ImpeachForChange

Liveblogging Impeachment Day 1

It's impeachment day 1 thanks to Rep. Dennis Kucinich!

David Swanson is liveblogging with impeachment activists on Capitol Hill. Kagro X has a diary on Kos explaining how Kucinich and Robert Wexler pressured Pelosi into having hearings, who will testify, and why no one can call Bush a "liar." Ralph Lopez has a diary at Kos with Corporate Media links - tell them to cover today's impeachment hearing!

Support the Kucinich Impeachment Hearing on Friday

Tell your Representatives to support impeachment by cosponsoring H. Res. 1345:
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/142

Rep. Dennis Kucinich has led the fight for impeachment since April 2007, when he defied Speaker Pelosi and courageously introduced 3 Articles of Impeachment (H.Res. 333/799) against Vice President Cheney. On June 10, Kucinich defied Speaker Pelosi again and introduced 35 Articles of Impeachment (H.Res. 1258) against President Bush.

When Pelosi refused to allow hearings on any of the 38 Articles of Impeachment, Kucinich returned to the floor of Congress to introduce one more Article of Impeachment against President Bush (H.Res. 1345).

Thanks to massive pressure from Democrats.com and our pro-impeachment allies, Speaker Pelosi finally allowed Chairman Conyers to hold a hearing this Friday. Kucinich will finally get a few minutes to argue for impeachment, along with Rep. Robert Wexler, former Rep. Liz Holtzman, and former Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson. Kucinich made a video to thank us for our efforts.

Impeachment Cosponsors Wanted!

Cosponsors

FL19: Robert Wexler
CA06: Lynn Woolsey
CA09: Barbara Lee
NY22: Maurice Hinchey
WI02: Tammy Baldwin
CA17: Sam Farr

 

Candidates

CA08: Cindy Sheehan
(indy v. Nancy Pelosi)
CA24: Mary Pallant
MA01: Bob Feuer
(primary John Olver)
NY08: Adam Sullivan
(primary Jerry Nadler)
WA06: Paul Richmond
(primary Norm Dicks)

Rep. Dennis Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment, H.Res. 1258, needs Cosponsors so we can pressure Speaker Pelosi and Judiciary Chairman John Conyers into starting impeachment hearings. (We will update the list on the right as we learn of new cosponsors.)

You can play a crucial role in persuading your Representative to be a cosponsor!

  1. Email your Representatives to support Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment
  2. Call your Rep. at 202-224-3121
  3. Call your favorite talk shows and tell everyone who supports impeachment to sign the petition at Democrats.com
  4. Login and click local to meet your neighbors and plan local lobbying actions:
    • organize a "Honk To Impeach" event
    • turn out and ask questions at community events your Representative will be attending
    • pass resolutions by Democratic clubs, local governments, unions, civic and veterans' groups, etc.
    • ask community leaders to speak out 

Of course most incumbent Democrats and all Republicans have turned a deaf ear to all of our lobbying. So we're also active in House races, encouraging Democratic challengers to endorse H.Res. 1258, and we are listing them above. (We also listed independent Cindy Sheehan because Speaker Pelosi abused the unique power as Speaker by declaring impeachment "off the table," even though it's not her table, but ours!)

Wexler Lights Impeachment Fire in Congress

As promised, Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL) went to the floor of the House to demand impeachment hearings, and he set the House on fire with his passion! Watch for yourself:

You can see Wexler holding the printed signatures of nearly 200,000 activists from Democrats.com and our pro-impeachment allies. (And thanks for thanking all of us, Rep. Wexler!)

How to Create a Congressional District Impeachment Committee

Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leaders in Congress say impeaching Bush is "off the table." We must change their minds!

Our plan is simple: we will form Impeachment Committees in all 435 Congressional Districts to persuade all of our Representatives to support impeachment.

Help us Impeach Bush by taking the following 4 steps:

1. Join (or create) an Impeachment Committee in your Congressional District.
2. Collect petitions and handwritten letters.
3. Build support for impeachment by holding an educational town forum, writing letters to the editor, etc.
4. Meet with your Representative, deliver the petitions and ask them to Impeach Bush.

More detailed instructions are below.

1st hearing, impeachment - Repugs can find no defence for Bush

Am watching on C-Span.org right now, and certainly the vast majority of
the panelists are in favor of impeachment (with two notable, and
derisive, exceptions, explained below)

It's good to see the
House Judiciary proceeding as it should, finally, on this matter. If
the Democratically-controlled Congress loses its steam now, the Dems
aren't fit to govern us.

Meanwhile, it was instructive to
watch the Republican Minority fail to find any decent ground to defend
Bush-Cheney, today. The Republican Minority couldn't find a leg to
stand on, and their witnesses came across as either fascist or kooky
(more below).

These panelists, meanwhile, were absolutely fabulous:

Bruce Fein, author of Constitutional Peril (forthcoming)
Bob
Barr, former congressman, presently Libertarian candidate for U.S.
President (deserves our vote more than Obama, who proved a traitor on
FISA)

Ray McGovern on Impeachment

Congress Hears Ringing Call for Impeachment

By David Swanson

The House Judiciary Committee today, Friday, July 25th, will put impeachment squarely back "on the table" and restored to its prominent place in our Constitution.

Elliott Adams, President of Veterans for Peace, and a descendant of American revolutionary Sam Adams, will deliver this prepared testimony, in which, if his 5 minutes allow him to reach his conclusion, he will say:

At Friday's Impeachment Hearing, Congressional Democrats Must Act

Friday's hearing marks the first official step in the process of holding George Bush accountable for committing the most serious crime in American history: sending brave young Americans to fight, kill, and die in Iraq on the basis of  lies.

The evidence of Bush's crime is overwhelming, and public support for holding Bush accountable is overwhelming. The only question is whether Congressional Democrats will use the only accountability power they have, namely impeachment.

We know the White House, the Republican Party, and the Corporate Media will fight impeachment to the death. But that is no excuse for Congressional Democrats to evade their unique and urgent responsibility. The American people will be watching.

Details and updates from David Swanson (seen preparing for hearing at right):