EXCLUSIVE: To Provoke War, Cheney Considered Proposal To Dress Up Navy Seals As Iranians And Shoot At Them»
Speaking at the Campus Progress journalism conference earlier this month, Seymour Hersh — a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist for The New Yorker — revealed that Bush administration officials held a meeting recently in the Vice President’s office to discuss ways to provoke a war with Iran.
In Hersh’s most recent article, he reports that this meeting occurred in the wake of the overblown incident in the Strait of Hormuz, when a U.S. carrier almost shot at a few small Iranian speedboats. The “meeting took place in the Vice-President’s office. ‘The subject was how to create a casus belli between Tehran and Washington,’” according to one of Hersh’s sources.
During the journalism conference event, I asked Hersh specifically about this meeting and if he could elaborate on what occurred. Hersh explained that, during the meeting in Cheney’s office, an idea was considered to dress up Navy Seals as Iranians, put them on fake Iranian speedboats, and shoot at them. This idea, intended to provoke an Iran war, was ultimately rejected:
HERSH: There was a dozen ideas proffered about how to trigger a war. The one that interested me the most was why don’t we build — we in our shipyard — build four or five boats that look like Iranian PT boats. Put Navy seals on them with a lot of arms. And next time one of our boats goes to the Straits of Hormuz, start a shoot-up.
Might cost some lives. And it was rejected because you can’t have Americans killing Americans. That’s the kind of — that’s the level of stuff we’re talking about. Provocation. But that was rejected.
Watch it:
Hersh argued that one of the things the Bush administration learned during the encounter in the Strait of Hormuz was that, “if you get the right incident, the American public will support” it.
“Look, is it high school? Yeah,” Hersh said. “Are we playing high school with you know 5,000 nuclear warheads in our arsenal? Yeah we are. We’re playing, you know, who’s the first guy to run off the highway with us and Iran.”
Transcript:
HERSH: There was a meeting. Among the items considered and rejected — which is why the New Yorker did not publish it, on grounds that it wasn’t accepted — one of the items was why not…
There was a dozen ideas proffered about how to trigger a war. The one that interested me the most was why don’t we build — we in our shipyard — build four or five boats that look like Iranian PT boats. Put Navy seals on them with a lot of arms. And next time one of our boats goes to the Straits of Hormuz, start a shoot-up. Might cost some lives.
And it was rejected because you can’t have Americans killing Americans. That’s the kind of — that’s the level of stuff we’re talking about. Provocation. But that was rejected.
So I can understand the argument for not writing something that was rejected — uh maybe. My attitude always towards editors is they’re mice training to be rats.
But the point is jejune, if you know what that means. Silly? Maybe. But potentially very lethal. Because one of the things they learned in the incident was the American public, if you get the right incident, the American public will support bang-bang-kiss-kiss. You know, we’re into it.
…What happened in the Gulf was, in the Straits, in early January, the President was just about to go to the Middle East for a visit. So that was one reason they wanted to gin it up. Get it going.
Look, is it high school? Yeah. Are we playing high school with you know 5,000 nuclear warheads in our arsenal? Yeah we are. We’re playing, you know, who’s the first guy to run off the highway with us and Iran.
911 truth
Twitter Updates
Arrest Karl Rove
Thursday, July 31, 2008
To provoke War, Cheney Considered Proposal To Dress Up Navy Seals As Iranians And Shoot At Them
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Are they going to Steal 2008?
Are they going to Steal 2008?
Are they going to Steal 2008? Don't worry: it's already stolen. But you can steal it back. Ted Rall and I have teamed up for one of the first ever series of hard-edged investigative journalism - in 'toon form. Steal this strip ... and pass it on: VOTE THEFT FOR IDIOTS - PART 1 ... (click the photo for higher quality, or click here to download a pdf)
by Greg Palast and Ted Rall
And if you're in LA and New York, don't miss the opening of the film that pulls down the pants of the Ohio election, "Free For All." Follow John Ennis into the colon of American democracy, Ohio 2004. It's funny as hell - oddly, democracy's death can tickle your funny bone while laying out the story of the latest quadrennial vote heist. Watch the trailer here.
This film will be available online at www.freeforall.tv on July 4th -- for downloads, for DVDs, and for FREE streaming! (Please also check out our new line of hip shirts!) (Show me more...)
ShareThis
Dropped in: Articles around 9:19 pm
Court Reward Exxon for Valdez Oil Spill
Court Rewards Exxon for
Valdez Oil Spill
by Greg Palast
Chicago Tribune (revised)
Listen to Shannyn Moore of KUDO 1080AM and Greg Palast on the Exxon Valdez Verdict
[Thursday, June 26, 2008] Twenty years after Exxon Valdez slimed over one thousand miles of Alaskan beaches, the company has yet to pay the $5 billion in punitive damages awarded by the jury. And now they won't have to. The Supreme Court today cut Exxon's liability by 90% to half a billion. It's so cheap, it's like a permit to spill.
Exxon knew this would happen. Right after the spill, I was brought to Alaska by the Natives whose Prince William Sound islands, livelihoods, and their food source was contaminated by Exxon crude. My assignment: to investigate oil company frauds that led to to the disaster. There were plenty.
But before we brought charges, the Natives hoped to settle with the oil company, to receive just enough compensation to buy some boats and rebuild their island villages to withstand what would be a decade of trying to survive in a polluted ecological death zone.
In San Diego, I met with Exxon's US production chief, Otto Harrison, who said, "Admit it; the oil spill's the best thing to happen" to the Natives.
His company offered the Natives pennies on the dollar. The oil men added a cruel threat: take it or leave it and wait twenty years to get even the pennies. Exxon is immortal - but Natives die.
And they did. A third of the Native fishermen and seal hunters I worked with are dead. Now their families will collect one tenth of their award, two decades too late.
In today's ruling, Supreme Court Justice David Souter wrote that Exxon's recklessness was ''profitless'' - so the company shouldn't have to pay punitive damages. Profitless, Mr. Souter? Exxon and its oil shipping partners saved billions - BILLIONS - by operating for sixteen years without the oil spill safety equipment they promised, in writing, under oath and by contract.
The official story is, "Drunken Skipper Hits Reef." But don't believe it, Mr. Souter. Alaska's Native lands and coastline were destroyed by a systematic fraud motivated by profit-crazed penny-pinching.
Here's the unreported story, the one you won't get tonight on the Petroleum Broadcast System:
It begins in 1969 when big shots from Humble Oil and ARCO (now known as Exxon and British Petroleum) met with the Chugach Natives, owners of the most valuable parcel of land on the planet: Valdez Port, the only conceivable terminus for a pipeline that would handle a trillion dollars in crude oil.
These Alaskan natives ultimately agreed to sell the Exxon consortium this astronomically valuable patch of land -- for a single dollar.
The Natives refused cash. Rather, in 1969, they asked only that the oil companies promise to protect their Prince William Sound fishing and seal hunting grounds from oil.
In 1971, Exxon and partners agreed to place the Natives' specific list of safeguards into federal law. These commitments to safety reassured enough Congressmen for the oil group to win, by one vote, the right to ship oil from Valdez.
The oil companies repeated their promises under oath to the US Congress.
The spill disaster was the result of Exxon and partners breaking every one of those promises - cynically, systematically, disastrously, in the fifteen years leading up to the spill.
Forget the drunken skipper fable. As to Captain Joe Hazelwood, he was below decks, sleeping off his bender. At the helm, the third mate would never have collided with Bligh Reef had he looked at his Raycas radar. But the radar was not turned on. In fact, the tanker's radar was left broken and disasbled for more than a year before the disaster, and Exxon management knew it. It was just too expensive to fix and operate.
For the Chugach, this discovery was poignantly ironic. On their list of safety demands in return for Valdez was "state-of-the-art" on-ship radar.
We discovered more, but because of the labyrinthine ways of litigation, little became public, especially about the reckless acts of the industry consortium, Alyeska, which controls the Alaska Pipeline.
* Several smaller oil spills before the Exxon Valdez could have warned of a system breakdown. But a former Senior Lab Technician with Alyeska, Erlene Blake, told our investigators that management routinely ordered her to toss out test samples of water evidencing spilled oil. She was ordered to refill the test tubes with a bucket of clean sea water called, "The Miracle Barrel."
* In a secret meeting in April 1988, Alyeska Vice-President T.L. Polasek confidentially warned the oil group executives that, because Alyeska had never purchased promised safety equipment, it was simply "not possible" to contain an oil spill past the Valdez Narrows -- exactly where the Exxon Valdez ran aground 10 months later.
* The Natives demanded (and law requires) that the shippers maintain round- the-clock oil spill response teams. Alyeska hired the Natives, especiallly qualified by their generations-old knowledge of the Sound, for this emergency work. They trained to drop from helicopters into the water with special equipment to contain an oil slick at a moments notice. But in 1979, quietly, Alyeska fired them all. To deflect inquisitive state inspectors, the oil consortium created sham teams, listing names of oil terminal workers who had not the foggiest idea how to use spill equipment which, in any event, was missing, broken or existed only on paper.
In 1989, when the oil poured from the tanker, there was no Native response team, only chaos.
Today, twenty years after the oil washed over the Chugach beaches, you can kick over a rock and it will smell like an old gas station.
The cover story of the Drunken Captain serves the oil industry well. It falsely presents America's greatest environmental disaster as a tale of human frailty, a one-time accident. But broken radar, missing equipment, phantom spill teams, faked tests -- the profit-driven disregard of the law -- made the spill an inevitability, not an accident.
Yet Big Oil tells us, as they plead to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, as Senator John McCain calls for drilling off the shores of the Lower 48, it can't happen again.
They promise.
Greg Palast is a Puffin Foundation Writing Fellow for Investigative Reporting at the Nation Institute, New York. Read and view his investigations for BBC Television at www.GregPalast.com. An earlier version of this report originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune. Photos by James Macalpine (1993).
Obama Doesn't Sweat. He Should.
Join Our Network!
MySpace
Article RSS
Flickr
Audio Podcast
Recent Video and Audio
Bobby Kennedy and Palast on GoLeftTV on Exxon Valdez
Shannyn Moore and Palast discuss the truth behind the Exxon Valdez Disaster
The Palast Report on Action Point 6/22
The Palast Report on Action Point 6/15
The Palast Report on Action Point 6/08
The Palast Report on Action Point 5/18
Palast on the The Green Show
#
Obama Doesn't Sweat. He should.
by Greg Palast
In swing-state Colorado, the Republican Secretary of State conducted the biggest purge of voters in history, dumping a fifth of all registrations. Guess their color.
In swing-state Florida, the state is refusing to accept about 85,000 new registrations from voter drives – overwhelming Black voters.
In swing state New Mexico, HALF of the Democrats of Mora, a dirt poor and overwhelmingly Hispanic county, found their registrations disappeared this year, courtesy of a Republican voting contractor.
In swing states Ohio and Nevada, new federal law is knocking out tens of thousands of voters who lost their homes to foreclosure.
My investigations partner spoke directly to Barack Obama about it. (When your partner is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., candidates take your phone call.) The cool, cool Senator Obama told Kennedy he was “concerned” about the integrity of the vote in the Southwest in particular.
He’s concerned. I’m sweating.
It’s time SOMEBODY raised the alarm about these missing voters; not to save Obama’s candidacy – journalists should stay the heck away from partisan endorsements - but raise the alarm to save our sick democracy.
And that somebody is YOU. Joining with US, the Palast investigative team. Here’s how:
We have been offered an astonishing opportunity to place the Kennedy-Palast investigative findings on a national, prime-time, major-network television broadcast. Plus, separately, we have an extraordinary offer to create a series of reports for national network radio.
But guess what? The networks will NOT PAY for our public service reports. We have to raise the start-up funds in the next two weeks to film it, record it and get it on the airwaves.
WE need YOU to fund the reports, DISSEMINATE the findings (Show me more...)
ShareThis
Dropped in: Articles around 6:48 pm
Vote Theft for Idiots: Part Deux
To see the full size version click here.
Greg Palast and Ted Rall for the second installment of 'Vote Theft for Idiots.'
Vote Theft for Idiots Part 2
(Show me more...)
ShareThis
Dropped in: Articles around 9:11 pm
The House I Live In
America is a nation of losers. It’s the best thing about us. We're the dregs, what the rest of the world barfed up and threw on our shores.
John Kennedy said we are "a nation of immigrants." That’s the sanitized phrase. We are, in fact, a nation of refugees, who, despite the bastards in white sheets and the know-nothings in Congress, have held open the Golden Door to a dark planet. We are not imperialists and that’s why Bush lies and Cheney lies and, yes, the Clintons lied.
Winston Churchill didn’t lie to the Brits about their empire: He said, These lands belong to the Crown, we own'm and we’ll squeeze the value from them. "Imperialism," as Karl Marx complained, was a good word in Britain, a word that got you elected in Europe until too recently.
(Show me more...)
ShareThis
Dropped in: Articles around 3:53 pm
The Exxon Valdez and McCain's
Threat to Drill Our Coastline.
'Catch Greg Palast with Bobby Kennedy on 'Ring of Fire' this weekend, on your local Air America Radio Station - or, on the 'Net - at GoLeft.TV and RingofFireRadio.com
ShareThis
Dropped in: Articles around 4:21 pm
Court Rewards Exxon for
Valdez Oil Spill
by Greg Palast
Chicago Tribune (revised)
Listen to Shannyn Moore of KUDO 1080AM and Greg Palast on the Exxon Valdez Verdict
[Thursday, June 26, 2008] Twenty years after Exxon Valdez slimed over one thousand miles of Alaskan beaches, the company has yet to pay the $5 billion in punitive damages awarded by the jury. And now they won't have to. The Supreme Court today cut Exxon's liability by 90% to half a billion. It's so cheap, it's like a permit to spill.
Exxon knew this would happen. Right after the spill, I was brought to Alaska by the Natives whose Prince William Sound islands, livelihoods, and their food source was contaminated by Exxon crude. My assignment: to investigate oil company frauds that led to to the disaster. There were plenty.
But before we brought charges, the Natives hoped to settle with the oil company, to receive just enough compensation to buy some boats and rebuild their island villages to withstand what would be a decade of trying to survive in a polluted ecological death zone.
In San Diego, I met with Exxon's US production chief, Otto Harrison, who said, "Admit it; the oil spill's the best thing to happen" to the Natives.
His company offered the Natives pennies on the dollar. The oil men added a cruel threat: take it or leave it (Show me more...)
ShareThis
Dropped in: Articles around 12:11 pm
Are they going to Steal 2008?
Are they going to Steal 2008? Don't worry: it's already stolen. But you can steal it back. Ted Rall and I have teamed up for one of the first ever series of hard-edged investigative journalism - in 'toon form. Steal this strip ... and pass it on: VOTE THEFT FOR IDIOTS - PART 1 ... (click the photo for higher quality, or click here to download a pdf)
by Greg Palast and Ted Rall
And if you're in LA and New York, don't miss the opening of the film that pulls down the pants of the Ohio election, "Free For All." Follow John Ennis into the colon of American democracy, Ohio 2004. It's funny as hell - oddly, democracy's death can tickle your funny bone while laying out the story of the latest quadrennial vote heist. Watch the trailer here.
This film will be available online at www.freeforall.tv on July 4th -- for downloads, for DVDs, and for FREE streaming! (Please also check out our new line of hip shirts!) (Show me more...)
ShareThis
Dropped in: Articles around 9:19 pm
Driving the surge in gas prices?
The Bush-McCain surge in Iraq
By Greg Palast for TomPaine.com/OurFuture.org
[New York, May 22, 2008.]
Blog Directory - Blogged
I can’t make this up:
In a hotel room in Brussels, the chief executives of the world’s top oil companies unrolled a huge map of the Middle East, drew a fat, red line around Iraq and signed their names to it.
The map, the red line, the secret signatures. It explains this war. It explains this week’s rocketing of the price of oil to (Show me more...)
ShareThis
Dropped in: Articles around 2:55 pm
BBC journalist warns against voter irregularities
Palast and Randi RhodesBy Dwayne Robinson
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 18, 2008
The BBC journalist who uncovered possible voter fraud in the 2000 and 2004 U.S. presidential elections told a South Florida crowd Sunday those same forces that led to President Bush's victories will not "steal" this year's election.
(Show me more...)
ShareThis
Dropped in: Articles around 5:54 pm
New Attack on the Right to Vote
Kennedy, Palast Investigate
One million Democrats attempting to vote in this year’s primaries found their names missing from voter rolls. WHERE THE HELL DID THEY GO?Palast and Kennedy
Law professor Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and journalist Greg Palast are launching an investigation. We want to know: where are these votes? Who swiped them? How? And how do we prevent it from happening in November?
The investigations team needs your help. RIGHT NOW. The not-for-profit Investigative Fund needs support to pay the cost of phones, airfare, microphones (hidden, when needed), detective agency fees, camera crew, researchers and all the infrastructure of inquest.
(Show me more...)
ShareThis
Dropped in: Articles around 6:05 pm
$300 MILLION FROM CHAVEZ
TO FARC A FAKE
for TomPaine.com/Ourfuture.org
By Greg Palast
Originally published 6 March
EN ESPANOL
Do you believe this?
In early March Colombia invaded Ecuador, killed a guerrilla chief in the jungle, opened his laptop – and what did the Colombians find? A message to Hugo Chavez that he sent the FARC guerrillas $300 million – which they’re using to obtain uranium to make a dirty bomb!
That’s what George Bush tells us. (Show me more...)
The Criminal Richard Peele, War Architect Exploring Iraq Oil Deal
Please wait, your request is processed...
Richard Perle, War Architect, Exploring Iraq Oil Deal
stumble digg reddit del.ico.us news trust
| July 29, 2008 08:40 AM
Read More: Iraq Oil, Iraq Oil Money, Iraqi Oil, Kurdistan Oil, Richard Perle, Richard Perle Iraq, Richard Perle Iraq Oil, Richard Perle Oil, Richard Perle War In Iraq, Politics News
Show your support.
Buzz this article up.
Buzz up!
Show your support.
Digg this article.
* Share
* Print View
* Comments
Like this story? Get Alerts of big news events. Enter your email address
The Wall Street Journal reports that neoconservative war architect Richard Perle is getting back into Iraq:
Influential former Pentagon official Richard Perle has been exploring going into the oil business in Iraq and Kazakhstan, according to people with knowledge of the matter and documents outlining possible deals.
Mr. Perle, one of a group of security experts who began pushing the case for toppling Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein about a decade ago, has been discussing a possible deal with officials of northern Iraq's Kurdistan regional government, including its Washington envoy, according to these people and the documents.
Think Progress remembers that Perle "resigned from his position on the Defense Policy Board in an attempt to 'defuse a controversy over charges he stood to profit from the war in Iraq.'"
A Murderer's Bookshelf: Hannity, O'Reilly and Savage On Killer's Reading List
RSS
BIO Become a Fan Get Email Alerts Bloggers' Index
A Murderer's Bookshelf: Hannity, O'Reilly, and Savage On Killer's Reading List
stumble digg reddit del.ico.us news trust
Posted July 28, 2008 | 09:09 PM (EST)
Read More: Bill O'Reilly, Cnn, Dick Morris, Fox News, Glenn Beck, Jim Adkisson, Knoxville Church Killings, Michael Savage, Right Wing Extremism, Sean Hannity, Media News
Show your support.
Buzz this article up.
Buzz up!
Show your support.
Digg this article.
* Share
* Print View
* Comments
Like this story? Get Alerts of big news events. Enter your email address
This morning I wrote (in "Monster") that Sean Hannity et al. might bear some share of moral responsibility for the killings in Knoxville. Sadly for everyone concerned, that may be true.
This evening we learn from the Knoxville News that officers entering the home of murder Jim Adkisson "found Liberalism is a Mental Health Disorder by radio talk show host Michael Savage, Let Freedom Ring by talk show host Sean Hannity, and The O'Reilly Factor, by television talk show host Bill O'Reilly."
The presence of somebody's books in a mentally disturbed person's home does not make them accessories to a killing. But right-wing rhetoric toward liberals and humanists like those who attended the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church has been exceptionally violent for years. Liberal groups are often called "Nazi" or "Nazi-like" by O'Reilly (he even said that about our own Arianna Huffington). Savage says he'd "hang every lawyer" who tried to establish constitutional rights for Guantanamo prisoners, describes Obama as an "Afro-Leninist," and said the folks at Media Matters were "brownshirts." He describes Rep. Wexler as a "Nazi" and calls Nancy Pelosi a "Mussolini."
As for Hannity, he said that "there are things in life worth fighting and dying for and one of 'em is making sure Nancy Pelosi doesn't become the speaker (of the House)." Think about it: "worth fighting and dying for."
And that's just a sampler.
Ann Coulter says liberals should be beaten with baseball bats and tried for treason (she's not clear about the order in which these events are to take place.) Dick Morris says they're "traitors" who should be decapitated.
I had a friend at Clear Channel (yes, I have a broad group of friends) who described some of these people as "entertainers." Don't you get it, guys? You use inflammatory images that equates your fellow Americans with violent enemies of the nation. Then you act surprised when a mentally ill person believes you and kills. You use the language of war and then say you're not to blame when somebody enlists in your imaginary struggle.
Their next step will be outrage -- outrage! -- at the idea that they may be morally accountable for this action, the possible fruit of their rhetoric.
We all need to be thoughtful about the impact of our words. But the Right has made it their business to promote a particularly virulent brand of hatred. Would Jim Adkisson have killed without all that prompting from the vituperative chorus of the right? We'll never know. But it's looking less likely with every passing hour that he would ever have entered a church filled with children and started shooting.
If they found something I wrote in a killer's home, I'd stop what I was doing and begin some serious self-reflection. I'd write about it, consider my errors, and try to make amends. Wouldn't you? Not that censorship isn't the answer. Not every reprehensible act can be legislated away. Sometimes the most effective way to change people is to hold them accountable. That includes not only Fox News, in this case, but also CNN -- who recently gave the anchor chair to hate-speaker Glenn Beck.
Guys, it's not "entertainment" any more -- if it ever was. We need to hold those in the boardroom accountable, too. They make their money and serve their political agenda by telling hundreds of millions of people that liberal Americans are treacherous and mentally ill enemies of the state. And they use the public airwaves to do it.
If these right-wing pundits are as devout as they say they are they'll stop, think, and ask forgiveness. That goes for their corporate paymasters, too. I hope they do for their own sakes, though I don't expect it.
As for the rest of us, it's time to look at new strategies for containing the spread of hate speech in our media. The old ways aren't working.
RJ Eskow blogs at:
Protest the Bush Crime Family in Maine
Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 1:00
Protest march planned during President Bush's visit to Kennebunkport, Maine
WHEN: Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 1:00 PM
WHERE: Protest March begins at 1:00 from the Consolidated School on School Street in Kennebunkport (The Google) and protesters will make a 2 mile walk to the Bush family compound at Walker's Point (The Google).
Contact: Jamilla El-Shafei, organizer of The Kennebunks Peace Department: jamillaelshafei@gmail.com
Kennebunkport, Maine -- The Kennebunks Peace Department, the organizer of the last several massive anti-war marches in Kennebunkport, is planning a protest march on Saturday, August 2nd to Walker's Point where President Bush will be visiting his family at their compound.
The permitted march will include guest of honor, Carlos Arredondo, who lost his son in Iraq on August 25th four years ago. Carlos travels around the country in his truck which has been made into a memorial to his son Alex. Also attending will be members of CODE PINK, Maine Peace Action, Seacoast Peace Response, several Veterans for Peace chapters, the AFL-CIO, and many other peace and justice organizations and concerned citizens from Northern New England.
The march will commence from the Consolidated School on School Street in Kennebunkport at 1:00 PM and will travel up Ocean Avenue for two miles to Walker's Point with the message: HANDS OFF IRAN! OUT OF IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN NOW!
"President Bush is turning the screws on Iran, ramping up pressure in the form of economically damaging sanctions -- which is the same weapon used to cripple Iraq before the invasion in 2003. The American people are against striking Iran, which would destabilize the entire Middle East and cause much suffering," said Jamilla El-Shafei. "President Bush is a war criminal and is certainly NOT welcome here in Maine, a sentiment which most of the civilized world shares."
