NM State Senator - Sponsor of KIlled Impeachment Resolution - Releases Scathing Statement

[Hissyspit]

MODS - Because this is an official statement, I believe I can produce it here in its entirety.

http://www.democracyfornewmexico.com/democracy_for_new_mexico/2007/03/statement_by_se.html

Thursday, March 08, 2007
Statement by Senator John Grubesic on Action to Stop Debate of NM Impeachment Resolution

This is a statement just released by Senator John Grubesic (D-Santa Fe), who was one of the sponsors of SJR 5, the impeachment resolution that was killed without debate this afternoon. He's one of the patriots in our NM Democratic caucus and in today's America, along with co-sponsor Gerald Ortiz y Pino, all the other Democratic Senators who voted for the resolution as it was passed through three committees and all the ordinary citizens who worked so hard on this effort. I hope future generations will know that there were many who dedicated themselves to stopping the madness of the Bush era, whether we are ultimately successful or not. Not everyone clung to business as usual, in the worst possible sense.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SENATOR JOHN T.L. GRUBESIC
MARCH 8, 2007

This country was founded by rebels. This country was forged in violence, ferocity, dissent and uproar. This country is vanishing before our eyes, not because we are blind, but because we are willing participants in its destruction. Today on the Senate floor you witnessed an excellent example. The Impeachment Resolution died quietly with no debate whatsoever. The dignity of the New Mexico State Senate was maintained as we followed carefully designed rules of procedure to ensure that nothing disrupted the workings of this austere body. We did a great job of making it appear that government was working.

However, we have to ask, which government and on whose behalf? The action taken by the Senate was not the action taken by a body that protects the freedoms of a sovereign people. The action was a carefully orchestrated option designed to protect the integrity of an institution and perpetuate the well oiled workings of government. A government that has evidently forgotten that we serve at the pleasure of those we govern.

It is clear, that from the highest levels of government in our country down to our State, very few of us want to deal with the unpleasant political mess that impeachment could become. Our actions today showed where our priorities are, we forgot that the Constitution was not designed to serve government, but to protect the people. There should have been a debate, argument, uproar. Instead, we quietly gutted the sovereign power of the people with polite political procedure.

When future generations look back on our time, the shock will not be because of the violent, impolite nature of the fight that preceded the destruction of Constitutional government, but by the meekness with which we watched it die.

Comments (from OP at DemocracyForNewMexico.com):

Well, just got done writing a scathing letter to be published in the Alibi to those in the Democratic Party opposing the idea of impeachment. Not sure how much good it'll do by the time the next edition comes out, but... hopefully it'll be there, at least.

I also finally got around to making another anti-Bush design for my store... it has a picture of him smiling and says, "Your ignorance is his bliss."

Posted by: Randall Sobien | Mar 8, 2007 6:43:30 PM

Hurrah for what Sen. Grubesic says in his statement. Someday, if we survive, people will look back at this era and wonder why so many were taking such pleasure in conducting business as usual. It's almost like it turns them on to insist there is no emergency at hand when there are so many emergencies at once its hard to keep them all straight.

A passionate thank you to all who are fighting the good fight on every level by any means. And to the rest of those who haven't yet woken you, your time time will come.

Posted by: bloggo | Mar 8, 2007 7:35:33 PM

[bobbolink]

1. Please post it, if it is published!

This is so very sad. I was/am so proud of my home state!! It was a good fight, and thanks to all of you who did all you could to see this through.

:toast: :patriot: :toast: :patriot:

You exemplify the best of this system!

[sce56]

2. Another down turn on this rollercoaster of the Bush Emipire!

I had high hopes New Mexico would lead the way here it looked so good in the committees!

[burrowowl]

3. Damn!

Good on you for posting, just got home and wondering what happened.
What is your store? I'd love to patronize it if you have stuff I would normally buy.

[Hissyspit]

4. Click on the link in my post to respond to the Comment. It is from the original website.

I'm sure he would love to hear from you.

[texpatriot2004]

5. So it was killed in the Senate by people like Heather Wilson

and Pete Domenici.

[alittlelark]

6. The Alibi is the best paper in NM....sad

I get it in La Montanita whenever I am back home. I'll ask sis to send me a 'hard copy'.

Keep up the good fight... an ex-patriot from NM.:dem:

[Jcrowley]

7. Grubesic

Just sent over four highlight paragraphs. The truth. In short supply these days.

"Political expediency" has become longhand for "sellout", and that's in abundance.

On edit: K&R

[Decruiter]

8. "...but by the meekness with which we watched it die."

Ouch. Yep, the US is on life support, possibly brain dead.

I just got off the phone with a state legislator that is introducing a resolution for impeachment on the anniversary of the invasion/occupation. It is in protest only. A matter a record.

I was asked to not concern myself with this matter and focus on other issues and campaigns. And this from a Democrat I respect and admire.

[Hissyspit]

9. It seems insane, doesn't it? We sure didn't have much trouble getting the Clinton impeachment

going. Which state are you talking about where the resolution will be introduced?

[Decruiter]

11. Texas.

I'm really troubled tonight.

[roody]

15. Well fuck them. We the people are not going

to look away from the death and destruction Bush is causing. How many of their kids are in Iraq? It is time to disrupt business as usual. It is time to sit in, in offices, in the street, wherever.

[babylonsister]

10. Wow. JOHN T.L. GRUBESIC, I think I love you. nt

[Cogito ergo doleo]

12. Powerful statement, how horrible that every bit of it is on the mark.

:dem:

[puebloknot]

13. K&R Depressed in Santa Fe, but still proud of NM!

Now...what can we do about Domenici and Wilson?

[kansasblue]

14. 'not with a bang but with a whimper "

nice writing!

