who is fighting against the boring, conservative trend of the Democratic Party: Chris Owens. I am urging Chris to post here himself, but he currently is overwhemled with events taking up his attention. I will keep working on him.
For now, here is an update on his campaign. Chris Owens, already endorsed by progressives like Dennis Kucinich, Bernie Sanders and Maxine Waters, has picked up another strongly progressive endorsement.
Congress is full of followers. But to impeach George Bush and Dick Cheney, we need real leaders.
That's why ImpeachPAC is endorsing Chris Owens in the open race for Brooklyn's 11th Congressional District.
On January 23, Owens declared his support for impeachment on his web site:
"As an American committed to the vigorous protection of individual rights in a democratic society, I join with the voices both within and outside of Congress calling upon the U.S. House of Representatives to commence impeachment proceedings against the President of the United States."
Three days later, Owens argued vigorously for impeachment at an important candidates forum. His powerful advocacy produced banner headlines in the Brooklyn Paper, stating simply "IMPEACH BUSH!"
Wouldn't it be great to see headlines like that in the New York Daily News - or the New York Times?
If we can elect Chris Owens to Congress, great things are possible.
In calling for impeachment, Owens - like Richard Nixon's former White House Counsel John Dean - stressed Bush's open admission he broke the strict FISA law, while claiming he has vague legal powers that put him above the law.
Owens told the Brooklyn audience, "By his own admission, he violated the law [by authorizing the surveillance of Americans]. He has dared us - he has dared us! - to define his violations as a high crime and misdemeanor."
Can we ignore such a dare? Of course not!
Owens is wise to the anti-democratic tactics of the White House and the Republican-controlled Congress, and says we need to hold Bush accountable immediately.
"The situation we confront today highlights the dangers of one-party dominance of the three branches of our government. This is particularly dangerous since the current dominant party has chosen to use fear itself as a political and psychological club, cudgeling the people into acquiescence as our rights are eroded... Resolving the issues raised by the President's actions is time-sensitive and requires a comprehensive response. Completing the journey to truth, therefore, requires us to cross the desert of impeachment."
Owens approaches impeachment with appropriate caution.
"Impeachment is not synonymous with conviction. In fact, no President has ever been removed from office as a result of a conviction by the United States Senate. Impeachment is a Constitutional check on the Executive Branch. In this matter, impeachment will clarify important homeland security and civil liberties issues and either prove the abuse of Presidential power ... or conclude that none occurred."
But for Owens, caution does not mean the question of impeachment should be avoided. Instead, it is a question that must be confronted head-on. " We must reach the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth... Congress must act now... This call for impeachment is about saving America -- the land of the free."
Owens comes by his deep progressive convictions honestly. His father, Major Owens, graduated from Atlanta's Morehouse College at the height of the civil rights movement, became a librarian, and moved to Brooklyn, where he became a community activist. He served 8 years in the State Senate, then succeeded the legendary Shirley Chisholm in Congress 1982. Major Owens is well-known to C-SPAN viewers for his passionate speeches on behalf of progressive causes, and his voting record is equally progressive.
Chris Owens is proud to call himself an "aggressive progressive" - just like Democrats.com. Chris is a member of Progressive Democrats of America, where we began discussing impeachment a year ago. Chris is passionate about reforming the Democratic Party, starting right at home with the ossified Brooklyn Democratic machine.
Owens has been endorsed by some of the most progressive Members of Congress, including Maurice Hinchey (NY), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH), Dennis Kucinich (OH), John Lewis (GA), Bernie Sanders (VT), and Maxine Waters (CA).
Brooklyn's 11th District, which voted 86% for John Kerry, is a safe Democratic seat. The important battle is the September Democratic primary, in which Owens will face 4 other candidates.
Although the district is nearly 60% black, the leading fundraiser in the race is City Councilman David Yassky, who is white - and does not support impeachment.
Polls show impeachment is a top issue for Democrats who vote in primaries. A recent Zogby poll commissioned by OpEdNews.com found 85% of Democrats would be likely to vote for a candidate who "supports having impeachment proceedings against President Bush."
http://www.democrats.com/...
To help close the fundraising gap, ImpeachPAC will give Chris Owens the maximum of $5,000: $2,100 now and $2,900 when we qualify as a multi-candidate PAC in April.