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TechnoratiComedians like to poke fun at Kucinich, but the guy's got guts.
On Tuesday, the Ohio Democrat and presidential candidate introduced a bill to impeach Dick Cheney.
I've been waiting for someone to get the impeachment ball rolling, either against Bush or Cheney, and I certainly understand the logic of going after Cheney first, because who wants to impeach Bush and end up with the prince of darkness.
I think they both should go.
And for more reasons than Kucinich enumerates.
He brings three articles of impeachment against Cheney. The first two relate to Cheney's role in the lead-up to the Iraq War.
According to the bill, Cheney "purposely manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and Congress of the United States by fabricating a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction" and by distorting the "alleged relationship between Iraq and Al Qaeda."
The third article has to do with Cheney openly threatening "aggression against the Republic of Iran absent any real threat to the United States."
I agree with these three.
But what about Cheney's role in the torture scandal? He said the United States needed to go to the "dark side," and his legal staff was deeply involved in working with Alberto Gonzales as White House counsel to draft the permissive standards on torture.
What about Cheney's role in the illegal transfer of detainees to foreign countries for torture?
What about Cheney's role in the illegal NSA spying scandal, which he has defended to the hilt?
Or in the signing statements that have so subverted our constitutional system?
"The office of Vice President Dick Cheney routinely reviews pieces of legislation before they reach the president's desk, searching for provisions that Cheney believes would infringe on presidential power, according to former White House and Justice Department officials," wrote Charlie Savage of the Boston Globe last May. "The officials said Cheney's legal adviser and chief of staff, David Addington, is the Bush administration's leading architect of the 'signing statements' the president has appended to more than 750 laws." Savage just won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the signing statements.
Or what about Cheney's profiting from the sweetheart deals that Halliburton won from the Pentagon in Iraq?
Or what about Cheney's role in the Valerie Plame outing? "There is a cloud over the Vice President," said Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald.
In all of these extra areas, too, Kucinich's following words apply to Cheney: He has "acted in a manner contrary to his trust as Vice President, and subversive of constitutional government, to the prejudice of the cause of law and justice and the manifest injury of the people of the United States. Wherefore Richard B. Cheney, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office."
He sure does.
The sooner, the better.
And then on to Bush.
Matthew Rothschild is editor of The Progressive.
© 2007 The Progressive
28 Comments so far
Show Allpuck twain,
Much of what you say seems sensible, but I also think that time is of the essence and to wait for a fully articulated "vision of hope" might be waiting too long.
In fact, I suspect the vision of hope will be connected with collective action from the people. These two things (vision of hope & collective action) might need to arise at essentially the same time.
Peace,
Ken
Not only does Dennis Kucinich have the guts to "attack" (I prefer "stand up to") Bush/Cheney: he can articulate visions of what the World Social Forum calls "Another World Is Possible."
This is a tremedously important point in his run for the presidency, and, for others presenting the case for impeachment.
What is it, 1:10 or 20 people that can stand up and present a pleasurable picture of what they are for as opposed to against? In presenting the idea of impeachment to the general public one is threatening the all powerful father image, an image that has been consistently reinforced in the public psyche along with the enemy image.
If you take away or threaten the father image without supplying a replacement reality to base a decision on, the general public person will literally lose their balance and become further entrenched in fear and defensiveness, thus unable rationalize anything.
So developing and presenting a VISION OF HOPE to go along with the call for impeachment is crucial.
I agree with most of the others here. House of Representatives Resolution 333 provides an opportunity to begin a turn for the better. Thank-you Representative Kucinich for having courage and exhibiting leadership.
BUT, this resolution has received minimal attention and is vulnerable to falling into obscurity. As expressed on another thread, those in leadership postions who are able ought to publically throw their support behind this resolution. Without such support and without a public upwell, this resolution is unlikely to ever become a reality. This is troubling to me because I think the people of this country need to make a statement that communicates our collective anger with the behavior of those who currently occupy the white house. A fair impeachment hearing is perhaps the best way to do this, and such a hearing is called for. Nonetheless, if such is not forthcoming, then it speaks to what this country has come to be about. I wish it wasn't so, but that is how it seems to me.
Also, it seems as if the resolution is being supressed for some reason (even on CommonDreams it has barely recieved any press), and this is somewhat surprising because if it was given serious consideration, I think there would be recognition that from a strictly political standpoint there is much to be said for it. Impeachment proceedings against the Vice President are a way to mark a new beginning and a change for the better, and I sure hope these proceedings see the light of day.
Lets get some resolution.
Peace,
Ken
Thank you Representative Kucinich!
I guess is the only equivalent of pitchforks and torches we have. Let's get this MOVING!
