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 Cheney, Bush and HabbushPosted on Aug 21, 2008By Amy Goodman House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is on a book tour in which she is being hounded by activists and questioned about her declaration that “impeachment is off the table.” She responded on the TV talk show “The View,” “If somebody had a crime that the president had committed, that would be a different story.” Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind may have provided the evidence she doesn’t want to see. Suskind has just published a book called “The Way of the World.” He makes an explosive charge: that the Bush administration instructed the CIA to forge a letter that would support its claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and was linked to al-Qaida. He also charged that the person whose name is on the forged letter, the former head of Iraqi intelligence, the man who was the jack of diamonds in the U.S. military’s “most wanted” deck of cards, Tahir Jalil Habbush, was given $5 million in hush money. Suskind has recorded interviews with key U.S. and British intelligence agents who told him that secret meetings were held with Habbush, who insisted that Iraq had no WMDs, and that Saddam Hussein’s evasiveness on WMDs was more to protect Iraq from its neighbors, principally Iran. Suskind interviewed Rob Richer, a career CIA operative (who resigned to take a top job with the military contractor Blackwater, to head up its new private spy operations). Richer told Suskind how George Tenet, then director of Central Intelligence, handed him the assignment to deal with the fabricated letter: Richer: What I remember is George saying, “We got this from”—basically, from what George said was “downtown.” Suskind: Which is the White House? Richer: Yes. ... I would probably stand on my, basically, my reputation and say it came from the vice president. Suskind: It just had the White House stationery. Richer: Exactly right. After Suskind’s book came out earlier this month, Richer issued a carefully phrased “non-denial denial,” which Suskind says reflects the enormous pressure Richer and people like him are under to keep important truths quiet. The key points stand: Habbush, in January of 2003, assured British and U.S. intelligence that there were no WMDs. This would have been in time to prevent the invasion. Richard Dearlove, then head of British intelligence (MI6), flew to Washington to deliver this damning report. Rather than calling off the invasion, the U.S. secretly relocated Habbush to Jordan and paid him $5 million. When no WMDs were found, according to Suskind, Habbush became “radioactive inside of the White House ... everyone was terrified that Habbush would pop up on the screen during that summer of Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame”—that is, Habbush could exacerbate the political problems the White House was facing over its justification for the war. By September 2003, with Habbush silenced, the scheme was hatched to provide the letter that would solve all the White House’s problems: a letter, backdated to July 2001, written in Habbush’s hand, explaining that 9/11 ringleader Mohamed Atta had indeed received training in Iraq for the hijacking, and that al-Qaida had also been helping Iraq obtain uranium from Niger. The letter was faked and leaked in Baghdad, after which a conservative British pundit, Con Coughlin, broke the story that supported the Bush administration. It raged through the international press like wildfire. Since Suskind’s book has come out, Congressman John Conyers, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, has begun an investigation. I asked Conyers if there is talk of a bipartisan commission to investigate the charges. The chairman replied, “There are four committees, and how they relate to each other will come forward very shortly.” Suskind has been told that Sen. Jay Rockefeller’s powerful Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is also investigating. Congress should find out: Who authorized the $5-million payout to Habbush? Where is Habbush, and will he be brought to Congress to testify? Who authorized the fabrication of the letter? What possible reason other than politics can there be for not declassifying the Dearlove report that there were no WMDs in Iraq? The upcoming presidential conventions will be filled with vague promises of change. Congress should prove it and fully investigate Cheney, Bush and Habbush. Amy Goodman is the host of “Democracy Now!,” a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on more than 700 stations in North America. © 2008 Amy Goodman SHARE THIS TRUTHDIG ARTICLE:
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By Blueboy1938, August 27 at 6:31 pm #
That’s a very interesting point, guntotinganglion. It presumes, of course, the confluence of a plethera of events. Notwithstanding, it’s not going to happen because it’s not going to get to second base. Much better to focus energies physical and psychic on throwing the rascals out in a repudiation of the Bush administration and defeat of his surrogate, Sen. John McCain. It’s actually going to be a very tight race to the end, and Sen. Obama will need all the help he can get. You only have to look at the undercurrent of dissatisfaction still cherished by the Clintonians, even after she tried to redirect them to see that just getting all those in the Democratic Party who are into politics moving in the right direction will be a challenge. If Obama puts on a good show at Invesco field and there is no bounce, it’s going to be a tough slog to November.
Regime change on January 20th, 2009!
Report thisBy guntotinganglion, August 27 at 7:56 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
re: Blueboy1938, August 26 at 3:06 pm
Actually, one technical fault in your logic is that, assuming Bush is impeached and removed from office, and Cheney becomes President, he’d have to submit his VP candidate to the Senate for confirmation hearings. The Democrats could (and I use that word cautiously) block those hearings while the Congress pursues impeachment proceedings against Cheney. The Senate must advise and consent on the VP choice, and if they refuse, there’ll be no VP until Cheney is dealt with. And this would put Pelosi at center stage. And mind you, I do not relish the idea of Nancy Pelosi as President, but she’d be infinitely better than either Bush or Cheney. All hypothetical of course, but all possible, if not probable. But...meant as a technical point only.
The only remaining reason to pursue impeachment now, is that it is the Constitutionally mandated thing to do, i.e. every member of the legislature swore to protect and defend that document, and the President and his flunkies have sworn the same oath, and have instead, worked tirelessly to dishonor it by attacking and betraying the Constitution at every opportunity, or as George W. Bush is reported to have called it (from multiple witnesses), “just a goddamned piece of paper”. The withering contempt of that old document is the point. The protection of that old document is the point...not politics, or probabilities of success or failure. This is not a case of a prosecutor deciding on whether or not he can winor lose a case, this is DEFENSE OF THE CONSTITUTION itself! And defense of that document is job number one for all elected employees of the American people.
So...my opinion? Impeachment NOW!
Report thisBy Blueboy1938, August 26 at 3:06 pm #
The only way Pelosi can become president under the succession provision of the Constitution is if both the President and Vice President were to go down in the same plane. As I have pointed out previously, there is no way to impeach them both simultaneously and remove them from office at precisely the same time. Therefor, if Bush were removed, Cheney would become president and appoint a successor VP, and pardon Bush. Then, assuming Cheney could be removed in the precious little time remaining were removed, the successor VP would assume the presidency and pardon Cheney, a la Ford.
Both Bush and Cheney would then be immune from prosecution for anything they ever did in their entire lives. I can assure you that Speaker Pelosi would be the last person either Bush or Cheney would appoint to even dogcatcher. Since Cheney is usually lurking in an “undisclosed location” when disorder strikes, it is extremely unlikely that both he and Bush could be eliminated by terrorists or other circumstances at the same time. Only in that unlikely event could the presidency pass to the Speaker of the House.
This is all why impeachment is an exercise in futility. Even Pelosi knows that she would not be able to step into the presidency. She also knows that the real events would put pardons in place that would end any chance of criminal indictment, and would be a huge waste of time to boot. Let’s all focus our energies on ensuring that The McBush does not darken the White House doors.
Report thisBy Blueboy1938, August 26 at 3:02 pm #
The only way Pelosi can become president under the succession provision of the Constitution is if both the President and Vice President were to go down in the same plane. As I have pointed out previously, there is no way to impeach them both simultaneously and remove them from office at precisely the same time. Therefor, if Bush were removed, Cheney would become president and appoint a successor VP, and pardon Bush. Then, assuming Cheney could be removed in the precious little time remaining were removed, the successor VP would assume the presidency and pardon Cheney. Both Bush and Cheney would then be immune from prosecution for anything they ever did in their entire lives. I can assure you that Speaker Pelosi would be the last person either Bush or Cheney would appoint to even dogcatcher. Since Cheney is usually lurking in an “undisclosed location” when disorder strikes, it is extremely unlikely that both he and Bush could be eliminated by terrorists or other circumstances at the same time. Only in that unlikely event could the presidency pass to the Speaker of the House.
This is all why impeachment is an exercise in futility. Even Pelosi knows that she would not be able to step into the presidency. She also knows that the real events would put pardons in place that would end any chance of criminal indictment, and would be a huge waste of time to boot. Let’s all focus our energies on ensuring that The McBush does not darken the White House doors.
Report thisBy antispin, August 26 at 3:01 pm #
Ford got to be the US’s first unelected president because he was part of the Warren Commission and so would understand how an unindicted criminal may need a pardon.
Down the street from me is Gerald Ford Elementary School. We also have a Ronald Reagan Elementary. I expect George Bush Elementary can’t be far off.
When you name the schools after the criminals, maybe only criminals will go to school?
Report thisBy guntotinganglion, August 26 at 12:11 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
re: Blueboy1938
Thanks...glad you liked my analysis. I am well versed in the Nixon/Ford travesty of justice, having lived through those years. When everyone was trumpeting that the “system worked”, it made me shudder. Nothing could have been further from the truth. By allowing Nixon to walk, and allowing Ford to pardon him even when there were no indictments or convictions involved (a pre-emptive pardon?), this country empowered every future President to violate the law at will. Reagan ran with it...as has everyone since.
The interesting thing about the “toady” that would follow, is that, at least Constitutionally, that toady would be Nancy “Impeachment is off the Table” Pelosi. If she took the office, it’s possible she wouldn’t pardon them...but I’m dreaming, she’ll never be President.
Anyway, just wanted to point out that I am well and truly versed in the details of Nixon’s exit, and Fords utterly illegal pardon (how can you pardon someone who’s never been indicted or convicted!?). One other reason that Ford’s pardon was illegal was that he swore under oath, before the Senate, during is confirmation hearings, that he WOULD NOT pardon Nixon. He lied under oath, to the Senate...that is a felony if ever there was one. But, he slipped it in and no one challenged him. And now we have the bastard stepson of Watergate times a thousand! A very sad time for this nation, because it looks as if this criminal will also escape justice.
Report thisBy Blueboy1938, August 26 at 9:30 am #
Cudos, guntotinganglion, for a very fine analysis. It would provide a very good basis for a felony indictment. However, if Bush and Cheney were removed from office by impeachment, impossible as that actually is, they would inevitably receive a pardon from the toady appointed to replace them. Please review what Ford did for Nixon as part of the deal. Agnew was out “conveniently” and Ford was appointed as Nixon felt the jaws of impeachment closing. Nixon resigned out from under that, and Ford scuttled any further possibility of bringing Mr. “I am not a crook” Nixon to justice by pardoning him for any and all.
Report thisBy guntotinganglion, August 25 at 3:54 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Ok, lets’ get all legal and stuff.
First up, George W. Bush has never been, and never will be, a War President. Congress hasn’t declared war on anyone since 1941. All of the war powers Bush claims, pivot on that Constitutionally mandated DECLARATION OF WAR. No war powers without that. He is NOT a War President, two “wars” notwithstanding.
On Dec. 15, 2005 George W. Bush admitted to having directly violated the FISA law at least thirty times. Those are thirty felony violations, that carry a maximum 10,000 dollar fine and/or five years in jail. There is no wiggle room on this. Violating the FISA law, is a felony. That’s one Nancy...times 30.
Of course, Bush claims no laws apply to him if he’s a War President, and thus he states that the FISA law does not apply to him. However, in the ensuing months, his “opinion” shifted, and as it turned out, he desperately needed the FISA law (which he claims doesn’t apply to him) to be amended to, as he claimed, bring it in-line with the more modern technology of today, aka 72 hours without a warrant was not enough...which of course, makes no sense.
He then attempted to ramrod the changes to FISA through the spineless Congress, along with what was his real intention in this, immunity for the Telecoms. Since he already dismissed the FISA law as not applying to him, it only makes sense that in the end, the only thing he wanted was immunity for the Telecoms. And the supplicant Congress provided, finally.
All of this indicates that when he doesn’t need it, he ignores it, but when he does need it, he focuses all his energies on it. This was all about the Telecoms according to his claims, but not about the Telecoms at all, in reality. This was about Bush covering his own ass, because if the Telecoms were taken to court, they’d either perjure themselves protecting Bush, or they’d turn “states evidence” on him, to protect themselves. Likelihood is, they’d do the dirt on Bush, and further reveal his crimes. But, since the Congress did nothing when he revealed his felonious violations of the FISA law, he moved merrily along, and the Congress didn’t just do nothing, they gave the Felon-in-Chief everything he watned...and now Nancy Pelosi wants someone to tell her when a crime was committed.
Hey Nancy...A CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED, 30 TIMES. It’s called the FISA law, and George W. Bush is on record as having violated it. HE ADMITTED COMMITTING THIRTY FELONIES WITH A POSSIBLE MAXIMUM SENTENCE OF 150 YEARS. DO YOUR SWORN DUTY, PROTECT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AGAINST FURTHER VIOLATIONS BY THE ADMITTED FELON...IMPEACHMENT NOW, TRIAL LATER...IMPRISONMENT AS CALLED FOR.
Report thisBy antispin, August 24 at 7:41 pm #
Nancy needs to be made to stand in the corner for standing down without permission.
But what is it with the Dickensian names? Habbush!? It’s so hard to take it seriously. But I do.
On a related topic: NIST needs to put out to pasture for their hallucinogenic report on WTC7. I mean, c’mon: what...the place just became magically unglued?
