Strategy on Impeachment, etc. What's Next?

By David Swanson from After Downing Street...

Your hard work has resulted in Congress cracking open the door to impeachment, justice, and peace. How can you keep it open?

A lot of us have our own favorite impeachable offenses - mine is the Iraq war - but a lot of them are not about to go anywhere in Congress. The impeachable offenses that appear to have the most traction among congress members (i.e. very little) are:

1. The numerous violations of laws combined with the announcement of the intention to violate those laws through signing statements. (I say it in this longwinded way, because just abbreviating it to "signing statements" allows people to pretend to miss the point.)

2. The numerous refusals to comply with requests, subpoenas, and contempt citations.

It has always been predictable, and predicted, that these would have the most traction (because nonpartisan, non-controversial, no congressional complicity, no investigation needed, clearcut and simple), and it has become clear that - as predicted - they DO in fact have the most traction.

...What is needed is pressure on every member of Congress to themselves pressure Conyers, including by signing Wexler's letter at http://wexlerwantshearings.com So, please call your Representative every day at (202) 224-3121, focus on the issues that have the most traction, and urge them to ask Conyers to hold a real impeachment hearing. Remember that in an impeachment hearing the excuse of "executive privilege" is not allowed. A subpoena must simply be obeyed or those who refuse to obey it can be impeached.

Of secondary value is trying to get your Representative to introduce new articles of impeachment or new resolutions calling for impeachment hearings. So, any lengthy communications with your Rep should include that ask.

The third most important thing to do is to contact media outlets and urge them to cover impeachment, and contact polling companies and urge them to poll on impeachment.

The fourth most important thing to do is to support pro-impeachment candidates for Congress and make certain the incumbents know about it. Don't just send a check. First send a photocopy of it to the incumbent letting them know why they aren't getting one. (yet--I add, Connie--including to Lt. Bev Perdue on both impeachment and torture for those in NC since she dearly wants to be gov. )

Now is the time to move on this with everything we've got. We've opened the door and must not allow it to close again.

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EXTENSIVE Articles of Impeachment are now pending in Congress, more than anyone ever expected, 39 all together, 333-3, 1258-35, and 1345-1, all presented to Congress by a resolute Rep Dennis Kucinich, and the inquiring Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep John Conyers, has now held his first EXTENSIVE Hearing, more than anyone ever expected, lasting nearly six hours, on the potential and probable abuses of executive power by the Bush administration.

Democratic Members of the Judiciary Committee made probing statements and asked crucial questions, and distinguished and learned witnesses gave their expert testimony.

Some Committee Members were even dosing off (a brief power nap) and some Republican Members didn't bother to show up, and those that came didn't stay for the finale.

The delectable Table is now set for Congress to sit down and feast on this 39 course meal. There is something on the table for everyone, even those on a diet.

WE can only hope and even pray for them that this 110th Democratic Congress shows up for dinner.
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COMMENTS continue...

Open Letter to my Congressman
Submitted by lonevet2008joe on Sun, 2008-07-27 17:44.

Dear Congressman Blumenauer

Thank you for voting against FISA (expansion--my add, Connie).

We have been outside your office for 1 year. This Thursday we will gather again to protest your refusal to work for the impeachment. Our group called Individuals for Justice will remain and expand our protest until you actively call for the impeachment of the President, Vice President and any member of his administration who has violated the Constitution including Art. V1 which states:

“This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the Supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.”

The Geneva Convention is part of our Supreme Law and there is no doubt that the Bush Administration has violated the articles dealing with torture and how to treat civilian population under our occupation of Iraq. Even the International Red Cross has told the CIA and the Bush Administration that we are engaging in war crimes.

It is not enough to say you were and are against the invasion of Iraq, you must do all in your power to stop this madness from continuing. The funding of the war has now been put off until next spring, there is only one option left for you, submit your own bill of Impeachment Now.

We need you in our corner, we want to tell our children/grandchildren that our Representative stood against tyranny and did everything possible to stop the war mentality that seems to pervade Washington, DC.

We have asked several times to meet with you, to offer our time and effort in the above matter. We will listen and present our petition to you in person. We wait for your response.

Very Sincerely,
Joe Walsh--Lone Vet
Individuals for Justice
Portland, Oregon
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Submitted by Thomas O. Anderson on Sun, 2008-07-27 15:27.

One thing is egregiously clear. If the Judiciary Committee fails to act in a timely manner on this mountain of passionate testimony concerning violations of the highest order, then the Judiciary Committee itself should be prosecuted for abetting MURDER.
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Debbie W. Schultz TACKLES Abusive Signing Statements
Submitted by LanceCiepiela on Sun, 2008-07-27 17:05.

