Heroic Democrats, lead by Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), have adopted an easy seven step impeachment strategy. Well, actually, only the first six steps are easy.
Right now it's most important to concentrate on the first three. What more progressives need to understand it that 25% of the value of the whole process could be achieved by just getting step 3 accomplished and Republicans are going to try again to kill Hinchey's bill on Tuesday or Wednesday. Let's rally to his support!
- Identify and collect evidence of "high crimes and misdemeanors.
- Identify specific laws that were violated.
- Get Congressional hearings, with subpoena power, to get evidence and charges on the record.
- Use this record to get and impeachment presentation in For Articles of Inquiry in House Judiciary Committee. (Target date: Spring 2006)
- Get House Judiciary Committee referral to House of Representatives. (Summer 2006)
- Get impeachment finding from majority of House members.
- Get conviction from 2/3 rds majority of Senate.
Reps Hinchey and Waxman are working Step 3 right now.
Review of the Game So Far:
Step 1: Identify and collect evidence of "high crimes and misdemeanors."
"The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa ." President Bush State of the Union 2003"
See Hans Blix Interview in rom-wyo`s Hans Blix Interview and below for more information why this was a deliberate attempt to misled Congress. First drafts of the speech said American intelligence, but Hadley, Cheney, and Bush, knew American intelligence proved the Niger documents were forgeries.
Step 2: Identify specific laws that were violated.
From Rep. Hinchey's September letter to Prosecutor Fitzgerald.
Thus 18 U.S.C., Sec. 1001 was evidently violated. The criminal statute, 18 U.S.C., Sec. 371, prohibits conspiring to defraud the United States and is applicable since the Supreme Court in the case of Hammerschmidt v. United States, 265 U.S. 182, 188 (1924) held that to "conspire to defraud the United States means primarily to cheat the government out of property or money, but it also means to interfere with or obstruct one of its lawful governmental functions by deceit, craft or trickery, or at least by means that are dishonest." Senior Administration officials arguably violated Section 371 because their uranium claims had the effect of obstructing or interfering with the function of Congress to reconsider its war resolution and to allow further time for U.N. weapons inspections.
Step 3: Get Congressional Hearings
Maurice Hinchey made has his 9th demand for Articles of Inquiry before the House Committee on International Relations, on Sept 8, 2005. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) Strikes Again! 9th Demand For Articles of Inquiry Against Pres. Bush.
Chairman Henry Hyde and the Republicans were unable to kill this vote and the committee deadlocked 24-24 with the help of cross over Republican Rep. Jim Leach (R-IO). Everyone here should be rallying to support before Chairman Hyde tries again to kill this resolution on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. Kosmonauts should be rallying to support this heroic effort and keep Rep Leach r in the fold.. All we need to make this stick is two more moderate Republicans to come across!
Henry Waxman has his 4th demands for Articles of Inquiry before the House Committee of Government Reform
Folks here know it is my opinion that bringing White House criminal behavior to justice should be one of the highest leverage strategies Democrats have for achieving 2006 and 2008 election victories. Without this, we will have a tough time convincing the American public we are much different.
Please support Hinchey and this courageous Democratic Heros.
UPDATE DECEMBER 13, 2005
Thanks Jeff,
I am so impressed with everything Hinchey is doing. Please let me know if I can ever be helpful. I am HoundDog on DailyKos. LolliGolli and I have written many supportive columns and polls trying to help out.
Hinchey or the rest of you have carte blanc with my daily column anytime you want to get a message out.
Keep up the good work.
In a message dated 12/13/2005 9:05:42 AM Pacific Standard Time, Jeff.Lieberson@mail.house.gov writes:
HoundDog,
Thanks for your e-mail and your support of Congressman Hinchey. I'll keep you posted on when the resolution of inquiry is going to be taken up by the International Relations Committee. It looks like it will be tomorrow, but it may be Thursday.
-Jeff
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Jeff Lieberson
Communications Director
Office of Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY22)
202-225-6335 (office)
202-226-0774 (fax)
jeff.lieberson@mail.house.gov
U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey's Official Congressional Website
U.S. Representative Henry Waxmans Official Congressional Website
U.S. Congressional Welcome Website with index of all Reps sites
"House Judiciary Committee Website - Where 1st Impeachment Case Prop. is made
U.S. Rep Charles Rangels Website
U.S. Rep Murtha's Website