Report thisBy cyrena, August 24 at 6:00 pm #
Blueboy1938,
Thanks for the commentary @Blueboy1938, August 24 at 7:22 am
I have to agree with the majority of your analysis, based on practicality and more importantly, the reality. I would still hold out that the impeachment process, in principle, should have still been attempted at the start of the new Congress. But the reality says that it should have first been directed at Dick Cheney, who would have been pardoned by george, and replaced with a different figurehead, but still controlled by Dick Head. In theory, impeachment should have solved the issue. In practicality and reality, this regime is a different animal than the framers had in mind when they included that protection.
Thats why what you suggest here, is probably the best that we can hope for:
At least now there is a slight possibility that they and other members of their reprehensible coterie might stand criminal prosecution. Nobody goes to jail as a result of impeachment. They simply are removed from office. Thats going to happen anyway, and in the same amount of time that it would take to impeach them both.
Its true that nobody goes to jail from impeachment alone. Even removing the two from office doesnt drastically curtail the remaining apparatus. (the entire shadow government). The experiences of post Chile after the exile of Pinochet can provide testimony to that, and the same has been the case in other nations that have come under the rule of such dictatorships. Even after the main characters have been exorcised, parts of them remain within the system apparatus.
So Im holding out some measure of hope that the can and will face criminal prosecution, if not here, than on the world court docket. The same is the situation with the telecoms and FISA. While we are currently prevented from making the telecoms accountable in a civil action, there is nothing to prevent them from being criminally prosecuted for their crimes, and Im hoping to see that as well.
Report thisBy Blueboy1938, August 24 at 5:29 pm #
Of course you are not going to do that, Big B. You will continue to develop good sportsmanship and skill in your charges, precisely because you are a man of principle. I’m just saying, the practicalities of impeachment are such that it will not accomplish what you would like to see. Even if both Bush and Cheney were removed from office, which could not possibly be done simultaneously, the result would be that one would appoint the replacement for the other, and that person would pardon them both.
At least now there is a slight possibility that they and other members of their reprehensible coterie might stand criminal prosecution. Nobody goes to jail as a result of impeachment. They simply are removed from office. That’s going to happen anyway, and in the same amount of time that it would take to impeach them both.
Report thisBy Big B, August 24 at 4:21 pm #
Those who do not learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them.
Report thisBecause we are unwilling to deal with the transgressions of our past we keep making the same deadly mis-Q’s. Maybe we should just let Cheney and bush slide, Maybe we should have let Ollie North and Poindexter sell weapons to whatever of our enemies they wanted, after all, they meant well. the hostages in Iran, shit, they had it coming. Watergate? I say we look the other way on that one, it’s only the constitution at stake, not anything important.
Next time I coach a youth baseball game this fall and it looks like the other team is alot better than my kids, I’ll just pull them aside and tell them “it’s no use, we’re going to lose, lets go get ice cream”
Remember, the first step to failure is trying, so why try?
Is that over simplifying this?
By Blueboy1938, August 24 at 7:22 am #
Well, Big B, let’s suppose that Bush and company actually found MWD, along with a vigorous nuclear program and fully developed delivery capability, after obtaining unambiguous U. N. resolutions allowing military action against Saddam. Posit that they observed the niceties of the Geneva Convention and treated prisoners as guests on American soil with full access to the panoply of American constitutional jurisprudence. Assume that they scrupulously observed the strictures of FISA and did not compromise Valarie Plame for spite. What would you say to the tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of the dead, their fate being approved by the world community and executed by a cleanly ethical and law-abiding administration?
No one is concerned about the results of the Afghanistan incursion, because everyone approves of it. There, we and NATO went in after al Quaeda and their Taliban sponsors. The collateral damage is considered modest and justifiable.
If you want to think that I am some kind of monster of callous disregard for the consequences of war, so be it. I would rather avoid making such sweeping character analyses, based on a blog post focussed specifically on the highly predictable outcome of impeachment. If you think that anyone will be held accountable for the travesties of this administration through impeachment, you are naive (oops, I succumbed to a sweeping character analysis - sorry).
Wallowing in catharsis will not bring back one single unfortunate soul, innocent or otherwise, from Bush’s vendetta ("After all, this is the guy who tried to kill my dad!” G. W. Bush, Sept. 26, 2002) adventurism. It will not restore the compromised constitutional protections that have been eroded by this administration. It will waste political capital when there is precious little of it and tarnish Barack Obama’s prospects by association. If it were allowed to proceed, assuming the very unlikely chance that it would be approved in the House, it is doomed to failure by the reality of an evenly divided Senate.
