Rep. Conyers Promises Post-election Impeachment Hearings

While speaking on the topic of impeachment Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) promised that after the November 4 elections, he would pursue legal actions against the Bush administration. Conyers is in a unique position to initiate impeachment. As the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee (the body which would be responsible for initiating impeachment), he has been the sole obstacle to impeachment occurring ever since he and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA, Speaker of the House) took Impeachment "off the table."

However, now it appears that Conyers will be pushing impeachment. At the "Take Back America Conference", Conyers replied, "Yes, you have my word on that." He then shook the hand of a questioner resolutely. The congressman was speaking in a panel, "The Republic Against the Rogue Presidency." Conyers described what was keeping him from pursuing impeachment. He said that he wanted to wait until Obama was elected, as he feared that impeachment would become an election issue.

Please write to Congressman Conyers and thank him for finally pursuing accountability:
Rep. John Conyers
John.Conyers@mail.house.gov
Website
2426 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5126
(202) 225-0072 Fax

Also please contact your own Congressperson and ask them to support Conyers in finally holding the Bush Administration accountable.
Congressional Switchboard (just give switchboard your zip):
1-800-828-0498.

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[Video] Ray McGovern (former CIA) on Impeachment at the RNC

Ray McGovern is a retired CIA officer turned political activist. McGovern was a Federal employee under seven U.S. presidents over 27 years, presenting the morning intelligence briefings at the White House for many of them. He speaks here on troubles with our democracy and the importance of impeachment.

[Video] Debra Sweet at RNC Speaking on Impeachment

Debra Sweet is the National Director of World Can't Wait. World Can't Wait is organizing people living in the United States to take responsibility to stop the whole disastrous course led by the Bush administration. World Can't Wait seeks to create a political situation where the Bush administration's program is repudiated, where Bush himself is driven from office, and where the whole direction he has been taking U.S. society is reversed.

Impeaching the Next President

Jodin Morey, Cofounder of Impeach for Peace speaks at the RNC Free Speech Stage -- So I'm here to talk to you about impeachment, and I know what you're thinking "Bush is almost out of office." But this isn't about Bush. The underlying problem does not end with him, it preceded him, and it will endure after him.

I'm here today to advocate for impeachment as an ever-present value in YOUR life. We should see impeachment as a cherished tool that balances power between us and government. We should never have allowed government, or media to convince us impeachment is extreme or divisive. We need to alter our thinking about impeachment to coincide with that of early presidents and the founders of our nation. James Madison was proud that the Constitution made impeachment of a power abusing president "easy.”

Since I've been alive, almost every president who has been in office has abused their power in such a way as to warrant impeachment.
We should impeach George W. Bush.
We should have impeached Reagan.
We should have impeached Bush Sr.
we should have impeached Clinton , but NOT for his lying about a blowjob, but rather for military actions overseas. The media of course largely ignored Clinton's abuse of power in Yugoslavia and Mogadishu.
And anyone who believes that the next president will magically remain within his constitutional restrictions is fooling themselves.

If you don't support impeachment now, when will you? When it's time to impeach McCain?
When it's time to impeach Obama?
Will you once again accuse the impeachment movement of being divisive? Or INSTEAD will you recognize the corrupt GOVERNMENT for being divisive? Will you once again ask for impeachment to wait until we've won the next midterm elections, and after those elections will you then say that it's too late? Will you once again believe what the media tells you about the likelihood of impeachment, or will you fight for a cause because it's right. . And believe that today's impossibility is tomorrow's reality. If you only fight for the causes that the media tells you are possible, how does that make you special or a visionary? How does that make you courageous or bring meaning to your life?

You've seen that bumper sticker that reads, “I'm already against the NEXT war?” Well, I'm already in favor of impeaching the NEXT PRESIDENT!” Until we do, and continue doing it with every president that abuses their power, they won't stop. And why should they? They've got a pretty good deal going. Presidents can do whatever they want and get away with it.

That's the weird thing about accountability. No one forces it upon themselves. Our founding fathers knew that. Jefferson once said, “In questions of power let no more be said of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution."

What happens when you create a powerful office in which the officers are not accountable to the public? Politicians who are unsavory gravitate towards it. We are asked to trust the president with the power to spy on us. But a presidency that demands trust attracts untrustworthy presidents. It's easy to fix the problem, our founding fathers knew the solution: Checks balances, and transparency. When you turn on the cellar light, the roaches scurry. But congress has learned that WE don't care about accountability as much as the LOBBYISTS care about the status quo. After all, if we turn on the light of transparency, the roaches known as lobbyist will be caught in the act as well.

So, instead, the president breaks the law, and congress fiddles. It seems so obvious when you think about it that one should impeach a criminal president. Think of any other criminal. Say a rapist. What if a judge were to stop prosecuting rapists because he said that doing so was divisive, or that their crime was in that past and that we should be looking forward instead. That's what our congress has done, except instead of raping a person our president has raped a country and congress refuses to prosecute. As a result a million are dead, millions more are displaced, and future presidents will feel free to rape countries as they wish., until we start impeaching them.

Until then, our democracy will continue deconstructing until there is no democracy left. We'll slide slowly into totalitarianism while singing “Land of the free and Home of the Brave.” But when we're not brave enough to stand up to our presidents, we lose that freedom. If everyone who thought Bush should have been impeached would have called their congressperson, we'd be in a different kind of country today. You could still do it right now. Even if it doesn't result in Bush's impeachment, it will let congress know that the public is behind impeachment in principle when a president goes haywire. Maybe then they'll start holding presidents accountable.

