The Nation -- When Vermont Governor Jim Douglas, a Republican with reasonably close ties to President Bush, asked if there was any additional business to be considered at the town meeting he was running in Middlebury, Ellen McKay popped up and proposed the impeachment of Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. The governor was not amused. As moderator of the annual meeting, he tried to suggest that the proposal to impeach -- along with another proposal to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq -- could not be voted on. But McKay, a program coordinator at Middlebury College, pressed her case. And it soon became evident that the crowd at the annual meeting shared her desire to hold the president to account. So Douglas backed down. "It became clear that no one was going home until they had the chance to discuss the resolutions and vote on them," explained David Rosenberg, a political science professor at Middlebury College. "And being a good politician, he allowed the vote to happen." By an overwhelming voice vote, Middlebury called for impeachment. So it has gone this week at town meetings across Vermont, most of which were held Tuesday. Late Tuesday night, there were confirmed reports that 36 towns had backed impeachment resolutions, and the number was expected to rise. In one town, Putney, the vote for impeachment was unanimous. The articles -- We the people have the power -- and the responsibility -- to remove executives who transgress not just the law, but the rule of law. The oaths that the President and Vice President take binds them to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." The failure to do so forms a sound basis for articles of impeachment. The President and Vice President have failed to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution" in the following ways: 1. They have manipulated intelligence and misled the country to justify an immoral, unjust, and unnecessary preemptive war in Iraq. 2. They have directed the government to engage in domestic spying without warrants, in direct contravention of U.S. law. 3. They have conspired to commit the torture of prisoners, in violation of the Federal Torture Act and the Geneva Convention. 4. They have ordered the indefinite detention without legal counsel, without charges and without the opportunity to appear before a civil judicial officer to challenge the detention -- all in violation of U.S. law and the Bill of Rights. When strong evidence exists of the most serious crimes, we must use impeachment -- or lose the ability of the legislative branch to compel the executive branch to obey the law. George Bush has led our country to a constitutional crisis, and it is our responsibility to remove him from office. http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20070307/cm_thenation/1172344;_ylt=Ap4l.wIJTvGAHRaQgcB.ByMDW7oF
its about time! this country cannot survive two more years of these criminals. go vermont! new mexico is talking about it too. is it true that if a certian number of states pass impeachment resolutions than congress will be forced to debate it? the moment i knew there was real popular support for impeachment was when my 85 year old grandpa, a career airforce veteran of WWII, korea and vietnam and an early bush-supporter said that bush needs to be locked up. its going to take a long time to repair the damage that these criminals have done to our country, if it can be done at all.
aside from the already mentioned points such as iraq lies, domestic spying, torture and constitutional violations i would add... 1) white house spending 2.3 billion on fake news and propaganda. armstrong williams was just the tip of the iceberg. and we wont even get into bush planting gay male hookers in the white house press corp. 2) north american union and the destruction of our nation's sovereignty and bush's failure/unwillingness to control illegal immigration. just the torture issue should be grounds for impeachment and even imprisonment. how can anybody who claims to be a christian still support someone who authorizes torture of other humans? whose former legal council claims that there is no law that prevents bush from sexually torturing children?
It might start to restore the standing of America in the eyes of the world and prove that we are a country under the rule of law.
I don't think they would get a fair trial. Most of their most serious crimes would be overlooked and media washed down. The punishment if guilty would not be severe enough. And they would end up rich and famous like Clinton with just some kind of slap on the hand. Now if they got a fair trial that would shake the entire nation and the world.
it is nice to hear about Vermont wanting to hold the administration accountable.. Unfortunately,i've lost faith in the system.Reagan and H.W got away with their dirty wars,now W. will too The time will come when George Prescott,continues where his family tree left off something needs to be done to prevent these evil doers from running.
shouldnt you be arousing yourself w/ abu ghraib photos and videos right now texx? are you able to claim all those tickets you bought to watch people get urineboarded as a tax write-off?
Damn straight! They are defending the country, in a democratic way that harkens back to the 18th century, when we were trying to find justice within the British Empire, and finally, in local votes similar to these, found our way to freedom from tyranny. Nothing may come from this, but I honor it, and it is in the finest traditions of the Republic. D&D. Vermont Rocks!
It reminds me of people who start online petitions to get VY drafted or JVG fired. It's cute, but just a waste of time.
That sounds like the line I hear from people who don't bother to vote in elections, and then raise hell about who gets elected. Democracy? Cute? God help us. D&D. the Cutting Edge of Societal Devolution.
Do you really think that Bush or Cheney will get impeached? There are far more important issues to work on then something that will never happen.