The sadness for the grief and sorrow wrought by this disastrous administration, the deep sense of loss at the successful assault on our constitutional rights and liberties, the outrage at this gang of malfeasors is with me every day. Nevertheless, I do not let it cloud my perceptions about the reality of our political situation: We cannot achieve conviction with the current makeup of Congress; we should not tie up the country with the rancor and divisiveness impeachment would entail; we must not do anything to derail Barack Obama’s historic progress toward righting this country; we shall have regime change in this beleaguered country on a date certain: Jan. 20th, 2009.
Report thisBy Big B, August 23 at 5:48 pm #
blueboy 1938, I am curious about what you would say to the hundreds of thousands of dead that are indeed dead because of the malfeasance of the Bush administration? Put it behind you? Walk it off?
Report thisThe guilty must be held accountable for the nation to heal, and to show any next generation thug that this sort of wrongdoing will not be tolerated.
By cyrena, August 23 at 11:11 am #
By Sabagio Mauraeno, August 23
Its curious that no menition is made of the offenses of the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfield and Rove Cabal. Instead an ordination ceremony of sorts is happening. Nancy inherits the title of SheBitch Lesbian Ballcutter last held by Senator Clinton
I dunno Sagagio,
Seems like youve got some metaphors mixed up here, and of course you dont say who these people are who are finding out that their candidate has no substance. (seems like they would have known that about McCain long ago, and Im equally sure you couldnt be referencing Barack Obama).
Be that as it may, I do have the same question about the lack of mention of the multiple offenses of the Dick Bush Rummy Rove Cabal. I bring it up all the time, but Im pretty much alone it attempting to remind folks of it.
And, therein lies the problem with Nancy Constitution-off-the-table Pelosi. SHE doesnt wanna bother discussing these things either! Shes had a year and a half, and it could have been done with by now. But she was determined not to bother, being the pragmatic realist and all. So, how many more dead since her refusal to address these things, and to shut/shout down anybody else that has attempted?
I would suggest that we cant have it both ways.
Meantime, I havent heard anybody calling her a SheBitch or Lesbian Ballcutter. She doesnt strike me as a Lesbian cutter. Just a cutter. And the term SheBitch is redundant. I have absolutely nothing against strong women, and revel in the strength of my own gender. Im just pissed (as a citizen) that she wont do her flippin job!
Her excuse is that impeachment efforts would have failed. Maybe so. It was STILL her job to do it.
Report thisBy Sabagio Mauraeno, August 23 at 9:26 am #
Gee gollleeee whiz! Name calling ! And on this blog! These folks must member of that traveling carnival of dirty tricksters and smear campaigners that pop up when it’s revealed that their candidates are without substance, courage nor credibility. It’s curious that no menition is made of the offenses of the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfield and Rove Cabal. Instead an ordination ceremony of sorts is happening. Nancy inherits the title of SheBitch Lesbian Ballcutter last held by Senator Clinton. These folks never give up I guess. Too afraid of women with power and brains and accomplisment, a reaction from being beaten up by their sisters when they were kids.
Report thisBy cyrena, August 23 at 9:00 am #
By Purple Girl, August 23 at 4:54 am #
Nan better pull her head out of her ass or she will be facing some very heavy charges herself!
Get started on investigations into this admin and the Corps who have sponsored them. YES Nan we Know some so called Dems will be facing charges too-DLCers and those whove spent their entire political careers in the Pocket of Corps.
Guess what Nan, we dont give a shit..WE WANT OUR COUNTRY BACK!!!
Be ready to hand down indictments on 1-20-09- thus effective negating the possibities of Pardons
~~~~~
Purple Girl, Im laughing out loud..
BUT you know as well as I do, that Nan is SURELY one of the DLCers who would be facing the charges as well. At the very least, shes hooked to the corps for everything. Thats why shes been around so long, and keeps being re-elected in her district. She represents one of the oldest and wealthiest districts in California.
So, she CANT investigate anything, because she cant investigate herself! She put a muzzle on any of the dems that ever tried to do anything before, and that was before she became speaker. The only few she hasnt been able to shut-up are Waxman and Kucinich. She talks to the rest of them like a Mafia Mama.
Report thisBy Purple Girl, August 23 at 4:54 am #
Nan better pull her head out of her ass or she will be facing some very heavy charges herself!
Report thisGet started on investigations into this admin and the Corps who have sponsored them. YES Nan we Know some so called ‘Dems’ will be facing charges too-DLC’ers and those who’ve spent their entire political careers in the Pocket of Corps.
Guess what Nan, we don’t give a shit..WE WANT OUR COUNTRY BACK!!!
Be ready to hand down indictments on 1-20-09- thus effective negating the possibities of ‘Pardons’
If this Admin & Corps Conspiracy to commit Treason is not rectified, We can only assume you are complicit and are Intentionally Obstructing Justice.
Bet you’ll look great in flourescent Orange with wrist & ankle braclets Too!
Democrats Pay close Attention to the DLC’s ‘Third Way’ doctrine...It is nothing more than HW’s “New World Order’ which grants Brick & Mortar citizen Rights and Freedoms!This Third Rail Party Platform is beholden to Corp Interests NOT citizens!
By basho, August 22 at 11:35 pm #
‘Speaker Pelosi, as I have said before, is too smart to allow her congress to be dragged into a time-wasting, futile exercise in righteous indignation. ‘
speaker pelosi takes her marching orders from the same people that run APAC. she is a shill.
Report thisBy James David, August 22 at 8:07 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
I’m curious, why did the link from the Democracy NOW! site change from The Union to Truthdig?
Report thisBy john doraemi, August 22 at 11:01 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
There would be a possibility for change if you and your gatekeeper compadres had actually investigated 9/11 HIGH TREASON these last 7 years. You, Amy Goodman, are also partly to blame for your ongoing censorship of this blatant cover-up. That a cover-up exists is undeniable, seconded by dozens, if not hundreds of whistleblowers and eyewitnesses. What have you done to pusue the matter Amy?
Not much.
Latest development:
Bad Faith:
Report thisWTC 7 and the Official Lies
http://crimesofthestate.blogspot.com/2008/08/bad-faith -wtc-7-and-official-lies.html
By Amy Harlib, August 22 at 10:58 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Why are impeachment hearings necessary now?
If Congress refuses to hold the Executive Branch accountable for its multiple abuses of power, the next
Administration will know it has nothing to fear from Congressional oversight. More war, more abuse of power,
more erosion of our civil rights and our civil liberties are the inevitable consequences of an unchecked
Executive. Congress must reassert itself to restore a functioning balance of power. That can only be done by
holding impeachment hearings.
■ IRAQ: Bush Administration officials have collectively told hundreds of lies about the run-up to our invasion
of Iraq, as anyone whos done any reading over the last 5 years knows. If this is not gross abuse of power,
nothing is.
■ ILLEGAL SPYING ON AMERICAN CITIZENS: Whatever changes Congress makes now to FISA, it
was illegal for the Bush Administration to conduct surveillance of American citizens without a warrant. They
did this for years.
■ TORTURE: Before the passing of the Military Commissions Act, torture was illegal in this country. The torture
and illegal treatment of prisoners authorized by the Bush Administration violated international treaties
such as the Geneva Conventions, thereby violating US law.
■ SEPARATION OF POWERS: The Bush Administrations outrageous abuse of signing statements amounts
to giving the Executive a line item veto over legislation passed by Congress. The firing of the U.S. Attorneys is a
graphic example of the Administrations politicization of the Judiciary. Congress must act to protect and reassert
the balance of power.
■ NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW. This is nonpartisan. If anything, it is the highest form of conservatism
respect for the rule of law. Its up to the Congress to demand true accountability, and that means holding
impeachment hearings now.
■ DONT BELIEVE THE HYPEITS NOT TOO LATE. Its only too late if citizens like us give up on
our country.
http://kucinich.us
http://democrats.com
http://afterdowningstreet.org
http://www.pledgetoimpeach.org
Report thishttp://www.wexlerwantshearings.com
http://nationalimpeachment.org/
http://www.wethepeopleimpeach.org/
By Blueboy1938, August 22 at 10:57 am #
Once again, impeachment rears its vapid head. Seriously, folks, we have much more urgent things to occupy ourselves than this Quixotic ephemera. Did Bush and company lie about the threat posed by Iraq? To use a Rumsfeldism: “You betcha!” Was intelligence distorted, under direction of the White House, to connect Iraq to 9/11? Sure. Has the administration illegally tortured? Indubitably! In an ideal world, would all these things, and more, provide bases for the charge of “High Crimes and Misdemeanors”? Certainly. Will that happen? Not a chance.
Speaker Pelosi, as I have said before, is too smart to allow her congress to be dragged into a time-wasting, futile exercise in righteous indignation. There is no way, with the Senate split 50-50, to get a conviction. There are only five months until the Bush administration leaves office. Two months of that will be taken up with congressional, not to mention presidential, campaigns. Nothing will be done about it until after the election, as a practical matter, and then what’s the point?
We will have regime change January 20, 2009!
The thing we have to do is ensure that “The McBush” does not succeed. Tying up Congress and the nation in a divisive brawl will not enhance Senator Obama’s prospects of election and a “hit the ground running” transition. No matter how appealing the potential catharsis of impeachment may seem, please resist it with all your faculties. It is a trap to distract us from righting this nation after eight feckless years. Let history sort out the alleged criminality and malfeasance in office of the Bush gang.
