By Matthew Cardinale, Atlanta Progressive News (February 08, 2006)
22 US Representatives–including two members of the Georgia delegation–have now signed on as co-sponsors of H. Res 635, demanding a probe which could recommend Bush’s impeachment, including the initial sponsor, US Rep. John Conyers, Atlanta Progressive News has learned.
23 US Representatives now total want Bush either to face an impeachment probe or to resign. US Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) is the representative who has called for Bush’s resignation, according to a World Can’t Wait statement issued to Atlanta Progressive News.
Five (5) Members of US Congress signed on yesterday, February 07, 2006, including US Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), John Lewis (D-GA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), and Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), according to thomas.loc.gov.
Previously, Rep. Lewis had called for Bush’s impeachment over wiretapping–an offense not referenced in the bill by Rep. Conyers–but now appears to support a broader investigation.
Also, Rep. McKinney had previously signed the World Can’t Wait statement, but now appears to have stopped waiting for Mr. Bush to resign voluntarily.
Atlanta Progressive News has attempted to reach Rep. Lewis and McKinney’s offices, but they were not immediately available for comment. (We will be rushing out this article this morning out of an interest in timeliness; APN will add any comments from the Georgia delegation to directly to the copy of this article posted on our website.)
The current 22 total co-sponsors are Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA), Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA), Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN), Rep. Major Owens (D-NY), Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ), Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. Fortney Pete Stark (D-CA), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).
In December 2005, there were 231 Republicans in the US House, 202 Democrats, 1 Independent, and 1 vacancy, a clerk for the US House of Representatives told Atlanta Progressive News.
Thus, almost 11% of US House Democrats now support the impeachment probe; over 5% of all US House Representatives now support the probe.
This is beginning to mark a slow, steady shift towards an impeachment probe. Every few days or so, Atlanta Progressive News has announced new cosponsors for H. Res 635 as the separate debate over Bush’s authorization of illegal domestic wiretapping rages like wildfire.
Will House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) join the call? US Rep. Pelosi–who many look to for progressive leadership–told her San Francisco constituents on January 14, 2006, during a Town Hall Meeting, that she did not intend at the time to support H. Res 635, adding, "I think we should solve this electorally." Her remarks brought jeers and boos, according to The Los Angeles Times.
As reported last week, US Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) withdrew her name from H. Res 635, whereas she had been listed as a cosponsor throughout January 2006. Lofgren cited a clerical error for her name having been listed in the first place. Lofgren’s Office told Atlanta Progressive News the Representative learned of her being listed as a co-sponsor after reading an exclusive article by Atlanta Progressive News issued January 01, 2006.
The thing about H. Res. 635 is, it deals with impeaching Bush over a cluster of issues from misleading the public to go to war, to authorizing torture. Wiretapping was not listed as one of the reasons to investigate the grounds for Bush’s impeachment in the bill because the existence of the secret, illegal wiretapping had not come to light yet when the bill was being prepared.
Matthew Cardinale is Editor of Atlanta Progressive News. He has written previously for the Sun-Sentinel Newspaper, Shelterforce Magazine, The Advocate Magazine, The San Francisco Bay View, and the Berkeley Daily Planet Newspaper. He has also written for numerous online publications including OpEdNews, BuzzFlash, CommonDreams, AlterNet, RawStory, and TruthOut.
