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A Case for Impeachment Hearings
On November 7, the House of Representatives voted to send a resolution of impeachment of Vice President Cheney to the Judiciary Committee. As Members of the House Judiciary Committee, we strongly believe these important hearings should begin.
The issues at hand are too serious to ignore, including credible allegations of abuse of power that if proven may well constitute high crimes and misdemeanors under our constitution. The charges against Vice President Cheney relate to his deceptive actions leading up to the Iraq war, the revelation of the identity of a covert agent for political retaliation, and the illegal wiretapping of American citizens.
Now that former White House press secretary Scott McClellan has indicated that the Vice President and his staff purposefully gave him false information about the outing of Valerie Plame Wilson as a covert agent to report to the American people, it is even more important for Congress to investigate what may have been an intentional obstruction of justice. Congress should call Mr. McClellan to testify about what he described as being asked to "unknowingly [pass] along false information." In addition, recent revelations have shown that the Administration including Vice President Cheney may have again manipulated and exaggerated evidence about weapons of mass destruction -- this time about Iran's nuclear capabilities.
Some of us were in Congress during the impeachment hearings of President Clinton. We spent a year and a half listening to testimony about President Clinton's personal relations. This must not be the model for impeachment inquires. A Democratic Congress can show that it takes its constitutional authority seriously and hold a sober investigation, which will stand in stark contrast to the kangaroo court convened by Republicans for President Clinton. In fact, the worst legacy of the Clinton impeachment - where the GOP pursued trumped up and insignificant allegations - would be that it discourages future Congresses from examining credible and significant allegations of a constitutional nature when they arise.
The charges against Vice President Cheney are not personal. They go to the core of the actions of this Administration, and deserve consideration in a way the Clinton scandal never did. The American people understand this, and a majority support hearings according to a November 13 poll by the American Research Group. In fact, 70% of voters say that Vice President Cheney has abused his powers and 43% say that he should be removed from office right now. The American people understand the magnitude of what has been done and what is at stake if we fail to act. It is time for Congress to catch up.
Some people argue that the Judiciary Committee can not proceed with impeachment hearings because it would distract Congress from passing important legislative initiatives. We disagree. First, hearings need not tie up Congress for a year and shut down the nation. Second, hearings will not prevent Congress from completing its other business. These hearings involve the possible impeachment of the Vice President - not our commander in chief - and the resulting impact on the nation's business and attention would be significantly less than the Clinton Presidential impeachment hearings. Also, despite the fact that President Bush has thwarted moderate Democratic policies that are supported by a vast majority of Americans -- including children's health care, stem cell research, and bringing our troops home from Iraq -- the Democratic Congress has already managed to deliver a minimum wage hike, an energy bill to address the climate crisis and bring us closer to energy independence, assistance for college tuition, and other legislative successes. We can continue to deliver on more of our agenda in the coming year while simultaneously fulfilling our constitutional duty by investigating and publicly revealing whether or not Vice President Cheney has committed high crimes and misdemeanors.
Holding hearings would put the evidence on the table, and the evidence - not politics - should determine the outcome. Even if the hearings do not lead to removal from office, putting these grievous abuses on the record is important for the sake of history. For an Administration that has consistently skirted the constitution and asserted that it is above the law, it is imperative for Congress to make clear that we do not accept this dangerous precedent. Our Founding Fathers provided Congress the power of impeachment for just this reason, and we must now at least consider using it.
For more info on this campaign go to www.WexlerWantsHearings.com.
© 2007 Wexler for Congress
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91 Comments so far
Show AllThis smells like a fundraising ploy by Congressman Wexler.
Hope I'm wrong and he's really serious about impeachment.
The biggest problem of impeachment as you know is that in order to convict and remove from office require 2/3 votes in the Senate. Figure the odds.. Maybe the right to bear arms has some meaning in this statement
THE STRONGEST REASON FOR PEOPLE TO RETAIN THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS IS AS A LAST RESORT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AGAINST TYRANNY IN THEIR GOVERNMENT- THOMAS JEFFERSON
tommy, rebel: I've got no disagreements. I'd just like to see more building networks of people in many states, to build a network of progressive candidates who might run as a hive political force.