Jamilla El-Shafei, is the organizer for The Kennebunks Peace Department and is a Steering Committee member of The National Assembly, a coalition consisting of hundreds of peace and justice organizations from all over the country. She organized a national protest on Capitol Hill in Washington,DC in March called Stop-Loss Congress and organized the last three mass protests in Kennebunkport, Maine.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Kucinich raises Bush impeachment at hearing
July 25th, 2008 4:01 pm
Kucinich raises Bush impeachment at hearing
By Jared Allen / The Hill
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) asked members of the House Judiciary Committee to consider his calls to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney as a colorful hearing on executive power opened on Friday.
The primary purpose of the hearing on the “constitutional limitations” of the executive branch was not to consider the Kucinich impeachment resolutions, but it gave the Ohio Democrat and former presidential candidate another chance to advance his agenda. Kucinich was prohibited from “utilizing familiar terms,” but asked for his three separate impeachment resolutions to be entered into the Judiciary Committee record.
“I request that each member read the three bills I have authored, bills which are now awaiting consideration by the Judiciary Committee,” Kucinich said. “I am confident the reader will reach the same conclusions that I have about culpability.”
The hearing was seen by many as a concession from a Democratic Party reluctant to ride out any calls for the impeachment of Bush or Cheney.
It also gave Kucinich a stage and a national spotlight beyond the House floor, where he had spent hours — often late hours after the House had concluded its business for the day — over the past few weeks reading his impeachment resolutions into the record.
More than an hour before the hearing began, more than 100 spectators had gathered to try and see the hearing live. Many of them were wearing “Impeach Bush” T-shirts and identified themselves through their attire as Iraq veterans against the war.
Only a handful gained seats in the main hearing room — Congressional staff had taken most of them — and those assembled outside began chanting “Shame! Shame!” upon hearing the announcement from Capitol Police that the hearing room was full.
Meanwhile, inside, Kucinich — who was greeted by loud cheers upon his entrance — immediately launched into his argument.
“The primary justifications for going to war, outlined in the legislation which the White House sent to Congress in October of 2002, have been determined conclusively to be untrue,” Kucinich said.
“What, then, should we do about it?” he continued. “The decision before us is whether to honor our oath as members of Congress to support and defend the Constitution that has been trampled time and again over the last seven years.”
But beyond Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.), a member of the Judiciary Committee, Kucinich has received little congressional support for his resolutions.
Judiciary Committee ranking member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) referred to the hearing as “an anger management class.”
“Nothing is going to come out of this hearing with regard to impeachment of the president. I know it, the media know it, even the Speaker knows it.”
Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) was intent on steering the hearing back to its stated purpose.
“It’s no secret that I have grave concerns about the excesses in the exercise of executive branch authority by the present administration,” Conyers said. “We face few issues more difficult, complex or important than separation of powers in general and excesses of the executive branch.”
He did not mention impeachment or Kucinich’s resolutions during his opening statement.
Conyers also called a number of witnesses, including Reps. Brad Miller (D-N.C.) and Walter Jones (R-N.C.) to testify about the “excesses” and potential abuses of power by the Bush administration.
Students offer reward for Condoleeza Rice arrest
July 25th, 2008 3:27 pm
Students offer reward for Condoleezza Rice arrest
Associated Press
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- New Zealand students protesting the Iraq war offered a reward to anyone who carries out a citizen's arrest of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her visit to the country today.
The Auckland University Students' Association is seeking Rice's arrest for her role in "overseeing the illegal invasion and continued occupation" of Iraq, Association President David Do said. The group is offering a $3,700 reward.
Rice is making her first trip to New Zealand after attending a Southeast Asian security forum in Singapore. She is scheduled to arrive from Australia late today and fly out early Sunday.
Rice, asked about the protest at a news conference today with the Australian foreign minister in Perth, Australia, said: "Protests are a part of the Democratic society and student protests are particularly a long honored tradition in democratic society. I can only say that the United States has done everything that it can to end this war on terror, to live up to our international and national laws and obligations."
She also reiterated the Bush administration's desire to close the detention center at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo, Cuba, where about 270 terrorism suspects still are being held -- another flashpoint for international critics of the U.S. war on terror.
New Zealand officials have said they declined U.S. requests in 2005 and early 2006 to resettle some Guantanamo Bay detainees as refugees in New Zealand.
"Guantanamo is a detention center that ... we would very much like to close," Rice told reporters. "The problem of course is that there are dangerous people there who cannot be returned and put among innocent populations. We are hopeful that there will be the beginnings of the military tribunals for people who are there, but let's not forget that a lot of innocent people have died at the hands of terrorists. We must do everything that we can within our obligations legally and in terms of our treaty obligations to prevent that from ever happening again."
U.S. officials traveling with Rice said that they were aware of the citizens' arrest threat here but that it won't affect her plans.
But police in Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city, warned that "anyone who attempts to penetrate the police lines of security around the secretary will not be allowed to follow through with their plan."
District Commander Superintendent Brett England said "the consequences of such a security threat could be very serious indeed."
On Saturday, Rice will hold talks with Prime Minister Helen Clark and Foreign Minister Winston Peters, meet with business leaders and attend an official dinner.
Rice is due to fly to Samoa early Sunday for meetings with South Pacific foreign ministers, seen by observers as an important event for the South Pacific region -- an area where the U.S. has pledged to strengthen its level of engagement.
Thank you, San Francisco and Supporters from All Over the Nation from Cindy Sheehan
Monday, July 28th, 2008
THANK YOU, SAN FRANCISCO and Supporters from All Over the Nation ...from Cindy Sheehan
Dear Friends,
Due to some very dedicated volunteers and employees (who not only earned a little extra money but believe in our campaign that is by and for the people), Cindy for Congress will be turning in our nominating signatures this Tuesday, July 29th!
Our campaign goal was to turn in the nominating signatures by August 1st, so we are ahead of our campaign schedule and will be 10 days ahead of the deadline.
We will pick up supplemental petitions on Tuesday to gather signatures until August 8th: the number depending on the number of signatures that are invalidated, but on Tuesday, we will be turning in well in excess of the 7698 that are still due.
According to Richard Winger of Ballot Access News, I will be only the 6th non-partisan to attain ballot status in California.
Quite a historic day for the people. Not only is it super difficult just in a logistical way, but WE WILL BE ON THE BALLOT AGAINST THE FAILED SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE! This is huge! This is profoundly significant!
We are 100 days away from the election and 100 days away from sending Pelosi packing.
Talk about a revolution! Talk about a peaceful coup!
Love & Peace
Cindy
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Baldwin makes a call for impeachment hearings
July 25th, 2008 3:51 pm
Baldwin makes a call for impeachment hearings
By John Nichols / Capital Times
Declaring that "there is no task more important for this Congress than to seriously consider whether our nation's leaders have violated their oath of office," Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin on Friday morning told the House Judiciary Committee, "I now firmly believe that impeachment hearings are the appropriate and necessary next step."
The Madison Democrat's opening statement to the Judiciary Committee's "Hearing on Executive Power and Its Constitutional Limitations" was one of many pointed and at times passionate declarations delivered during an extraordinary session that saw both Democratic and Republican representatives engage in serious discussions about how best to address what committee chair John Conyers, D-Mich., referred to as "numerous credible allegations of serious misconduct by officials in the Bush administration."
Conyers said before the hearing began that "I believe it is imperative that we pursue a comprehensive review commensurate to this constitutionally dangerous combination of circumstances."
Though Republican critics, such as Iowa Congressman Steve King, suggested that Friday's session was effectively what King referred to as "an impeachment hearing," Conyers made it clear that the session was actually a broad examination of possible responses to what Conyers referred to as the threat of "an imperial presidency."
Baldwin and a number of other steady supporters of impeachment -- including Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, a Cleveland Democrat who has authored articles of impeachment against both President Bush and Vice President Cheney -- made it clear that they believed Friday's hearing marks the beginning of a process that would hold to account members of what U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., referred to as "probably the most impeachable administration in the history of America."
Here is Baldwin's full statement from Friday's hearing:
"Thank you, Chairman Conyers.
On January 20, 2009, the next president and vice president of the United States will stand before the American people and take an oath of office, swearing to 'preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.' This commitment and obligation is so fundamental to our democracy that our nation's founders proscribed that oath in our Constitution. They also provided for the removal of the president and vice president for, among other things, 'high crimes and misdemeanors.'
Presidents and vice presidents do not take that oath in a vacuum. They are informed by the actions or inactions of past presidents and congresses, who establish precedents for the future.
Recently, journalist John Nichols, a constituent of mine, laid out an appropriate metaphor to illustrate this principle. 'Let's say that when George Washington chopped down the cherry tree that he used the wood to make a little box. And in that box the president puts his powers. We've taken things out. We've put things in over the years. On January 20th, 2009 ... this administration will hand off a toolbox with more powers than any president has ever had, more power than the founders could have imagined .... Who ever gets it, one of the things we know about power is that people don't give away the tools. They don't give them up. The only way that we take tools out of that box is if we sanction .... and say the next president cannot govern as these men have.'
What this Congress does or chooses not to do in furthering the investigation of the serious allegations against this administration -- and if just cause is found, to hold them accountable -- will impact the conduct of future presidents, perhaps for generations.
Mr. Chairman, there are those who would say that holding this hearing -- examining whether or not the president and vice president broke the law -- is frivolous. I not only reject this, I believe there is no task more important for this Congress than to seriously consider whether our nation's leaders have violated their oath of office. The American public expects no less. It is, after all, their Constitution. No president or Congress has the authority to override that document, whereby 'We the People' conferred upon the branches of government limited and defined power and provided for meaningful checks and balances.
Over the past several years, serious questions have been raised about the conduct of high-ranking administration officials in relation to some of the most basic elements of our democracy: respect for the rule of law, the principle of checks and balances, and the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights. In other words, the American people are in doubt as to whether administration officials have fulfilled their oaths of office to preserve, protect and defend our Constitution.
And their concerns are not insignificant. Americans want to know whether our nation's highest-ranking officials broke the law to justify the invasion of Iraq. Many in our nation and around the world wonder whether today the Bush White House is planning to illegally attack Iran. They wonder, too, whether their private conversations are being listened to by government officials unconcerned about the restraints placed upon them by the Constitution, whether our nation is holding individuals in secret prisons denying them even the right to appear before a judge, to be represented by an attorney, or to confront their accusers. They wonder whether this administration will forever change what it means to be an American.
As members of Congress, we, too, have constitutional obligations. It was my hope that this session, Congress could begin to repair the damage that has been done to our democracy, our Constitution and our standing in the world. Our nation's founders proscribed a system of checks and balances, providing for congressional oversight as a fundamental part of ensuring co-equal branches of government. I believe this gives us no choice but to demand executive branch accountability in any and all forms possible.
I spent much of last year believing that impeachment could be averted if Congress -- and particularly this committee -- exercised this constitutional right, in fact duty, to investigate this administration's misdeeds, address their tragic consequences and right the wrongs we uncovered. Mr. Chairman, under your leadership, we did hold a series of hearings and opened investigations on topics such as the U.S. attorney firings, the war in Iraq, the Valerie Plame scandal, and other important subjects of Executive Branch accountability.
Yet our efforts on behalf of the American people to hold the White House accountable for the numerous, credible allegations of abuse were blocked at each step. The list of congressional subpoenas with which administration officials refused to comply is long. Most recently, Karl Rove, the president's senior adviser, defied a congressional subpoena to testify on allegations of politicization at the Department of Justice. This administration has soundly rebuffed nearly every attempt to investigate and made true accountability impossible.
Accordingly, the American people have been forced to sit by while credible allegations of abuse of power mount:
We have seen this administration fabricate the threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and allege, despite all evidence to the contrary, a relationship between Iraq and al-Qaida. These lies dragged our country into a preemptive and unjustified war that has taken the lives of more than 4,000 U.S. troops, injured 30,000 more, and will cost our nation more than a trillion dollars.
We watched as this administration again undermined national security by manipulating and exaggerating evidence of Iran's nuclear weapons capabilities and openly threatened aggression against Iran, despite no evidence that Iran has the intention or capability of attacking the U.S.
We have looked on in horror as the administration suspended habeas corpus by claiming the power to declare any person an "enemy combatant," ignoring the Geneva Convention protections that the U.S. helped create.
We have seen torture and rendition of prisoners in violation of international law and stated American policy and values and destruction of the videotaped evidence of such torture, under the tenure of this administration.
We have seen this administration spy on Americans without a court order or oversight in violation of the Fourth Amendment.
We watched as U.S. attorneys pursued politically motivated prosecutions in violation of the law and perhaps at the direction of this White House.
We watched as administration officials outed Valerie Plame Wilson as a covert agent of the CIA and then intentionally obstructed justice by disseminating false information through the White House press office.
As we know, the framers of our Constitution called for impeachment only in the case of high crimes and misdemeanors. The standard is purposely set high because we should not impeach for personal or political gain -- only to uphold and safeguard our democracy. Sadly, in my judgment, at least two high-ranking administration officials have met that standard. Although the call to impeach is one I take neither easily nor lightly, I now firmly believe that impeachment hearings are the appropriate and necessary next step."
Friday, July 25, 2008
First al-Bashir, next ... Bush?
First al-Bashir, next ... Bush? | ||
| ||
By Mark Levine, Middle East historian
| ||
While there is little chance Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president, will ever be brought to trial following his indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC), the charges brought against him nevertheless offer hope for anyone concerned about human rights around the world. For Americans, however, the ICC indictment should offer a moment of sombre reflection not merely for our relative inaction with regard to years of mass murder in Sudan. It is equally disturbing that much of the al-Bashir indictment could just as easily be applied to George Bush, the US president. Here is part of what the indictment says: "Bashir was directly responsible [for the activities of the militias]. He is the president. He is the commander-in-chief. Those are not just formal words. He used the whole state apparatus. He used the army; he enrolled the militia/Janjaweed. They all report to him. They all obey him. His control is absolute." In such context, Bush is also directly responsible for the horrific disaster in Iraq. Bush's imperial presidency, with its "Unitary Executive" and arrogation of the right to declare war from the constitutionally-appointed Congress, has similarly "used the whole state apparatus" to wage the Iraq war. He "enrolled" our soldiers and his military commanders who "all report to him". For Bush, like al-Bashir, "they all obey him. His control is absolute". Iraq's chaos When I was in Iraq in the late winter and early spring of 2004 I saw this clearly, and saw the already huge scale of the war crimes being committed systematically by US forces across the country. It was clear to most Iraqis that the chaos being reaped by the US in their country was in fact deliberately sown by the US in order to create a situation that would make any US withdrawal almost impossible to pull off. While the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis - for which Bush, and along with him, the American people who twice elected him, are responsible - is tragic, it should not be understated that the invasion itself was a crime against humanity. The war and invasion were in clear breach of the UN charter, which prohibits invading other countries except when an attack on one's sovereign territory is about to occur or has just occurred. Add to that US torturing of prisoners, illegal secret renditions, and a host of other human rights abuses, and you have a long list of actions that are prohibited and outlawed by US federal law. Ideal America In an America that still lived up to its founding ideals Bush and his henchmen and women would not be worrying about an ICC indictment because they would be too busy already defending themselves against a US federal indictment for war crimes and other violations of US law. At least in this imperfect world, Bush and the architects and executioners of the Iraq war can join al-Bashir in suffering the ignominy of being at-large international criminals. Mark Levine is a professor of Middle East history at the University of California, Irvine and is the author of the newly released Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam. | ||
| ||
|
US Exports Election Theft Tricks to Mexico
American Empire - The Imperial Psychosis
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
The same Georgia-based corporation that helped fix the Florida presidential electionsCynthiaPixCynthia in 2000, played a role in the election of a rightwing president in Mexico, in 2006. Thus, says 2008 presidential candidate McKinney, the U.S. is now a major exporter of theft masquerading as democracy. McKinney gave an Earth Day report on her recent visit south of the border, where she offered support to Mexicans fighting to keep their oil and other natural resources out of foreign control. American notions of Manifest Destiny go a long way back. "You could say that the modern version of that is NAFTA."
