Daily Archives: May 31, 2006

By Popular Demand: Do-It-Yourself Impeachment

Uncategorized

Crossposted from MY LEFT WING

A recent press release from California Assemblyman Paul Koretz:

Koretz Impeachment Resolution Passes First Hurdle

Sacramento – Legislation by Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood) calling for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney advanced Thursday when the Assembly Rules Committee voted 4 to 3 to have the issue referred to the Committee for further consideration.

While the vote is considered procedural in nature, this action enables the language on impeachment to be amended into Assembly Joint Resolution 39 (AJR 39), replacing the prior language, which had been unrelated to the impeachment topic. The resolution had been initially proposed on April 21, when Koretz submitted language to amend AJR 39.


It is great news that the resolution is moving forward, said Koretz. The American public is increasingly angry and concerned about the misdeeds and failures of the Bush administration. Just look at the current headline about how they approved the secret collection of phone records of millions of ordinary Americans. This is a horrific abuse of our civil liberties, yet its the kind of thing that seems to happen all the time under this administration. We need a leveling with the public, we need accountability, and we need dramatic change and right now, the impeachment process seems to be the most appropriate way to achieve all
three.

The impeachment resolution references Section 603 of Jeffersons Manual of the Rules of the United States House of Representatives, which allows federal impeachment proceedings to be initiated by joint resolution of a state legislature.

The key reasons cited for impeachment include the Bush Administration intentionally misleading the Congress and the American people regarding the threat from Iraq; exceeding constitutional authority to wage war by invading Iraq; exceeding constitutional authority by Federalizing the National Guard; conspiring to torture prisoners in violation of the Federal Torture Act and indicating intent to continue such actions; spying on American citizens in violation of the 1978 Foreign Agency Surveillance Act; leaking and covering up the leak of the identity of Valerie Plame Wilson, and holding American citizens without charge or trial.

Joining Koretz in support of the Resolution are: Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) as a joint author and Assemblymembers Rudy Bermudez (D-Norwalk), Ron Calderon (D-Montebello), Jackie Goldberg (D-Los Angeles), Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley), Jerome Horton (D-Inglewood) and Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) as co-authors.

Section 603 allows federal impeachment proceedings to be initiated by a state legislature.

It gets better. State Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood) authored Assembly Joint Resolution 39 (or AJR 39) which made it through the Assembly Rules Committee 4 to 3. Next step is a vote.

Contact the representatives and tell them you want it to happen.

1. California Legislature Contact Info

Find out who your representatives are — or, if you don’t live in California, pick a couple Democrats…

2. Call and/or send email letting them know that you support AJR 39 and that you’re letting all your friends know, too.

3. Forward this. Send out emails. Let people know that they can be heard.

Underestimating Douglas Again

Uncategorized

Ross Sneyd writes:

Gov. Jim Douglas says he’s flabbergasted that lawmakers inserted deep in the state budget a provision that enables them to keep private some of the advice they get from their financial staff.

Douglas accused lawmakers of hiding what he described as a major change to state open government statutes.

Are you shocked, shocked, that Douglas would have the nerve to say this after his administration was public enemy #1 to “open government” over the so-called deliberative process privilege this year? Or perhaps you’re like some Democratic lawmakers and just feel annoyed:

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Bartlett, D-Lamoille, said she would not support such a proposal because it was not as sinister as the governor was making it out to be. “I think the governor’s a little thin-skinned,” she said.

He is not thin-skinned. He is smart. Douglas is in this for Douglas and the Republican Party. Republicans look at campaigns like boats. If there’s a leak, they move to plug it fast, hard, and efficiently. After this session, Douglas saw that the issue of government secrecy was a fresh hole in the GOP boat. He has moved to stem the leak at the Democrats’ expense — which should surprise no one — it’s part of what he sees as his job. He is playing smart, and he is looking out for the other members of his team aggressively (Yes, I’m complimenting the Governor. Deal with it).

Instead of rolling our eyes and pretending his behavior is silly somehow, we should be watching and learning from him. Or at the very least, calling it what it is — politics.