Although Judiciary Committee Chairman Conyers is tying himself in knots to keep from saying the word impeachment, the fact is that this hearing is the result of H.R. 1345 being referred to the Judiciary Committee in a full House vote last week, and H.R. 1345 is specifically about impeachment. It focuses narrowly on administration claims that Saddam possessed WMD in the run-up to the Iraq war, and that there was a connection between Hussein and 9/11. Kucinich's article relies heavily on the Downing Street Memo, the transcript of a gathering of the British Prime Minister's senior ministers on July 23, 2002. The DSM includes such passages as:
C reported on his recent talks in Washington. There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy.
The facts were being fixed around the policy. Facts. Fixed. In other words, they lied...
Now over 4,000 fine young men and women are dead. We don't want a circus. We want an article of impeachment adopted for a full vote on the House Floor. Let these congressmen put themselves on the record for history, the cabal which buried its constitutional duty for party or politics or out of sheer weak-kneed cowardice, which is a stench next to the fiber of the Americans we lost, and those who still dart across alleys laced with machine gun fire somewhere in Iraq, in answer to the call of their country. How wrong that these courageous are not the ones making decisions for our country, while the ewes in congress tremble before the power of George Bush to do something bad to them.
The following is an announcement from the National Impeachment Network, who are calling for all to descend upon Washington Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to show that Americans care about their Constitution. Kucinich has an open-and-shut case. Urge the Judiciary Committee to adopt HR 1345 for a full House vote. It's time to flush out once and for all which of these congressmen are with us, the people, and which are against us.
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NATIONAL IMPEACHMENT NETWORK
Come to DC for this Historic Moment: "Hearing on the Imperial Presidency of George W. Bush"
Contact NIN DC action coordinator: cynthia_papermaster@yahoo.com if you’re coming from outside the DC area.
July 22-24 "Impeachment Lobbying Days", House of Representatives
July 25
9 a.m. "Choose the Constitution" Press Conference & Rally
Rayburn Building, Independence Avenue
10 a.m. Hearing on the Imperial Presidency of George W. Bush
House Judiciary Committee, Rayburn Bldg, Rm. 2141
"Rumor has it there are two panels being planned for the hearing, one consisting of Kucinich and four other members of Congress (Jane Harman, Walter Jones, Brad Miller, and Maurice Hinchey), and the other consisting of five non-Congress Members (Elizabeth Holtzman, Bruce Fein, Frederick Schwartz, John Dean, and Bob Barr)." ADS
For information about the rally and hearing, as well as possible camping or housing arrangements (subject to occupancy) in D.C., check here: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/...
The Office of the Judiciary is expected to post a video of the hearing on their website: http://judiciary.house.gov/...
Actions to Take from Home
PLEASE take as many of these five actions as possible to:
· ensure that Judiciary Committee members attend the July 25 hearing
· urge the members to vote to hold impeachment hearings based on the evidence presented July 25
· insist on media coverage of the hearing
Huge thanks to Pat Thomas, Melbourne, Florida, for the following action list
If you feel that patriotism and concern for the world-at-large requires your vigilance and active participation as an American, join me in working every single day for the near future on the impeachment debate. This IS a small, small window open right now... Remember that power yields nothing without our demanding it!
- Contact every member of the Judiciary and insist that they attend the hearing! The hearing is on a Friday and they usually don’t work on Fridays. http://judiciary.house.gov/...
Faxing is absolutely worth a try. If you wish to email them in one fell swoop, do so here: http://judiciary.house.gov/...
If you wish to leave a comment on voicemail, the Democrats' House Judiciary Office is Phone: 202-225-3951 and the Republicans' is 202-225-6504. Don't omit the Republicans, even if you contact them last. NINE House Republicans (contrary to the minority leadership's strategy) voted to send Kucinich's latest impeachment proposal, H.Res.1345--which stated that Bush had lied to Congress to get authorization for his invasion of Iraq--to the Judiciary Committee: Brady (TX), Gilchrest (MD), Walter Jones (NC), Manzullo (IL), Tim Murphy (PA), Ron Paul (TX), Reichert (WA), Christopher Shays (CT), and Mike Turner (OH)!
- Call your Representative (congressional switchboard: 1-800-828-0498) to urge him/her to call for FORMAL hearings in the Judiciary to follow the "preliminary" hearing of July 25 (preferably to begin prior to the commencement of the August recess 2 weeks after July 25). Ask him/her to sign Kucinich's resolutions to impeach Bush (H.Res.1258 and H.Res.1345). (Thus far, Wexler [FL-19], Woolsey [CA-6], Barbara Lee [CA-9], Hinchey [NY-22], Baldwin [WI-02], Farr [CA-17], and Towns [NY-10] have co-sponsored H.Res.1258 and Wexler [FL-19] and Barbara Lee [CA-9] have co-sponsored H.Res.1345.)
- Send an "official" email to your Representative via Rep. Dennis Kucinich's impeachment petition
http://impeachment.kucinich.us/...
- Contact the mainstream media and demand that they start NOW to report on the impeachment issue and that they cover the July 25th hearing! Write a letter to your local newspaper. Email / call national media outlets. Here's one list for contact info: http://www.fair.org/...
- SPREAD THE WORD as much as you're willing and humanly able to do... Make sure that at least your fellow Americans have heard about the July 25th hearing to discuss the actions of President George W. Bush; perhaps they'll be interested in contacting their Congress person, etc. Talk with friends and neighbors. Email people you know. Share your opinion on internet blogs and websites that allow comments.
10:00 a.m. Room 2141, Rayburn Building, Washington DC
http://judiciary.house.gov/...
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articles:
Executive Privilege, Why Aren't They Hollering "Cover-up?"
http://www.opednews.com/...
Nine Republicans Break Party Ranks: Send Impeachment Article to Judiciary for Hearings
http://www.opednews.com/...
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Conyers Announces Hearing on Imperial Presidency
Congressman John Conyers
For Immediate Release
July 17, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Godfrey (Conyers)
http://judiciary.house.gov/...
(Washington)—Today House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. announced that, on July 25, the House Committee on the Judiciary will hold a hearing on the Imperial Presidency of George W. Bush and possible legal responses.
"Over the last seven plus years, there have been numerous credible allegations of serious misconduct by officials in the Bush Administration," said Conyers. "At the same time, the administration has adopted what many would describe as a radical view of its own powers and authorities. As Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, I believe it is imperative that we pursue a comprehensive review commensurate to this constitutionally dangerous combination of circumstances. Next Friday’s hearings will be an important part of that ongoing effort."
The Committee is expected to examine a range of legal and legislative responses to allegations of administration misconduct and their expansion of executive branch power.
Since the beginning of the 110th Congress, the Committee has conducted extensive oversight into allegations of misconduct by the administration, including: (1) improper politicization of the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorneys offices, including potential misuse of authority with regard to election and voting controversies; (2) misuse of executive branch authority and the adoption and implementation of the so-called unitary executive theory, including in the areas of presidential signing statements and regulatory authority; (3) misuse of investigatory and detention authority with regard to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals, including questions regarding the legality of the administration’s surveillance, detention, interrogation, and rendition programs; (4) manipulation of intelligence and misuse of war powers, including possible misrepresentations to Congress related thereto; (5) improper retaliation against administration critics, including
disclosing information concerning CIA operative Valerie Plame, and obstruction of justice related thereto; and (6) misuse of authority in denying Congress and the American people the ability to oversee and scrutinize conduct within the administration, including through the use of various asserted privileges and immunities.
The July 25 hearing will be held at 10:00 a.m. in room 2141 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Additional information, including witness participation, will be announced next week.
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