Seven of us met and discussed ways and means of impeaching Bush and Cheney. it was generally agreed that we have to focus on the next election, making impeachment the central issue of the campaign.
The following points were discussed:
Everyone should sign up online at http://impeachbush.meetup.com/ . This site has documents, a discussion group, notices for future meetings. It is our organizing tool. We will meet at least monthly. If your locale has no meetup group yet, you can start one.
We the people have ultimate authority under the US Constitution. This authority includes the right to impeach officials who are guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors. The authority is delegated to our elected representatives in Congress.
The current Republican Congress will not investigate grounds for impeaching Bush and Cheney. However, all members of the House and 1/3 of the Senate will be standing for election in the fall of 2006. Our strategy must be to make sure that impeachment is THE central issue of the 2006 elections.
We need to start with our own District Nine representative, Barbara Lee, who is in favor of impeachment but for political reasons is not willing to publicly take that stand at the moment. She is a brave, outspoken politician, and we must make her listen to us, and speak out on impeachment. Each meetup can hold round table discussions with their Representative, and if that person is not willing to take a stand for impeachment, run a candidate against him/her.
We must network with other districts, through http://impeachbush. meetup.com and other groups working for impeachment, to coordinate strategy. I suggest that we try to run candidates, of whatever party, in as many Congressional districts as possible, who will advocate impeachment and make sure the press covers the issue. The Green party endorsed impeachment in June 2005- we can work with them, and any other candidate who will speak out on impeachment.
For now, we can use a petition to Conyers- see handout- to mobilize people and express support for impeachment. It can be printed out from http://deependnews.com/memorandum.htm
The idea of a special prosecutor, as was done with
Clinton, was also explored.
Other suggestions included reaching out to other community groups, conducting local polls, working with minority parties such as the Greens who endorse impeachment, holding public forums.
Impeachment is possible. It is peaceful, legal and democratic.
In the name of the Prince of Peace, Carol Wolman
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To visit The Impeach Bush Meetup Group, go here:
http://impeachbush.meetup.com/
