Rep. Dennis Kucinich has announced action on HR 333, the impeachment resolution against Dick Cheney, before Thanksgiving. Also here are some answers from the membership of NEImpeach.org in response to a call for clear talking points to persuade citizens hesitant on impeachment. Please at a minimum send 2 emails, one to your own representative, who can be contacted through this tool and one to Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers, who has made impeachment noises but needs to be pushed to follow through. Conyers has said "I wish I could be moved by some of the people coming to my office." So let's move him.
John.Conyers@mail.house.gov
Text of the Kuninich Articles of Impeachment, filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives on April 24, 2007.
From Northeast Impeachment Coalition:
Task: We need to develop some good retorts to the oft repeated toxic anti-impeachment propaganda:
Herb's Answers
- The Senate will come to a standstill (and that is a bad thing...how?).
The Senate is at a standstill, unable to pass anything meaningful as a result of "supermajorities", signing statements and fear. During the Clinton impeachment proceedings, the House and Senate were able to continue their work and pass significant legislation -- precisely because they were not impeded by the President.
- Condi may become the next President, and Smirky will appoint another V.P. just as bad or worse than Snarly, so what is the point?
Unlikely, because after impeaching Cheney, Bush will have to appoint a VP who must be vetted by the House and Senate with simple majority votes.
- It will be just like the Clinton impeachment, and we don't want that.
It will not resemble the Clinton impeachment due to the serious and weighty nature of the likely charges. Also, many of the "high crimes and misdemeanors" are matters of public record.
- We'll take care of it in 2009. We have to win 2008 first, and impeachment could jeopardize the election.
Practically guarantees a furtherance of the imperial presidency if any of the current front runners prevail. Impeachment is about preserving and protecting the Constitution! This concern should trump any party concerns or individual election concerns. If the Constitution is not protected, then what will we have and what meaning will the oath of office have?
- We just don't have the votes.
The charges have not been brought and therefore there is no way to know what the vote count will be. Investigate and develop charges if the evidence is there.
Nancy's answers:
#1.....Someone remind me what were the at least 3 major bills that were passed during the Nixon impeachment investigations in the Judiciary Committee back then? Civil Rights legislation was one, and the others?
#5.....Don't 'count the votes' before the investigation is 'hatched.'....as in don't count your chickens before they're hatched.
Cindy's answers:
---They'll be out of office in a year anyway.
If someone broke into your house and robbed you, and the police told you they weren't going to press charges because the robber was leaving the country in
a year anyway, would you be satisfied? Bush has robbed us of our democracy, our constitutional rights, our blood, and treasure. The Congress is the "police," they are bound to hold the Executive Branch accountable and defend our Constitution.
Robert's answers:
- They haven't the votes,
The Republicans never had the votes in the Senate when they impeached and then tried Clinton for lying about having sex with Lewinsky. Nor did the Senate have the votes when the House Committee on the Judiciary commenced investigation on the impeachment of Nixon. Impeachment is an organic process. In the Nixon case, unlike the Bush-Cheney matters, it took the House Committee on the Judiciary eight months of research and investigation to derive articles of impeachment. Before these charges could be brought out on the floor of the House for a vote, Nixon resigned; as he knew by then the articles would pass by the required simple majority on the floor of the House. Tell your U.S. Representative to carry on his business under his oath of office or you will challenge him in the primary and relieve him of his duties on 20 January 2009.
- There's not enough time
With six 160 megaton thermonuclear warheads on cruise missiles transported contrary to military protocols on 29-30 August 2007, from Minot AFB to Barksdale AFB, now gone missing and unaccounted for, every second counts. There are 451 days until 20 January 2009. The Clinton impeachment and full Senate trial lasted 121 days from commencement of investigations before the House Committee on the Judiciary until the "Not Guilty" verdict was rendered by the Senate. The Chair of this House Committee on the Judiciary, Rep. John Conyers, Jr. updated and re-published his book on the impeachment of George W. Bush in 2007. I sincerely doubt that any investigations once initiated would take over 36 hours to pump out at least four articles of impeachment against each Bush and Cheney, replete with "on the record" evidence of guilt.
- We need to get out Iraq first
Remind your rep that Bush and Cheney have made it patently clear that we will be in Iraq so long as they are in the White House. Remind your rep that the 110th Congress tried to set troop reductions and withdrawal deadlines only to be met with presidential vetoes which this congress could not over-ride. There is only one way to get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and it requires neither the president's signature, nor is it subject to his veto. It is constitutional, and it is called IMPEACHMENT. Tell your rep that his objection is nothing but nonsense and lollygagging, and if he doesn't feel up to carrying out his oath and his duty to you, he should step down at once. Otherwise, he needs to get on with the job he asked you to elect him to, and he swore on a bible he would faithfully carry out.
- Would cause a backlash;
Backlash, what does your rep call a 22% approval rating. I'd call that getting your fanny smacked until it's beet red. If he wants to see backlash, just keep up what's been going on since convening in January '07, and he's likely to see a new broom sweep Congress Green in '08. This nation is craving for a national hero. Please dear God won't someone stand up to these bullies.
- It would harm my political party;
Same answer as to #3 above. Keep it up, asshole, your party has been in self destruct mode for a straight ten months so far this year. Why bother messing up a perfect score. Seriously, the history of the US on impeachment is quite clear. The impeaching party has always prevailed in the following presidential election. Tell him to check the record books.
- Don't want to be stuck with Pelosi
Pelosi would only become president if both Bush and Cheney died simultaneously in a common disaster. Take that smirk off your face ;-) The logic here is to impeach Cheney first. The Senate would join in confirmations of a milk toast replacement VP, as happened when Spiro Agnew resigned. Then Bush's impeachment could rapidly follow.
- If we impeach Cheney, Bush will appoint someone just as bad
Always a possibility, but Bush doesn't do this in a vacuum. There will have to be Senate confirmation hearings. This makes the selection bi-partisan. Plus, Bush will be trying to get out the door without it hitting him in the ass momentito. As his impeachment should be well underway by this point in time.
- The proceedings would be just too ugly and would throw the country into chaos, etc.
Please, upset my country, throw us into chaos. I have much more faith in the American people to figure things out for themselves, than for their ability to survive flourish under this totalitarian regime.
Please at a minimum send 2 emails, one to your own representative, who can be contacted through this tool and one to Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers, who has made impeachment noises but needs to be pushed to follow through. Conyers has said "I wish I could be moved by some of the people coming to my office." So let's move him.
John.Conyers@mail.house.gov