Cynthia McKinney: U.S. Exports Election Theft Tricks to Mexico
Former U.S. Rep. (D-GA) and current presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney delivered the following speech for the Earth Day Celebration at California State University, Northridge, on April 15, 2008.
CynthiaTWOpix I would like to thank the students at Cal State University, Northridge for inviting me to speak on campus today. I have just returned from an exciting trip to Mexico City and I'd like to share some of my observations with you this afternoon.
First of all, it is important to note and ask the question, why is it that the corporate press are not even touching the events playing out right now in the capital city of our neighbor to the south and their importance to us? Had I not actually been there myself, I would be hard pressed to convince any audience that events of this magnitude were actually taking place anywhere in the world, let alone in a country as important and close to us as Mexico.
A quick review of today's press shows us that we are currently being titillated by news of sex tapes featuring Marilyn Monroe and another such tape featuring an unnamed British Royal. The top of the news hour greets us with information of an intemperate statement made by a former television executive about a current Presidential candidate; video is plentiful of the contorted Presidential theatrics around the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in Beijing. We were treated today to the visual of the Pope descending from the Alitalia jet. But, while we have more television stations that feed us 24-hour news, we are less informed. We have more and more political pundits feeding us, what Fred Hampton described as "explanations that don't explain, answers that don't answer, and conclusions that don't conclude."
"While we have more television stations that feed us 24-hour news, we are less informed."
CNN even tells us in a feature story who suffers as a result of a choice made by our policy makers to emphasize ethanol as a preferred method of weaning a hulking, overfed economy off its petroleum-based consumption habit. But they forgot the other half of that equation: who's winning? And it's the "who's winning" part that is just about always the key piece of information, that could guide us, especially when the choices of our elected leadership diverge from the core values of the voters who elected them.
And yet, as we speak, the Mexican Senate Chamber has been occupied. The massive rally held today has probably just ended, and some of the opposition Members of the Mexican Congress are inside the building on the dais and have announced a hunger strike. Days ago, one of the leading papers in Mexico City had a photo of the Chamber of Deputies of the Mexican Congress with an unfurled banner covering the Speaker's Rostrum, proclaiming the Chamber "Closed." The banner was hung by elected Members of the Mexican Congress who constitute the Frente Amplio Progresista that has dared to draw a line in the sand against U.S.-inspired legislation just introduced to allow foreign corporate ownership of PEMEX, Mexico's state-owned oil company.
Mexican women are energized around the idea of nation. The idea of "patria." I wrote my Master's Thesis on the "Idea of Nation." And to see the women, in their t-shirts and kerchiefs, so committed to their country, their nation, their identity. To them, that's Mexico's oil, natural gas, electricity, land, and water and it ought to be used by the Mexican people first and foremost for their own national development. But sadly, it's the public policy emanating from Washington, D.C. that threatens that.
But to tell that story accurately, would also require that the U.S. corporate press expose why this citizen outrage exists in the first place. And to tell that story, they would have to expose the fact of a stolen Presidential election, where a private U.S., Georgia, corporation, possibly played a role in stripping citizens of their right to vote and have their votes counted. Well, while that might sound like what happened in the United States, centering in Florida, in the U.S. 2000 Presidential election, I'm really talking about the 2006 Mexican Presidential election in which the popular candidate didn't win because all the votes weren't counted.
"Mexico's oil, natural gas, electricity, land, and water ought to be used by the Mexican people first and foremost for their own national development."
According to Greg Palast, the U.S. corporation involved in the Mexican move was none other than that now infamous Georgia-based company: Choicepoint. We know that in Florida, Choicepoint, then doing business as DataBase Technologies, constructed an illegal convicted felons list of some 94,000 names, many of whom were neither convicted nor felons. But if your name appeared on that list, you were stopped from voting. Greg Palast tells us that for most of the names on that list, their only crime was "Voting While Black."
Under a special "counter-terrorism" contract, the U.S. FBI obtained Mexican and Venezuelan voter files. Palast learned later in his investigation that the U.S. government had obtained, through Choicepont, voter files of all the countries that have progressive Presidents. Many Mexicans went to the polls to vote for their President, only to find that their names had been scrubbed from the voter list, and they were not allowed to vote. So now, not only in the United States, but in Mexico, too, one can show up to vote and not be sure that that vote was counted, or worse, one can show up duly registered to vote, and not even be allowed to vote.
I guess this is the way we allow our country to now export democracy.
Unlike in the United States in 2000, Mexico City was shut down for 5 months when Lopez Obrador, Mexico's Al Gore, refused to concede and instead, formed a shadow government.
The issue in the 2006 Mexican election was privatization of Mexico's oil; it is the riveting issue taking place in Mexican politics today. Teachers on strike at the same time as the Presidential elections in Oaxaca, one of the poorest states in Mexico, began their political movement as a call for increased teacher salaries and against privatization of schools. Due to heavy-handed tactics used by the government against the teachers, tens of thousands of citizens joined them and took over the central city area of that state. Today, after Mexico has added teachers and those who support teachers to its growing ranks of "political prisoners," teachers are still protesting their conditions, the reprisals taken against them for striking, and now, the teachers' union is a committed part of the national mobilization against privatization of PEMEX.
I was invited to participate in the Second Continental Workers Conference. The first meeting was held in La Paz, Bolivia. And so, people from all over Mexico and eight different countries told of their struggles, their hopes, their ideals, their values, their patriotism, their desire for peace - no more war.
Representatives from Chiapas, another one of Mexico's poorest states, told us of the indigenous struggle for land and self-determination, the low-intensity warfare waged against them, and how now they, too, count themselves a part of the national mobilization against PEMEX privatization.
While I was there, mine workers had taken over the mines, and so, could only send a handful of inspiring representatives. They are pressing for the right to unionize, denied to them by the Government. And the mine workers are a part of the solid front forming in Mexico to protect this powerful idea of nation.
I participated in one of the many rallies organized by opponents of the government's plan to offer up Mexico's patrimony to the insatiable multiple U.S. addictions. One woman removed her brigadista t-shirt and gave it to me - proud that a citizen of the United States came to stand with them.
Today's front page of La Jornada says that the women, who marched 10,000 strong on the day that I was there, have renewed their protests and civil disobedience. The threat of violence and bloodshed is very real.
"The mine workers are a part of the solid front forming in Mexico to protect this powerful idea of nation."
Now, why should this massive social, political, and economic upheaval in Mexico, aside from its human rights implications, be important to us up here in the United States? Because the sad truth of the matter is that, in many respects, it is our military and economic policies that are causing it. Of course, I recognize that all the way back to the practice of Manifest Destiny and the declaration of the Monroe Doctrine, U.S. policy decisions have at times sent shock waves to places outside our borders. You could say that the modern version of that is NAFTA.
In 1993, the Democratic majority in the United States Congress supported then-President Bill Clinton's push for passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The stated purpose of the legislation was to remove barriers to trade and investment that existed in North America. The propaganda had it that the objective was to lift all boats, in Canada, the United States, and Mexico through trade and investment. The result is the stripping away and transfer of Mexico's patrimony in terms of their natural and human resources. And the Mexican people are taking a stand against it. They are taking the same stand that the little people in Haiti, Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Ecuador, and Argentina have taken. With the power of the vote, the people of these countries dared to believe that they could peacefully defeat the colossus to the north. And they did.
And so, in a way, now, I guess I understand why the corporate press can't tell you and me the truth about the valiant stand for dignity that's going on in Mexico, because to truly cover the story, they'd have to uncover and point out some inconvenient truths.
One of those inconvenient truths particularly meaningful to me: There comes a time when silence is betrayal.
We, the little - and yet so powerful - people in this country have been way too silent for way too long on all the issues that mean so much.
Dr. King also said that our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.
On one of my early days in Congress, I was late for a vote. I looked up on the board and only saw green votes; I presumed that the vote was a non-controversial item on the calendar. Since I was among the last to vote, there was no time to inquire. I pressed my green button. Afterwards, I learned that the vote might have been what others would have called an "easy" yes vote, but for my conscience it was a no vote. Later that night, my heart sank as I watched the news. One man of 78 years was so angered by that vote that he threw stones. Only thing, he had a heart attack throwing stones, and died.
"People in this country have been way too silent for way too long."
My heart sank. I felt personally responsible for that man's death and vowed that I would never cast what they call easy votes, again. My one vote would not have changed the outcome of the tally on the resolution. But my one vote would have been true to my values and my ideals that everyone is entitled to human rights that are to be respected.
I got into trouble often after that, because I recognized my responsibility to read the legislation, think analytically, question critically, and vote independently.
That was while I was in Congress. But now that I'm not, does that mean that the responsibility is gone? No.
I happened to vote against NAFTA, and I'm glad for that. But imagine if the all the voters in the entire United States understood that something as simple as a vote in a federal election might determine who lives and who dies in another country. Imagine, if we in the United States were as certain of the possibility of peaceful change through the vote as were the people of Haiti, Mexico - despite having their election stolen from them, Venezuela, and the rest. Then we would vote Members of Congress out of office who support Plan Colombia. We would vote Members of Congress out of office who support Plan Mexico - which like its Colombian counterpart, is the military answer to the cry of the people for dignity, self-determination, and that idea of patria. We would not vote for any political party that did not have as its agenda extending the same respect and love of life to all others as we reserve for ourselves.
And so I come to the additional meaning of Earth Day, today. I met people in Mexico City who are willing to die in this struggle - but they shouldn't have to because the United States wants their oil. Let us express our respect for the planet that sustains us by first showing love to our brothers and sisters beside us. We voters in the United States do have as much power as the voters in all those other countries. All we have to do is believe in ourselves and use it.
Finally, I'd like to recognize the role of student activists in promoting change. Of course, it was high school students who faced the water hoses and the dogs in the civil rights movement. It was the university students who faced the riot gear and the bullets in the anti-war movement. The current anti-globalization, pro-peace rallies are all organized and led by young people. Keep it up and don't ever give in.
Cynthia McKinney is a Green Party candidate for president of the U.S., and an organizer for the recently-founded Reconstruction Party.
Comments (7)add comment
feedSubscribe to this comment's feed
Internationalism in the midst of a presidential run
written by Matt , April 24, 2008
While Obama promises to pull out of Iraq to better murder Afghanis, Clinton speaks of the "gift of freedom" we have "given" the Iraqis and Mccain sings songs about murdering thousands and possibly eventually millions Cynthia Mckinney displays true internationalism and courage. Mckinney 08!!!
To many death!
written by ira , April 24, 2008
Lack of truth = so many death and corruption leads to destruction of the United States of America.
Don't Forget Kenya and Zimbabwe
written by Philip Shropshire , April 26, 2008
Don't forget African states like Kenya and Zimbabwe, where they pretty much make it impossible to do recounts. Its not just that Bush stole the election twice. He provided a template for evil doers throughout the world. Its really a sustained attack on democracy throughout the world. I can't think of anything more evil.
Exporting Terrorism
written by Mike , April 29, 2008
This was a great article by Ms. Mckinney. The white nations of Europe, US, Canada, Australia and New Zeland have been terrorizing people of color for over 500 years. Notice that all the countries that have been destabalized and terrorized have been countries whose peoples are non-white.
This bullshit war on terror is actually a Race WAR. Believe it! The facts speak for themeselves.
...
written by mandinka , April 29, 2008
no justice no peace, burn baby
Friday, July 18, 2008
McCain Should Compel Rove To Testify on Don Siegelman's case
Please wait, your request is processed...
Sam Stein
Sam Stein
stein@huffingtonpost.com | HuffPost Reporting From DC
RSS
Siegelman: McCain Should Compel Rove To Testify
stumble digg reddit del.ico.us news trust
July 18, 2008 10:00 AM
Read More: Don Siegelman, John McCain, Karl Rove, Mccain Judiciary, McCain Rove, Mccain Rove Adviser, Mccain Rove Judiciary, Rove Testimony, Siegelman McCain, Siegelman Rove, Siegelman Rove Trial, Politics News
Politics
Show your support.
Buzz this article up.
Buzz up!
Show your support.
Digg this article.
* Share
* Print View
* Comments
Like this story? Get Alerts of big news events. Enter your email address
On Friday, former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman called on John McCain to compel his informal adviser Karl Rove to testify before Congress, and to remove Rove from any and all campaign capacities.
"Sen. McCain should distance himself from Karl Rove," said Siegelman. "And I think it is important and a smart political move [for him] to call on Rove to go and obey the law and to show up before the Judiciary Committee, to put his hand on the Bible, and to try to tell the truth - or at least plead the fifth."
Siegelman, whose controversial trial for corruption contained many Rove fingerprints, would not go so far as to claim that by employing Rove as a consultant, McCain was sullying his own good-government credentials. "That's a question that is left to the people and the electorate and they will have an opportunity to express themselves in November," he said.
But he argued that it was absolutely vital that the presumptive Republican nominee -- who, according to published reports, has received money from and privately consulted with Rove -- insist that the former Bush confidante respect Congress' investigative prerogatives. Barack Obama, he added, should do the same.
"I would like to see Senator Obama speak out on this issue and call on Congress to hold Rove in contempt because no man is above the law," he said. "And I think its set a terrible example going forward if we do not hold Rove accountable."
Siegelman's charges were laid out in an interview with the Huffington Post at the Netroots Nation conference in Austin, Texas. He promised to elaborate on the issue during a panel discussion later on Friday.
The remarks came just days after Rove refused to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee about his involvement on the former governor's dubious prosecution on corruption charges. Rove, who witnesses say helped orchestrate Siegelman's conviction, has ignored a subpoena to appear before the Committee, and is expected to face contempt charges in the coming days.
Rove has argued that he is not required to testify before Congress due to executive privilege, which, he says, allows the president to receive political advise without the fear that it might one day be made public.
"It is ironic that Rove is now claiming executive privilege in saying he cannot be forced or compelled to testify on things he advised the president on," said Siegelman. "Well, is he now claiming that he did advise the president on my prosecution?"
Siegelman was sentenced to more than seven years in prison in 2006 under a bribery conviction for allegedly providing a state appointed medical position in exchange for funds to help a education-lottery program. Months ago, a Republican campaign volunteer issued sworn testimony that she overheard a phone conversation suggesting Rove was linked to his case. Other matters - ranging from what appeared to be politically driven prosecution, flimsy evidence and highly unusual (if not legally unethical) court proceedings - cast doubt on the case. And in late March 2008, Siegelman was released from prison on bond pending his appeal. His trip to Netroots Nation was the first outside of Alabama.
More in Politics...
McCain: Obama Socialist? "I Don't Know"
McCain Surrogate: "The Muslims" Are "Going To...
McCain Okay With Phil Gramm Again
Can America Afford a McCain First Term?
Ads by Google
10 Rules of Flat Stomach
Drop 9 lbs of Stomach Fat every 11 Days by Obeying these 10 Rules.
FatLoss4Idiots.com
Comments
69
Pending Comments
38
FAQ: Comments and ModerationFAQ: HuffPost Accounts
Post Comment
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
View Comments:
Page: 1 2 Next › Last » (2 pages total)
- + darthdarcy See Profile I'm a Fan of darthdarcy
There is more to this than just Rove being in Contempt of Congress which he clearly is and his claim to executive immunity is farcical as he himself claims he never discussed this with the President and that only pertains to certain matters such as National Security among some limited others..
As Alexander Hamilton warned us in Federalist 78 when the Judicial Branch unites with either other Equal Branch that will be the death of our democracy...and the Federalist Society has joined wit it's Unitary Dictator..
Well due to the infestation of our Justice Dept. as well as the Federal Court system including what was our Supreme Court by the Federalist Society, we are seeing the break down of our system of governance as designed by our Founding Fathers with it's check and balances...
It is in reality a form of coup d'etat we are witnessing and the Federalist Society is the key element to this conspiracy to over throw our very system of government...
Rove is a prime surrogate of this vile cabal of corrupt lawyers and disingenuous corrupted Judges which is why he fears nothing from Congress as Rove himself is aware of the trap and block the Federalist Society has thrown the obstruction of Justice they have designed before our Congress the people's branch thus also We the American People...
The Federalist Society is key in all of this unprecedented arrogance and flaunting of the Rule of Law...
I signed the petition...