Again, toppling Pelosi would be an important symbolic victory, but it would lack any lasting effect unless it were accompanied by a substantial change -- in addition -- in the overall makeup of the House. They'd just vote in another crypto-neocon to replace her. We need (at least) 3-4 dozen progressive patriots in the house to vote as a bloc, to decide who the next Speaker will be, to have substantial effect on legislation, etc.
We need a (genuine) progressive candidate network. I suggest it run as an independent coalition, pull people from the Wellstone Action Network, Greens, independents, etc. We need a hive movement.
(Apologies for over-using this metaphor, I just watched a Nova special on DVD about ants.)
I've signed Mr. Wexler's petition. He should become a cosponsor of HR333.
Actually, the whole Democratic contingent of the judiciary committee should become cosponsors; at present, only 6 are: Baldwin, Cohen, Ellison, Jackson-Lee, Waters, and Hank Johnson. Just 6 out of 23! They need to get a move on!
Frankly, we should just impeach the whole government. Everyone, President and Congress. Unfortunately, our Founding Fathers never foresaw the day when the critters would stop being citizens and became consenters, and so there is no mechanism to replace the entire government. Blame government if you wish, and they deserve it, but the critters let it happen
by trusting their government(myself included). Our Founding Fathers knew that the biggest threat to their own people has always been government, more so than wars. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and our government is absolutely corrupted. Beyond salvation. We let it happen.
Nader2000 December 14th, 2007 5:26 pm
"Pelosi isn't worried about Cindy Sheehan taking her seat because Sheehan is running as an independent instead of challenging Pelosi in the Democratic primary.
In a primary challenge, Sheehan would have a good chance of beating Pelosi. The Speaker's defeat in a primary challenge from the antiwar Left would send shock waves through the Democratic Party establishment and provide a model for substantial progressive gains in the future."
I don't believe that there would be any advantage for Cindy to run as a Democrat. All you would see would be a replay of Connecticut in 2006 when Joe Lieberman was defeated in the primary, ran as an independent and was elected by Republicans who voted for him rather than their own candidate. Cindy is better off IMO to stick to her principles and run as an independent from the git go. Besides when she wins she won't be beholden to the Democratic party for her election.
Lobo Gris
To me it just seems like these guys, Robert Wexler (D-FL), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), think they're doing something NEW and WONDERFUL. At least thats how I read it. Didn't Dennis Kucinich already do this, and isn't it sitting in Conyers office? HR 333. Why didn't they mention Kucinich in this article.Why don't they just stand with Kucinich? From the way the democrats in congress operate, maybe they didn't know, know what I mean! Yeah, they want us to rally to this wexler wants to do it site (see puchinjudy above for link) but unless its tied in some way to hr 333, or in support of, then fu@k em, its just showboating. I'm still sending what I can to Kucinich, and in lieu of this article, I'm gonna send a little more. Then I will dig a little deeper, and try to make sense of this. Hey Wexler, you'll never be a cool as Kucinich. Wont get fooled agian. Thanks Texrey
To texrey:
I think that these three Congresspeople are indeed on Kucinich's side. HR 333 (it's been renamed--forget the number) was sent to the Judiciary Committee on November 9, and now it is blocked there by Conyers, who is serving Pelosi's off the table orders. It seems that these three, by going public, are trying to push Chairman Conyers to get the hearings moving in the Judiciary Committee. It's a small sign of what kinds of debates must be taking place within the committee. Though as someone said above, I am not going to hold my breath.
Nader 2000:
I think you are wrong about Cindy's chances as an Independent.
Look at what Lieberman did in Connecticut as an Independent!
Look at what the wrestling Governor of Minnesota did! Remember that race?
The American dream still lives:
"(AllPolitics, November 3, 1998) -- In one of the more improbable upsets in American political history, Reform Party candidate Jesse "The Body" Ventura, once a pro wrestler known for his spoiler tactics in the ring, shocked his two rivals -- Democrat Hubert Humphrey III and Republican Norm Coleman -- to win Minnesota's governorship Tuesday."
