States or Territories (like DC!) Can Start Impeachment

[kpete]

States or Territories (like DC!) Can Start Impeachment
Submitted by davidswanson on Mon, 2006-01-23 11:28. Impeachment
By Bob Fertik, www.Democrats.com

The Rules of the 109th Congress offer many ways to begin impeachment proceedings.

In the <<NOTE: Sec. 603. Inception of impeachment proceedings in the
House.>> House there are various methods of setting an impeachment in motion:

by charges made on the floor on the responsibility of a Member or Delegate (II, 1303; III, 2342, 2400, 2469; VI, 525, 526, 528, 535, 536);
by charges preferred by a memorial, which is usually referred to a committee for examination (III, 2364, 2491, 2494, 2496, 2499, 2515; VI, 543);
by a resolution dropped in the hopper by a Member and referred to a committee (Apr. 15, 1970, p. 11941; Oct. 23, 1973, p. 34873);
by a message from the President (III, 2294, 2319; VI, 498);
by charges transmitted from the legislature of a State (III, 2469)
or territory (III, 2487)
or from a grand jury (III, 2488);
or from facts developed and reported by an investigating committee of the House (III, 2399, 2444).
In December, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) introduced H.Res.635, which would create a Watergate-style "investigating committee" - option #8 above.

The problem with this strategy is that it would take a majority vote in the House to pass H.Res.635 - and of course the dictatorial Rules Committtee, led by Denny Hastert's closeted gay enforcer David Dreier, will never allow it to even come to the floor for a vote.

So what other strategies can we pursue that would actually get us closer to impeachment?

Options #1, #2, and #3 all require the action of just one Member or Delegate. There are 435 Members, including 202 Democrats and 1 Independent (Bernie Sanders of Vermont). There are 5 Delegates, including 4 Democrats.

In recent weeks, I have spoken with several of the most progressive Democratic Members from New York and urged them to introduce Articles of Impeachment. These include Jerry Nadler, Charlie Rangel, Jose Serrano, and Nydia Velazquez. They have all been sympathetic, but all have refused to give a direct yes-or-no answer.

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/7011

[f-bush]

1. Very Interesting

I think our best bet is devoting all the resouces we have to electing Democratic House candidates who will vote for impeachment!

[gimama]

2. Answer Please from congress members?

WHAT else do they need to see hit the fan,to do the Work that needs doin'? IMPEACH 'EM!

MY emails & phone calls to DC include the info on the LATEST ZOGBY POLL:
52% Americans SUPPORT IMPEACHMENT for domestic spying.
I just fired off an email to msnbcLive on this,denouncing Andrea Mitchell's report that,"according to most polls, Americans aren't concerned with this issue". Andrea Mitchell ought to be worried about being spied on, herself. That's what I'm thinkin'..

[DanCa]

3. Excellent post and recommended.

[Marleyb]

4. K&R

hmmmm...interesting....