The Toronto Daily News:

"Sen. Chuck Hagel, an outspoken war critic, called Bush's Iraq policy the most dangerous foreign policy blunder.

Outspoken war critic Senator Chuck Hagel will announce his "future plans" to become a Republican presidential contender on Monday.

In January, Hagel, 60, a decorated infantry sergeant during the Vietnam War, told CNN that he would make a decision about a presidential run "soon."

Hagel, an increasingly vocal critic of the Bush administration's handling of the war, called President Bush's plan this year to increase U.S. troops in Iraq "the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam."

Hagel also joined six other Republicans in February to back a nonbinding resolution opposing the troop increase.

"I believed what the administration said, that war would be a last resort," Hagel told Esquire magazine in an interview. "And the second thing is, at a critical time like this, the president needs a strong hand, and to some extent, you've got to trust him, until he lies or screws up or something."

Hagel also told Esquire that Bush appears to believe he's no longer accountable. "You can impeach him, and before this is over, you might see calls for his impeachment. I don't know. It depends how this goes."

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The Billings, Montana, Gazette:

Letter: Support our troops, impeach Bush

The only way we will avoid a war with Iran is to impeach Bush.

If we go to war with Iran, will it spread to Syria and Jordan? Will China and Russia get involved? It will inflame the Muslim world against us. Probably the oil will be shut off. It could be the beginning of World War III.

Going to war is like opening a door to a darkened room. One never knows what is hidden in the darkness.

Former President Carter, in his recently published book, tells us we need peace, not apartheid, in Palestine. Let's support our troops and impeach Bush.

Lee Smoot Jr.
Big Timber

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The Seattle Times:
True representation advocates for the people whose trust is abused

Editor, The Times:

The Seattle Times' opposition to Sen. Eric Oemig's resolution, calling for the House of Representatives to investigate issues related to the possible impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney, is as well-thought-out as its endorsement of George Bush in 2000 ["Impeach Bush? Not from Olympia," editorial, March 8].

Our legislators, at both the federal and state level, are equally bound by Article 6 of the United States Constitution to support it. To ignore the assault that has occurred is dereliction.

Would Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge Island, or Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., counsel a victim of domestic assault not to become distracted by the pursuit of justice? If they did so counsel, would you acquiesce? Shame on those who would; you simply lower the bar for those who seek to lead this country in the future.

The Democrats' avoidance of impeachment is a smokescreen. I sense in this resistance a fear of not being up to the task of leading our nation out of this quagmire. While we must withdraw from Iraq, we must withdraw from Iraq in a manner that doesn't leave the region poised to explode, and the only way to do that is to replace this administration with competent world leaders and diplomats, committed to peace and justice.

The work associated with improvements to the minimum wage, education, health care and the environment can proceed concurrently; or are you suggesting we must also tackle each of these issues one at a time?

Flogging a horse doesn't help, but neither does surrender in the face of injustice.

— Ronald Roberts, Redmond

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The Los Gatos Observer:
Impeach Bush, Los Gatans Told
Petition drive in Town Plaza
By Alastair Dallas 03/10/07 5:53 pm
View 3 responsesPrint-friendly version
At least 7 protesters gathered near the post office Sat. night to express themselves with signs reading "Impeach Bush/Cheney" and "Don't be Fuelish." The individuals seemed determined but calm and willing to listen to other points of view.

"Senator [J. William] Fulbright, back in the 60s, said that if you don't like what your government is doing," one protester explained, "then you have a constitutional duty to make your views heard."


Several protesters gathered across from the post office. Others arrived, and the group headed up N. Santa Cruz Ave.
The protesters have been picketing in Mountain View and decided to try a different locale.

"We thought we'd take the temperature here in Los Gatos," one said. Within a few minutes, they had gathered a couple of signatures on their impeachment petition, along with a harangue by someone they described as being a Rush Limbaugh fan.

The protest seemed loosely organized; it's not clear when the group will return. The important thing, beyond gathering signatures, seems to be just getting the word out. Free speech is alive in Los Gatos.

...

"lamoyer0 03/11/07 11:21 am:

It's about time. The law is the law. Bush/Cheney and their band of the worst 'mafia' in the history of this country, probably the world have committed so many impeachable offenses, from lying to Americans, congress, the UN, the world, to an illegal war-for-profit, to TORTURE, to illegal wire tapping.... WHICH BUSH ADMITS TO AND ARROGANTLY INFORMS US HE WILL CONTINUE TO DO... TO OUTING A COVERT CIA AGENT AND ITS OPERATION (tracking WMD's, for God's sake), which is ON ITS FACE... TREASON. The Republicans, who "conserve" NOTHING, including our precious Constitution, have LOOTED America to support this murderous Bush Mafia. Bush, Cheney, Gonzalez/Ashcroft, Rice, Rove, Rumsfeld.. ALL... have way beyond exceeded the "standards for impeachment" set by the Republicans, themselves, that their ignoring these presidential crimes is complicity and treason, as well.

IMPEACHMENT IS A CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS, of investigation and indictment, that discovers the truth (hopefully) and writes their crimes into history. IF IT ISN'T WRITTEN, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

IMPEACHMENT SAYS, "WE'RE SORRY!" Something the world needs, and which may be the only thing that convinces the world that the American People do not condone the crimes of this indifferent, murderous administration. It may be, in fact, the one and only thing that will save the lives of countless Americans and our economy...way into the future. The search for the truth through impeachment will undoubtedly expose the corporate greed that war feeds, as well as its poisoning of human beings for profit and the fact that the U.S. military has become a fascist corporate tool to capture and hold the resources and lives struggling nations, and human beings around the world.

What kind of a country have we become when the American People are convinced (like "good Germnans") that it's ok to let these rich bastards murder 650,000 Iraqi human beings, including infants and children... TO FEED THEIR ADDICTION TO PROFIT AND POWER? "

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"Arthur 03/11/07 10:11 am
A better sign would read. "Uphold the Constitution and enforce Federal law." The Federal War Crimes Act of 1996 should be invoked NOW! Indict, try, convict, and EXECUTE Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Gonzales and all the other war criminals, mass murderers, war mongerers, CIA death squads, war profiteers and conspirators in our government. Hang them high from the top of the Washington Monument as a signal to the rest of the world that Americans will NOT tolerate war criminals and murderers at the head of our government. DO IT AND DO IT NOW!"

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The tide gathers long before it reaches the sands.

A