It can happen. You pull enough voters from the Republican and Democrat parties to squeak by. With all the frustration and disappointment Pelosi has handed her constituents I think Cindy can pull this off. Especially if we all get behind her and the public gets in there and counts the votes. I do not trust Pelosi's Democrat machine in the Bay Area to make sure there is a free and fair election. She's a real traitor to the Constitution.
Well, good morning my friends, I see we have the usual bunch of mindless uninformed rebel rousers bobbing around the Internet like Flotsam, spewing their standard lying untrustworthy rhetoric.
To me there is only one goal that America should be concentrating on and that is; the elimination of the Republican Party as a power in government.
This must be our goal above everything else, another term of Republican leadership will not only be devastating for this country but for the entire world as well.
These warmongering Republicans must be stopped.
For anyone out there that still maintains an open mind just a few words about my favorite politician Nancy.
Yes, I must confess I have a tremendous admiration for Nancy Pelosi.
To me she epitomizes Class, Elegance, Poise, Grace, Beauty, Charm, Sophistication, and an Intellectual capacity to match anyone in politics.
I am a healthy 66-year-old virile heterosexual male and from my perspective the Speaker is a Svelte, Sexy and an extremely Attractive Woman.
Although I am not attracted to her in a sexual way, I think this Lady is not only beautiful on the outside but as a life long staunch liberal, she has never uttered a sentence that I disagreed with.
This remarkable woman has shattered the marble ceiling of the People's House, making her the first woman in our 220-year history to hold the highest office in Congress, The Speaker, third in line to the presidency.
She has elbowed her way to the top of this all boys club playing rough when she had to but always, always, remaining a woman of class and dignity.
Nancy, the daughter of a liberal Baltimore Mayor knew her way around politics from an early age, which is why she was able to fight her way to the leadership role.
It could not have been easy for this incredible lady, dealing with cigar chomping, cursing, swearing, spitting male politicians, yet she remained poised and elegant amid these rough and tumble conditions.
Not since Susan B. Anthony has a woman had such a profound influence on the American political stage.
She has been a great inspiration to other young ladies, in essence she has said; you need not compromise your integrity and composure to rise to the top.
Nancy is never at a loss for words and can sit down with heads of state or the president of the USA and never be anything but a complete lady of elegance.
She has never shied away from speaking her mind, and she can metaphorically and diplomatically spit in the face of power and never lose her serenity.
Oh yes, Nancy is very special and is basically the only good thing to happen to this country in the last 7 years.
I know that her control of the House has forced the administration to rethink some of his Military plans and her tight rein on the purse strings is making him jump thru hoops to get what he wants.
Gone is Rubber Stamp Hastert/Delay the gruesome twosome that gave the president whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it.
Gone are tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and the further erosion of our Social Security system.
Under her leadership we finally got an increase in the minimum wage and lower interest rates for college students.
Of course as Speaker she controls the flow of our tax dollars, but she must tow a fine line between the country painting her as a hopeless liberal who refuses to fund the troops and making sure the troops have enough of what they need to avoid appearing irresponsible and inviting the distrust of the electorate.
In conclusion, I think the new Speaker is doing a fantastic job, especially when considering the enormous obstacles in her path, republican warmongers determined to keep the war going, a Senate that is split down the middle 49 Republicans and 49 Democrats and an executive branch that still holds the veto pen, which represents two thirds of the votes in congress.
Despite being hobbled by these seemingly insurmountable impediments and an impatient anti war voting block clamoring to end the war now, she has conducted herself with the dignity and self-confidence that you would expect from a head of state.
Bearing in mind that it is not the Democratic Party or the Congress that is moving to the Right, it is the American people, it is the Voters that are sending Right Wingers from both parties to represent them in government.
This may be a sign that more Americans are doing better or more Americans are hoping to do better and voting like they are rich or voting like they intend to be rich.
Whatever the explanation, it appears that people become selfish and greedy when they start doing well financially, albeit the reason for the large Right Wing presence in our lives.
Anyway, I think it is a travesty of justice that My Fair Lady is being maligned and insulted so viciously and of course unjustifiably.
But this too will pass and Nancy will be remembered in our history books as the great lady she really is.
I love you Nancy, thank you for fighting so hard for the American people, and helping to slow down the Blitzkrieg of the Bush administration.