But it's always easy to come up with reasons not to do something, or why something might fail. And that pessimism can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. We can go the way of societies like Nazi Germany who were too pessimistic or distracted to do the right thing when there was still time to do it. We seem willing to do that with the environment. But can we afford that luxury? What will it take to motivate good people to turn off their TV and make the difference that's necessary?

Let me leave you with a hopeful thought. Because I believe we will eventually start impeaching presidents freely. We'll have to. So imagine the presidency we'll have one day when they fear impeachment. When so many before them have been impeached, and imprisoned that they fear the power of the people. A presidency with so much transparency, oversight, and accountability that they know they can't step too far out of bounds. Imagine the kind of politician who would never run for such an office. Do you think Cheney would wish to work there? Imagine the kind of president that office will attract.

A president who isn't afraid to have the people see what she's doing.
A president who preserves and restores our civil liberties.
A president so proud of her work that she won't claim executive privilege.
A president who identifies with citizens, not corporations.
A president who doesn't fear our free speech.
A president with the interests of the people paramount in her mind.
A president the founding fathers envisioned was possible . only after they mandated the use of impeachment.

[Video] Violent Police Deny Free Speech at the RNC

The following describes my experience as a protester being mistreated by the St. Paul police during the RNC. My name is Jodin Morey, and I'm a Cofounder of Impeach for Peace.The police abuse I'll describe includes the use of concussion grenades, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and batons.

I joined the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign in a march from Mears Park On September 2, 2008 at 4 p.m. Having heard that some peaceful protesters had been arrested the day before, I was concerned about joining this march. I had been the one to reserve a one-hour slot on the protest stage at 1 p.m. on the following day. National speakers had come from around the country (Ray McGovern, John Nichols and Debra Sweet from the World Can't Wait). The St. Paul Park and Rec. had made it clear the stage would only be available if I were physically present with my driver’s license at the time reserved. I therefore had decided to join the march with the idea of being extremely cautious to avoid any interactions with the police that could result in my arrest.

I was dressed as a Guantanamo Bay detainee to protest the denial of habeas corpus as a human right. There were speeches that went on for a very long time. The organizers spoke about human rights and the need for housing, education, and health care. There was a scuffle between the police and some of the protesters during these speeches, but I was not in a location to see what occurred.
I dove to the ground on the west sidewalk of St. Peter somewhere between West 7th and Exchange Street. Several police barked an order not to move, while pointing their weapons at me. I let go of my cell phone and Guantanamo hood so that they would not mistake them for weapons and placed my hands beside me on the sidewalk. I said, “I am not moving, I am not moving.” I lay there for a little while and then I heard someone walk up beside me. I then heard what sounded like a camera shutter going off a few times before that person wandered off again. I believe that it must have been a police officer taking my picture, as the reporters were not being treated any differently from the protesters. If there had been a reporter around me when the bullets were fired, I believe they would not have been able to freely move in the area with out the police addressing them.

A few moments later, an officer in riot gear approached me and told me I could get up. As I got to my feet, the officer asked me if I was ok. I replied, “I don’t know.” I obviously had not checked my back yet, as I was not able to move while on the ground. I also was not sure if shock had caused me to underestimate the possible damage to my back. But the officer must not have been terribly concerned about my well-being because he told me to continue north on St. Peter without checking out my back. I believe they must of known they shot me. The reason I say this is because they ordered me to the ground, took a picture of me, and asked me how I was. After asking me how I was, however, he showed in his response a clear lack of concern for my well-being. The only other motive I can ascribe to his having asked me how I was is a possible desire to relieve themselves of liability for having injured me with the hope that I would say I was okay When I did not say I was okay, he did not choose to continue the conversation, perhaps because he did not want to open up the conversation to my having been hurt.

I asked if I could pick up my cell phone, not realizing he had already picked it up. He held it out and said he didn’t know if it is was mine. I also asked if I could “get my hat” (Guantanamo hood) but he said he also did not know if that was mine so I did not pursue it further. The police were extremely intimidating with their guns pointed at me and barking out orders. I felt that if I engaged in any type of conversation with them, I was risking being maced or having them hit me with their batons. So, instead of getting badge numbers or inquiring into how I’d later obtain my stuff, I abandoned my things and walked north with my hands above my head. Reporters were videotaping my walk and had possibly been recording my interactions with the police.

I arrived at an intersection where the protesters and reporters were gathered at the location (around 10th Street) that seemed consistent with where the policed wanted us to be. Once there I checked my back by just touching it and seeing if it hurt. From what I could tell, I didn’t seem seriously hurt. I asked a reporter to borrow her cell phone so I could let my friend know that I was safe. I assumed that they were pretty worried about me after my previous phone call.

After I got of the phone, within a minute or two, once again I heard a ruckus and everyone started to run away from the spot closest to the police towards the north again. The police apparently again were trying to move us by the use of tear gas or pepper spray without first giving us an audible warning. I did not stick around in an attempt to find out exactly what was happening. Instead I tried to get out of the area once again by heading north. When I reached 11th Street, I turned the corner to the east and removed my Guantanamo Bay jumpsuit. I did this in case the police had any residual negative feelings about me and might associate it with the suit. Then, as I continued eastward, I saw another line of officers and therefore asked someone near me if it was safe to head in that direction. The person indicated that the police were rounding people up and that it as not safe to go that way. I backtracked to St. Peter and attempted to cross the bridge over 94 to the north. Once I was clearly away from all the activity, I checked my back more thoroughly and saw that I had a red spot where the bullet had hit. It was obvious at this point that the bullet had been some non-lethal version (rubber bullet). Luckily, I was then able to get to my car and drive home.

I’m still unsure how citizens were supposed to express their free speech during the RNC if not in the free speech zone set up by the city. I’m also not sure how someone in the U.S. is supposed to avoid police brutality if the police aren’t expected to give individuals who they are about to abuse, fair warning of how to avoid that abuse by following whatever directives they feel are necessary. I am in talks with the ACLU, however. They have preliminarily agreed to work with me on a lawsuit.

RNC Protest Stage Schedule

IfP/VfP/WCW on the RNC Protest Stage



St. Paul, Minnesota -- Sept. 2, 2008 -- On the third day of the RNC (Wed, Sept. 3rd), Impeach for Peace will be taking the Protest Stage at 1pm and World Can't Wait will have the stage at 4pm.
So far, the list of speakers includes:



Ray McGovern, is a retired CIA officer turned political activist. McGovern was a Federal employee under seven U.S. presidents over 27 years, presenting the morning intelligence briefings at the White House for many of them.


.
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John Nichols: Author of "The Genius of Impeachment." Nichols writes about politics for The Nation magazine as its Washington correspondent. He is a contributing writer for The Progressive and In These Times and the associate editor of the Capital Times, the daily newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and dozens of other newspapers.



Sylvester Spoon, Cofounder of Patriots for Corporate Rights. An organization which advocates for the Iraq War, the coming Iran War, corporate rights, and defends the practice of torturing. They have had many protests against impeachment, and support rallies for President Bush around the Twin Cities.


.

Debra Sweet is the National Director of World Can't Wait. World Can't Wait is organizing people living in the United States to take responsibility to stop the whole disastrous course led by the Bush administration. World Can't Wait seeks to create a political situation where the Bush administration's program is repudiated, where Bush himself is driven from office, and where the whole direction he has been taking U.S. society is reversed.



Ann Wright, a Colonel in the U.S. Army and a career diplomat who resigned in protest the day before the war began.




Jodin Morey: Cofounder of Impeach for Peace (ImpeachforPeace.org), a grassroots, nonpartisan organization based in Minnesota with chapters in twelve states throughout the country working to achieve the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney and holding them and future elected officials fully accountable under the Rule of Law.

Other speakers such as Scott Ritter (United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq from 1991 to 1998), and members of the Glassbead Collective may also speak.

Join us outside the Xcel Energy Center for these great speakers, and to learn how we move forward from here towards accountability in government and restoring our civil liberties and freedoms! The stage is on W. 7th St. between W 5th and 6th Street. It’s easiest to get there by coming from the North on St. Peter, and heading West on 7th St. Parking is easiest just North of the State Capitol Building.

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Jodin Morey

Cofounder: Impeach for Peace

RNC Planners Sued By Impeachment Group

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

St. Paul, Minnesota -- August 12, 2008 -- Impeach for Peace (IfP), along with others looking to demonstrate at the Republican National Convention (RNC), filed a lawsuit Friday with the help of the ACLU of Minnesota in Ramsey County District Court demanding our right to free speech. Plaintiffs include: Jodin Morey and Mikael Rudolph of Impeach for Peace, Colleen and Ross Rowley, and Ron Deharporte.

Impeach for Peace is a grassroots, nonpartisan organization based in Minnesota with chapters in twelve states throughout the country working to achieve the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney and holding them and future elected officials fully accountable under the Rule of Law.

The RNC is having their election year convention in St. Paul, Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center. During this event, the St. Paul Police have decided to relegate most speech activities in what they call the ‘Primary Event Area’ to an inadequate ‘Designated Public Assembly Area’ or free speech zone. The ‘Primary Event Area’ remains to be fully defined by the police, making it impossible for people to know where in St. Paul they can exercise their rights to freedom of expression and assembly. At the convention, members of congress, mayors, governors, the President and Vice-President of the United States are expected to be in attendance. This provides IfP and other potential demonstrators with a unique opportunity to express their political messages to these governmental officials.

The lawsuit alleges that the St. Paul City Council and police have created guidelines for the RNC which restrict free speech to areas that are “inadequate and unacceptably small.”

The ACLU also alleges that the City Council/Police denied IfP their due process rights as stipulated in the Minnesota State Constitution by failing to give notice of their plans regarding free speech restrictions, which would have allowed for public comment and a public hearing.

The ACLU also contends that the City Council/Police has also reserved the right to modify the guidelines at any time in ways that the ACLU contends are in violation of the Minnesota State Constitution.

The lawsuit seeks to have the guidelines declared by the court to be in violation of IfP’s free speech rights, to have the Primary Event Area and the Designated Public Assembly Area clearly defined and officially released to the public, and to have the Designated Public Assembly Area include additional areas that are within sight and sound of the convention.

John Choi, the St. Paul city attorney has said "These two [lawsuits] represent an attempt by the plaintiffs to get another bite at the apple in state court." He continued that the city has afforded "unprecedented access and accommodations for the protesters."

Mr. Choi is incorrect regarding IfP’s “bite at the apple,” as the plaintiffs on this lawsuit have not previously been a plaintiff in a lawsuit regarding their free speech rights at the RNC. There was a previous lawsuit with different plaintiffs, but it dealt primarily with a march planned, not the specifics of the Designated Public Assembly Area.

