Bush Dodges Bullet in New Mexico - ( Impeachment Bill )

[CRH]

http://www.democrats.com/node/12243

Bush Dodges a Constitutional Bullet in New Mexico
President Bush dodged a Constitutional bullet in New Mexico Thursday, when nine Democrats in the state senate joined all 17 Republicans to prevent a proposed joint resolution calling for the US House to begin impeachment hearings to come to a floor vote. Supporters of the measure said it appeared that the Democrats in question mostly came from Republican districts and were worried about electoral repercussions of a pro-impeachment vote.
There is reason to suspect, however, that there was some arm-twisting from national Democratic leaders, who appear dead set on avoiding impeachment hearings, whatever the public sentiment on impeachment (Newsweek reported last fall that 51 percent of Americans favor impeachment) and whatever Bush’s crimes, Constitutional violations and abuses of power.

snip

The Constitution lays out a process for initiating impeachment which begins with the filing of a bill of impeachment by a member of the House of Representatives, but Thomas Jefferson, recognizing that Congress in some cases might be too cowed by a powerful president or to removed from public sentiment, established, in his Manual of Rules for the House, a second route to impeachment--a joint resolution by a state legislature--on the theory that state legislators are much closer to the people.
Indeed in modern times, with members of Congress earning six-figure incomes, traveling in chauffeured limousines, and living most of the time in Washington, inside the sterile Beltway, this is even more so that it was back in Jefferson’s day. In many states, state legislators are part-time government officials, earning modest salaries and living for the most part in their home districts, where they drive their own cars, shop with voters, and send their kids to the local schools.
This probably explains why so many states are seeing impeachment resolutions while House Democrats maintain a stony silence in the face of Bush’s ongoing rape of the Constitution.

snip

This post is for informational purposes. I could not find a source on the LBN, but this is from a blog and cannot be posted as such on LBN.

The reason it caught my eye was the second paragraph about the 'arm twisting' from the federal congressional level. Is seems the Washington waltzers don't appreciate the Jefferson reasoning, questioning their judgment. If I had to judge between the wisdom of Jefferson and our current bunch of representitives, well, ...

[acmavm]

1. When is a Dem really a Dem? I wish someone would tell me

because these 'Dems' have me pretty confused.

[peacetheonlyway]

2. Same Armtwisting Happening in Washington State

when Senator Eric Oemig introduced a Bill SB016 calling for same impeachment investigation to begin by House
and of all the damn people, our most liberal Senate Democrat, Patty Murray armtwisted his supporters
to stop it.

this kind of backing down by federal democrats is either stupid or insane.

the bottom line, is they are NOT DOING WHAT THEY WERE ELECTED TO DO and the time will soon come to get these
rats out of office too.

in time all slimebags will be removed from office that do not support the will of the people.


here is murray's excuse for not doing anything, she says "hearings" are only way to go...
they have more than enough data and information , we don't need more fucking hearings..

*** From Email sent from SEnator Murray
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Response from Senator Murray
Date: March 9, 2007 5:58:20 AM PST
To: [e-mail]

Oversight of the Administration is one of Congress’s vital roles. Unfortunately, up until this point, the Republican majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate have conducted nearly no oversight, even routine, of this Administration. In the careful balance of power, I believe that Congress – as the legislative branch – has an obligation to conduct oversight on any executive, regardless of party. Congress must ensure that no abuse of power ever occurs, and that the American people continue to benefit from the transparence of government.

Only through effective oversight can the House and the Senate determine whether the Administration’s actions have been appropriate, and I am deeply troubled by how few hearings have been held to examine these questions. I believe that the Congress must hold the Administration accountable for their actions and decisions. In the 110th Congress, I look forward to restoring that accountability with the Democratic majority.

[CRH]

3. Couldn't agree more ...

if never held accountable, there is nothing to stop the right wing republicans form trampling the Constitution, whenever they seize the power and forum. The Reagan years should illustrate this very well, as now we are dealing with the actions of many of the same sociopathic reptiles, that Bush appointed into his administration.

IMHO, the next year and nine months should be of the same carnival atmosphere as the OJ trial, the same day to day live reality series soap opera, that the corporate media presents us with Scott and Lacy Peterson or Nicole Smith, or a Clinton/Monica drama. Except, the setting can be the House chambers where day after day the record of history exposes the abuses of Guantanamo, the Office of Special Plans (OSP), the disregard for the Geneva Convention, the disregard for international laws and treaties, torture, the signing statements distorting legislation and the will of congress, and the contempt and debasing of the Constitution that has been the daily standard of procedure. This and more can all be displayed as the food of daily drama for a bill of impeachment. And, after two of three months of this historical documentary drama, the Senate would undoubtedly realize their continued lively hood was in peril without a vote for impeachment. Though an impeachment conviction in the Senate must have 67%, a Senator at the polls can be sent home with only one less vote than his opponent.

In short, after all the abuse of power, after all the debasing of the Constitution, becomes common household knowledge; the democratic field of candidates and the issues, widens dramatically. After the daily lock step abuse that has visited our government institution from every angle, is daily conversational fodder for the electorate at large, there would be nothing Karl Rove or his successor could do in the short term, to stem the anger at the polls.

[onenote]

4. where is the evidence of arm-twising in NM?

I don't deny that it could've happened, but citing what happened in Washington state as support for the claim that something similar occurred in NM is a bit of a stretch. To the exten that Murray is a "national Democratic leader" (questionable) its doubtful she weighed in with Democrats in NM.

[CRH]

5. It is why it is posted here, and not LBN, ...

until other articles appear, if they appear, with more documentation; there is no doubt it was a speculative statement not reinforced with links or sources, as it was written. It is why I provided the link to the original source, and identified it as material from a blog, and not a journalistic source.

And, I think there are a few of us who want to see a state send a bill to the US House, so they will have to deal with it, before the eyes of the public. Failing to pursue it would leave a responsibility in the political winds to explain in detail, why a lawless administration with contempt for the constitution and congress, should not be investigated and called to task, with a bill of impeachment. The statements we are receiving so far, that impeachment is not on the table, seem a bit shallow in reasoning and substance given the damage that has been done in the domestic and foreign arena. It leaves many of us to believe, if the scoundrels walk again, they will certainly return again. After all, it has been very profitable looting the domestic economy, present and future; and provided sizable military corporate profits creating the seeds of conflict and fear, everywhere.

[peacetheonlyway]

6. Murray only armtwisting in washington

but she is responding to a national strategy set by Pelosi
that the same Dems in NM did the same armtwisting in NM against
a. the citizens
b. the state senators who brought forth this legislation.

WHAT THIS REPRESENTS IS DEMOCRATS FIGHTING AGAINST A HUGE CITIZEN outrage and demand
for impeachment.

in WA we have over 400 people at the hearing and NOT A SINGLE CITIZEN OR Legislative Rebuttal/vote against the legislation.
and a petition of 17K citizens demand the legislation passed.

the bottom line is Democrats in WA (feeling weakened by the "not enough votes to pass a bill" mantra) are actually
crossing a very bad line we are noticing, they are working against the very democratic citizens that put them in office.

NOTE: THey do this at their own risk. I will promise to say Ms. Murray has ended her career in politics with this very stupid
move.

like a soldier on the battlefield that has to assess "perhaps what I"m being asked to do, i.e. kill iraqi children,
is not ethically or morally right, and perhaps I should disobey my order", the Democrats that are armtwisting must
start disobeying the orders of Pelosi and Reid who wouldn't have a strategic clue if it bith them in the ass..