Impeachment

A poster on DU claims Conyers said yesterday he plans to enforce outstanding subpoenas in the coming year. I can't find any evidence of that. Can anyone? But I did find this:

According to the Detroit Free Press:

"A hoarse Congressman John Conyers spoke during the Democratic celebration at the Renaissance Center Marriott Hotel Tuesday night about 'retroactively impeaching one or two people in the White House.' Conyers called for 'informal hearings on the subject.'"

Yawn. Been there, done that, didn't fall for it the first dozen times. There's nothing informal about impeachment.

According to the Wall Street Journal:

The Leader Who Always Gets It Right
By Natasha | OpEdNews.com

The measure of a person's greatness and success lies not in the office to which that person is elected but in the person's ability to be true to the electorate once in office.

Anyone can sell their soul to buy a presidency or a dictatorship. It takes real power and courage to stand up to the forces that control most members of government. It takes true greatness to stand with the people against power-buyers.

SOMEONE on this site: For some people the sexual indiscretions of Bill Clinton are tougher to forgive than anything Bush has done though, aren’t they?

JOSH BROLIN: “Which is phenomenal. He made a mistake and he lied and I think there’s been proper consequence for that, but to want to impeach somebody because of that and then to not impeach somebody under impeachable acts, not going forth with it is phenomenal. It’s stunning to me, some of the reactions of the American people. And it’s also stunning to me that by speaking up, which I think is very important, there are these blogs that say ‘why does this guy speak up, why does Susan Sarandon say anything, why does Sean Penn say anything?’. Why would you try and stifle that? It’s good isn’t it? We’re the ones that vote so we’re the ones who should speak up regardless of what job you have, whether you’re an actor, a plumber or a reporter.”

Has Brolin ever met one of the people he alleges to exist and then blames? Has he seen the polls, the activism, the local and state resolutions, the actions of the Democratic "leadership"? Does he believe we have democracy and that he can therefore blame the people for whatever Washington does? Should someone who believes such things be permitted to drive a car?

Vermont v. Bush
by John Nichols | The Nation

Republican Calvin Coolidge visited Vermont eighty years ago this fall to deliver one of the last speeches of his presidency, a paean to his native state in which he predicted, "If the spirit of liberty should vanish in other parts of the Union and support of our institutions should languish, it could all be replenished from the generous store held by the people of this brave little state of Vermont." Vermonters appreciated the line so much that they inscribed it on their statehouse.

Judge orders White House to produce wiretap memos
By Joan Lowy | Associated Press

A judge has ordered the Justice Department to produce White House memos that provide the legal basis for the Bush administration's post-Sept. 11 warrantless wiretapping program.

U.S. District Judge Henry Kennedy Jr. signed an order Friday requiring the department to produce the memos by the White House legal counsel's office by Nov. 17. He said he will review the memos in private to determine if any information can be released publicly without violating attorney-client privilege or jeopardizing national security.

Kennedy issued his order in response to lawsuits by civil liberties groups in 2005 after news reports disclosed the wiretapping.

11/4: Election. 11/5: Impeachment.
by the law of ducks | Daily Kos

A simple question:

After Barack Obama is swept into office next tuesday, at the crest of a wave that embodies the rejection of the last eight years of George W. Bush's maladministration of this country, is there any reason why the first order of business on November 5 should not be impeaching Bush and Cheney for their high crimes against the nation?

I write this diary because there are a number of articles floating around today suggesting that Bush will use the last two months of his presidency to do everything in his power to thoroughly trash the place. Emptywheel has been theorizing for weeks about which war criminals and torture enablers will receive presidential pardons in their Christmas stockings.

Ralph Nader Proclaims Five Counts for Impeachment of George W. Bush to PR.com in Candid Interview

In an interview with PR.com’s Senior Editor, Allison Kugel, Ralph Nader details five charges for alleged credible impeachment of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

In an interview conducted by PR.com Senior Editor, Allison Kugel, Ralph Nader details his case for the call to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. He also accuses Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain of turning their backs on these alleged charges.

From IndyBay

Pelosi: Good morning Cindy.

Sheehen: Good morning Ms. Pelosi.

Pelosi: Good morning to you.

Sheehan: It´s nice to talk to you.

Pelosi: My pleasure.

Sheehan: Um. Well first you answer the question about the debate which I think that you-- if you really cared about the voters in San Francisco you could find an hour to debate your opponents, because you do have some opponents here in San Francisco. You haven´t had a town hall meeting...

Krasny interrupts: ´Scuse me, Cindy Sheehan, you had a question you wanted to ask the Speaker?

Sheehan: I do. I do. Over 60% of this district in 2006 voted for an impeachment resolution and I just want to know why you haven´t represented the people of your district and why you haven´t impeached George Bush and Dick Cheney. And you still have time.

Krasny: Alright, thank you for that direct question.

Pelosi: Thank you Cindy. First may I commend Cindy for her race for congress and again express the respect that I have for her for her courage in speaking out in what she believes in, so articulately.

The issue of impeachment is a very controversial one in my own caucus and certainly in the country. The idea that if we disagree with the president we should begin impeachment proceedings is one, that is again, controversial. There are those who believe they have the evidence that the president would be convicted if impeached. Um. I don´t know that we have seen that. I have said that the people who would like to see the president impeached the most are the Republicans. They should love to see the Democrats, as soon as we took power, go down the path of impeaching the president, dividing the country, and neglecting what we wanted to do on minimum wage, and children´s health, and veterans´ benefits and the rest of that, because it would totally consume the congress. It is, again, again, controversial, but if I honestly believed that the president had violated the Constitution of the United States, and if my colleagues believed that, I think you would have seen the president impeached.

http://cindyforcongress.org

Here's a report with more than you could possibly want to know on this topic: PDF.

5th District Green Party Candidate Wages Campaign Of Principle
By Daniela Altimari | The Hartford Courant

"I was taught at a very young age to be independent." Harold H. Burbank II

He was a teenager working at a golf course in his hometown of Kennebunkport, Maine, when a well-heeled patron came in with a question: Who among all of these caddies could run a lawn mower without running over their feet?

Harold H. Burbank II could, and thus began his long and complicated relationship with the Bush family.

Burbank worked as a groundskeeper at Walker's Point, the Bush family's compound on the Maine coast, all through high school. He forged a connection with George H.W. Bush that continues in the form of sporadic correspondence about world affairs.

While the United States can't bring itself to impeach a war criminal who openly flaunts numerous laws, Iran is going to impeach a guy who padded his resume.

http://www.millionphonemarch.com/impeachplay.php

Although most are preoccupied with the general election right now, impeachment is STILL on the table in OUR hearts and minds, and just after November 4th we are on it again full bore.

At the same time, YOU, our participants, have been very good sports about the admittedly many alerts for worthy progressive candidates we have asked you to help. And to thank you, that is why we want to send you a free copy of the impeachment play DVD. All you have to do is go to the page below and submit the form. The entry of a donation amount is NOT required for the form submission to go through. You can even watch the entire play from end to end on line at this same page.

Impeachment Play DVD and Video:
http://www.millionphonemarch.com/impeachplay.php

Attorneys, Scholars, Activist Groups Call for Impeachment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Massachusetts law school Dean Lawrence Velvel will chair a Steering Committee to pursue the prosecution for war crimes of President Bush and culpable high-ranking aides after they leave office Jan. 20th.

The Steering Committee was organized following a conference of leading legal authorities and scholars from the U.S. and abroad convened by Velvel on Sept. 13-14 in Andover, Mass., titled “The Justice Robert Jackson Conference On Planning For The Prosecution of High Level American War Criminals.”

“If Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and others are not prosecuted,” Velvel said, “the future could be threatened by additional examples of Executive lawlessness by leaders who need fear no personal consequences for their actions, including more illegal wars such as Iraq.”

The Bush Doctrine in Ruins
By Tom Engelhardt

[Note for TomDispatch Readers: To listen to a podcast in which Tom Engelhardt discusses this article, click here. In addition, dial-up users will now find a better option for listening available to them.]

F is for Failure
The Bush Doctrine in Ruins
By Tom Engelhardt

The Impeachment That Never Was...
Story & painted pumpkin illustration by Kathy Luttkus

I ‘impeached’ George Bush in my backyard, fueled by the belief that only elbows – and not impeachments – should be kept off the table. The process wasn’t hard. I purchased a can of peach halves (in heavy syrup), picked out a pumpkin at the farmer’s market, painted on a dumb facial expression, bought a gray wool suit from a thrift store, found a red, white and blue polyester tie on the dance floor of a Libertyville chili cook-off, and scored some Mickey Mouse cufflinks on eBay.

I accomplished in two hours tops what our representatives couldn’t do in five years. All 34 vertebrae of a good and sturdy spine aided the creation of the impeached pumpkin. But in the end, it was a little testicular fortitude that accomplished the task, even though I am a woman.

A scary precedent is being set by not impeaching a guy like George Bush. A majority of Americans agreed that Congress should impeach Bush if Americans were wiretapped without the approval of a judge. The 2006 Democratic takeover of the House and Senate meant – according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – that people were calling for a "new direction." But the Democrats didn’t keep their pledge for a change of course in Iraq, just as George Bush didn’t make good on his promise that the economy would grow. By 2007, the Democrats preferred the beatitude about inheriting the earth to being called peacemakers, whose only reward is to be deemed children of God. For them, regaining power mattered above all else.