Secondly, while Mr. Choi and Impeach for Peace may differ as to what is an acceptable amount of restriction on free speech, these differences could have been worked out if the city had engaged in its constitutional due process requirements.

Those interested in IfP’s plans for the RNC, are invited to attend a meeting at Joe’s Garage on the north side of Loring Park in Minneapolis on Sunday, August 17, at 4 p.m.

For more information please contact Jodin Morey, Cofounder of Impeach for Peace, at 612.328.1451.

# # #

Additional Contact Information:
organizer@impeachforpeace.org
minneapolis@impeachforpeace.org
http://impeachforpeace.org

Holiday Impeachment Cards

Seasons Greetings!
This holiday season you can give your friends and family the gift that keeps on giving. You can help them deck the halls of congress with colorful impeachment petitions! Impeach for Peace has created holiday impeachment cards that allow your friends and family to initiate the impeachment process. Impeach for Peace created the Holiday Impeachment image, and researched a company that will allow you to send jumbo sized postcards along with a personalized message using your web browser. The first card you send is free! The cost of sending additional holiday greetings ranges from $1.11 to $1.87/card depending on how many you send. (Impeach for Peace receives no funds from these holiday greetings.)
 
Great for Christmas, Quanza, Haunakha, or Solstice.
 
To send your festive holiday greetings, follow these instructions. To learn more about this legal method of initition impeachment, as well as how this method has been used in the past,click here.

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• Go to: http://www.amazingmail.com/signup.php • Click the "Sign-up" button near the bottom of their webpage. • Click on this link -->http://ImpeachforPeace.org/images/DIYPostcard.jpeg *You should now have a second browser window open showing the image that will appear on the holiday greeting.* • Use your browser's "Save As" function to save this image to your computer (depending on the browser/computer, you can right/left click the image to get this function, or use the pull down menu titled "File"). • Return to the amazingmail browser window and click on the "Start a Postcard Mailing" link located at the upper left-hand corner. • Click on the right arrow button located next to the words "5.5 x 11.5." (This is the Jumbo card) • Click on the "Choose File" button, located in the middle column. • Locate the image you saved on your computer.The file name should be "DIYPostcard.jpg" • Click the right arrow button next to the word "Continue." (Be very patient, this website can be extremely slow to respond) • After the file is done uploding, showing will be a preview of the card. Click on the "Continue" button. • Click on the right arrow button next to the words "Leave the Image Area Blank" • Type a message to your friends/family introducing them to the DIY Impeachment. For example: Happy Holidays! What better gift to give this holiday season than the restoration of our democracy? Over this past year, Bush has become an even greater threat to our Constitution. Lucky for us, the rules of the US House of Representatives allow for individual citizens like you and I to initiate the impeachment process directly! Just follow the instructions on the reverse side of this card. This process was successfully used to impeach in the past. For more information about this memorial (or how to give your own gift of impeachment), go to ImpeachforPeace.org. Have a merry impeachment this season! • Format your text however you'd like it and click the "Continue" button. *On this page you can either import the addresses of the individuals to whom you would like to send your card, or your can add them individually.* • To import addresses, click on the right arrow key next to the words "Import Addresses" and follow the directions. • To add addresses individually, click on the right arrow key next to "Add a New Address." Fill in the contact information for the recipient and click "Save." Repeat the previous two steps until all of your recipients have been added. Then click the "Continue" button. • Choose the correct return address in this window and click "Continue." • Click on the right arrow button next to the words "Leave the Accent Image Blank." • Choose the date you would like for the postcard to be mailed, and click "Continue." • Choose the postage type, and click "Continue." • Click the box that reads "I have reviewed the PDF file and would like to send my mailing," and click "Continue." • On this "Purchase Cards" screen, click "Continue" . • Fill in your billing information and click "Continue." • On the "Confirm Purchase" page, click "Continue."

Congratulations for spreading holiday cheer and restoring our democracy!

[Video] Minneapolis Rally to Stop Impeachment, Encourage Torture

From Patriots for Corporate Rights, a pro-Bush organization -- We gathered again publicly in support of our beloved President George W. Bush! About a dozen loyal Bushies gathered in Uptown Minneapolis in front of the Walker Library from 11:30 am to around 3 in the afternoon.

Here's video of our pro-war, pro-torture, anti-U.S. Constitution rally, chanting such things as:
"Give up your rights!,Abolish Congress, abolish the Courts, the Unitary Executive is all we need, TRUST BUSH!, TRUST BUSH!, TRUST BUSH!" and "Two, Four, Six, Eight, We Want a Police State!".

Moonbats like the people at ImpeachForPeace.org (home of the Commie Pinko "Do-It-Yourself Impeachment") are trying to impeach this great man. They don't understand that our President needs to be able to arrest, detain indefinitely, and torture Americans and members of other less worthy nations. They fail to grasp that our Commander in Chief must be allowed to preemptively invade any country He decides may be a threat to our own - or just have resources that can benefit the multi-national corporations he represents! In short, they doubt that our Chief Executive is above the law!

Our first rally in February and was so succesfull (http://corporaterights.org/blog/?p=3), Patriots for Corporate Rights came together again in support of this wonderful Administration! We're also attempting to stop the impeachment resolution currently in the House Judiciary that is threatening to impeach Cheney. We succesfully expressed our outrage at those who would dare to enforce laws that our President has decided are not important!

Malcolm Bosman & William Bernard Lyon
http://CorporateRights.org

[Audio] Kucinich's Impeachment Call To Action. Please Help Him!