There seems to be a happy coincidence developing, which one might even attribute to the passing spirit of humanist, Kurt Vonnegut.
At the exact same time Bill Moyers' "Buying the War" and many other Internet-based truths are revealing the corrupt and lying corporate media and escalating the public awareness that the elite, corporate media is guilty of abusing average 'working class' Americans --- "treating them like a rich kid's Christmas toys"; Dennis Kucinich, with his populist/progressive courage to attack the Bush Empire and Cheney with impeachable offenses against the American people, is likewise revealing the corrupt and lying corporate political scam that has allowed our democracy to be stolen by a guileful global corporate elite Empire hiding behind this crooked façade of "Vichy America".
The American 'working class', which is the vast majority, is starting to "See Clearly Now" (as the song goes) how they have been abused and lied to and they will turn against this corporate Empire controlled political scam and corporate controlled media scam with a vengeance.
Hopefully, with Kucinich's political truth and Bill Moyers' media truth both the corporate elite political structure and the corporate corrupt media structure will fall HARD and FAST, with the political whores and the media whores holding hands on their way to a grave with a combined headstone ---- "RIH (rest in hell). Here lies corporate politics and corporate media, a nasty couple we finally killed"
We need Kucinich as President real bad. He's the only democrat running that seems to be able to percieve reality. The rest of them are just a bunch of phonies and servants to the current Oligarchy. If I can't vote for Kucinich I'll be voting for a 3rd party candidate. I've had enough of this phony two party two step.
Kucinich for President.
Don't forget Cheney's role in the fake enegry crisis in California in which he met with Enron early on. Once Cheney is in the dock, these other charges can keep emerging and the connections will bring them all down -- unless these thugs create another terrorist attack and declare marshall law . . .
Aol giving Kucinich more play on impeachment than commondreams editors(?).
Thank you commondream readers for keeping me focused and on topic. I'm compelled to repeat Starofthesea's Gandhi quote:
" First they laugh at you, then they ignore you, then they fight you, and then you win."
Kudos to Earthian for the links and again much thanks to the rest...the American Sprirt may be in a back ally somewhere, but it's alive and kicking!
Just wishful thinking I suppose when the so-called "progressive" wing of the Democratic party is predominantly silent. Even the progressive senator from Kucinich's own Ohio, Sherrod Brown, seems to accept the party line of "off the table." What it will take is a sea change in the collective consciousness of Americans. A change that will let the grief, anger, and frustration caused by two-terms of Bush/Cheney fascism turn into productive political action. How long we have to wait for this to happen? Do we have to sit through another 2-terms of corporate harlotry, or can we dare dream that people like Kucinich could be given just coverage in the presidential debates thereby having a real chance of speaking to the American public?
Starofthesea...
Well said!
He is the one and I fear the shamestream media and Congress want him to remain in the position of being the pathetic symbolic gadfly. I supported him in 2004 and will again since he is truly the best and the brightest point of light out there. I just keep remembering Ghandi's words, " First they laugh at you, then they ignore you, then they fight you, and then you win." Dennis straddles the first two but perhaps in time this country will wake from it's deadened sleep and see what they've been offered. Let us hope so...
Impeaching Cheney is what patriots across the nation will do regardless of what party they belong to- we need to save the nation. We all know that it takes 5 years to create WMD's in Iran so it is not a threat right now. If we impeach Cheney the call to enter Iran will lessen.
Dennis Kucinich came in third at the MoveOn townhall meeting poll behind Obama and Edwards so put your weight behind him and get others to follow.
Dennis made a lot of sense at the debate-man of integrity. He has spoken out and voted against this war over 100 times. He is the one.
The River - Thank you for your action. I am doing the same by contacting my own U.S. Rep AND Pelosi's office directly.
By the way, go on our to a28.org to see what actions are happening in your town THIS Saturday for Impeachment Rallies. Also Impeach07.org has a number of things going on. There is a petition to sign over at afterdowningstreet.org plus a whole lot more.
Get moving tomorrow if you can and join an Impeachment action in your town! Time to raise hell and get impeachment BACK ON THE TABLE!
Waiting for Billary and Uncle O'Bama to join Kucinich in impeaching corporate vice president dick ?
Think their corporate masters will let them ?
"off the table" ?
Corporate whores
And speaking of Dennis Kucinich....
Just watched the alleged debates and I believe he got to speak four or five times to the "top tier's" (Gawd! I hate that term!) twelve to fifteen times. If this is a preview of a FAIR AND BALANCED debate, Folks, then the media is ALREADY IN CHARGE!!!
Thank God for Kucinich, seems he's the only one with brains enough to go after the Oil-Sucking Vampire-Cheney.
