Vermont lawmakers call for Bush impeachment + Other Things

[Guest guest]

A

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 15:16:35 -0400

Vermont lawmakers call for Bush impeachment,It's 3 Now!+

Other Things + Free 9/11Video

 

 

 

Vermont lawmakers call for Bush impeachment,It's 3 Now!

 

+Free 9/11Video

 

Vermont lawmakers to call for Bush impeachment (along with ! Cal & ILL)

 

Address:http://www.vermontguardian.com/local/042006/VTSaysImpeach.shtml

 

 

 

Vermont lawmakers to call for Bush impeachment

 

By Shay Totten | Vermont Guardian

 

Posted April 25, 2006

 

BURLINGTON — A Progressive lawmaker today will introduce a formal

resolution in the state Legislature calling on Congress to draft

articles of impeachment against Pres. George W. Bush.

 

Rep. Dave Zuckerman, P-Burlington, claims support from at least a

dozen lawmakers, including Democrats, Progressives and one

independent, and expects to have more co-signers before handing the

resolution into the House clerk later today.

 

The following legislators have signed onto the resolution as of early

Tuesday: Rep. George Cross, D-Winooski; Rep. Winston Dowland,

P-Holland; Rep. Michael Fisher, D-Lincoln; Rep. Steve Green, D-Berlin;

Rep. Sandy Haas, P-Rochester; Rep. Jason Lorber, D-Burlington; Rep.

Jim McCullough, D-Williston; Rep. Chris Pearson, P-Burlington; Rep.

Kathy Pellett, D-Chester; Rep. Daryl Pillsbury, I-Brattleboro; Rep.

Dexter Randall, P-North Troy; Rep. Ann Seibert, D-Norwich.

 

The resolution lays out a broad case for impeachment, ranging from

wiretapping U.S. citizens to lying about reasons for going to war in

Iraq. It is modeled, in part, after recent resolutions approved by

county Democratic committees

 

" We should not get into perpetual impeachment proceedings with every

president, and if you disagree with their policies you should work

through the democratic process, " said Zuckerman. " However, no

president is above the law, and while Republicans used impeachment to

carry out a policy disagreement with a president, this is about a

president who thinks he's king. We threw that notion overboard more

than 200 years ago. "

 

Zuckerman, who has been mulling this resolution since February, put it

on hold as the session gathered steam and he considered making his own

bid for the U.S. House. Then county Democratic committees took up the

call, as did several towns.

 

" I thought it was appropriate to give those grassroots efforts time, "

he said.

 

Zuckerman is relying on the Jefferson Manual of rules for the U.S.

House of Representatives that allows state legislatures to initiate

impeachment proceedings by submitting charges to Congress.

 

State Democrats earlier this month sidestepped the Legislature in

response to a grassroots effort among various county committees to get

lawmakers to initiate such proceedings. Top lawmakers voiced tepid

support for legislative action, saying it was coming at a time when

too many policy discussions were being made on the budget, health care

and transportation.

 

Speaker Gaye Symington, D-Jericho, said she had not seen Zuckerman's

resolution, but expected it would have to be sent to either the House

Government Operations Committee or the House Judiciary Committee

before being brought to a full vote.

 

" If this is based on the county committee language, then the language

that I've seen in the county committee level would require testimony

along the lines of providing due process, " said Symington. " I don't

think it would be appropriate for the Legislature to make sweeping

accusations without testimony. We have to uphold the right of due

process, even with someone I disagree with as vehemently as I do with

Pres. Bush. "

 

Given the likelihood of the session coming to a close within the next

week or so, the resolution may not yield a floor vote.

 

Jim Barnett, chairman of the Vermont Republican Party, decried the

impeachment resolution, calling it a purely partisan maneuver with

little, if any, benefit for Vermonters.

 

" Instead of focusing on the real priorities and needs of the people of

Vermont — like affordable health care, property tax relief, college

scholarships and good paying jobs — Democrats in the Legislature

continue to consume themselves with partisan fantasies of impeaching

the president, raising the gas tax, and banning the cropping of dogs'

ears. "

 

Zuckerman's effort comes on the heels of a letter written by Rep.

Richard Marek, D-Newfane, which was signed by 56 members of the House,

including Symington, and 13 members of the Senate. No Republicans

signed the letter.

 

Marek's letter, which is being sent to the members of Vermont's

congressional delegation, states that many Vermonters believe Pres.

Bush violated the law and the U.S. Constitution by holding people as

" enemy combatants " or beyond their court-ordered release, by ordering

secret wiretaps of phone conversations, and by misleading the public

on the reasons for invading Iraq.

 

" These questions raise, both individually and in their totality,

issues of the gravest national importance, " the letter states.

" Fundamental standards of due process require that such allegations

not simply be accepted as true; however, they also cannot and should

not be ignored. "

 

Obtaining " objective answers to these questions is increasingly

critical to sustaining public faith in our constitutional system of

government and in its requirement for accountability by every

president, " it states.

 

Six Vermont towns passed resolutions on Town Meeting Day calling for

Bush's impeachment.

 

That was followed by, at last count, at least eight Democratic county

committees. The state Democratic Party Committee also has endorsed a

measure that asks the Republican-controlled U.S. House to pass

articles of impeachment against Bush for misleading the nation on

Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and engaging in illegal

wiretapping, among other charges.

 

On May 1, Vermont's effort moves to the nation's capital when

Vermonters plan to hand deliver their petitions to House Speaker

Dennis Hastert, R-IL.

 

The members of Vermont's congressional delegation, who are not

enthusiastic about impeachment, do support hearings that could lead to

possible censure.

 

 

 

``````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Free Video! --> Watch " Loose Change 2 " On Line

Address:http://www.tvnewslies.org/html/watch_loose_change_2_on_line.html

 

````````````````````````````````````````````````````

911 And The WTC South Tower

Address:http://www.rense.com/general70/southt.htm

 

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````

 

 

MSNBC Poll: Did Bush mislead us on Iraq?

Live Vote

Do you believe President Bush misled the nation in order to go to war

with Iraq?

 

* 86332 responses

 

Yes 94%

 

No 5.9%

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8248969

 

 

 

CNN Poll Results

How much credibility does President Bush have when he says we are

enforcing U.S. borders?

 

 

60-100 percent 1% 109 votes

20-59 percent 1% 92 votes

Zero-19 percent 9% 1343 votes

Less than Zero 90% 13450 votes

Total: 14994 votes

 

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/