"Live Free or Die" - State's Dem Party Resolutions Committee Knuckles Under on Bush-Cheney Impeachment

Accountability & Reconciliation Commission Recommended by NH Dem Party Resolutions Committee
Thanks to Deb Gibbons for this submission

Concord, NH - In a crowded standing-room-only meeting at the NH Democratic Party Headquarters Tuesday evening, May 6, the Resolutions Committee of the NH State Party Convention recommended a split decision on two similar resolutions.

Among the 19 resolutions put before the committee, two resolutions were submitted which were of a like nature. One from members of the Newbury, NH Democratic Party resolved to bring to the US Congress an assessment of current imbalances in the Bush/Cheney administration; identify recent wrong doings and failures; appoint and administer a Commission of Accountability and Reconciliation; indict and prosecute the guilty; and hear and address the rightful grievances of those wronged. It was voted unanimously 3-0 by the committee. There were no supporters present to speak on behalf of the Newbury Resolution.

Next to come before the committee were about two dozen supporters who renewed and emphasized
their testimonies to an amended version of a resolution presented by NH State Brookline Representative Betty Hall. It calls for the NH House of Representatives to exercise its right to petition the US House to begin impeachment investigations of President Bush and Vice-President Cheney.

This resolution submitted by Representative Hall, however, was not recommended by the committee by a vote of 2-1 during their executive session. State Representatives Melanie Levesque, Brookline and Jane Clemons, Nashua, provided the majority votes, while Attorney Alexander Lee, Concord cast the lone minority vote.

Majority/minority reports will be presented to delegates at the upcoming NH Democratic Party Convention to be held Saturday, May 17 in Manchester. It will now be up to delegates to decide whether to adopt the Hall resolution. However, in a recent move this month by the rules committee speeches will be limited to sponsors only for any resolution at this years Convention. There will be no support speeches. Comments will be limited to a total of three minutes.

Keeping paper costs at a minimum while supporting 'green' sustainable practices, the Party will be listing on their web site all platform articles and resolutions (www.nhdemconvention.org). In an effort to keep their 'carbon footprint small', this year they will be emailing all convention materials to delegates. It will not include, however, speeches in support of various resolutions. Debate on any resolution will be curtailed at the Convention because of the three minute rule, which represents a departure from past Convention policies and the tradition of fair and open discussion in New Hampshire politics.

Attorney Lee has been granted one minute by the Rules Committee to read his minority report recommending the Hall resolution at the Convention, which states:

'Because justice is better served; because our Constitutional democracy has been decimated by this Administration; because dedicated Democrats are leaving the Party due to a failure of our leadership on this issue; because it is never too late to prevent, halt, or avoid abuses to the Constitution; because inaction could cause the drumbeat for war in Iran to rise; because torture doesn't only happen in the movies; because I could not face my grandchildren if I voted otherwise; because of very reasonable suspicion of bribery, treason, war-profiteering, and other high crimes and misdemeanors; because we have the right to petition our government; because the world watches and waits for us, I dissent and cast the lone Committee vote in favor of Rep. Hall's resolution (for impeachment proceedings to begin in the US House).'

During the 2006 NH Democratic Party State Convention it was resolved unanimously to recommend submitting charges to the US House grounds for impeachment of President Bush. However, that resolution, which had been submitted by State Representative Bob Perry, Strafford was initially also rejected by the Resolutions Committee before the Convention that year. Only after numerous speakers rose to support investigations of Bush and Cheney did the entire convention come to their feet in a unanimous vote.

During the meeting Tuesday evening, the gathered NH residents expressed concerns and suspicions that war crimes and abuses of power to the executive branch have grown over the two succeeding years as revelations of wrong doing continue to mount. Many expressed their disappointment of the leadership of the NH Party by not honoring the 2006 commitments of the majority of the people. Barbara Hilton, Portsmouth said she has now left the Party to join the 'undeclared status' in NH after a lifetime of being registered as a Democrat, while others echoed frustrated sentiments.

It is not known why Hall's resolution was not recommended and the Newbury resolution was given a full recommendation. Impeachment is the formal term used in the US Constitution to describe inquiry in the US House and indictment by a trial in the US Senate. Impeachment, listed six times in the US Constitution, is for the offices of President, Vice-President and all civil officers when treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors have been investigated and convicted.

In an effort to inform delegates about Hall's resolution supporters have stated they will be providing an information table inside the Convention on May 17, work to create a speakers area outside at the McLaughlin Middle School, Manchester to hear citizen grievances and place speeches at a recent Impeachment Rally on a web site devoted to her resolution: www.Hall4Impeachment.com.

A Rally for Impeachment, which was held at the Capitol Center for the Arts last month, highlighted such notables as Pentagon Papers whistleblower, Daniel Ellsberg, The Nation magazine's John Nichols, Ret. USAF Robert Bowman, Granny D as well as Rep. Hall and others. It drew a standing room crowd of about 500 and also presented Peter, Paul and Mary great, Noel Paul Stookey, who sang his newest release, "In These Times". Over 3,000 letters of support of Betty Hall's resolution were emailed to a special account: I.support.HR24.@gmail.com and shared with NH Representatives and citizens.

