An Impeachment Resolution in Every State; Jump-Start Impeach
Illegal immigration, Constitution, national security
For those following the drama of New Hampshire residents using "Jefferson's Manual" to force the Congress to take up the impeachment of George Bush and Dick Cheney, here's the dirty little secret: it's really easy. All you need to do is print out a version of the below resolution, walk it to an amenable state representative (or assemblyman/woman), and have them enter it into State House business. Now you have an active impeachment resolution in your state.
Is it effective? From a legal standpoint, no one knows, since no presidential impeachment has ever been commenced through Jefferson's Manual, Section 603 of the Manual of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, which provides for impeachments to be initiated on a motion based on charges transmitted from a state legislature. But from a political standpoint, 50 states having impeachment resolutions in the works would make Congress's I-See-Nothing position untenable. So far California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Texas (YES TEXAS!), Washington, and Wisconsin have active impeachment resolutions. Growing that number exponentially in a short time would be one way to jump-start the growing movement, using the tool the Founders gave us when they envisioned a confederation of states with powers which balanced those of the central government.
Section 603 was included by the Founders as an additional check on the Executive Branch which emanates from the states, rather than from the Congress. It seemed to foresee the situation today, when even Congress, the branch of government which is supposed to be closest to the people, becomes aloof and imperial. Polls show 45 percent of Americans are in favor of impeaching George Bush, a solid 55 percent in the case of Dick Cheney, and these are from early 2007. Bush has not gotten any more popular since. With these kinds of numbers, even if it were unclear exactly where among the silverware impeachment belongs, it is certainly somewhere on the table. Taking it off the table gives a green light for the administration to keep doing more of what it has been doing, like a recalcitrant child being told no matter how badly he behaves, there will always be ice cream for dessert.
Except we're not talking about throwing tantrums in a supermarket. This involves gutting the Bill of Rights, betraying an American intelligence officer, selling the nation's sovereignty to corporations, including those which exploit cheap illegal labor from immigrants, bungling the war on terrorism by invading Iraq and failing to secure Afghanistan, and covering up for and releasing perpetrators of terror acts in the United States which include, according to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), the 1993 World Trade Center attack, the Oklahoma City bombing, and 9/11.
It is up to each state to decide what its exact articles of impeachment should be. My suggested model, given the issues which have arisen since early states like Illinois and Vermont submitted their resolutions, is below. The resolutions evolve because the crimes go on. A growing number of reports tells us that the war in Afghanistan is going nowhere, and bad things are about to happen. Let us punish the men responsible, for running half-cocked into Iraq where no one wanted us, away from Afghanistan where they did, and leaving our brave soldiers in both places with not enough manpower to win. Afghanistan should have been stable by now, bin Laden and his leadership all dead or in jail, instead of running free in Pakistan with our military exhausted and our country in debt and recession. All thanks to those who decided they were powerful enough to "create" their "own reality."
"We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do." -Advisor to George Bush quoted to Ron Susskind, author of "The Price of Loyalty."
Cut below the dotted line (nowadays that means cut-and-paste into a Word document,) take-out/add-in what you want, take a look at other states'resolutions here. The idea is not to throw in the kitchen sink; remember Nixon was impeached with just three good articles of impeachment. He resigned a week-and-a-half after they were adopted. Make it pretty, and walk it or send it to your favorite state representative or assemblyman. Ask him to file it, he'll know what to do. Congratulations, another state has started an Impeach Bush-Cheney resolution! You are now part of history. There are lots of people to help you on what to do next here and here.
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PETITION TO COMMENCE IMPEACHMENT PROCEDURES IN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
WHEREAS, Section 603 of the Manual of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives provides for impeachments to be initiated on a motion based on charges transmitted from a state legislature,
WHEREAS, George Bush and Dick Cheney have attempted to overturn the Bill of Rights Fourth Amendment, freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, by claiming wartime powers in a "war with no end," a blatant and transparent ruse to claim permanent, unconstitutional powers for the Executive Branch, and in doing so have broken their oaths of office sworn on January 20, 2000 "to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
WHEREAS, George Bush and Dick Cheney acted to strip Americans of their constitutional rights by ordering indefinite detention of citizens, without access to legal counsel, without charge, and without opportunity to appear before a civil judicial officer to challenge the detention, based solely on the discretionary designation by the President of a U.S. citizen as an “enemy combatant", and in doing so have broken their oaths of office sworn on January 20, 2000 "to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
WHEREAS, George Bush and Dick Cheney have invited separatism, Balkanization, and have failed to uphold the prerogatives of American workers, clearly stated in U.S. law, by aiding levels of illegal immigration which cannot be sustained, for the benefit of corporate profits. That George Bush has shown what Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) calls "a pattern of arrogance and contempt" in making the agreement with Mexico granting social security benefits for illegal aliens. Rohrabacher says the administration "misled" Congress on the agreement and practiced "stonewalling and concealment" in the granting of social security benefits.
WHEREAS, George Bush and Dick Cheney have engaged in what Rep. Rohrabacher has called an "ongoing cover-up" with respect to strong connections between the Oklahoma City bombing and 9/11, such as phone calls two months before the Oklahoma City bombing by Ramsey Yousef, nephew of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, to the New York apartment occupied by Terry Nichols' Phillipina wife's cousin; such as the well-established presence of Nichols and Yousef in Cebu City, the Phillipines, concurrently; and the long string of "coincidences" that Rohrabacher says would it not take a "conspiracy nut" to want to investigate. The administration has "intentionally obstructed Congress' rightful and constitutional duties."
WHEREAS, the Bush administration Justice Department secured the early release of notorious bin Laden associate Ali Mohamed in July 2005, who is now walking the streets. Mohamed has strong and well-known links to the Oklahoma City bombing, to the first World Trade Center attack in 1993, to the assassination of Anwar Sadat, to the assassination of Meier Kahane, and to 9/11. That the Bush Justice Department has also allowed the release of Melvin Lattimore, described Federal ATF Agent Jeffrey Whitney as a top suspect in the Oklahoma City bombing, who has ties to 9/11 attacker Zacarias Moussaoui.
WHEREAS, according to David Schippers, a Special Prosecutor on Ken Starr's prosecution team during the impeachment of Bill Clinton, the Bush adminstration intentionally and deliberately stopped investigations which would have thwarted 9/11, and has threatened many patriotic FBI Special Agents with arrest and prosecution if they continued their work to thwart 9/11or spoke publicly, such as FBI Special Agent Robert Wright. (More on Special Agent Wright)
WHEREAS, George Bush and Dick Cheney have badly bungled the war on terror. We agree with Patrick Buchanan, Ron Paul, and CIA bin Laden Station Chief Michael Scheuer that Al Qaeda and bin Laden were delighted that the U.S invaded Iraq.
We Americans hail from all parts of the political spectrum, and disagree heartily on many issues. We agree that while we hold many views on why Dick Cheney and George Bush must be impeached, impeached they must be. This will be followed by a caretaker presidency led by a Republican, for the interim, who must be confirmed by a majority vote of the U.S. Senate. We agree with Republican Bruce Fein that "The constitutional grievances against the White House are chilling, reminiscent of the kingly abuses that provoked the Declaration of Independence." We agree with Representative Dana Rohrabacher that "George Bush was elected president, not king."
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GENERAL COURT submits that the actions and admissions of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney constitute ample grounds for their impeachment, and that the House of Representatives of the General Court has good cause for submitting charges to the U.S. House of Representatives under Section 603, as grounds for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice-President Richard Cheney.
In all of this, President George W. Bush and Vice-President Richard Cheney have acted in a manner contrary to their trust as President and Vice-President, subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the State of ________ and of the United States.
WHEREFORE, President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney, by such conduct, warrant impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any offices of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
Be it resolved further by the legislature of the State of ______, that our senators and representatives in the United States Congress be, and they are hereby, requested to cause to be instituted in the Congress of the United States proper proceedings for the investigation of the activities of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney, to the end that they may be impeached and removed from such office.
Be it resolved further, that the Secretary of State of the State of ________ be, and is hereby, instructed to certify to each Senator and Representative in the Congress of the United States, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, under the great seal of the State of ________, a copy of this resolution and its adoption by the legislature of the State of _________. The copies shall be marked with the word "Petition" at the top of the document and contain the original authorizing signature of the Secretary of State.
Ralph is the author of a new book "Truth in the Age of Bushism"