In this audio clip, Rep. Dennis Kucinich describes the process of how he'll force the issue of impeachment on the floor of the U.S. House. He does this to inform the public so that the public can assist in the process. The likely scenario is that a congressperson will immediately make a parliamentary move to 'table' the motion. The vote on whether to 'table' the impeachment motion WILL BE THE IMPORTANT VOTE. If the motion is tabled, it's dead. So, Kucinich is calling on every citizen (yes, that means you) to contact their representative to tell them to vote NOT to table the impeachment motion, but to let it be discussed on the floor of the U.S. House! Call Congress Toll Free at 800 828 0498.

St. Paul Does Nothing, Bush's Impeachable Crimes Continue...

'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing'

The following describes Impeach for Peace's (IfP) attempt to encourage Rep. Betty McCollum to sign H. Res. 333 calling on the impeachment of Richard B. Cheney. Specifically, this describes my attempt to pressure her congressional district to pass a resolution calling on Rep. McCollum to co-sign 333.

This event is yet another example of what is wrong with the Democratic Party. The Democrats have shown over and over again how they are unwilling to stand up for what is right. I could blame it on their fear of what right wing media might think. I could blame it in this case on “Minnesota nice.” I could blame it on their pursuit of the politically moderate vote (although this assumes that the politically moderate and the right wing media don't favor accountability). Whatever their reason, the result is behaving exactly how the current Republican Party would have them act. Voters on the left side of the spectrum see those who are part of the Democratic machinery as being spineless. And, for whatever reason, those who are part of that machinery don’t care, or are unaware of the bold actions they need to take. Their political base, therefore, are not inspired to show up and vote for them -- and who can blame them. Much of the base either fails to vote at all or split the progressive vote by voting for the Green Party. I could accuse J.P. Barone (Chariperson of McCollum's Congressional District) of purposefully leaving the impeachment resolution off the agenda, but there is no way to know. What I do know is that J.P. Barone is part of the problem. He is obviously more interested in supporting the Democratic Party than supporting the needs of the people that Party is supposed the represent. His actions subsequently accomplish neither. Somehow when people become part of the Democratic machinery, they lose sight of where their allegiance should lie. I am not sure what the solution to this is, but, at least for my part, it’s holding them accountable.

Let's start back in June when DFL (Democratic Farm Labor, i.e., Democratic Party Minnesota) 5th Congressional District nearly unanimously voted on a similar resolution calling on their Representative, Keith Ellison, to sign 333. Subsequent to the passage of that resolution, Rep. Ellison did co-sign 333. This encouraged me to attempt to replicate our success in my own district. Granted, we should not have to go to such lengths to get our representatives to honor their oaths of office.

So I wrote an e-mail to the chairperson of the DFL 4th Congressional District, J.P. Barone. He informed me that guests were welcome to speak at their executive committee meetings, and the next one was on August 21, 2007. Many members of Impeach for Peace came to the meeting in support of the resolutions that I had created. I presented the resolutions and gave a speech about the need for local action, given the lack of oversight of the Bush administration being conducted at the national and state level. I told them how the 5th Congressional District had passed a similar resolution. I also noted that there exists a majority support in the nation and 76% support among Democrats. After I was done with my presentation, J.P. Barone immediately expressed his lack of interest in passing such a resolution. He expressed concern over whether their committee had jurisdiction and also whether the 4th Congressional District should be passing this type of resolution, given his view that the 4th Congressional Districts function is to act as a cheerleader for the Democratic candidates. His last area of concern was whether or not passing such a resolution would be strategic in getting Democratic candidates elected in 2008. He did concede that there is little doubt in his mind as to the existence of impeachable offenses. What followed was a debate amongst the committee members primarily around whether or not they had jurisdiction to pass such a resolution. They suggested waiting until January and starting from square one with the caucus process. I expressed that, “Rome was burning,” and that the situation demanded more immediate action. I also suggested that the super majority support among Democrats empowered them to act on their behalf. Ultimately, when they voted whether or not to consider the measure themselves or to refer the resolution to the larger central committee, they voted against considering it but to have the central committee consider it in September. The central committee meeting comprises a larger group of members than the executive committee.

September 17, 2007, I arrived at the central committee meeting (of which J.P. Barone is also Chair). I again gave my presentation, and J.P. Barone mentioned his reasons why the resolution might not be appropriate. Once again, a debate among the members ensued with similar arguments as in the executive committee meeting. One of the members who was more familiar with procedure assured the committee that they did indeed have jurisdiction to pass such a resolution and also expressed a belief that it is the committee's responsibility to pressure their representative on issues. While people fell on various sides of the issue, one concern that came up during the debate was that the resolution had not been listed in the agenda for the meeting. It was expressed by a member that, had it been listed, many members who were not present may have shown up. Another member remarked that it was not IfP’s fault that the resolution had not been on the agenda since I had gone to the trouble of passing it by the executive committee the previous month, and that the resolution should not pay the consequence for this failure. The secretary spoke out defending himself, stating that he had sent out the agenda, but that his role is to pass along the agenda as given to him by the Chairperson, J.P. Barone. At this point, J.P. Barone admitted that he had not put it in the agenda but dismissed the inaction as an oversight. When it came down to the vote, they decided to first vote on whether their committee wished to consider the matter at all. The vote was nine members in favor, nineteen members opposed and three abstaining. It was revealed after the vote that at least two of the members had voted against the resolution because it had not been on the agenda. I also do not know how many members may have shown up to vote had they been informed by the agenda of this topic's consideration. I asked J.P. Barone if the measure could be reconsidered at the next meeting, given its failure to appear on the agenda. Despite his firm insistence that a parliamentary procedure be strictly followed up until this point, J.P. Barone unilaterally decided, “No, it had already been voted on.”

Now, despite my efforts, I am forced to live in a district that has become complicit in the crimes of the Bush administration. However, my pursuit in getting Rep. Betty McCollum to sign H. Res. 333 is not over. Stay tuned.

Jodin Morey
Cofounder, Impeach for Peace

[Video/Oped] Iraq: It's Nancy Pelosi's War

When asked about her position on impeachment, Nancy Pelosi responded, "I've always said impeachment's off the table. This is President Bush's war, it's Vice President Cheney's war, and now it's become the war of the Republicans in congress."

Some might see her response as including a non sequitur. What does insisting that Bush and the Republicans own an unjustified illegal war have to do with impeachment being off the table? However, for those of us who have been following the Democratic leadership's justifications for failing to hold this administration accountable, it makes perfect sense. Pelosi and the Democratic leadership believes that by leaving Bush/Cheney in office, and by continuing 'their' war, they'll drive down Republican support and win the elections in 2008. In other words, Pelosi doesn't hold Bush/Cheney accountable because that might stop the war in Iraq. And the war in Iraq is a good political tool for winning elections.

Therefore, I submit that by failing to pursue accountability, the rule of law, constitutional reinstitution, and subsequently the end to the Iraq war, Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership now own this war.

Pelosi Has Put Impeachment Back on the Congressional Table

According to the U.S. House Congressional Record on August 3, 2007...

The SPEAKER presented a petition [...] of the Town of New Salem, Massachusetts, relative to a Resolution to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney; to the Committee on the Judiciary. Link

Also, back in July 26, 2007 ....

Also, a petition of the City of Middletown Common Council, New York, relative to Resolution No. 167.07 calling on the Congress of the United States to formally and properly investigate these charges and determine if impeachment is warranted, and if found to be so warranted to vote to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney; to the Committee on the Judiciary. Link

Also, back in July 19, 2007 ....

The SPEAKER presented a petition of the Town of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, relative to a Resolution petitioning the Congress of the United States to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney; to the Committee on the Judiciary. [...] Also, a petition of the Town of Leyden, Massachusetts, relative to a Resolution calling on the Congress of the United States to investigate the charges and vote to impeach President George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney as provided in the Constitution of the United States; to the Committee on the Judiciary. [...] Also, a petition of the Delaware County Democratic Committee, New York, relative to a Resolution to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney; to the Committee on the Judiciary. [...] Also, a petition of the Town of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, relative to a Resolution calling on the Impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney; to the Committee on the Judiciary. Also, a petition of the Town of Colrain, Massachusetts, relative to a Resolution calling for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney; to the Committee on the Judiciary. Also, a petition of the Town of Shutesbury, Massachusetts, relative to a petition to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney; to the Committee on the Judiciary. Link

Also, back in June 13/20 ....

Also, a petition of the Town of Lanesborough, Massachusetts, relative to a Resolution to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney; to the Committee on the Judiciary. on the Judiciary. Also, a petition of the City Council of Oberlin, Ohio, relative to Resolution No. R07-06 petitioning the Congress of the United States initiate impeachment proceedings of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney; to the Committee on the Judiciary. on the Judiciary. Also, a petition of the Town of Whately, Massachusetts, relative to a Resolution to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney; to the Committee on the Judiciary. Link

Also, a petition of the Town of Woodstock, New York, relative to Resolution No. 171-07 requesting an investigation of the activities of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney to the end that they may be impeached and removed from office; to the Committee on the Judiciary. Also, a petition of the Town of Shelburne, Massachusetts, relative to a Resolution calling upon the United States House of Representatives to investgate charges and vote to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney; to the Committee on the Judiciary. Also, a petition of the Town of Colrain, Massachusetts, relative to a Resolution calling upon the United States House of Representatives to investigate charges and vote to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney; to the Committee on the Judiciary. Also, a petition of the Town of Leverett, Massachusetts, relative to a Resolution requesting the investigation of the activities of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney to the end that they may both be impeached and removed from office; to the Committee on the Judiciary. Link

SO WHAT'S THE HOLD UP! Why only for New York, Ohio, Delaware, and Massachusetts? Why none for her own State California, which I know has been screaming for impeachment. And why none for me? I sent her a petition to put in the congressional record. Actually, I know of millions that have been sent in! Contact Pelosi and tell her to follow through with the process. Congressional Switchboard:
1-800-828-0498.

Minneapolis City Council Member Remington exhorts colleagues to pass impeachment resolution

downtownjournal.com
Time to impeach Bush and Cheney
By Ralph Remington


It is high time that all progressive elected officials who take their jobs seriously demand impeachment proceedings against George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.


This president and his vice president have condoned illegal wiretapping, readings of private e-mails and phone calls, and spying on the American people under the guise of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. They've used surveillance to kidnap people and throw them into dungeons abroad without any political or legal accountability. They have condoned torture at both Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib. They have been implicated in the outing of a CIA officer in retaliation for the exposure of going to war under false premises. They have ignored Congressional authority on several occasions. They lied to the American public about the reasons for taking our sons and daughters, mothers, and fathers to war. They have spent over $700 billion on a war in a time when over 45 million Americans are without health care; while at the same time cutting the benefits of veterans who have returned from fighting their "War of Choice".


