June 12, 2007 at 16:22:03
Overwhelming Vote for Impeachment in Princeton

by Mary Ellen Marino    Page 1 of 1 page(s)

http://www.opednews.com



Close to 100 people attended a panel by experts on impeachment June 10 where members of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO) voted overwhelmingly for a resolution of impeachment against Bush and Cheney. The vote was 31-13. Organized by the PCDO's Impeachment Task Force, the regular meeting of the PCDO was swelled by many other concerned area residents.


David Lindorff, co-author of "The Case for Impeachment" with Barbara Olshanski, Esq. argued, "The Constitution is at risk and that the primary offenses have no need for further investigation since they are publicly admitted. Thus, Congress could vote immediately to impeach the President for these offenses."



1. The President has stated that he does not have to enforce laws passed by Congress in 100's of signing statements. Bush's statements are contrary to the Constitution which provides that Congress enacts laws and the Executive enforces them.

2. The Bush Administration wiretapped and monitored American citizens on the Internet in violation of the FISA ACT, enacted in 1978 after Nixon was impeached for wiretapping. A Federal Judge in Michigan in July 2006 ruled that President Bush was committing a Class A felony and violating the Bill of Rights by wiretapping American citizens without a warrant.

3. Torture was authorized by the President despite warning by the Attorney General that this is a serious crime, actually a capital offense, under US and international law. He cited evidence that at least 100 people have died under US torture. This policy has led to serious international repercussions and the fact that enemy combatants will not surrender, as they did in other wars where they knew they would be treated humanely.

Rob Kall, publisher of OpEdNews.com, noted that the current Kucinich bill to impeach Cheney first is similar to the forced resignation of Nixon's Vice President Spiro Agnew. He said that was the beginning of the end, which is starting now as "Republicans will go to the White House and tell them to go." He discussed the role of the media in distorting the news and recommended Keith Olbermann on MSNBC as one of the few media truth-tellers.

Mark Crispin Miller, a professor of media studies at NYU and author of Fooled Again: The Real Case for Electoral Reform asserted that Bush has never actually been elected, since his book cites proof of massive fraud in the elections of 2000, 2004 and 2006. "If we take our laws seriously, we must impeach." Miller says that the Attorney General scandal is further proof the Bush administration's effort to subvert democracy. "If we believe in America and its radical democratic experiment, we have no choice, impeachment is a patriotic obligation." Miller reassured the audience that Bush is the most unpopular President ever and that the media are a "cartel" of five companies, not a reflection of the American people.


Miller argued that the Administration is not conservative but radical and "fundamentally hostile to American democracy. They don't believe in government, fiscal prudence, or separation of powers, they favor corporate welfare and want to destroy the separation of church and state". Bush, himself, says, "God speaks through me" and shares fanatic Christian beliefs about invading Iran for Biblical reasons. Rather than improving national security, Miller said that the Administration did nothing when repeatedly warned about 9/11, Katrina, Iraq's chaos after our takeover, that the war would create more terrorism.


When questioned about the practicality of impeachment, Lindorff explained that "The Founding Fathers wanted it to be easy to impeach in the House, in order to strongly condemn actions. But they made removal from office more difficult. He also noted for those concerned about the effects on the 2008 election, "Democrats made out like bandits on Nixon. Despite his winning by a landslide in 1972, he lost by impeachment hearings beginning May 1973 that gripped the country, and resulted in his resignation in August 1974." He also stressed that Democrats make sure that impeachment becomes a bipartisan effort, which has already started as Republicans are turning against Bush and Cheney.
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