"Keep Audrey Hepburn and keep Liz Taylor,
Nancy's the feature, they're just the trailer!
Picture a tomboy in lace,
That's Nancy with the laughing face!"
By: Silvers/Van Huesin
PS
Anyone calling himself or herself a liberal and still waging despicable insults against this lovely woman is either a liar or ill informed.
If you people claim to be representative of liberals in America then I must quickly change the definition of what it is I stand for, because none of your holier than thou rhetoric resembles anything I believe in and I have always considered myself a life long far left liberal.
Propaganda is alive and well as evident in the delusional rant by SEQUOIABISON. Please, carry through with your idiotic "threat" to "quickly change the definition" of what you stand for. Anyone delusional enough to think Nancy "let them eat cake" Pelosi is anything but a plutocratic elitist can hardly consider themselves a liberal.
Call yourself what you really are, a "good German," and fall in line behind your goose-stepping mainstream democratic "leadership."
By the way, your Pelosi fawning reaches creep-factor 11 on the stalker scale....
"If they were poor and they were sleeping on my sidewalk, they would be arrested for loitering, but because they have 'Impeach Bush' across their chest, it's the First Amendment."
- Nancy Pelosi
Sounds more like Marie Antoinette's "Let em eat cake" than the lady of culture and grace that SEQUOIABISON tries to describe.
The people that see Nancy Pelosi for what she really is rather than those wearing rose colored glasses are the 89% of the public that disapprove of Congress under her "leadership".
Lobo Gris
Propaganda? Please, the man is obviously in love with a famous, married woman.
Pleasethink,thank you and I try to (think that is). I understand what you say, but it seems to me, and I could be wrong, that Wexler and the others are trying to take credit away from where credit is due. Dennis Kucinich! If they're on board with him then count me in. When I have a few spare minutes I'll visit Dennis' site and research it. And sEQUOIABISON? What the hell does that mean?By that I mean your moniker not your stupid love letter to nancey. Hey dude, I want what your smoking, got to be better than what I have. Your a piece of work. In the words of Pee wee Herman.......Why dont you marry her! Then go jump of a cliff somewhere, together, and don't bother us agian. Thanks Texrey
Speaking of Kucinich, I posted a blog at the Des Moines Register condemning the ludicrous decision to prohibit his participation in the most recent debate here:
Wow, long address....
Great blog tommybones.
thanks!
If the readers here would place in search the name Prescott Bush and read from there on you can see where our so called President is coming from.
40,000 people have signed onto Wexler's impeachment hearings call at www.wexlerwantshearings.com
If you haven't signed on, go there now and do it, and send word to 10 friends, or to your whole mailing list, and tell everyone to do it. We should be getting 50,000 signatures. We should be getting 500,000 or five million!
We can all hope that events will force monkeys to fly out of Pelosi's butt because the very next thing to happen will be impeachment.
Gee, SEQUOIABISON, for someone who is not sexually interested in Nancy Pelosi you sound like you're writing her a Valentine's Day card. Yes, by all means, change your self-definition, since you sound like a centrist DLC 'Republican Lite' Democrat rather than a full-blooded liberal.
"If they were poor and they were sleeping on my sidewalk, they would be arrested for loitering, but because they have 'Impeach Bush' across their chest, it's the First Amendment."
-- Nancy Pelosi
A shame it never occurred to Nancy that she could do something about the poor sleeping on her sidewalk other than have them arrested. She could propose and help pass legislation to lessen the number of poor people and, if she's sick of seeing those 'Impeach Bush' t-shirts, she could start investigations into the most prominent of Bush/Cheney's abuses of their powers of office, as prescribed by the Constitution. Here are a few high crimes and misdemeanors to get her started: Lying to Congress and the American people; misusing intelligence to start a war; outing a covert CIA agent; firing federal prosecutors for political reasons; criminal negligence prior to 9/11; aiding and abetting torture, in violation of international law; illegally destroying government records; imprisoning American citizens without due process of law (Hamdi and Padilla); illegally using signing statements to contravene laws passed by Congress -- well, I could go on and on, but that would be a good beginning.