[solara]

16. Damn.. that is so very disappointing.. but I am SO proud of NM and I have

a question...Once a resolution is killed can it be re-submitted or re-started? What if there was a new Resolution for Impeachment presented right on the heels of the murdered resolution.... only maybe this time with Gonzales' name and the list of his crimes attached?

Some might even change their votes especially since BushCo's house of cards seems to be getting more unbalanced and precarious each day.

I think it would be great to keep it going and keep it happening. Let that Impeachment energy flow! I bet there would be a debate this time ..and it would make a great story.. maybe even get someone in the MSM interested... "NM Tries Again... and Again... and Again" "The People of New Mexico Won't Take 'No' For An Answer" heh.

I bet the idiots in Santa Fe couldn't just sweep it under the rug a second time or a third, especially if they knew the people would just start it up again. Besides, it is becoming clearer everyday that the BushCo ship is going down and the rats are gonna start jumping.

Just wondering.

[Hissyspit]

17. .

[Peace Patriot]

18. My profound thanks to everyone in NM involved in this effort!

The problems in this country were not created in a day, and will not be easily solved, but the spirit and passion of the folks in New Mexico who mounted this effort are profoundly heartening, and that spirit and passion radiates outward, despite this temporary defeat.

I think we have a number of problems within our own party. The one that troubles me the most--and that I think is at the root of it all--is non-transparent vote counting, and the mind-boggling silence of our Democratic Party leadership, as rightwing Bushite electronic voting corporations took over our election system, and "counted" 80% of the votes in the 2004 election, with 'TRADE SECRET,' PROPRIETARY programming code. What's with this? It is so unamerican! And so-o-o-o-o undemocratic! I mean, it's a no-brainer that you don't want rightwing Bushite corporations "counting" your votes under a veil of corporate secrecy. This WAS the fascist coup, in my opinion. And all the Democrats in Congress are proposing is a meager "paper trail" and a 2% audit, but the secret code stays in place. The upshot is that citizens will still have to prove who didn't win an election, rather than election officials having to prove who did. In Venezuela, they handcount FIFTY-FIVE PERCENT of the ballots, cuz they don't trust the machines! Here, we count 0% in many places, and 1% in the best states. And 2% is just what it sounds like--98% of the votes are never checked--it's a bandaid. And if we can't muster enough Democratic leaders to impeach Bush and Cheney, and stop their heinous war, and all their other crimes, I think this is why. Many of our Democratic leaders are ALSO beholden to Diebold and ES&S for their power. Some were elected legitimately (the voters outvoted the machines). Some were not. And probably all Republicans were not elected. And even the good office holders are fearful--they can be UN-elected. This combination is lethal--bad, corporatist, warmongering Democrats and fascist Republicans. The people who REALLY represent the majority of Americans can't do much in this circumstance.

So, I think restoring transparent vote counting is Priority #1. We cannot rely on Congress. We must accomplish this ourselves--in closer-to-home local/state venues. One strategy involves the huge increase in Absentee Ballot voting in the last elections. This was a voter rebellion against the machines--a boycott! But a lot of people don't realize that AB votes are often just scanned into the rigged electronic system, and are no safer than an optiscan vote. But with such a big constituency against the machines, and trying to get around the machines to get their vote counted (AB voting went over 50% in many places), we have a organizable group to demand a handcount of the AB votes. Electronic voting, which was fast-tracked across the country by a $3.9 billion boondoggle from the Anthrax Congress (engineered by Tom Delay and Bob Ney, abetted by corporatist 'Democrats' like Sen. Christopher Dodd), greatly corrupted our election officials, who are now committed to these huge expenditures for extremely insecure and insider hackable voting systems. This is what makes it so hard to change--such insanity! But we can get around the corruption by letting them keep their shiny new crapass machines, but COUNT THE VOTES. Handcount the ballots and post the results BEFORE any electronics are involved. We can start with the AB votes. And if we can win on AB votes, then everyone will want a real ballot and one that is actually counted.

It's going to take time and patience. We can't expect miracles overnight. We have a very compromised Congress AND state legislatures, as well as corruption among election officials that got entrenched and hardened very quickly. But we WILL win this, in the end. Why? Because vote counting that everyone can see and understand is just common sense. Right now, it's insane. We can make it sane again. And you will be very surprised what a difference transparent vote counting makes. Look at South America! Transparent vote counting has been critically important to the success of the leftist (majorityist) revolution there. It can happen here, too. Have faith!

And remember this, too. There is a REASON they took away our right to vote. It's because we have such potential power as a people to transform the world, by reigning in the bad actor global corporate predators who are harming everyone. The Bechtels and the Halliburtons and the Exxon-Mobiles. WE hold the sovereign power, as a people, to pull their corporate charters, dismantle them and seize their assets for the common good--or, at the very least, to strongly regulate them in the public interest. Our vote is pure gold! So let's take it back. It's OURS. It IS our sovereignty. And, as we do that, we will begin to get our country back. It isn't the only reform that is needed. But it is the premise and foundation of all other reform.

[mmonk]

19. I applaud the effort that so many undertook in New Mexico.

[Hissyspit]

20. kick again for someone who gets it n/t

[confuddled]

21. Thank you, Hissyspit,

for posting this and for introducing me to Democracy for New
Mexico.  Still stunned, I don't know what to do about this
travesty just yet but will certainly be using Democracy for
New Mexico as a resource for whatever action I decide to take.

[Senator]

22. k&r

[L. Coyote]

23. kick and referenced here: Mar. 9 Daily Impeachment News:

Mar. 9 Daily Impeachment News: post high crimes and misdemeanor news
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x376380


More participants sought to try to launch a Community Daily Impeachment News.
If you post impeachment news threads, do link your thread there too.
If the daily thread is not there yet, start it with your post.

[Decruiter]

24. K & R

:kick: