Bushit: Impeachment Resolution passes

June 7th, 2007 3:06 am
Impeachment resolution passes

County representatives urged to push investigation of Bush, Cheney By Timothy Cama / Ithaca Journal

ITHACA, NY — After almost an hour of debate, the Tompkins County Legislature passed a resolution Tuesday evening to urge the county's representatives in the state legislature to recommend that the United States Congress investigate charges against President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to determine if they warrant impeachment.

Nine legislators voted in favor of the resolution, as submitted by Pamela Mackesey, D-City and Town of Ithaca, while six opposed it.

The resolution declared that “substantial evidence has been gathered that indicates that President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney have committed high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Among the charges listed were “Misleading Congress and the nation about ties between Iraq and al-Qaeda,” and “authorizing the unlawful use of torture and extraordinary rendition.”

After public comments, Chairman Tim Joseph, D-Town of Ithaca, ruled to debate and vote upon the resolution, which the Legislature recognized as “Resolution No. o” immediately, as it would usually have been put off until later in the meeting. A motion to overrule his decision failed.

A motion was then set forth to table the resolution indefinitely, because, as Richard S. Booth, D-City and Town of Ithaca, said, it is beyond the Legislature's jurisdiction. The motion failed as well, opening debate about Resolution No. o.

“It is absolutely within our job to listen to you,” said Martha Robertson, D-Town of Dryden.

Robertson also spoke in depth about the effects that the War on Terror has had locally in order to underscore her idea that the resolution is within the Legislature's purview.

For example, housing subsidies have been cut 80 percent since the war began, Robertson said.

Robertson warned against the idea that “if the president does it, it's legal.”

“I couldn't figure out why you're here,” Michael J. Sigler, R-Town of Lansing, said in opposition to the resolution.

Specifically in response to the allegations against the National Security Agency's wiretapping programs, which Bush supported, Sigler said he believes they weren't illegal. Nonetheless, the program ended in January.

By the end of the meeting, most of the legislators who spoke against the resolution spoke simply about whether or not it is within the Legislature's purview to pass such legislation. This reflects a resolution passed June 2 by the Tompkins County GOP, declaring that such actions are “wholly inappropriate.”

About 30 people supporting the resolution held an afternoon rally at the center of The Commons. By the time of the Legislature's meeting, organizers had gathered a petition of about 2,600 signatures in support of the resolution, according to organizer Alexis Alexander.

Greg Potter spoke specifically to the sentiment that a local body such as the County Legislature does not have the authority to pass resolutions about federal issues, such as impeachment.

“That is absolutely not the case,” Potter said. In speeches at the rally and at the Legislature's meeting, Potter compared government to nature. If one part is “sick,” it will “contaminate and destroy other parts.”

Marty Luster, a former New York state assemblyman, spoke about his grandchildren and the questions he predicts they'll ask him in the future.

“Why didn't Congress impeach Bush and Cheney?” Luster said. “Was it all right that they lied to the American people?”

Responding to himself, Luster said, “I'll have to say, ‘No, we did not approve.'”

David Jacobus, a law student at Cornell University and a member of Cornell Students Against the War, said that $165 million of the money that has been spent on the war came from Tompkins County.

Following the rally, participants walked to the Tompkins County Courthouse on North Tioga Street, bearing signs that read “Guilty of War Crimes” or “Impeach Bush and Cheney.” The group chanted during their walk, with statements such as “Hey hey, ho ho, Bush and Cheney have got to go” or “What do we want? Impeachment! When do we want it? Now!”

About 20 of the resolution's supporters packed into the two rows of seating in the Courthouse's Board Room, while others watched a live video feed of the meeting from outside the room.

Each speaker was granted three minutes to speak. One after another, supporters of the resolution spoke about their individual reasons for supporting it.

“There is no greater threat to our constitution than the current administration,” said Potter, largely repeating what he had said earlier.

Alexander told the Legislature that 11 U.S. states have introduced legislation to call for investigations that may lead to impeachment. She urged the Legislature to join the 72 municipalities in the country that have passed similar legislation. Her research showed that Tompkins County may be one of the first counties to enact such legislation.

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