Good Byebee

Torture memo attorney Jay Bybee is pretty far gone on his way toward resignation or impeachment from his federal judgeship. This is reflected in the "LIBERAL" NYTimes Editors calling for Bybee's impeachment on April 18. They wrote in reference to the torture memos,

"These memos make it clear that Mr. Bybee is unfit for a job that requires legal judgment and a respect for the Constitution."

I think it's over for him..... Good Byeee Bee.

The Rub of the Shrub: Chapter 1

It was a cold winter day in 2009 when Jeremy started his journey. Walking his dog, he called Gary on a whim.

As Murphy's Law would have it, God decided to take a shit just as Gary's phone started ringing. Jeremy fumbled off his gloves, pulled a baggie out of his coat pocket and cradled the too-small-to cradle cell on his shoulder, holding the leash in one hand while he did hid doggie pick-up duty with the other. Jeremy briefly thought of the joke about aliens observing this scene and concluding that humans were the slaves of dogs when Gary answered.

Hey Jer. Been a while.

Yea. Thought it was time to catch up.

And they did. Work, family, friends, Gary's law school. Finally Jeremy popped the question.

So, now that you're a lawyer, are you going to help prosecute the Shrub for war crimes?

Just making idle conversation. Gary laughed and Jeremy felt a little silly. Gary replied,

I was thinking more along the lines of 'crimes against the peace.'

This wasn't totally lost on Jeremy, though he wasn't quite sure exactly what that meant. Gary continued, beginning to change the subject.

So, whaddya think about the new administration?

New boss. Same as the old boss, I guess. But Jeremy wasn't quite ready to let the last topic drop.

No really. I don't mean be the lead prosecutor. How can we let the Shrub get away with ... everything?

There was a pause on the other end.

Look. He's a fucking ass hole. A fuck'n disgrace to the Country. He should be tried. But it ain't gonna happen. I mean, come on.

Yea, well, Biden said don't worry about whether we impeach him, we can prosecute him for war crimes.

Biden isn't President.

Maybe that's to our advantage. These guys get into office and ... they go conservative. Biden's on the outside.

Well, if you hear Biden talking it up, let me know. At which point the conversation drifted to another topic.

Later that day, Jeremy spoke with his dad. He had apparently hit a deer... again.

Guess I should check my e-mail more often, Jeremy said, feeling guilty about his lack of family contact, living on opposite coasts. Everyone was alright, but Jeremy was reminded of the elderly couple whom he'd met in Colorado, visiting his grandparents, who were killed in a head-on while trying to miss a deer or elk. He shuddered. Then he popped the question.

His father's response was a bit more supportive than Gary's. He didn't change the subject.

If I could see the Shrub get convicted for war crimes before I go to my grave, I'd feel very satisfied. To which he followed up. Look. It's not healthy to be vindictive, but here's a case where I'd make an exception, to which they both laughed.

Jeremy asked his dad if he was aware that Senator Biden had once made reference to war crimes prosecution as an option in the face of impeachment being off the table. His dad seemed to recall something along those lines. Jeremy followed up,

And Congressman Naylor, I forget his first name, represents Manhattan I think,

Jerry his dad offered.

Jerrold... Nadler. That's it. I think he was the chairman of some subcommittee, something to do with the constitution... I think it's part of the Judiciary Committee. I heard him on a podcast, and he was asked about Impeachment of the Shrub. His response was clear. He said the Shrub should be prosecuted.

You'll have to get passed his Praetorian guard first. He didn't realize how prescient those words were.

Preserve Right to Criminal Prosecution of Bush

For the next three weeks the blog takes to the road. Last time I did this I was exposed to the NYC Mentality.

OK. So there's a debate about the wisdom of impeaching Bush. I side with those who say Impeach Bush and Cheney to set the record straight for history, and to deter future Presidents from abusing power.

Despite Pelosi's "off-the-table" proclamation, the impeachment process is happening; that's because it is an organic process that unravels on it's own, just like the GOP support for the Iraq war is unraveling.

Politics is the art of the possible. The US House of Representatives should impeach Bush and Cheney with an explicit provision that the Senate need not act on the impeachment. This would avoid the question of double-jeopardy, thereby preserving the right to criminally prosecute Bush for capital offenses (See Update).

This is a win-win compromise for the progressive camps on both sides of the impeachment debate. It addresses the concerns of people like Senator Sherrod Brown who think Rove and others will exploit the situation by having the press say, "Give Democrats power, and see what they do with it? Spend time on vindictive acts rather than solving problems of the people."

The talk needs to turn to criminal prosecution of Bush Administration officials. Once we get Bush over the barrel, with capital punishment in play, then we can start talking about a grand compromise that will redistribute some of our stolen wealth.

Sad 4th of July

It's a sad "independence" day when the President displays gross conflict of interest by commuting the sentence of a political operative who committed a treasonous act on his behalf. Keith Olbermann is correct to say that Bush's commutation of Libby's prison sentence is as shocking to the Nation as Nixon's Saturday Night Massacre. We're living a constitutional crisis.

Keith Olbermann Skewers President Bush

I read, in a coment on Mahablog, that Frank Zappa once said,

The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced.

My response to that is,

The laws are not randomly enforced. The enforcement, and Constitution for that matter, is tilted toward the US aristocracy that took control from the British aristocracy. It's not random. It's very intentional.

The impeachment process has started. The people are doing their part, and Congress is investigating.

More important will be the question of criminal prosecution of George W. Bush for numerous counts, including Crimes Against Peace

To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.

- Chief American prosecutor, Robert H. Jackson, Nuremberg.

Short of that, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, said on June 12, 2007 that there is no question that the warrantless wiretaping engaged in by the Bush Administration is a felony offense and that the President and Attorney General engaged in a criminal conspiracy worse than Watergate. (Source: David Swanson). Nadler calls for Bush's prosecution.

Create Buzz for Impeachment

.
The next few months will determine whether or not America redeems itself in the eyes of the world by impeaching either Bush, Cheney or both. It's a matter of accountability and sending a message to future presidents: "It's the people stupid."

Take the MoveOn.com Poll to Impeach Bush:
LINK to Poll

Tell the media you want coverage of HR333 to impeach Cheney. Contact the Media

Tell members in the US House of Representatives that you want them to co-sponsor HR333 to impeach Cheney: Contact US House


Visit the A28 Impeachment Network. It's a pretty cool way to experiment with a web presence. See my A28 Space.
~

HR 333 Impeach Dick Cheney

.
Congressman Dennis Kucinich's articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney provide a focal point for citizens to express their views about the corrupt Bush regime.

A Paraphrased Synopsis of the Articles of Impeachment

The articles of impeachment contend that each of Cheney's actions have undermined the national security of the United States.

Article 1 - False Claims of Iraqi WMD: Cheney purposefully manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and Congress by fabricating a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction to justify the use of the US Armed Forces against Iraq.

Article 2 - False Claims of al Qaeda Connection to Iraq: Cheney purposefully manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and Congress about an alleged relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda to justify the use of the US Armed Forces against Iraq.

Article 3 - Threats of Aggression Against Iran: Cheney has violated his constitutional oath by openly threatening aggression against Iran absent any real threat to the United States.

To see the entire Articles of Impeachment and supporting Documentation CLICK HERE

The Court of Public Opinion Rules Impeachment

You might find some counter-points to right-wing talking points to be helpful:

1. "The threshold for impeachment is high." Not True. Laws need not be violated in order to justify impeachment. Do the actions undermine the government's credibility? Has the official failed to carry out constitutionally mandated duties? Does the American public want the official removed? That is sufficient to meet the threshold.

2. "Bush's term in office is nearly over." This is less about expelling Cheney from Office than it is about accountability. A citizen-based impeachment movement helps maintain the integrity of our country's principles, and deter abuses of future leaders.

3. "Impeachment would be a distraction of Congress." Bush and Cheney's abuses are so extreme that impeachment is warranted despite the distraction it would cause.

4. "Impeachment is inappropriate when our Nation is at war." The US is engaged in a chosen war of aggression in Iraq, founded on false pretenses, which are part of the charges against Bush and Cheney. The Bush administration has created an Orwellian war stance to boost their executive power. The "time-of-war" argument has no credibility in this case.

Flex Your Citizen Muscles:

It's vital to create "buzz" in the halls of Congress and the corporate media editorial board rooms. The links below facilitate your involvement in doing that.

Media Contacts

Contact the US House of Representatives

Contact the US Senate

H.R. 333, House Resolution 333