They have established a presidency and executive branch that does not respect the rule of law. Bush is, in fact, sneering at the American people and in effect saying, "I am King". Together Bush and Cheney have flouted the agreement of transparency with the American people.


Our cities, counties, and states are vulnerable because we have allowed a virtual king to be created in Washington, D.C. If we now have a king at the head of our democratically elected government then we elected officials, on the local, state and national levels are defunct. Our purpose and our jobs are nothing more than ceremonial.


Congress has allowed the Executive branch of our government to overreach, in the name of politics and fear over what impact impeachment proceedings will have on the upcoming elections in '08. This is not what our founders intended. It doesn't matter if we're approaching an election year or not. We cannot allow the Executive branch to take on more power than it has ever had. This is doubly important as we approach a new election because our new executive leaders will inherit more expansive powers than any other President or Vice President in the history of the United States of America; powers that the founders never intended for them to have, be they Democrat or Republican.


Politicians and political staff are even getting confused. People are refusing to oppose Bush because they wrongly think that they've taken an oath to the President. When former White House counsel, Harriet Meirs, didn't appear before Congress she cited executive privilege. But what she and others fail to realize is that they haven't taken an oath of loyalty to the president regardless of what he does, they've taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. Those are two entirely different things. Bush and Cheney have blatantly obstructed a congressional investigation.


And, finally, the commutation of Scooter Libby speaks to a cover-up of gigantic proportions. We should all be out in the streets. As musician Gil Scott Heron said, "The revolution will not be televised". Bush and Cheney should be impeached for political crimes perpetrated in combination.


As John Nichols from The Nation Magazine recently stated, "Nancy Pelosi is disregarding her oath of office. She should change course now." The Judiciary Committee should begin impeachment proceedings as soon as possible.


We in city council and at the state legislature should not disregard our oaths. There are some who say that this doesn't have anything to do with local government. They are missing the point. If the president, as the leading representative of our democracy is an outlaw and we, other elected officials, allow that state of affairs to continue, we are also outlaws. The Minneapolis City Council needs to construct a resolution to recommend impeachment immediately, before it's too late. Our own collective integrity demands it!


(Original Article)

Click Here to Pressure the Other Minneapolis City Council Members to Impeach

BREAKING: Kucinich (D-OH) to Submit Your Impeachment Petitions into the Congressional Record

In a meeting Thursday, July 26th, 2007, members of ImpeachForPeace.org and After Downing Street met with Congressman Dennis Kucinich in his Washington DC office to present the Congressman with thousands of "Do It Yourself Impeachments" collected over the past few months. DIY Impeachment Memorials are actually a little known and rarely used part of the Rules of the House of Representatives ("Jefferson's Manual"), which empowers individual citizens to initiate the impeachment against any federal official themselves. These Memorials support the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney.
 
During our meeting, Congressman Kucinich agreed to place all signers of the DIY Impeachment Memorials specifically referencing Cheney into the Congressional record. Rep. Kucinich also agreed to enter into the record the names of signers of regular petitions to impeach Cheney. Because there is a limit to the number of pages that a representative can submit to the Congressional Record each day, Rep. Kucinich stated he will continue to submit petitions every day until all the names are submitted. The most powerful statement for impeachment is the submission of a Memorial, however, so if you have not yet sent a Memorial for the impeachment of Vice President Cheney to ImpeachForPeace.org, please do so! Go to http://impeachforpeace.org/ImpeachNow.html and download the Memorial. Then send it to the address listed on the cover letter.

"Jefferson's Manual" is an interpretive guide to parliamentary procedure, and is included (along with the Constitution) in the bound volumes of the Rules of the House of Representatives. It is ratified by each congress (including the current one), and has been updated continuously through the history of our democracy. The section covering impeachment lists the acceptable vehicles for bringing impeachment motions to the floor of the House.
 
Before the House Judiciary Committee can put together the Articles of Impeachment, someone must initiate the impeachment procedure. Most often, this occurs when members of the House pass a resolution. Another method outlined in the manual, however, is for individual citizens to submit a memorial for impeachment.

Since then, Kucinich held a press conference informing the public of this.

Enter your name into the Congressional Record

For more on the DIY Impeachment process, see this YouTube video

[Breaking] Rep. KEITH ELLISON (D-MN) SIGNS IMPEACHMENT RESOLUTION 333

ImpeachforPeace.org
by Mikael Rudolph with Jodin Morey

An aide called www.ImpeachforPeace.org from the offices of Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) this morning saying that Rep. Ellison has cosigned House Resolution 333 as authored by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) calling for impeachment hearings to commence against Vice President Richard B. Cheney.

Members of ImpeachforPeace had met with Rep. Ellison in April at which time he had said that "Impeachment Should Be on the Table", but that he needed to hear clearly from his consituents as to their will in this matter before cosigning the impeachment bill authored by the Representative Kucinich who he described as "a good friend".

Rep. Ellison's signature, along with that of Rep. James McDermott (D-WA), who also added his name to the resolution this week, brought the number of cosigners of H. Res. 333 to ten. Ellison is notably the second member of the House Judiciary Committee to cosign, along with Maxine Waters (D-CA). The HJC is where the bill sits for now, waiting for enough citizen support and pressure to be brought to a vote. A vote resulting in a simple majority of the 38 members of the HJC would initiate impeachment hearings in the House of Representatives against Vice President Cheney for lying to lead us into the invasion and occupation of Iraq, among other charges.