Hopefully he will get the backing and Dark Dick will have the title of convicted felon along with his trophy as this country's most deffered DRAFT DODGER
The Cheney impeachment bill is HR 333.
Title: Impeaching Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
Write or call your rep.
It was introduced with NO cosponsors.
Let's find out who, besides Kucinich, has cojones.
Kucinich needs a massive grassroots effort by us to advance this Resolution. We need to contact members of the House Judiciary Committee to support and cosponsor this in addition to contacting our own Rep.
This is what is needed to prove all these cynics wrong.
The only person running for President in 2008 for whom I will vote is Dennis Kucinich. He is an honest man who knows what is requiredd to sxet this country back on its constitutionsl track. I am calling my representative as soon as I get off the computer and then following up by calling both of my senators. Denniis is the only candidate who has a plan to get us out of Iraq now, and national health care.
It is really best to get cheney out first.
I second daryacallihan's call - contact your congressmen/women and ask them to support Kucinich's bill. They need to hear what the American people want.
Here is something to forward to all your contacts and ask them also to support the bill:
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/#51028
And thank-you Dennis, for having the courage to stand up for what is right.
For any of you Coloradoans out there (Or ANY other folks interested), Senator Ken Salazar has taken the Pelosi line and will not budge. Hey! I didn't vote for the party liner!
Best of luck to the rest of you, though. Back Dennis and work DAMN HARD to get him in the White House. (It's actually turned kinda BLACK over the last six years....
Tactically, it might be better to limit the call to a small number of specific points. Get wordy and all sorts of smoke & mirrors can go up, confusing the situation.
Certainly it'll fail -- the Dems can't even insert an unbinding/weak pull-out clause in a spending bill.
But what's particularly troubling is that if the laundry list of things to impeach Cheney turn out to be insufficient for impeachment, then what would (theoretically) be sufficient? Is the sky the limit now?
Having dialed back the habeas corpus, have they dialed back the Magna Carta now? Are we basically at pre-13th century "law" now?
Way, to go Dennis! Thank you very much! Let's hope the rest of Congress follows!
Ah, Matthew, at least Dennis is doing SOMETHING, which is more than can be said of any other Democrats out there, the majority of whom have become too thin skinned by spending too much time in the Beltway or out raising money for their next campaign. God bless Dennis J. Kucinich for having the cojones to lead the way toward righting so many wrongs. Get Dr. Strangelove out of there, then go after his incompetent protegé in the Oval Office. Then send Dubya home to Texas to his Daddy for a good whuppin' behind the woodshed for doing what Daddy Bush knew better not to do when he had the chance to do it.
Thank you Mr. Rothschild for writing the first article posted to commondreams to acknowledge the articles of impeachment filed by Kucinich. Where are the other progressive/liberal voices out there?
And, you're right. Kucinich has guts. But that's not all. In addition to courage, he has an abundance of intelligence and integrity. How about the rest of us? Are we just going to sit around squabbling about the sorry state of affairs, or are we going to recognize a chance to act for what we believe in?
Contact your representatives NOW, and urge them to support the articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney.
The impeachment of Cheney is NOT enough...but it IS an important baby step on the path to accountability, justice, peace, and our very survival.
Oh yeah, baby, yeah!
Here are two more articles about the Kucinich articles of impeachment. I think they are quite good, as is Matthew's.
Dave Lindorff:
http://www.counterpunch.org/lindorff04252007.html
Joshua Holland:
http://www.alternet.org/story/51043/
Summary of Bill:
http://kucinich.house.gov/UploadedFiles/int2.pdf
Actual Resolution, H Res 333:
http://kucinich.house.gov/UploadedFiles/int3.pdf
Letter from Rep. Kucinich to Vice President Cheney:
http://kucinich.house.gov/UploadedFiles/int1.pdf
Here is a link to a brief video on CNN of Dennis Kucinich explaining his Bill:
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/#51028
Thank you Representative Kucinich!!! I spent three hours on the phone this morning speaking to Pelosi's office, Bill Nelson's office, Kuchinch's office, Mica's office (no, I did not vote for him!), and several other leading democratic representatives. All of my calls were answered by real people, not recordings! Amazing! I encouraged all that I called to support Representative Kucinich in his attempt to impeach Dark Vader, for a start.
I also asked that they work to repeal the 'defense authorization act of 2006, section 1076,' sponsored by Senator John Warner. This is the legislation that empowers any president to take over the National Guard and use them for any reason he deems necessary and shipping them across state lines. This legislation is strictly unconstitutional and I reccommend that everyone out there that cares about keeping America from becoming a police state work to get this legislation repealed.