Finally, as Dave Lindorff says, sign up at Wexler's site -- a few hundred thousand signatures might very well make a difference.
impeachment isn't going to come only by kucinich's stand. it will come by calling and emailing your representative..
because comgressman are beginning to get on board with the things kucinich has advocated is a good step.
just call your representative and tell them what you think. don't bemoan the step these three have taken!
Thanks A.J. L
I think most of the people here know that Prescott was Hitlers financial whore.
You might want to watch this - Time well spent
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5547481422995115331
The entire family are criminals. It is in fact a crime family. If there is any way to steal money, power, elections or anything else, they will be there. From the earlier days of the savings and loan theft, stolen elections in Florida to war profiteering, they'll be there, lying all the way.
Thanks A.J. L
I think most of the people here know that Prescott was Hitlers financial whore.
You might want to watch this - Time well spent
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5547481422995115331
The entire family are criminals. It is in fact a crime family. If there is any way to steal money, power, elections or anything else, they will be there. From the earlier days of the savings and loan theft, stolen elections in Florida to war profiteering, they'll be there, lying all the way.
so baldwin, gutierrez and wexler wrote an op-ed re: their decision to go forward with impeaching cheney for his high crimes and misdemeanors. and none of the major papers were willing to print it.
so if you feel moved to contact the publisher, president or executive editor of the new york times to express an oppinion about this, here's a little useful information:
Arthrur Sulzberger, Jr.
Chairman and Publisher
The New York Times
229 West 43rd St.
New York, New York
10036
email: publisher@nytimes.com
Scott H. Heekman-Canedy
President and General Manager
The New York Times
(same snail mail address as above)
email: president@nytimes.com
Bill Keller
Executive Editor
The New York Times
(same snail mail)
email: executive-editor@nytimes.com
or a regular old letter to the editor can be sent to:
letter@nytimes.com
peace -
I looked into this a little bit and discovered that this is all in response to Kucinich's actions. Representative Kucinich introduced HR 333, Articles of Impeachment Relating to Vice President Richard B. Cheney in April of 2007, and when he finally forced consideration of his resolution on November 7th, Nancy Pelosi used procedural maneuvers to get it sent to the Judiciary Committee for consideration. She was hoping it would wilt and die there. But instead, Wexler, Baldwin and Gutierrez of the Judiciary Committee took on Kucinich's resolution and stepped forward to put impeachment back on the table.
Representative Conyers (chair of the House Judiciary Committee) is in a tough spot because he believes in the reasons for impeachment and yet has Nancy Pelosi to contend with. (who wants to keep it "off the table") It could be useful to email or otherwise contact Conyers too. and if you live in a state that has one of the members of the house judiciary committee on it, it would also be useful to contact them. (i googled House judiciary committee and it was easy to find out).
i think when the decisions are so controversial or difficult to make, it helps to have the support of the constituents. it can't hurt. a friend of mine once suggested that we send calcium pills to our senators and representatives to help them with their spines... but i really think that fervent support for these impeachment proceedings is a good idea.
peace-
Good ideas and info from both MikeBinSC and Quirkygrrlny. If we can nudge Conyers, the Cheney investigation can proceed and it will lead to impeachable offenses that the House can't ignore. The Senate is another problem, but we can work on that when we come to it. The House is first. Even if there is no impeachment, the investigation is sure to bring out some truth about what Bush and Cheney have been up to, and that will affect the elections in 2008.
As we saw in 1973 and Watergate, no one in the early part of that year thought that Nixon nor any of his top people would be caught up in the investigation, and then, by 1974, most of the president's men were gone and Nixon himself was feeling the heat. (He resigned in August of 1974.)
The case for impeachment of our Black House thugs has been made by many people over the last two or three years, and more thoroughly (there are numerous grounds for impeachment) than the above article makes it. However, if these folks can get the process rolling in a serious way, then let them get it rolling. It is high time to get these proceedings in gear, before undermining the Constitution and other crimes become, well, accepted and acceptable behavior on the part of the members of the executive branch.
"believes in the reasons for impeachment and yet has Nancy Pelosi to contend with."
If a Pelosi had been Speaker of the House in 1973-74, Nixon would never have been impeached & the Vitenam Warwould have continued into my high school & possibly college years.