Resolutions in support of H. Res. 333 and calling for Rep. Ellison to cosign were resoundingly passed at the Minnesota 5th District Democratic Farmer-Labor Party Central meeting last week after a presentation by ImpeachforPeace.

Tens of thousands of Minneapolis citizens - constituents of Rep. Ellison - had roared their approval as black-hooded, orange clad 'detainees' in chains preceded the ImpeachforPeace.org banner in both the May Day and the Pride Festival Parades.

A stack of single page Do-It Yourself Impeachment Memorials over a foot and a half tall was collected at the ImpeachforPeace table during the Pride Festival in Loring Park last weekend alone. DIY Impeachment Memorial forms are available to be downloaded, filled out and mailed to IFP and IFP members will be hand delivering thousands of completed forms to the HJC in July.

It is the view of ImpeachforPeace that the Bush Administration has many times over proven themselves to be domestic enemies to the U. S. Constitution and that Rep. Ellison has simply honored his oath to 'support and defend the Constitution of the United States against enemies both foreign AND DOMESTIC' by adding his name to this resolution.

It is also the view of ImpeachforPeace that those civil servants at every level of our government from City Council and Mayor up through State Congress and the U.S. Congress who have yet to make a public stand against the Bush Administration from their citizen-appointed seat of power are in violation of their oaths of office until they do.

To view a partial list of impeachable offenses committed by and still being committed by Vice President Dick Cheney and others in the Bush Administration, visit the IFP Evidence Page.

Contact your Representative today to express your view on impeachment by calling the Capital Switchboard at: (202) 224-3121

Impeach for Peace in Indiana...

A new chapter of Impeach for Peace is forming in Indiana. Wish to join the movement? Contact this chapter and let them know you're interested in taking action!

Green Party Pressures its own in MN on Impeachment

From Michael Cavlan, Green Party Candidate for U.S. Senate from Minnesota (IfP does not endorse any political candidates running for office).
-----------------
IFPer's,

This is a copy of the email currently being posted on a variety of Green Party listserves. The national and Minnesota Green Parties have passed resolutions calling for Cheney and Bush's Impeachment.

Greens are now contacting Cam Gordon to carry forward a Resolution for Impeachment to the Minneapolis City Council, thereby reflecting the will of the Green party membership in Minnesota.

Cam's office phone # contact and e-mail are included. Please feel fee to contact Councilmember Cam Gordon yourself and have friends and allies also contact him on this issue.

Feel free to spread [this] around and have as many people contact him as possible. Minneapolis residents preferably and constituents of Ward Two (Riverside, Seward) would be preferable. If you have any contacts in the Somali community, that would be nice. I will work on my contacts.

Thank You

Michael Cavlan
Mineapolis Minnesota
--------------------------------------------------
Greens for impeachment,
The discussion for impeachment is appreciated and I also advocate that Cam Gordon submit a resolution for impeachment to the Mpls City Council. Unfortunately our opinions on some listserver may not be enough and we need to contact Cam directly to insist that he represent the Greens on this issue. Note that the GP at the national level supports impeachment (http://www.gp.org) as does now the GP state level who recently passed a resolution on this (exact wording below):

Impeachment of Bush-Cheney:
Be it resolved that the Green Party of Minnesota calls for the impeachment of President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

Spread Cam's contact info to all of the impeachment groups and other Greens and progressives who may want to help "lobby" Cam. Afterall, we supported him financially and with volunteer efforts to help him get elected and now we want him to represent US on a grassroots level. Time to blaze the trail and get this on the council's agenda.
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Cam's Contact info:
Cam.Gordon@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
612-673-2202

VIDEO-Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag

ImpeachforPeace.org put together this mock celebration of war, whose real aim is to point out the autrocity of the war in Iraq. It's put to a version of the "Vietnam Song," which was redone by Chumbawamba under the title, "Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag." Chumbawamba was kind enough to give IfP permission to use their music in connection with this video. It ends with a call to action for everyone to send in a "Do-It-Yourself Impeachment." It only takes a few minutes, but may help stop this presidency, and this war.

Minneapolis April 28 Impeachment Event - With Canoes

Help us with ImpeachForPeace.org's Minneapolis A-28 event! We will spell out "IMPEACH" with canoes on Saturday morning, April 28th, and again with bedsheets that evening. Be a part of this effort to tell the world that the Twin Cities are serious about impeachment!



To participate in the first event, gather at 10:30 a.m. at the Lake Calhoun Pavilion at 3000 Calhoun Parkway East in Minneapolis. Allow time to find parking. Wear light colored/bright colors to stand out from the lake water. Be on time!

To pay for canoe rental, we’ll need your help. It costs $10 per hour to rent a canoe, and we hope to have two people per canoe. (It may take us as much as two hours, which means the cost may be as much as $10 per person.)

Also, if you know anyone who lives at Lake Place or Lake Calhoun Beach Club Apartments, please contact us! We need to use a lakefront, top floor apartment as a vantage point from which to take a photograph.



Then, that evening, show up at Riverside Park at 7:00 p.m. This is the West side of the Mississippi riverbank, beneath the Route 122 bridge near the UofM Campus.
Here's the Map

We'll need 65 twin bedsheets (preferably white) and as many flashlights as you can carry to form the word "IMPEACH" and underlight the sheets so that they're visible to the jets landing at the airport and the cameras capturing the image.

In order to do this, we’ll need 85 people in the morning and 150 in the evening to commit in advance to these nationally important events! Sign up here:
http://volunteerforchange.org/org/show/547

You won't regret helping to contribute to the restoration of law and the constitution!