Rep Debbie Wasserman Schultz, when she came to Congress was not even familiar with signing statements, as she stated, NOW TACKLES the extensive (nearly 1,100 so far) and abusive use of signing statements by the President Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQScXo7lawQ

Kucinich-Article XXVII Failure to Comply With Subpoenas
Submitted by LanceCiepiela on Sun, 2008-07-27 17:38.

A thorough Rep Dennis Kucinich presented to Congress his Impeachment "Article XXVII FAILING TO COMPLY WITH CONGRESSIONAL SUBPOENAS AND INSTRUCTING FORMER EMPLOYEES NOT TO COMPLY-In his conduct while President of the United States, George W. Bush, in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty under Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution "to take care that the laws be faithfully executed", has both personally and acting through his agents and subordinates, refused to comply with
Congressional subpoenas, and instructed former employees not to comply with subpoenas.

Subpoenas not complied with include:
1. A House Judiciary Committee subpoena for Justice Department papers and Emails, issued April 10, 2007;
2. A House Oversight and Government Reform Committee subpoena for the testimony of the
Secretary of State, issued April 25, 2007;
3. A House Judiciary Committee subpoena for the testimony of former White House Counsel
Harriet Miers and documents , issued June 13, 2007;
4. A Senate Judiciary Committee subpoena for documents and testimony of White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten, issued June 13, 2007;
5. A Senate Judiciary Committee subpoena for documents and testimony of White House Political Director Sara Taylor, issued June 13, 2007 (Taylor appeared but refused to answer questions);
6. A Senate Judiciary Committee subpoena for documents and testimony of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, issued June 26, 2007;
7. A Senate Judiciary Committee subpoena for documents and testimony of White House Deputy Political Director J. Scott Jennings, issued June 26, 2007 (Jennings appeared but refused to
answer questions);
8. A Senate Judiciary Committee subpoena for legal analysis and other documents concerning the NSA warrantless wiretapping program from the White House, Vice President Richard Cheney, The Department of Justice, and the National Security Council. If the documents are not produced, the subpoena requires the testimony of White House chief of staff Josh Bolten, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Cheney chief of staff David Addington, National Security Council executive director V. Philip Lago, issued June 27, 2007;
9. A House Oversight and Government Reform Committee subpoena for Lt. General Kensinger.

In all of these actions and decisions, President George W. Bush has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President, and subversive of constitutional government, to the prejudice of the cause of law........"

BY not complying with Congressional subpeonas the Bush administration is effectively telling the American people, forget about this, you, the American people, are not allowed to have this information, it's our secret and it's going to stay our secret, and we're NOT GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU NOW OR EVER. Take that to the bank or lump it, it's YOUR CHOICE. Now get lost. We're running things here in the White House, and that's final.

Only scoundrels in the Bush administration, not worthy to serve, would presume to deny the American people and their representatives in Congress their just DUE.

I agree with narrowing our focus: Time for Plame
Submitted by dikyzr on Sun, 2008-07-27 20:09.

1) The war is the moral option but it's too unwieldy and too many Democrats are complicit.

2) Signing statements is not properly focused enough and Americans will fall asleep through the process.

3) Subpoenas are clear enough and have a simplicity Americans can understand, or

4) Outing a secret agent. Nicely focused, easy to understand, many facts in place, sexy (for those who need this), tied to subpoena avoidance.

I choose option FOUR!
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...and start with impeachmeant of Dick Cheney...
Submitted by Ephemera on Sun, 2008-07-27 21:07.

I've believed for a long time that impeaching Cheney would be the key to bringing this criminal administration down. I think the evidence in the Plame case is strong, and my gut instincts tell me that once an investigator started peeling away the scab over these lies, all the ugly pus that is the Cheney/Bush legacy would start to leak out.
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Cheney is the type of guy.......
Submitted by Johnathan Douglas on Sun, 2008-07-27 21:22.

Who would be perfectly happy to instigate everything and then turn states evidence against everyone else. Maybe congress should plead out and make themselves a deal before cheney beats them to it.

They are all weasles who would sell out their own grandmother for a nickle..... start using that to your advantage......

TORTURE
Submitted by rhodaozen on Sun, 2008-07-27 21:31.

If there was no Torture prior to their self-admitted events, then why was there an Executive Order from 20 July 2007 released? This allowed bush to give US Intelligence Officials the Right to reinterpret Article 3 of Geneva as applied to Section 2441, under Title 18 in reference to TORTURE????
What occured prior to this date? Everything is signed by the MURDERER.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/print/20070720-4.html
Section 2441(d) of Title 18USC
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Eecutive_Order_on_torture_by_US_Intelligen...
can't understand the rest of that link sorry.
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