We, the men and women you elected to serve as your voice to the House and Senate. . .. . .choose to allow the USA to be a War Criminal nation that spies on it's own citizens because we must focus on passing our 100 hours agenda (which won't become law unless "the decider" deigns to allow it).
We choose to remain a nation of torturers so that we can make empty and impotent gestures that cannot force Bush and Cheney to do anything they don't want to do. We choose this for you, without asking, because we "know" it is what you want.
We choose to allow Bush to do as he pleases with our troops in Iraq while we demonstrate how weak we truly are because we refuse to take up the ONLY "lethal" weapon in our Congressional arsenal.
We are minimizing the reality of our national crisis and doing our their damdest to suppress any calls for impeachment by convincing you it can't, won't, or shouldn't happen. We are doing this for you, to save you the headacke of confronting the truth (and, though we don't realize it, many of us just don't want to be glared by our "friends" at Washington cocktail parties.
As Bill Bradley points out in his new book, the American people CAN "handle the truth." In fact, Americans are desperate for genuine passion and truth from our leaders. They've had it with political gamesmanship and euphemism. They've had it with uninspiring double-speak. They've had it with impotent gestures that aim to give convey "perception" of "action" (which the American people are already seeing through, as demonstrated by the dwindling approval of the new Congress.
It is long past time for the constitutional officers we empowered to defend us against such blatant, willful attacks on our Constitution to tell us the truth. When Members of Congress exchange the euphemism of "lied us into war" for the stark and horrible truth, I seriously doubt that a majority will reject that truth. Americans will reject that truth.
Real Crisis; Real ChoicesBush and Cheney are advancing a relentless campaign to turn the American presidency into an Un-American and Unconstitutional unitary authoritarian executive with unbounded power. Like squatters, they are laying claim to unconstitutional power through openly hostile possession. They are trespassing in plain sight. That is their intent.
They are saying:
We claim Unconstitutional and Un-American unitary authoritarian executive power to violate any Federal law at will to 'protect the nation.' International law doesn't apply to our actions because we say it doesn't. To prove these claims:- Here we are, committing War Crimes under U.S. Code (Title 18 section 2441) and international law. If we follow the Geneva conventions, we can't "protect the nation" so we aren't following them.
- Here we are, violating FISA (Title 50, Section 1805). If we get warrants from the FISA courts, we can't "protect the nation" so we aren't getting warrants.
- He we are, nullifying McCain's anti-torture amendment with a signing statement. (An amendment that passed the Senate 90-9) . We need to torture to "protect the nation."
- He we are nullifying a few hundred other provisions with signing statements. We are nullifying these particular provisions, but of course, we claim unitary authoritarian power to violate any law, whether previously nullified by signing statement or not.
and so on
The OP cites the weakest of the many cases for impeachment. It is almost the only case for which they have a defense (we believed our own lies). It is a ridiculous defense, but it is a defense that they DON"T have for their many other trespasses on our Constitution that they proudly and publicly declare.
When squatters move in, it is the property owner's responsibility to commence eviction proceedings. If the property owner fails to attempt to evict for long enough, squatters can claim title, and Poof! -- the property owner isn't the property owner anymore.
We the People "own" the nation. We delegated the power and the duty to evict (impeach) officials who trespass to our representatives in the House and Senate.
Surrendering your property to squatters without a fight is insanity, but that insanity doesn't compare to the magnitude of the insanity of surrendering a nation without a fight. But that is precisely what Members of Congress are doing when they say that the immediate impeachment of Bush and Cheney can't, won't, or shouldn't happen.
The Biggest Barrier to impeachment. . . . . .is not the fascist opposition, it is those within our own ranks who echo the excuses and irrational rationalizations for inaction that emanate from the beltway establishment. To make impeachment a reality, we must contradict those rationalizations whenever we can.
Regarding the poll cited in the OPAugust 2006 is not the "latest" poll.
Despite relentless efforts to boost opposition and suppress support for impeachment, just before the election a Newsweek poll found that 51% wanted impeachment to be a priority in the new Congress, while only 44% said it should not be done.
1 In a more recent Newsweek poll, 58% the public say they want the Bush presidency over now.
2 People who want the Bush presidency over are unlikely to object when Democrats seek to end it by impeaching Bush and Cheney.
Democrats were not elected to enact their proposals. . . . . . (even if they could under rule by signing statement).
Above all, they were elected to oppose Bush. Post-election polling found that "Anti-Bush. Anti-Republican" reasons topped the list of "major reasons," while "Pro-Democratic" reasons ranked at the bottom.
3 A simple choice: Duty or DerelictionWhen the Constitution is under attack, they are sworn to defend. Their oath is an oath to fight -- to support and defend; not an oath to win. We take oaths for a reason to do the tough stuff for a reason. So that when the time comes, we act. No excuses. No hesitation.
The polls, the baseless claims that impeachment is political poison; the rationalizations -- none of it matters. Outcome expectations are irrelevant. When principle demands action, you choose to duty or dereliction.
======================
- http://january6th.org/oct2006-newsweek-poll-impeach.html">Priorities for a Democratic Congress, Newsweek Poll, 10/21/06)
- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2752103&mesg_id=2753090">58% of Americans want his Presidency over now
- http://january6th.org/reasons-for-success.pdf">Reasons for Democrats success
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