House Judiciary Trio Calls for Impeach Cheney Hearings

[undeterred]

I participated in a MoveOn Action yesterday at my Congressperson's office (Tammy Baldwin) and just saw this this morning. I am so proud of her for getting out in front of the impeachment issue- its exactly what I wanted from her!

(Written by from John Nichols in The Nation)

Three senior members of the House Judiciary Committee have called for the immediate opening of impeachment hearings for Vice President Richard Cheney.

Democrats Robert Wexler of Florida, Luis Gutierrez of Illinois and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin on Friday distributed a statement, "A Case for Hearings," that declares, "The issues at hand are too serious to ignore, including credible allegations of abuse of power that if proven may well constitute high crimes and misdemeanors under our constitution. The charges against Vice President Cheney relate to his deceptive actions leading up to the Iraq war, the revelation of the identity of a covert agent for political retaliation, and the illegal wiretapping of American citizens."

In particular, the Judiciary Committee members cite the recent revelation by former White House press secretary Scott McClellan that the Vice President and his staff purposefully gave him false information about the outing of Valerie Plame Wilson as a covert agent as part of a White House campaign to discredit her husband, former Ambassador Joe Wilson. On the basis of McClellan's statements, Wexler, Gutierrez and Baldwin say, "it is even more important for Congress to investigate what may have been an intentional obstruction of justice." The three House members argue that, "Congress should call Mr. McClellan to testify about what he described as being asked to ‘unknowingly along false information.'"

Adding to the sense of urgency, the members note that "recent revelations have shown that the Administration including Vice President Cheney may have again manipulated and exaggerated evidence about weapons of mass destruction -- this time about Iran's nuclear capabilities."

Although Wexler, Gutierrez and Baldwin are close to Judiciary Committee chair John Conyers, getting the Michigan Democrat to open hearings on impeachment will not necessarily be easy. Though Conyers was a leader in suggesting during the last Congress that both President Bush and Vice President Cheney had committed impeachable offenses, he has been under immense pressure from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, to keep Constitutional remedies for executive excesses "off the table" in this Congress.

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?bid=1&pid=259835

Thanks to these three for standing up for the American people and the Constitution! :kick:

[Ghost in the Machine]

1. It seems as though Nancy Pelosi is the biggest obstacle to overcome now

She's a waste of skin and an embarrassment to the Democratic Party. It's time to run her out on the same rails as Bush, Cheney and the rest of them who would subvert our government.

Nancy Pelosi, you need to RESIGN you worthless sack of shit....

:kick: & 5th rec... off to the greatest with you...

[undeterred]

2. Are we better off with her than Denny Hastert?

I mean, on the issue of impeachment I don't think so. And that's pretty scary.

[Ghost in the Machine]

3. What else has she done besides showboat and pander to the misadministration?

She says that Congress shouldn't be tied up with impeachment because there's "more important things to get done", yet nothing is getting done.

Sure, you say what you want about passing a few bills, but how many of them have been vetoed?? The biggest waste of Congress' time is to keep passing bills they KNOW are going to be vetoed.

has time to vote to censure MoveOn.org and bullshit about Christmas. I swear sometimes I think I'm reading a comic book instead of Congressional Minutes....

[undeterred]

5. We had such high hopes for her

I've never had to lower my expectations so much. I guess it would be worse if we still had Hastert but I thought a Democratic majority would mean a lot more than this. And I thought a Democratic Speaker would be on OUR team. Hastert certainly played for HIS team.

[ooglymoogly]

13. she has taken the constitution of the table.

and seems to have enough supporters to keep what is left of it off.

[B Calm]

20. They are acting like a bunch of pussies! They keep it up and I'll stay

home during the next election!

[harmonicon]

14. yeah, she's so awful, she should run for president - perfect compromise candidate *cough*

[populistdriven]

24. Nancy probably got Conyers RIAA "friends" to lean on him

http://www.google.com/search?q=Conyers+RIAA
We need a new government!!!

[rodeodance]

28. BINGO

[porphyrian]

4. Wake me when something other than talk happens. -n/t

[undeterred]

6. There are some signs of hope here.

[porphyrian]

7. There have been the whole time, but look where we are.

I'll believe it when it happens.

[rodeodance]

30. I am feeling the same Sentiment--yet, change happens slowly!1

[porphyrian]

32. Change can happen in an instant. I think some people use the slow-change argument as an excuse.

Not that you are, and not to ruin your optimism. I'm just not a patient person to begin with, and I lost mine about seven years ago.

[undeterred]

8. kicking for Congress!

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[lfairban]

9. They don't need to succeed to be productive:

"Even if the hearings do not lead to removal from office, putting these grievous abuses on the record is important for the sake of history. For an Administration that has consistently skirted the constitution and asserted that it is above the law, it is imperative for Congress to make clear that we do not accept this dangerous precedent. Our Founding Fathers provided Congress the power of impeachment for just this reason, and we must now at least consider using it."

[ClassWarrior]

10. Amen. Who gets credit for the quote?

NGU.

[undeterred]

11. The three judiciary committee members Gutierrez, Baldwin, and Wexler

Maybe Gwen Moore will sign on now.

"Holding hearings would put the evidence on the table, and the evidence -- not politics -- should determine the outcome," the Judiciary Committee members explain. "Even if the hearings do not lead to removal from office, putting these grievous abuses on the record is important for the sake of history. For an Administration that has consistently skirted the constitution and asserted that it is above the law, it is imperative for Congress to make clear that we do not accept this dangerous precedent. Our Founding Fathers provided Congress the power of impeachment for just this reason, and we must now at least consider using it." (last paragraph)

[garybeck]

12. Can someone please explain to me why one person (Pelosi) has so much power?

She was elected to be a representative from california. not the voice of the party.

[sss1977]

15. Good question.

I don't know. Maybe we should ask --insert multinational corporation(s) here-- pulling her strings.

[Rageneau]

17. I don't begrudge her the power, I begrudge her not using it.

[Hippo_Tron]

18. She was elected by the House Dem Caucus to be their voice

I guess you could say that she's de facto voice of the party, but she's really not assertive enough to hold that title. Newt Gingrich clearly did while he was speaker. The party right now isn't unified behind any particular leader.

[AntiFascist]

16. K&R n/t

[WillyT]

19. Video Of Wexler:

Link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=76160&mesg_id=76160

:shrug:

[pjt7]

22. It's a major step in the right

direction when 3 House judicary members, join together & write the case for impeachment. Keep in mind that the NY Times & the Washington Post refused to print their letter. The best part about all this, is you get to see very clearly who is part of the problem.

Sign on here if in favor:
http://wexlerwantshearings.com/

[undeterred]

23. Thank you and welcome to DU!

:kick:

[windoe]

21. I cannot count how many emails I have sent,

petitions I have signed--marched in demonstrations, what does it take? Supporting impeachment now I believe would ensure reelection in most cases, so I don't buy the 'inconvenient' excuse for not starting proceedings.
Taxation without representation.

[rockybelt]

25. Nancy Pelosi

CAN and SHOULD be removed from the House Speaker position immediately. They must replace her before anything is going to happen.

[undeterred]

26. Maybe this will move her.

Baldwin is on good terms with her, and was appointed by her.

[AllyCat]

27. Tammy Baldwin! My Rep!

:bounce: :kick: :loveya: :pals:

[rodeodance]

29. to heck with cheney---go after the top peabrain!!

[undeterred]

31. kick!

:kick: