It has been a long time since I've posted a diary here. I visit often, but haven't had much time to post lately. I have been spending the time I used to spend posting doing things like contacting my elected representatives when necessary. And that brings me to the reason for this diary.
This morning I sent a short email to my Congressperson, Joe Sestak, asking him to support Dennis Kucinich's articles of impeachment. This was not a ranting demand for Bush to be kicked out of office immediately, but a friendly request that his crimes be investigated with due process and action. I reminded him that a major reason the Democrats were made a majority in 2006 was to fix, not ignore the behavior of the Bush administration.
This afternoon I received a personal reply from Sestak himself, basically agreeing that Bush is a liar and a failure, but that he does not support impeachment because he hasn't seen "unequivocal evidence" that Bush has committed a crime, and that Bush has not abused power in the same way Nixon did.... He feels we should just "move forward".
First I should say that I like Representative Sestak, and I very much appreciate that he took time to personally respond to my email in such a thoughtful way. I assume his opinion is not unlike most other congressional Democrats, and that is precisely why I wanted to post his email here. This reasoning is unacceptable to me. We need to inform our Congressional representatives that what Bush has done is much WORSE than Nixon, and that it is their DUTY to investigate it and punish if necessary.
Here is his reply to my email. Please note how he basically makes the case for impeachment himself, but then quickly backs away from it.
June 11, 2008
Dear Mr. Neill,
Thank you for contacting me regarding your disappointment with the current administration. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this matter, and wanted to personally respond to address this issue, one that weighs heavy on the hearts of many Americans.
Throughout our history, nations around the world have looked to the United States as a model of liberty - a paradigm of both distinction and transparency - and we have done our best to set a high standard. This has always been a great part of the inspiration in serving my country; the opportunity to take part in this noble cause. Recently, however, we have witnessed our government ignore the freedoms established in the Constitution on countless occasions, and flaunted national security as justification.
The founders of our nation left no doubt that the most important role of the president is to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States ." President Bush has twice taken this oath of office, as has Vice President Cheney. Throughout the past several years many have raised questions regarding the administrations actions with regard to the fundamental elements of democracy, as well the respect for the rule of law and the essential freedoms laid out in the Bill of Rights.
Congressional oversight has been an essential piece of American democracy. It is this oversight that keeps the Executive branch of the government in check and is essential to maintaining the limits of Presidential authority. During the Clinton Administration, the Republican-controlled House held numerous hearings on President Clinton's actions and policies. In fact, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found that in one 18-month period the Clinton Administration staff spent more than 55,000 hours responding to more than 4300 congressional requests. However, when the Republican Party had control of the White House and both the House and Senate, congressional oversight essentially stopped.
Unchecked executive power invites abuses, and throughout the tenure of the Bush Administration, a number of allegations of abuse have been the cause of great public concern. Among the more egregious are: whether the Bush Administration led the nation into a war in Iraq based on intelligence that was faulty; whether President Bush condoned the torture of detainees in direct opposition to federal law; whether the Administration retaliated against individuals and organizations that were critical of their actions; the use of "signing statements" to reserve the right of the President to use his authority to disregard federal law if he discerns that it is in the interest of national security; and the President's authorization of eavesdropping on American citizens contrary to federal law.
Any one of these issues standing alone is a very serious matter. However, taken collectively, they raise very troubling questions that strike at the heart of our democracy. With the recent elections, the House and Senate now have Democratic majorities, which gives us the opportunity to provide real oversight of the Administration's actions. Please be assured I will work with my colleagues to provide that oversight and ensure that the Administration's abuses of power do not continue.
Our Constitution provides checks and balances between the braches of government and demands a respect for the rule of law. Pennsylvanians expect open, honest and transparent government. I am working hard to bring those values to the issue facing our country and to guarantee that our government is of the people, by the people, and for the people. With all this said, I do not support impeaching President Bush or Vice President Cheney unless there is direct, unequivocal evidence of violations of the law. Our country must move forward.
I say this because while working in the White House under the Clinton Administration, an important distinction that I learned was between the idea of the president, and that of the presidency. Our founding fathers worked specifically towards establishing a reputable legacy within the oval office, one that would persevere through times of prosperity, times of war, and even times when a President abused the powers of his own office. This legacy also mirrors the image of the nation, reflecting its accomplishments or even its failures. As a result, I believe that issuing articles of impeachment would seriously undermine the legacy of the presidency. The continued reputation of the presidency, and by extension the collective progress of the nation of which it reflects, outweigh the negative consequences that would result from impeachment.
There are times, however, that I do believe impeachment to be a viable course of action. The Watergate scandal was a clear, egregious abuse of power that merited congressional action. Nevertheless, in regards to the current Administration, I do not believe the abuses of power match the nature of those during Watergate, and thus do not believe such action is warranted. This nation must work hard to move forward, to progress beyond the faults of the current Administration. Attempting to impeach the president would further stall this progress and besmirch the presidency long after the current Administration leaves office. Resultantly, in the spirit of growth and the preservation of the oval office, I do not support issuing articles of impeachment against the office of the Presidency or Vice Presidency.
Although we may disagree on this issue, please know that I deeply respect your views. You were correct in stating that many have voiced their support of impeachment, and please be assured that I keep their thoughts and concerns in mind. Ultimately, it is my hope to work within this Democratic Congress towards returning America to the open, prosperous nation it was upon inception. Our work will not be done until citizens can criticize their government without the fear of retaliation or scorn, until the rule of law is steadfastly obeyed and upheld, and until a pervasive ethic of transparency runs through the halls of Capitol Hill.
Thank you again for contacting me on this issue. If I can be of any additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to our future correspondence.
Sincerely,
Joe Sestak
Member of Congress
I urge EVERYONE to find out where their representative stands on this issue and why. For anyone interested in contacting Representative Sestak, particularly anyone who might reside in PAs 7th congressional district with me, here is a link to his "contact me" page.
I am currently writing Mr. Sestak another email that explains why "moving forward" is just not good enough under these circumstances. I want him to understand that lying this country into an unnecessary war and deliberately leaking the identity of a covert agent for political purposes and violating the Constitution with warrantless spying on American citizens all while destroying the US economy is WORSE than Watergate. That Bush makes Nixon look like a rookie piker when it comes to abusing power.....
Thanks for reading!!