Impeach Bush Update

[Independent_Liberal]

This is the latest from Democrats.com. Sorry if this is a dupe.

>>>>snip

Democrats.com is a co-founder of AfterDowningStreet.org, which is raising awareness of the Downing Street Memos, the British documents that prove George Bush lied to Congress and the American people about his plan to invade Iraq.

According to a recent Zogby Poll, 42% of Americans think Bush should be impeached for lying about Iraq - compared to only 26% of Americans who thought Clinton should be impeached after Monicagate. Inside Republican-controlled Washington DC, the word "impeachment" is strictly taboo - but Democrats.com is proudly breaking that taboo. Help us by forwarding this to your friends!





MEDIA ACTIVISM NEEDED NOW

Most of the corporate media ignored the mass events on July 23rd and ignored the introduction of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry.

Please Contact National Media Outlets:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/1084

We have put together a tool kit for you to make it easy to work on your local media as well, with letters, phone calls, op-eds, editorial board meetings, and protests.

Get Tools to Bring Your Local Media Around:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/748



LEE'S RESOLUTION: 37 CO-SPONSORS AND COUNTING

Congresswoman Barbara Lee and 37 co-sponsors are backing a Resolution of Inquiry which, if passed, will require the White House and the State Department to "transmit all information relating to communication with officials of the United Kingdom between January 1, 2002, and October 16, 2002, relating to the policy of the United States with respect to Iraq." If the Downing Street Documents are not accurate, this is the White House's opportunity to prove it.

If your Representative is not a co-sponsor (http://tinyurl.com/8mzrn), we need you to ask him or her to become a co-sponsor of H.Res. 375. Many, even possibly some Republicans, will co-sponsor this, but they have to be asked.

Please do all three of the following:

Email your congress member:
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/50

Phone your congress member:
http://www.usalone.com/get_instantcongress.htm

Fax your congress member:
http://www.usalone.com/get_instantcongress.htm

Find more information and flyers about the Resolution:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/902



TAKE PART IN DFA MEETUPS ON WED. AUGUST 3

Democracy for America is taking up the cause of promoting investigation of the Downing Street Memos. They have organized meetings all over the country on Wednesday, August 3, and you can sign up for one here:

http://dfa.meetup.com/



Later in the month of August, DFA will organize meetings with Congress Members while they are home in their district offices. Sixty of these meetings have already been scheduled. At these meetings, people will ask their Congress Members to co-sponsor Rep. Lee's Resolution. To help organize these events, participate in the MeetUps on Wednesday.




REP. BECERRA TO HOLD TOWN HALL MEETING JULY 30

On Saturday, July 30, Congressman Xavier Becerra will hold a town hall forum on the Downing Street Minutes at Lincoln Heights Center in Los Angeles, California.
Local Start Time: 11:00 a.m. PT
Address: 2323 Workman Street
Los Angeles, California
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/596



REP. FRANK TO HOLD TOWN HALL MEETING JULY 31

On Sunday, July 31, Congressman Barney Frank will hold a town hall forum on the Downing Street Minutes at Arlington Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts.
Special Guests Include constitutional law expert and co-founder of AfterDowningStreet.org John Bonifaz.
Local Start Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Address: Arlington & Boylston Streets (just West of Boston Commons)
Boston, Massachusetts
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/596



Join the Veterans for Peace Bush Tour for Impeachment

Veterans for Peace just announced a bus tour across the U.S. to take impeachment to the heartland. They will leave California on Sept. 3 and head to Oregon, Washington, Canada, the midwest and northern states on their way to Washington D.C. for the big anti-war/impeachment march on September 24.

The tour organizers are looking for local activists along the way who could host stops:

"We would love to help veterans start Veterans For Peace Chapter in their area. We will bring all the required information for forming a Veterans For Peace Chapter. We also want to support organizations that focus on youth and recruiting, We have a great deal of material to hand out. We also carry cases of the comic book 'Addicted To War' and Tie Die Tshirts that have the VFP logo and quotes from well known artists and peace activists that we sell to support the bus.

"For overnight stops, showers and overnight parking for the bus is required. Beds are an option as we have bunks on the bus. We usually have ten people on the bus, male and female.