Report thisBy basho, August 22 at 8:56 am #
‘Congressman John Conyers, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, has begun an investigation. I asked Conyers if there is talk of a bipartisan commission to investigate the charges. The chairman replied, “There are four committees, and how they relate to each other will come forward very shortly.” ‘
i seem to remember that this Conyers was going to start impeachment proceedings, i think he dropped the idea when he got the chair of some committee
Report thisBy yellowbird2525, August 22 at 8:06 am #
Wake up to the TRUTH folks: they own their own publishing company that has writers to pump out their propaganda, put their name on it, as a way to launder money to them. They are BROKE the way there were WMD; CLINTON was Pres when our Congress & Corps elected to to to war with Iraq; 1996 folks: what is going on in the USA today is THIS: it is & always has been since at least ww1 a DICTATORSHIP: claiming it is REP or DEM, DEMOCRACY or COMMUNISM: to keep the country DIVIDED. Our country is run by the wealthy, & Corps with NO INTENTION of doing 1 single thing except AGAINST the people of the USA. Bringing top Nazi’s over & setting them up handsomely to learn HOW they did it; there MAIN CONCERN being: there were so many people: and so relatively FEW OF YOU. THE sad truth is: the folks were advised probably by “church” leaders: to go quietly & do what was asked. Ignorant of TRUTH: most church leaders have bought the LIE that our Gov is “good” without checking out FACTS. Every other country on Earth knows the TRUTH: did our Gov keep it’s word to the Indians? to the servicemen? traitor: one who betrays ones trust; one who fails (esp in Gov positions folks) to do ones duty; or fails in their responsibility. Like I said: this country needs to go on a traitor hunt. FDA: WHY is one of the most deadliest of all toxins to humans formaldehyde being agressively used in everything from clothing, to saturating carpeting, putting in paints, furniture, shampoos, including baby shampoos, etc? to get the $ from Pharma; and to deliberately POISON the people; LOOK how many countries BAN floride in water; look how our country gets excited over things coming in from China without realizing our nation is #1 in nasty toxins in every way; set up by our Gov. Who by the way does the LEAST good & MOST harm to it’s citizens in every single way they can.
Report thisBy Sabagio Mauraeno, August 22 at 7:51 am #
So, what else is new? Dennis Kucinich filed a 35 point indictment against Bush II a few months back. Mr. Suskind has written and promoted a compelling document detailing the current administrations transgressions, high crimes, and misdemeanors. But isn’t asking Ms. Pelosi to call for impeachment hearings right now distracting us from what’s important:picking leaders who will set-aside their egos to work to save our country from the products of the grotesque decisions of the past 8 years?
Let’s ask the candidates to commit themselves to bringing to justice our home grown political criminals and their sidekicks and beneficiaries. If we indict and convict now, Mr. Bush will just issue wholesale presidential pardons to his friends, family, and neighbors before he leaves office.
Report thisBy GW=MCHammered, August 22 at 7:49 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Just had a friend ask me if this story is current because to her, it reads more like history. I reminded her that she’s just been very aware of what’s been going on all along. And that the biggest problem during Bush’s reign is the truth must be doled slowly and repeatedly to penetrate people’s natural immunity to reality and fashionable love of being lied to.
Report thisBy Dolores Dryden, August 22 at 4:51 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Thank you, Amy, for the article on the truth that Ron Suskind wrote in his book: “The Way of the World.” I have known, in my gut and in my heart, that when Bush and Cheney made the decision to go to war, it was illegal and it was not necessary. I just finished reading Mr. Suskind’s book and it is very good and helps our country to know and realize the corruption that runs this government. Just look at how many young and old men and women, American and others, that have been slaughtered and maimed in this so called: war on terror. How sad that a great country, such as the USA, has been neglected by a corrupt administration. Money and Power first - country and citizens last. As for Ms. Pelosi, she just may be voted out in the election. She has to know the crime(s) committed since 2000 through 2008 by is worth impeaching the people involved.
Report thisBy clipper, August 22 at 2:35 am #
I do believe Pelosi has a soft spot for Georgie, and has fallen under his fake charm, and should be, as one stated, considered a traitor.
Report thisBy moineau, August 22 at 2:34 am #
a dream realized: the truth about the letter, the truth about 9-11, bush, cheney, rumsfeld, rice, addington, wolfiwitz, all of them brought up on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, and of breaking our national (and international) law in the torturing of detainees. i have a dream. and yes, rest in peace, stephanie; we will take up the cause to prove them all frauds. xooxoxox ~laura tattoo
Report thisBy marta, August 22 at 1:58 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Pelosi must be naive as to fall for the fake Bush charm, or she is on the same pages of the,--- me, myself, and I people, like Lieberman, and McCain, who only care about what they want.
