Support HR 333 - Impeach Cheney!

Some Democratic leaders in Congress seem to be clinging to the ludicrous belief that there is such a thing as "risk free" politics. They look to the 2008 elections while handing George W. Bush victory after victory, such as the shameful cave-in on Bush's nomination of Michael Mukasey for Attorney General. Voters in New York and California should hold Senators Chuck Schumer and Diane Feinstein accountable the next time these pitiful cowards are up for reelection. With their vote in favor of the waterboarding apologist Mukasey, Schumer and Feinstein have rendered their previous grilling of Alberto Gonzales a vacuous political pantomime.

Mukasey made it crystal clear during his testimony that he will run the Justice Department in the same obfuscating and imperial manner as his hapless predecessor. He shows every sign that he will prevaricate and contort the law in behalf of the Bush White House; stonewall investigations into public corruption cases involving Republican politicians and contractors; defend torture, the suspension of habeas corpus, "extraordinary rendition," secret prisons, and warrantless surveillance; help the Executive Branch duck Congressional subpoenas; and block any meaningful reform of the department that might impinge on Dick Cheney's expansive, Musharaf-like view of Executive power.

We are in a serious Constitutional crisis. Democrats were elected to Congress to put the brakes on the Bush-Cheney juggernaut. They should be willing to take some political risks to honor, protect, and defend the Constitution. (It is, after all, their oath of office.) If we allow Bush and Cheney to succeed in permanently altering the balance of powers between the branches of government, the Constitution will become a dead letter, a yellowed reference document for school children to gaze at under glass at the National Archives.

Representative Dennis Kucinich has introduced House Resolution 333, which calls for a vote on articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney. It is a long overdue measure coming from a Democrat who has the guts to stand up for the United States Constitution. Other courageous members of Congress who signed on to HR 333 include Jan Schakowsky, Maxine Waters, Hank Johnson, Keith Ellison, Lynn Woolsey, Barbara Lee, Albert Wynn, William Lacy Clay, Yvette Clarke, Jim McDermott, Jim Moran, Bob Filner, Sam Farr, Robert Brady, Tammy Baldwin, Donald Payne, Steve Cohen, Sheila Jackson Lee, Carolyn Kilpatrick, Ed Towns, and Diane Watson. Please contact your representatives in Congress and demand that they support HR 333.

Comments

[KRANKY]

Congress as whole and many individual representatives do not get it. The Red Death media get it, but report otherwise or ignore the reality because they are complicit with the Constitution breakers.
Much of the apathetic, dumbed-down masses do not get it due to ignorance, sometimes willful.

There is a segment that do get it...that pay attention and act. That is why they are called activists.
DemcracyForAmerica just completed a poll:
www.democracyforamerica.com
Dennis Kucinich garnered the top place.
He was first pick in all states except New York, New Jersey, Connecticutt, Virginia, Tennessee, and Florida; that went to Gore.
Illinois and South Carolina went to Obama. Washington went for Edwards.
Subtracting Gore from the poll ( since he is NOT a declared candidate ) and all others that polled less than 5%, Kucinich collected almost 39% of this poll.

Thank you, Joe Palermo. Defenders of the Costitution have a champion.

KUCINICH 2008!

[Mercedes]

A comment:

I was watching Keith Olbermann and he was talking to Rachel Maddow about Dennis Kucinich bringing up the Impeachment of Cheney; and Rachel thought that if Cheney is Impeached, then Bush might bring in his brother Jeb Bush to be the new Vice. If that should happen, then what will the Dems do with 2 bushes? I would hope that before Bush has the chance to name his bro that Bush will have to defend himself on his own Impeachment charges.

Just think, if we keep Cheney and Bush busy defending themselves the Congress can get back to turning the US Constitution around to the way it was--the way it should be--for the PEOPLE. There also won't be much time for Chency and Bush to plan their war on Iran.

What a wonderful thing this would be!

[Joseph A. Palermo - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you Dennis Kucinich! The Constitution's greatest defender!

[HearNoWeasel]

Why is this not top news on HuffPost? Are we turning mainstream here?

Thank you for the blog, Mr. Palermo. I'm afraid Republicans are OK with having this bill go to the Judiciary Committee because they think it can be killed there. 17 Repubs on the Committee and 23 Dems. I wonder if Dems need a 2/3 majority to pass this out of committee.

I'm going to donate to Kucinich's campaign now, just as I donated to Dodd when he promised to filibuster FISA. I welcome the opportunity to reward bravery. It's not that it'll bankrupt me with so few brave Dems around. Of course, Repubs will whine that Kucinich did it to increase donations, just as they did with Dodd... Apparently they can't recognize such actions for what they are: someone putting their career on the line for the people.

[jakeinsf]

Bravo to Dennis Kucinich and to his cosponsors!

[zizyphus]

I just caught the last vote in the House on C-Span. The C-Span announcer commented that "Fox News reports" that John Conyers doesn't want the the resolution to come to the Judiciary committee, as it will be divisive and hold up work on other bills.

How sickening. The C-Span announcer sounded derisive of Kucinich, as he went along, commenting on the voting. He should avoid referencing Fox News, period.

I bet many, many millions of Americans have signed petitions to impeach our country's biggest crooks. The least our reps can do is have an up or down vote on it.

[peacehappens]

I'm hearing that Hoyers has successfully moved the resolution to the House Judiciary Committee where it will be ended by Pelosi.

Democrats actively protecting the VP from impeachment. Why is anyone still a registered Democrat?

Kucinich is a hero. Become an Independent.

[peacehappens]

This is fascinating to me

Vote to kill Kucinich's proposal failed thanks to the Republicans? Dems wanted to kill it.

Hoyer who made the proposal to kill it has now asked that it be referred to the House Judiciary Committee. I don't know enough about the procedures and find this confusing.

More confusing is why Democrats (135 of them at the last count I saw) wanted to kill the motion.
Why 164 Republicans want to proceed with impeachment?

Become an Independent!

[telcontal]

Something very interesting is happening on the House floor.

For the motion to table(kill) Kucinich's resolution, more democrats are in favor of killing the bill than republicans.

The Nays (214 vs. 196) are now leading which means that the resolution will not be killed. I don't know the motivation of the Republican supporters for this, I for one sure want to see a debate about this on the house floor to see everyone on record regarding their support of Cheney.

[AnAmericanSpeaks]

Why must it be so hard to talk about impeachment? It is a political process. Where is it written that a politician is entitled to serve out their term? Reasons for impeachment can be many, but only one is necessary. Dennis has it right. Support HR 333.

[peacehappens]

Hoyer immediately asked to table the impeachment. That is a Democrat fighting against impeachment.
The vote is ongoing.

Pelosi and Hoyer are actively shielding Cheney and Bush. There is no excuse, no hiding, it is what it is - Democrats protecting Bush and Cheney.

Become an Independent.

[AlaskaMad]

The Speaker has said impeachment is off the table so she can concentrate on ending the war in Iraq. It's obvious that this is a lie because she allows the Republicans to give GWB everything he wants for Iraq. In the mean time GWB is shredding the Constitution and committing war crimes with the blessing of our Congress.
In a REAL democracy "we the people" would be able to initiate impeachment proceedings and Congress would have to listen instead of protecting one of their own.

[MAX1]

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WHAT

DOES

AN

OATH

OF

OFFICE

MEAN?

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[Maschine]

Impeach the bastards. Kucinich should get the democratic vote only because he has consistently stood up for what was and is right. there is no shades of grey, the US is being destroyed from within. WAKE UP.

Maybe Ron Paul and Dennis should share the presidency for one term, just to clean out the rot in the political system.

[jackstraw005]

you know, i hear people make fun of dennis kucinich all the time. ufos, big ears etc. but you know the more i hear the more i like him. at least someone in the democratic party has the stuff to do something about the assault on America. he gives a lesson to the big names, schumer, etc and while its doomed to failure, he probably can sleep at night.