For more info visit:
http://www.vfproadtrips.org/

Media Relations & Event Stops contact Gordon Soderberg:
[e-mail]
707-536-3001

Donations and rider/speaker requests: Patrick Tate
[e-mail]
707-536-3001



"Indict Rove, Impeach Bush"

This slogan has a certain ring to it, doesn't it? Imagine if this slogan was ringing out all over the country - at protest marches, on bumper stickers, on t-shirts, etc. That could happen if this slogan wins the Moveon slogan contest which ends on August 2. To vote, click the link below, then search for this slogan, which is near the top. Check both the upper left box (agree) and the bottom box (5 stars), then go to the bottom of the page to click on "submit my ratings." (Thanks to Richard Mathews!) http://tinyurl.com/b8n6z



Watch/Hear July 23 Events

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/314



HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS?
**DONATE**
We're doing great things, but they all cost money. Please contribute:
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/edonate.cfm?campaign=ads



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#####

[Independent_Liberal]

1. Keeping this kicked!

[Swamp Rat]

2. Media Activism Needed Now!

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/748

Most of the corporate media ignored the mass events on July 23rd and ignored the introduction of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry.

Please Contact National Media Outlets.

THEN PLEASE WORK ON YOUR LOCAL MEDIA:

1. Basic Participation.
As a first step, everyone should phone local talk shows and make comments, and should write letters to the editors of local papers. Here are talking points. Here's a guide to writing letters to the editor, provided by Congressman Conyers' office. Many newspapers prefer letters that respond to particular articles they've printed, but you can almost always find one that it makes sense to reply to with what you want to say anyway. It is very important that you say it in your own words. If editors receive the SAME letter from multiple people, that hurts the cause rather than helping it. You may want to check before writing on whether your local Congress Member has co-sponsored Congresswoman Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry, and whether he or she has signed Congressman John Conyers' letter. Thank them or encourage them, or question why they've done one and not the other. After they're published, post your letters here.

You should contact media outlets individually and take care to send your letters to the best address. But you can also, very quickly, contact your local media outlets here.

2. Submit Op-Eds, also known as Columns.
As a second step, you should be submitting opinion columns to your local newspapers. Check the newspapers' websites or call them to find out length and other requirements. As a general rule, write 700 words. Do not criticize the newspaper -- do that in letters (see above). But DO passionately express your viewpoint. Do not exaggerate or make any claims you cannot back up. Submit along with your column any notes on sources of information that an editor might want to check to verify any claims you make. Try to be timely: write about the Resolution of Inquiry as something your Congress Member should consider and co-sponsor while home for the month of August; connect the broader issue of lies that led to war to the latest twists in the Plame scandal (which, after all, is the result of an attack on someone for debunking some of the lies that led to war). Make your claims in a way that can't be challenged. Don't say "Bush lied like a dog." Say "evidence strongly suggests that the President intentionally mislead us...." Only, DON'T say that. The most important thing is to use your own words. Do NOT copy someone else's. Doing so will hurt the campaign rather than helping it. Here are some examples of columns. Emulate them. Even quote from them or other sources. But don't plagiarize them! After they're published, post your op-eds here.

3. Meet With Editorial Board.

This is a lot easier and a lot more effective than many people think. Ideally, it should be done by a delegation of three or four people representing an organization. Organizations that belong to our coalition and likely have chapters in your area are listed here. Contact one of them, take the lead, and organize a meeting with the editorial board of your local newspaper. Phone the paper and request such a meeting. Let them know that you represent local members of the After Downing Street coalition, a large national coalition of over 100 organizations. Tell them that you have information for them on legislation currently being considered in Congress, and on upcoming local events related to it (meetings of your group, public rallies, meetings with your Congress Member, etc. Find and create such events here.) If need be, create your own new organization. Use the events system and forums to get organized. Take with you to the meeting with the Ed Board several packets of information so that you can give one to each editor. Include a sheet with your contact information. And include useful materials like these:

(snip)

WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR:

Ask them to write an editorial in support of Congresswoman Lee's Resolution of Inquiry or in support of the Senate Intelligence Committee doing the investigation that it has never done. If they are friendly, do not suggest that they need to write the editorial because other papers have done so. But share some of the editorials above with them if they want to see them. If they seem closed to the idea or hostile, or if they question whether any other paper has done this, then give them evidence.
Ask them also to run guest columns on the topic.

And, if relevant people are in the room, ask also for better news coverage. Let them know about upcoming events. Here's an article done simply from a local Congress Member having signed Conyers' letter. That can be done anywhere. They can also report on Lee's resolution.
Write up short reports on how your meetings went, indicate whether we can publish them on this site, and submit them here.

Note that news departments are to various degrees separate from editorial departments. You should also set up a meeting with any reporters who cover politics btu who are not part of the editorial board meeting.

4. Protest at Media Outlets
When all else fails, use public protests and civil disobedience. Here are some examples of how it's done:

(snip)

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/748

*****

Just DO IT!!!

:kick: