that much - invest that couple of minutes - even if you suspect it won't ultimately be successful.

Folks please don't become part of a negative self fulfilling prophecy where, like Conyers, you make a list of what other people and players would have to do, and use that as an excuse for not doing what you as a genuinely concerned citizen can do. There are many of people in the world that can't effectively speak for the rule of law in the American system because we can't vote. Your petitions carrying your American post codes can work for us too.

by Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 17 diaries, 784 comments) on Friday, December 21, 2007 at 1:45:31 PM

Gregg Gordon is a writer, musician, activist, and otherwise ne'er-do-well in Columbus, Ohio.

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." - Edmund Burke
Gregg GordonGregg Gordon is a writer, musician, activist, and otherwise ne'er-do-well in Columbus, Ohio.

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." - Edmund Burke

Yes

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." -- Edmund Burke

by Gregg Gordon (25 articles, 45 quicklinks, 14 diaries, 186 comments) on Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 8:29:38 AM

A liberal American, PhD mathematician, bipedal Earthling.
W. Christopher Epler (Bill)A liberal American, PhD mathematician, bipedal Earthling.

power of the people

I agree with 2 things in these posts. Conyers should be history. He talks the talk but NEVER walks the walk.

And the second and more postive thing is that POWER OF THE PEOPLE has be become our battle cry, because, God knows, we have nothing else. Certainly not this dem congress of born again Republicans.

Good post. We need all the positive thinking we can get.

cheers, Bill

by W. Christopher Epler (Bill) (202 articles, 44 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 438 comments) on Friday, December 21, 2007 at 3:21:43 PM

retired and loving it
dave stanleyretired and loving it

"Power of the People Moves Corporate Media to Do the Right T

The rumblings of the people may move a moutain today but in the morning it will be right back in the same place.

We must have the courage of the changing of the guards.We must remain vigilant the current crop in congress proves that we can vote to have goodpeople sent to washington,only to be corrupted before our very eyes.

"Since I entered politics, I have chiefly had men's views confided to me privately. Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the Field of commerce and manufacture, are afraid of something. They know that there is a power somewhere -- so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive -- that they better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it." W.W.

Why do good people succumb to this octopus of slime that hangs over our heads.

Now this Congress is worthless ,the one before it was worthless. and the one before that one ,on ,and on .

Therefore it is safe to assume it is not the people we send that are no good .They are being compromised somehow by something that is so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive -- that they better march lockstep or else.

by dave stanley (5 articles, 1 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 286 comments) on Friday, December 21, 2007 at 9:18:26 PM

not so subtle

I don't think it's anything subtle. I think they just like being rich.

by Gregg Gordon (25 articles, 45 quicklinks, 14 diaries, 186 comments) on Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 7:37:14 AM

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
Kathryn SmithThis 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

"John Conyers is being arm-twisted"

"John Conyers is not waffling about impeachment. He is being arm-twisted. He needs to hear from the public" said an Aide at my local U.S. Representative's office.

I didn't get any details from her, but her words made sense to me. When we consider that (even the very cautious ACLU said this on their website) anthrax was circulating around Congress the very moment when the Patriot Act on the table, at which time Bush strong-armed Congress into voting for it....when we consider that politicians are occasionally murdered or found with "suicide notes" next to them....etc.....it is entirely possible that Conyers or his family, especially in his position as head of the Judiciary committee, is being threatened by Bush. I put absolutely nothing past any man (and his cohort, Cheney) who is/are capable of going to war based on a lie, abandoning Katrina victims to die, endangering Plame's life out of revenge,torturing etc.

I suggest that rather than point fingers at COnyers, we make a point of weighing in with him. My two cents worth.

by Kathryn Smith (84 articles, 1 quicklinks, 33 diaries, 306 comments) on Friday, December 21, 2007 at 11:40:44 PM

Lets assume for the sake of argument this is correct

"it is entirely possible that Conyers or his family, especially in his position as head of the Judiciary committee, is being threatened by Bush"

Personally, I do not think that this is likely, currently, but lets suppose that it is a fact. Conyers could, whilst collecting information (data, evidence - the guy has a legal background remember he is definately not a naive novice in the political and legal domains) about the threats made him and THEN he could resign taking himself out of the hot seat of Chair of the House Judiciary Committee. Should anything happen to Conyers health whilst he is Chair of the Judiciary Committee and he surpringly die of unexpected medical ailments then this Australian for one would be calling for an autopsy by an independent coronor.

And when the argument are stacking up for impeaching Cheney on the own intellectual merit and there are a number of House Judiciary Committee members ready to move forward. Wexler plus his three. And the signatures to Kucinichs earlier resolution. Then there are too many to be stopped. Way too many if they have the American people behind them covering their back from foul play and with keen eyes on them to ensure that they are not themselves abandoning their oath to the people to protect the constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic.

I digressed, so I will return. I think Conyers is either (a) waiting for other people to join him in the courage of his already held convictions, or (b) bidding his time until the exact right moment, or (c) knuckling under from DEMOCRATIC party political pressure and bad advice that is telling him to act against his own oath and his own conscience IN the PARTY interest (short term Presidential focus) but AGAINST the national interest (long term confidence in the rule of law and in the constitution as fundamental contract between Americans).

In the case of any of those things Conyers can be pushed aside if the other members of the House Judiciary Committee are themselves wanting to start impeachment hearings as per Wexlers thrust which builds on Kucinichs initiative.

The Republican Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have all made themselves hostages to fortune with respect to looking like complete opportunists if they do not proceed with hearings when Wexler and associates on the committee move to bring those hearings on because EVERY SINGLE REPUBLICAN ON THAT COMMITTEE is (THANK YOU DENNIS KUCINICH) on the Congressional Record as having voted NOT to suspend debate in the HOUSE to impeach Cheney. Those Republican are all on record as effectively saying - hey dems, you want impeach Cheney, your reckon you have a case, then bring it on! (See Steyn).

Well Bring It On indeed. I love the smell of burning bullshit artist chicken hawks in the morning. And so does a media that loves a fight. So bring it on Dems indeed, but bring it on when the case is there and when the HEARINGS that Wexler has called for have had there time on the stage and the media has had a chance to report that theatre to the public.

I say theatre but that doesn't mean that the hearings are phoney. They are not. They are real. They are about showing the American people that DUE PROCESS is being followed and that there is a bona fide case against Cheney. And behind that very closely is a bona fide case comming against George W Bush. Again that great American patriot Dennis Kucinich is reported to be looking at a 50 page document on impeaching the President.

by Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 17 diaries, 784 comments) on Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 2:51:14 AM

Correction. I said Republican Democrats when I meant

Republican representatives. Sorry.

by Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 17 diaries, 784 comments) on Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 3:08:47 AM

"John Conyers is being arm-twisted"

"John Conyers is not waffling about impeachment. He is being arm-twisted. He needs to hear from the public" said an Aide at my local U.S. Representative's office.

by Kathryn Smith (84 articles, 1 quicklinks, 33 diaries, 306 comments) on Friday, December 21, 2007 at 11:40:45 PM

Yes, definately weigh in with Conyers, but if your fear for

Conyers then weigh in with him by working and talking with (and writing - always remember an audit trail is a good thing because you can also show evidence of what you have done to others) and engaging with the other Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee. They are your (and possibly Conyers and definately Kucinich and Wexlers potential supporting white knights for truth. Or slack butted recalcitrants. It is for the constituents, the people who want impeachment because they think it is the right thing to do, to decide for yourselves whether those House Judiciary Committee Democrats are giving you their very best possible representation in these very serious times for the US Constitution and for the birthright of future Americans.

by Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 17 diaries, 784 comments) on Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 3:01:44 AM

Baloney. He's being threatened by Pelosi, not by Bush, and

it's not a death threat. Pelosi threatened to strip him of his committee chairmanship if he made any impeachment noises. That's all there is to it. He likes his chairmanship & privileges, and doesn't want to give them up.

by Richard Mynick (2 articles, 3 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 1026 comments) on Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 1:04:11 PM

digital programmer turned thought specialist, sorta: rocket surgeon.
meremarkdigital programmer turned thought specialist, sorta: rocket surgeon.

Both

THREATENED, yes, by Pelosi and, yes, with death.

by meremark (1 articles, 3 quicklinks, 23 diaries, 441 comments) on Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 4:38:48 PM

Jim Freeman's op-ed pieces and commentaries have appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, International Herald-Tribune, CNN, The New York Review, The Jon Stewart Daily Show and a number of magazines.
Jim FreemanJim Freeman's op-ed pieces and commentaries have appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, International Herald-Tribune, CNN, The New York Review, The Jon Stewart Daily Show and a number of magazines.

RichM

you are absolutely correct. Pelosi is the key to this and she is the one who needs to feel the heat.

I believe that, should a bill of impeachment be sent to the Senate for trial, that trial would bring such devastating and irrefutable evidence against Cheney that he would indeed be impeached.

Everyone says the votes aren't there, but the evidence will bring the votes.

by Jim Freeman (108 articles, 40 quicklinks, 161 diaries, 328 comments) on Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 5:41:42 PM

To be very very specific right NOW she isn't the key

Right now the ball is in Conyers caught as the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and in the court of the other members of the HJC and of the citizens. Pelosi RIGHT now is just another noisy nuisance naysayer with an irritating penchance for asserting part of the Constitution is off the table.

The ball isn't in the entire House at present the ball in firmly in the HJC and so heat on Pelosi whilst not wasted isn't directed at the best possible target. Those are the other Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee who might yet come out in support of Wexler.

Another front that can progress is Kucinich could bring his articles of impeachment of Bush into the House in the same way he brought those against Cheney. That would lay the groundwork for a possible 'twofer'.

by Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 17 diaries, 784 comments) on Sunday, December 23, 2007 at 8:15:56 AM

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