Report thisBy JimM, August 21 at 6:39 pm #
Hey Amy
Thanks for your courage and I know you will continue to “fight the madness”
Jim M
Report thisBy cyrena, August 21 at 6:31 pm #
By knute, August 21 at 3:58 pm
For her to imply that she would act should evidence be brought up is a huge cop-out.
Far worse that a cop-out knute. Shes just as guilty of the same treason. No getting around the obvious.
When I discovered that she had actually written a book, (on OUR time) I was enraged. I dont think she bargained for, or even expected to encounter the level of the same that shes been seeing on her tour. People are thoroughly pissed at her. One of her responses so far (to much of this activism) is to claim that impeachment efforts would have failed. Im actually willing to acknowledge the real politick of that, because it would never have passed in the Senate. Not 2 nearly 2 years ago, and not now.
But, that isnt the point. She STILL should have done her job.
Im still not willing to blame the entire democratic party however. You mentioned yourself the work that Henry Waxman has never given up on, and there are others as well. There were 11 members of Congress who refused to authorize the use of military force against Saddams Iraq, and continued to do ever since, by refusing OK all of the funding that has been approved in the years since. One of them, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, died unexpectedly yesterday, of a brain hemorrhage. Im terribly saddened, because we spend so much time complaining about the spineless among us, and rarely (if ever) recognize those who have consistently provided and maintained the backbone, to the extent that we are willing to recognize it.
Anyway, here are a few short excerpts, and the link to more information on the remarkably courage woman, who has worked fearlessly for many, many years.
Stephanie Tubbs Jones: Champion of Electoral Justice
Thursday 21 August 2008
by: John Nichols, The Nation
As an editor on an Ohio newspaper during that campaign, I got to know this remarkable woman as a rare political player: someone who was smart and connected but also fearless.
I did not always see eye-to-eye with Tubbs Jones, who has died unexpectedly at age 58 from a brain hemorrhage. We disagreed at times on issues, and on endorsements that she made. But we usually agreed, especially when she cast a series of brave—and lonely—anti-war votes around the time that George Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq.
Stephanie Tubbs Jones frequently displayed the sort of political courage that put her at odds not just with her president and his party but, at times, even with her own party.
That courage was most evident when, after the disputed 2004 presidential vote in her home state, Tubbs Jones led the House floor fight against certification of President Bush’s re-election.
(continues)
Tubbs Jones was dismissed as a sore loser and a radical by some. But, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur said, “She took a very unpopular position and disturbed the regular order of things to do what she thought was right. History will prove her to be correct.”
Typically, Tubbs Jones was unwilling to wait for history to correct the problems of our politics.
More at the link
http://www.truthout.org/article/stephanie-tubbs-jones- champion-electoral-justice
Im sad that we dont recognize these brave leaders among us more than we do.
Godspeed Stephanie, and may you rest in peace.
Report thisBy knute, August 21 at 3:58 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
So Nancy is waiting for evidence of Bush doing something illegal ? We have a stockpile of evidence built up over the last 7 years. Most of which easily falls within the category of illegal activities , if not outright treason when you consider the incredible amount of fraud, billions wasted due to their complete lack of interest in any oversite of their privatized war as if there main aim was to drain the treasury anyway they could. This falls in-line with the belief of Grover Norquist that the starving the beast untill it can only function to serve corporate interests, not the people. Their crimes would include, but not be limited to election fraud, knowingly lying us into their war, suspending Habeous Corpus and conducting torture in america’s name, to name but a few. All of which have been brought to the forefront by people who in many cases were intimately involved within the administration. All that has been missing is a congress with the backbone to investigate. For her to imply that she would act should evidence be brought up is a huge cop-out. Perhaps she should sit down and talk with John Conyers, or Henry Waxman - both of which have been conducting hearings, usually in some basement while the republicans were in control. She has had ample oppurtunity to begin an investigation into any number of this criminal administration’s activities. She is more concerned with her own legacy as the first woman speaker of the house then our country. Plain & Simple, but ironically, if she were to begin the process of holding the bush/cheney whitehouse accountable , FINALLY , she would reap the credit she yearns for in beginning the process of returning some form of credibililty in our goverment. Untill then, she, like so many other gutless members of her party, remains a part of the overall problem in a congress that has an even lower approval rating then this administration. No small feat in itself.
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