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Please note both State Democratic Party Resolutions below:

PETITION TO COMMENCE IMPEACHMENT PROCEDURE IN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS

A resolution related to impeachment, offered by Betty Hall, for consideration by the New Hampshire Democratic Party Convention on Saturday May 17, 2008.

WHEREAS, the New Hampshire State Democratic Party resolved unanimously in 2006 that the House of Representatives of the State of New Hampshire has good cause for submitting charges to the U.S. House of Representatives as grounds for the impeachment of President George W. Bush; and,

WHEREAS, the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the people a right to petition the government for a redress of grievances; and,

WHEREAS, the New Hampshire State Constitution Article 4 provides for "Rights of Conscience"; and,

WHEREAS, members of the New Hampshire State Legislature and the United States Congress who are elected to public office take an oath to support the Constitution; and,

WHEREAS, the United States Constitution provides a system of checks and balances that is designed to prevent the abuse of power by government and to preserve the power and freedom of the people; and,

WHEREAS, there is evidence in the public record that suggests President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney may have abused their executive power by deliberately providing misleading information to Congress and the public about the threat from Iraq in order to induce Congress to approve the use of military force; and,

WHEREAS, there is evidence in the public record that President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney may have authorized and condoned the rendition of prisoners across national borders and the torture of those prisoners in violation of the "Federal Torture Act" Title 18 United States Code, Section 113C; and,

WHEREAS, there is evidence in the public record that President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney may have authorized allowed the politicization of the Department of Justice and improperly obstructed Congressional oversight investigations related to this action the politicization of the Department of Justice; and,

WHEREAS, on December 17th, 2005, President George W. Bush publicly admitted to ordering the National Security Agency to conduct electronic surveillance and information gathering on American citizens in a manner that may have violated the Constitution's 4th Amendment prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures; and,

WHEREAS, the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives has the power to investigate these, or any other charges of Executive misconduct, for which there is sufficient cause; and,

WHEREAS, the United States Congress has the sole power to determine guilt or innocence, and whether these crimes rise to the level of High Crimes and Misdemeanors, through the Constitutional process of impeachment and a subsequent trial; and,

WHEREAS, future Presidents will effectively inherit any expanded powers of the current Presidency unless those powers are removed by the process of impeachment before leaving office;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the New Hampshire State Democratic Party hereby requests that the United States House of Representatives investigate these charges, using the greater power that an impeachment investigation provides, and if their findings so warrant, proceed with the impeachment of President George Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the New Hampshire State Democratic Party hereby requests that the New Hampshire House exercise its right to petition the United States House of Representatives to urge commencement of impeachment investigations; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT a copy of this resolution with the original authorizing signature of the Secretary of State and of the New Hampshire State Democratic Party be sent to the Office of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and that copies of the signed resolution be sent to each member of the United States Senate and House of Representatives and to each member of the New Hampshire State Legislature.

Primary Sponsor: Newbury Democratic Committee

Co-sponsors: N/A

Topic: A Resolution Pertaining to the Accountability of the Federal Governmet

Date Submitted: 4/30/2008

The Accountability of the Federal Government

WHEREAS: Labels such as left and right, small or big government, red or blue states distract and divide American citizens from the role of effective, smart and good government.

WHEREAS: An effective, smart and good government upholds the rule of law, protects the innocent, punishes the guilty, keeps the peace and provides order and security with the most justice and least violence possible.

WHEREAS: The Bush-Cheney administration of the federal government of the United States of America has been shown to have deceived its people as to why a war with Iraq was necessary, why its continued prosecution is necessary, and how the lives of thousands of wounded and killed soldiers and civilians of this country, Iraq and many other nations will
be accounted for and addressed.

WHEREAS: The Bush-Cheney Administration of the federal government of the United States of America has also failed to appoint the capable people needed and recommend and provide the funding needed to ensure the right, proper and necessary regulatory responses to many situations recently including, not limited to, the care and rehabilitation of wounded soldiers and their families, the Gulf Hurricanes, the importation of toxic goods, food and toys from China, the fraud and deception that fueled the subprime crisis, and the excessive profits being leveraged from American citizens and taxpayers by companies such as Exxon Mobil and Halliburton.

BE IT RESOLVED: The people of the United States of America have a right to expect standards of accountability for its government and the officials of that government and that it's established system of checks and balances either works or be revised to work. The people now come with a resolution to the Congress to assess the current imbalances, identify these recent wrong doings and failures, appoint and administer a Commission of Accountability and Reconciliation, indict and prosecute the guilty, and hear and address the rightful grievances of those wronged in this period. The people also require that the Congress now propose and adopt more effective standards of accountability for the government, its leaders, officers and agencies to prevent such future lapses and secure a more effective, smart and good government.