By David Swanson

Donald Trump told Wolf Blitzer on CNN on Wednesday that Bush should have been impeached for lying us into a war, and that he was surprised Nancy Pelosi hadn't done it. This was the first time CNN had invited a guest on to say that, even though it's been a majority position in America for years. And they didn't invite Trump on to say it; Trump caught Blitzer by surprise and challenged the host on his dishonest defense of Bush.

Trump: Bush impeachment would be 'wonderful thing'

(AFP) - Property mogul and diehard Republican Donald Trump told CNN on Wednesday that President George W. Bush misled the US into the Iraq War and should have been impeached when the Democrats took control of Congress in 2006.

"I was surprised that she didn't do more in terms of Bush and going after Bush," Trump said in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, referring to Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

"It ... just seemed like she was going to really look to impeach Bush and get him out of office, which personally I think would have been a wonderful thing."

Trump, 62, said Bush misled the United States into waging war on Iraq, a much worse offense than a dalliance with a White House intern his predecessor Bill Clinton was impeached for in 1999.

By Rob Kall, OpEdNews

Today's Wall Street Journal reports how Henry Paulson summoned the heads of the top banks in America to meet with him on Monday.

On one side of the table sat Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, flanked by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair.

On the other side sat the nation's top bank executives, who had flown in from around the country, lined up in alphabetical order by bank, with Bank of America Corp. at one end of the table and Wells Fargo & Co. at another.

It was Monday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Treasury headquarters. Messrs. Paulson and Bernanke had called one of the most important gatherings of bankers in American history...

With only several weeks to go, the one & only thing that will get the attention of the Democrats is to threaten to deny them your vote unless they Impeach. There is no chance of this congress (or the next) supporting or defending the Constitution unless we demand it.

If you have any illusions that they will Impeach anyone in this administration, or if you think they will have hearings with Rove or anyone else, or get us out of Iraq (as they promised during the last election), or anything else that you think your going to accomplish by continuing to do the same things that we have been doing for the last 5 years; You're as crazy as I used to be.

If you have a Representative that has not signed up for Impeachment:

Simply email your Representative & let them know that unless Congress starts Impeaching, then you will not give them any of your time or money and you're not going to vote for them.

Most importantly cc: your Senators, your local & State Democratic Party Headquarters, the DNC, the DLC & even the Obama Campaign so that everyone in the Party knows of your outrage. This step is crucial. as the Blank Vote Initiative cannot remain a secret in order to be effective. The Party, as a whole, needs to realize how disgusted you are. Otherwise, your Rep is just going to ignore you (again). This is very simple & effective. Channel your passion to this Action & we might still have a chance. If you're waiting for Conyers to do something, it isn't going to happen unless We the People demand it!

ALL THEY NEED TO DO TO EARN YOUR VOTE IS TO DO THEIR JOB!

Visit the website for more.

By Congressman Dennis Kucinich
With Additional Material by David Swanson and Elizabeth de la Vega
trade paperback edition • 156 pages • 5.5 x 8.5 • ISBN: 978-1-932595-42-0 • $12, PURCHASE A COPY

Feral House offers this important and urgent publication of Dennis Kucinich’s Articles of Impeachment this election season in two formats: an offset-printed paperback book available for the cost of $12 and a free downloadable PDF available below. David Swanson’s additional article explains how the Impeachment process is possible and necessary even after the guilty perp leaves office, and how they can be used for prosecution of crimes. Those wishing to purchase over ten copies of the printed book can obtain them at discount from Feral House directly. Please contact info@feralhouse.com for costs.

Iran attack more likely with low oil prices
By Nick Mottern | UPI.com

If the Bush administration is hawkish enough to attack Iran or support an Israeli attack before it leaves office, the drop in world oil prices to the $80 to $90 a barrel range may give it enough of a cushion against the consequence of skyrocketing oil prices.

The administration may gamble that a quick, tightly targeted strike against Iran's nuclear facilities would bring only a brief, modest spike in oil prices, with the price settling back down in a week's time given the apparent downward trend in world oil demand.

See how Representatives voted on H.R. 1955.

The Prosecution Never Rests
Interview by David Comden | VCReporterOnline

Charles Manson prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi has already put away over 100 criminals. Now he has his sights set on his biggest target yet: George W. Bush

Fabled attorney Vincent Bugliosi, who successfully prosecuted 105 of 106 felony jury trials, is most famous for his prosecution of Charles Manson and “family,” which led Bugliosi to write about the Tate/ La Bianca murders in his book Helter Skelter. The book, which has sold over 7 million copies, is the best selling true-crime book in publishing history. Two of his other books, And the Sea Will Tell and Outrage, about the O.J. Simpson trial, also reached No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. This year, he published perhaps his most controversial book, The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder, in which he lays out his case as to why the 43rd president of the United States should be brought to justice.

