Cindy at the HJC Hearings in DC Today Friday July 25

Statement from Cindy Sheehan, independent candidate for U.S. Congress, on the Non-Impeachment Impeachment Hearings of the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, DC

(Friday, July 25, 2008 -- 2 p.m. EST)

I got up at 6:30 a.m. this morning so that I could get into the hearings of the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C. -- and I sat through the hearings. I think they should have been real impeachment hearings and not sham hearings about the abuse of executive power.

Still, I recognize it was a baby step in the right direction -- and I think that our Cindy Sheehan For Congress candidacy in San Francisco was the tipping point that pushed Nancy Pelosi to say that hearings could happen.

A lot of good information was presented at the hearings, and some very strong, very incredible witnesses testified. Toward the end, when Vince Bugliosi stated before the Committee that there should be justice for the more than 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq, I stood up and stated loudly, "Thank you" to Mr. Bugliosi -- as my son Casey was one of those soldiers who died because of lies and deception by George Bush and Dick Cheney.

Immediately, Committee Chairman John Conyers told the audience that his colleagues were urging him to take action. I then said loudly, "I urge you all to take action." That is when Chairman Conyers kicked me out of the hearings.

Yes. We need real impeachment hearings. We need Congress to take action against Bush, Cheney and all those in the administration who lied, abused their power, and violated the precious rights enshrined in our Constitution.