Email from Democrats.com- Conyers Considers Cheney Impeachment Hearings

[babsbunny]

Conyers Considers Cheney Impeachment Hearings

On Thursday, Chairman John Conyers' House Judiciary Committee held a hearing at which Attorney General Michael Mukasey said that he would not investigate torture or warrantless spying, he would not enforce contempt citations, and he would treat Justice Department opinions as providing immunity for crimes.

None of this was new, but perhaps it touched something in Conyers that had not been touched before. Following the hearing, he and two staffers met for over an hour with two members of Code Pink and discussed activism and impeachment, including Congressman Robert Wexler's proposal to begin impeachment hearings on Cheney.

Conyers expressed his concerns about what might happen following an impeachment, the danger of installing a Bush replacement or losing an election. But he said he's listening to several advocates for impeachment, including Liz Holtzman and David Swanson of Democrats.com. He hinted he could be swayed by a convincing argument, leaning out of his chair for dramatic effect.

So let's help Chairman John Conyers decide! We know Conyers agrees with all of us on the legal grounds for impeachment because he made this case himself in his 2006 book, "The Constitution in Crisis." Where Conyers needs persuasion is on the politics of impeachment, so we have addressed his concerns here:
http://www.democrats.com/conyers-start-impeachment-hearings

We'd like you to email Conyers (and other Judiciary Committee Democrats) with the link above, but please don't stop there.

1. Call his office at 202-225-5126 and say you would like him to begin Cheney impeachment hearings immediately. Tell him the hearings must be on impeachment because that's the only way to force the White House to comply with Congressional subpoenas. The phone in his office was reportedly ringing once every second, 60 times per minute, all day long on Monday. Let's ring it faster on Tuesday.

2. Print our petition
http://www.democrats.com/node/15663/print
and fax it to Conyers at 202-225-0072 with your name and address at the end.

3. Urge your Representative and Senators to sign onto Congressman Robert Wexler's letter to Conyers (which he plans to deliver on Friday) here:
http://democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/125

We know we're asking a lot, but we're not alone - our friends from Code Pink are fasting for impeachment and meeting with Conyers on Tuesday to discuss opening Cheney impeachment hearings.



Want to do more? Start planning now to visit your congress member's office when they're back in their district between February 16th and 24th. Find ideas here:
http://impeachcheney.org
Join (or create) your Congressional District Impeachment Committee:
http://democrats.com/cdic-find

[mdmc]

1. and I'm considering donating to the dlc

but I doubt any of it will amount to much more then consideration.

[KharmaTrain]

2. It's Not If...Just When

The admission that this regime does indeed torture is a BIG revelation that will have long-ranging implications. This regime has finally admitted to a crime...but they're fudging...attempting to redefine "torture" (how sick is that?) so that somehow even though they did torture it was "legal". Now the challenge for Conyers...and one I see him ready to join...is to connect the crimes to those responsible. It's easy to blame booooshie on this, but there were far more people involved...and those people need to be exposed and brought to justice as well. But it's not gonna happen overnight.

A while back Pacfica radio did a feature on Conyers and impeachment and the troubles he has in making it fly now as opposed to the future. The commenter made the point that booooshie is all but daring Democrats to attempt to impeach him and/or Cheney this year as a major electoral distraction. The corporate media would surely participate in the "blowback" that would hamper all investigations and/or prosecutions. The problem here, is even though we have a crime, its still not certain as to who broke the law and if it was decided from on high...it could be many of these decission were made by Cheney alone and thus no paper trail to boooshie. Remember, these goons vowed to learn the "lessons of Nixon"...destroy evidence, stonewall investigations and use privilidge and pardons wherever needed.

Unfortunately much of the crimes of this regime are yet to be uncovered...and those responsible will need to be held accountable. It's not just two people, but an entire criminal enterprise. Impeachment never addressed the crimes, just the politics. The first thing that has to be addressed are the criminals and then comes the political...not the other way around. Sadly, any attempts now to get those criminals and crimes out front...get indictments and convictions where the articles of a solid impeachment can be written from and then passed through the House & Senate. Also, to use these investigations as the basis for any and all war crimes trials and law suits that surely will follow this regime for years to come. The problem right now is that any person indicted is sure to be pardoned by this regime...waiting until after 1-20-09 takes that possibility away (and we know this shit will pardon any and all like his daddy did) where much of the "privilidge" will be gone.

Conyers wants something that has never been done...a successful impeachment. Not just the hand-slap passing articles out of the House will do...but a conviction in the Senate as well. There's not the votes nor the amount of evidence he feels are possible for even a conviction in the House...but time is the avenger. Impeachment stands a far greater chance with larger Democratic majorities in both Houses and a Democrat in the White House...along with a greater accounting of what really has happened over the past 7 years.

People are pissed and want answers...those people will speak a lot louder once the fall-out of this regime is exposed...and the fingers come out to play the blame game. Should the Repugnicans lose big in November, boooshie will take the fall and if we're forced out of Iraq and the economy continues to tank, people will want answers as to who caused this.

While it'd feel good to see boooshie totally embarassed, debunked and told to back his Playstation and go home, but that doesn't solve the problems this regime has created nor does it address all its criminality. If there's anyone who knows what impeachment is, it's Congressman Conyers...and I assure you that if he could nail boooshie tomorrow, itd be done...and it will!

It's our job to never forget the crimes...and demand accountability. While it would be great to do that with an impeachment now, I'm looking at a bigger picture...one that doesn't involved 435 compromised politicians, but involves a jury and trial in the Hague. Nothing short will really address the crimes to humanity of this regime.

[rateyes]

8. I'm calling the number and it rings and rings and rings..

no one is answering...not even a machine.

[tekisui]

3. Thom Hartmann gave an interesting take on this.

We all know that they have broken laws. This administration has violated the Constitution, broken US Law, Committed International Crimes, War Crimes, Torture and on and on.

But, Impeachment wouldn't happen, even with the evidence here now. I don't think that should stop them from trying. But, Conyers said that as long as Pelosi wants to keep it off the table, the bill will have a hard time going anywhere. If he can't get the Democratic Speaker of the House, forget about the pukes letting it gain any traction.

Hartmann said the time to really move is after the elections, before the Inauguration. And the movement will become a "Prosecute the Criminals" campaign. Chimpy would lose the pardon power, they could indict and incarcerate without suffering the likely "political loses" that would occur with Impeachment.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Conyers said Fox News would make fun of him

He isn't going to do a damn thing.

[bdamomma]

6. you know I think I heard the same thing to wait until he's out of office

but this is like spinning the roulette wheel.

[tekisui]

7. I agree. We don't know what the political calcullus will be then.

Who will be Pres? Will they be willing to push it, or allow it? Will the new AG be willing? Will many of the very same members of Congress change their minds?

I don't know what else we can do, as citizens, to get these War Criminals behind bars. We can't go arrest them. If Congress won't act now, and clearly they won't, what choice are we left with but to push to prosecute when they leave office?

The International Community is paying close attention. They may be the ones we rely on to get any action.

[bdamomma]

9. I don't know about the international community stepping in on this

most nations who have confronted this kind of situation the people act and oust these kind of corrupt thugs out. We have never confronted this but sooner or later, make it later, we will act, or maybe I'm am being to hopeful.

[KharmaTrain]

10. Yes...And No...

I wholely agree...the best time to really start the Impeachment train going will be after the elections...just like how DeLay did it in '98.

With the elections out of the way, the lame duck session is a "free pass"...congresscritters on their way out get one "last hurrah" (usually for pork) before they head for the exits...and we sure have a bunch of those this year.

If the GOOP loses big, there's gonna be a lot of finger pointing and I suspect the obstructionism we see now will erode as this corrupt party's electability erodes. There'll be the blame game as to who lost the election and I even suspect the party will be so demoralized it won't even give a shit. Democrats, on the other hand, could be emboldened with victories and a mandate from the people to turn this country around. The first part is to start the long road to accountability.

Here's the downside. As long as the booosh regime is around, so are their ability to stonewall and pardon. A lot of the hesitancy to move at this point is the tough time investigation have of getting evidence and testimony...all shrouded by executive privilidge. Here's the dilmena...you take these goons to court, spending lots of time and money that won't be decided by 1-20-09, or you run out the clock and go after these criminals once they no longer can hide behind their unitary executive. Be assured any indictment will be met with a boooshie pardon...and I wouldn't put it past this regime to try to pass a blanket "amnesty".

Hartmann is right...the ideal time to ramp up the calls for impeachment should begin after the election and more the incentive to oust repugnicans and stay on Democrats to demand a full accounting of the criminality of this regime.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. I don't even like clicking on these threads anymore

Not only should they have been impeached by now, they should be behind bars already.