An article today says that "Rep. Pelosi was surprised by the intransigence of Republicans" -- the Bushits have had no more valuable ally than the Pelosicrats.
Lobo Gris wrote:
"I don't believe that there would be any advantage for Cindy to run as a Democrat. All you would see would be a replay of Connecticut in 2006 when Joe Lieberman was defeated in the primary, ran as an independent and was elected by Republicans who voted for him rather than their own candidate. Cindy is better off IMO to stick to her principles and run as an independent from the git go. Besides when she wins she won't be beholden to the Democratic party for her election."
Abbybwood wrote:
"Look at what Lieberman did in Connecticut as an Independent!
Look at what the wrestling Governor of Minnesota did! Remember that race?"
Cindy Sheehan is more comparable to Jesse Ventura than Joe Lieberman, who had been a Connecticut Senator for a long time, and was trusted by conservative voters. It was Republican votes that made up for the majority of Democrats which had rejected the Liebermaggot. Sheehan is not going to get many Republican votes. She also does not have the advantage of incumbency and long-term familiarity. A lot of people regard her as a flake, even among those who sympathize with her position. If I lived in San Francisco, and if Sheehan ran as a Democrat, I'd happily vote for her. But things being what they are, she will lose, and instead of a victory for the peace movement, she will give us a defeat.
What Lobo Gris doesn't explain is what being "beholden to the Democratic party for her election" would mean. Because, actually, it wouldn't mean a damn thing.
What does this archcriminal have to do before the gutless gringos impeach his fat ass--eat a congressperson's child?
If not now, when?
moonraven,
I think it's going to take George or Dick or both to be caught with a dead girl or a live boy on national tv to start impeachment hearings, and even then. they and the corporate media would probably spin it as some kind of sick "Leave No Child Behind" strategy!
Mike,
You are probably right. Especially when you remember that there are millions in the US who admire the two petrocriminals for getting away with murder.
Sometimes you Do get the government you deserve....
For the CAUGHT case of the boy, would that be "leave no child's behind"?
¿Why the difference: a live girl or a dead boy?
nspire,
It's an allusion to the homophobes on the right that might react to those situations in the same manner, with equal condemnation.
MIKE -- Sorry, not registering - but not to worry.
Although I'm not sorry to admit that I can neither pull myself far enough toward the "right" nor along that greased shaft of being homophobic, to make sense of this.
Pelosi is a huge disappointment, saying that "impeachment is off the table" right from the start of her reign as Speaker. She doesn't speak for me, nor for a majority of Americans.
Wouldn't it have been great if she used the Bu$h line that "all options are on the table"?
Congress has the right to declare war, but they gave that up long ago. They have a duty to impeach, but won't be doing that either.
Sad to say, the Republicans and Democrats are filp sides of the same bad coin. Time to trash both parties.
I am so disgusted with the invertebrates the Dems have become. Kucinich and Ron Paul are about the only candidates making any sense.
SEQUOIABISON > Frankly, I take offense to being called flotsam by JETSAM. Go clean out your purse.
what we need to be doing, people, is working extremely hard to get dennis kucinich elected in all the primaries!!!! PS ron paul makes NO "SENSE" AT ALL except for people who have no compassion for those who might need a teeny safety net if they hit a slippery slope at some point in their lives. I'm not talking about ME> i'm fine, but i care about people who AREN'T !!!! For those of us who do, it's dennis all the way.so let's get him elected !
Dave I went to wexlerwantshearings and my conputer froze bummer Vote for Dennis in the primaries. Vote for Dennis in the general election!!!
Kucinich/Edwards or Kucinich/Obama would make a great ticket but, to be realistic, Dennis has been (intentionally) ignored and dubbed a sure loser by the Big Media (BM) so I don't think he has a chance. Still, he's trying to collect $10 million and that would be enough to buy paid media in some of the early primary states, unless the BM refuse to run his ads. So far, it looks like the DLC Dems are going to do everything they can to keep him out of future debates.
That said, the strongest Dem ticket with a good chance of winning the general election is either Obama/Edwards or Edwards/Obama, although I don't think Edwards would be Obama's VP.