Bugliosi will be appearing Oct. 10 at the Poinsettia Pavilion in Ventura.

VCR: Can you give us the summary of the case that you make against the president in your new book?

Vincent Bugliosi: I present evidence that proves, certainly, my opinion and an opinion of many, beyond all reasonable doubt, that Bush took the nation to war in Iraq on a lie under false pretenses and therefore under the law. He’s guilty of murder for the deaths of over 4,000 young American soldiers [who] have died so far fighting his war in Iraq.

What trumps a pardon?
By Thomas Nephew | Newsrackblog.com

In one very important way, impeachment does — and maybe soon.
—

Impeach them

October 10, 2008

Never in my 71 years of life have there been politicians who more deserved impeachment than George Bush and Dick Cheney.

FASCISM Came To America-Do You Agree? By Gene Cappa | OpEdNews.com

Ten Steps to fascism

1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy

After we were hit on September 11 2001, we were in a state of national shock. Less than six weeks later, on October 26 2001, the USA Patriot Act was passed by a Congress that had little chance to debate it; many said that they scarcely had time to read it. We were told we were now on a "war footing"; we were in a "global war" against a "global caliphate" intending to "wipe out civilisation".

2. Create a gulag

Once you have got everyone scared, the next step is to create a prison system outside the rule of law (as Bush put it, he wanted the American detention centre at Guantánamo Bay to be situated in legal "outer space") - where torture takes place.

3. Develop a thug caste

The years following 9/11 have proved a bonanza for America's security contractors, with the Bush administration outsourcing areas of work that traditionally fell to the US military. In the process, contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars have been issued for security work by mercenaries at home and abroad.

Please add your name as an individual or organization by registering / logging in, and then signing the petition.

The Steering Committee of the Justice Robert Jackson Conference On Prosecution of High Level War Criminals plans to demand the immediate impeachment of George W. Bush if he issues any last minute pardons covering himself or any of his subordinates. The president can be impeached and convicted even after leaving office.

The Steering Committee has released the following statement:

The presidential pardon power must not be distorted to include the power to self-pardon the president, or to pardon any staff or contractors of the executive branch, including the vice president, for crimes authorized by the president. The unconstitutionality of self pardons is discussed at length in "Pardon Me? The Constitutional Case Against Presidential Self-Pardons," by Brian C. Kalt in the Yale Law Journal, December 1, 1996: http://www.jstor.org/pss/797310

A self pardon by the President for himself or those who carried out his illegal orders to commit war crimes, said the Steering Committee of the Robert Jackson Conference, would make a mockery of the rule of law. It would, in fact, largely put an end to the rule of law. It is frankly inconceivable, said the Steering Committee, that the framers, who sought the rule of law instead of kingly tyranny, could have intended this.

The Steering Committee noted that Bush’s commutation of the sentence of Lewis “Scooter” Libby, who helped carry out Bush’s plans, suggests the possibility of an attempted self pardon by Bush in the future. Also, the famed journalist Stuart Taylor has suggested a self pardon covering war crimes committed by Bush and his colleagues. A self pardon covering Bush and/or his subordinates, however, would require an immediate impeachment and conviction of the culprits in order to disqualify them from holding any U.S. office in the future and to avoid setting an awful precedent for future presidents to pardon their own crimes and those of subordinates.

Please add your name as an individual or organization by registering / logging in, and then signing the petition.

Please add your name as an individual or organization below.

The Steering Committee of the Justice Robert Jackson Conference On Prosecution of High Level War Criminals plans to demand the immediate impeachment of George W. Bush if he issues any last minute pardons covering himself or any of his subordinates. The president can be impeached and convicted even after leaving office.

The Steering Committee has released the following statement:

The presidential pardon power must not be distorted to include the power to self-pardon the president, or to pardon any staff or contractors of the executive branch, including the vice president, for crimes authorized by the president. The unconstitutionality of self pardons is discussed at length in "Pardon Me? The Constitutional Case Against Presidential Self-Pardons," by Brian C. Kalt in the Yale Law Journal, December 1, 1996: http://www.jstor.org/pss/797310

Court Won't Force Testimony On Firings of U.S. Attorneys"
Issue Left to Next Congress In Victory for White House
By Carrie Johnson | WashingtonPost.com

A federal appeals court declined yesterday to order current and former White House aides to testify before a House committee about the firings of nine U.S. attorneys, leaving the next Congress to decide how aggressively to pursue the constitutional showdown.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the dispute over the role of politics in the 2006 dismissals would not be "fully and finally resolved" by the time the 110th Congress gives way.