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:42 PM on 07/18/2008
- + New syllepsis See Profile I'm a Fan of syllepsis
Our form of Government is unrecognizable as any sanctioned by the Constitution, that is for sure.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:37 PM on 07/18/2008
- + CrittersRTasty See Profile I'm a Fan of CrittersRTasty
Siegelman should really think about just shutting up and getting back in his cell....
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:41 PM on 07/18/2008
- + YankeeCanuck See Profile I'm a Fan of YankeeCanuck
For what? Some manufactured charges?
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:26 PM on 07/18/2008
- + bitabingbitabangbitaboom See Profile I'm a Fan of bitabingbitabangbitaboom
Stop wasting Bandwidth..................................McCain Should Compel Rove To REBOOT
.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:43 PM on 07/18/2008
- + TimmySlagle See Profile I'm a Fan of TimmySlagle
"It is ironic that Rove is now claiming executive privilege"
What is more "ironic" is that a corrupt politician, and convicted criminal, has the audacity to point his finger at anyone.
Even more so, that anybody would even listen to his accusations. Here's a tip:
Criminals lie.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:32 PM on 07/18/2008
- + CrazyDogLady See Profile I'm a Fan of CrazyDogLady
Given the fact that he fled the country...oops, I meant had a previously planned trip out of the country that prevented him from appearing before the Judiciary Committee...
Oh where in the world is Turdblossom?
Let's all Twitter Track: Turdblossom...and see if we can keep up with the sightings of the roving mass..
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:07 PM on 07/18/2008
- + demfriend See Profile I'm a Fan of demfriend
No one s going to get Rove to testify because it will get Rove jail time and he knows that a whole lot of heads would roll if he told the real truth about what happened with a whole lot of events he had a hand in while in the white house. We already think we know a lot about what went on and we suspect a whole lot more but until he conirms anything we do not have proof or his acceptance of guilt. He should have been put in jail already for refusing to go to congress and even invoke the 5th or anything. I am not happy with the leadership in congress as I believe Pelosi and reid have failed their committment to us.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:06 PM on 07/18/2008
- + danoj See Profile I'm a Fan of danoj
Rove has offered testimony 5 different times. He offered to testify to members of congress, and he has offered a written deposition several times. They just want to haul the guy infront of the 3 ring circus that is the congress to score some political points. I don't know why any self respecting individual would want to talk to those ass clowns. All it is for is they can't solve squat so look over here at the thing that has been rehashed 100 times over. It's a horse and pony show for distraction; if it were about justice every damn one of them would be without a job.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:13 PM on 07/18/2008
- + New nk007 See Profile I'm a Fan of nk007
danoj
You people are such hypocrites! How come Clinton's aids were paraded before congress to testify under oath for minor allegations? I suppose you are not bothered by a double standard: Congress under Republicans conducted legitimate non-political investigations, while Congress under the Democrats is a "3 ring circus" to "score some political points." Why should Rove be treated differently from other witness that have to testify under oath? This is an investigation to determine if crimes were committed. It is not just a request for information. Excuse me, but are we living in a country where Congress is no longer coequal branch of the government? I guess Bush has achieved his wish of wanting to be a dictator and people like you have no problem with that.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:05 PM on 07/18/2008
- + YankeeCanuck See Profile I'm a Fan of YankeeCanuck
Where did you get your education, danoj? You are really good at parroting and your vocabulary is stunning!
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:29 PM on 07/18/2008
- + BetterDeadthanRedState See Profile I'm a Fan of BetterDeadthanRedState
Liar. He has not offered to "testify" he has offered to speak not under oath and without a transcript.
I can't imagine why anyone would want those stipulations unless they were planning to lie.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:12 PM on 07/18/2008
- + Grit See Profile I'm a Fan of Grit
Wow you almost got Rove's text down word for word. And after all Rove is such a special person he should be allowed to do it on HIS terms. I mean he would never lie would he. He wants to tell all as long as he doesn't have to worry about telling the truth. But I have to commend you on getting the Fox, Rove, Republican by line on this down so well.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:35 PM on 07/18/2008
- + ApolloniaCreed See Profile I'm a Fan of ApolloniaCreed
Why that's a splendid idea... McCain?
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:05 PM on 07/18/2008
- + woodguru See Profile I'm a Fan of woodguru
We are going to have to start thinking outside the republican and democrat boxes, stereotypes are not going to hold up.
There is a bad democratic faction that is with the worst of the republican big business interests, it is the good politicians on both sides of the fence who want good government policies that we need to identify and support.
The next term is going to see a huge power struggle that is going to be played with disruptive and undermining tactics on everything those who want to fix the mess that has been made try to do.
The real wild card here will be the faith voters who fall into whatever line republicans want to dish out, there are some who even buy into the suggestion that this mess is the result of democrats having control of the house for long enough to make this mess.
We are going to be forced to deal with getting to the bottom of quite an array of monetary malfeasances as well as illegal actions and this would be far more easy to do in the wake of both Bush and Cheney being impeached and/or criminally prosecuted. If we let bush go into a mode of overall pardons for theft and embezzlement on every issue those involved want immunity on as well as applying the title of secrecy on the grounds of being a "threat to national security" we will never get to the bottom of anything.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:44 PM on 07/18/2008
- + Lemeritus See Profile I'm a Fan of Lemeritus
http://www.progressivepatriotsfund.com/
http://www.pacforachange.com/
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:19 PM on 07/18/2008
- + PATina See Profile I'm a Fan of PATina
No... Congress should just do its job and ARREST THAT MAN !!!!!!!
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:35 PM on 07/18/2008
- + rwe See Profile I'm a Fan of rwe
Siegleman is still a convicted felon... and a corrupt official ... see the
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:31 PM on 07/18/2008
- + YankeeCanuck See Profile I'm a Fan of YankeeCanuck
Right, see the trumped-up charges!
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:32 PM on 07/18/2008
- + robiform See Profile I'm a Fan of robiform
I'm guessing that T. Boone Pickens stopped payment on your paycheck, since you couldn't complete the sentence in your inane comment!
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:35 PM on 07/18/2008
- + drumz See Profile I'm a Fan of drumz
dream on bu$h appeaser
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:04 PM on 07/18/2008
- + barackobama4prez See Profile I'm a Fan of barackobama4prez
Gramps can't compel anyone to do anything.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:25 PM on 07/18/2008
- + LeftLeanWing See Profile I'm a Fan of LeftLeanWing
M cC ain should compel R ove to put on a grass skirt and perform as an Albino hippo in The Lion Ki ng.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:12 PM on 07/18/2008
- + sugarmoes See Profile I'm a Fan of sugarmoes
hee hee
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:01 PM on 07/18/2008
- + patriotic008 See Profile I'm a Fan of patriotic008
will never happen Mc Lame doesn't have the cahunas to stand up to the Rethuglican elite
Lock Ro ve's f a t a$ up
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:11 PM on 07/18/2008
- + LeftLeanWing See Profile I'm a Fan of LeftLeanWing
Ro ve's f a t a$ in jail , ummmm, His jailhouse name would would be Peaches Applebottom. He'd leave walking like a hula-hoop.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:43 PM on 07/18/2008
- + southafrica4obama See Profile I'm a Fan of southafrica4obama
wooh, catch 22
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:09 PM on 07/18/2008
- + ahornick See Profile I'm a Fan of ahornick
McCain won't press Rove to respect Congress and that will show a few more folks that he will be the same as Bush if elected. It has the potential to be his biggest campaign gaffe yet.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:51 PM on 07/18/2008
- + Ladyrantsalot See Profile I'm a Fan of Ladyrantsalot
Tyranny.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:24 PM on 07/18/2008
- + TexasDem0 See Profile I'm a Fan of TexasDem0
The innocent are convicted in kangaroo courts and sent to prison.
The guilty are treated as celebrities even while they openly mock the law without consequence.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:01 PM on 07/18/2008
- + IowaKid See Profile I'm a Fan of IowaKid
amen. Welll said
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:31 PM on 07/18/2008
- + hopeless277 See Profile I'm a Fan of hopeless277
The laws of the U.S. no longer apply to Republicans. That is a FACT. And there is no force on earth that is willing to change it. It will take 2 million people in DC to physically throw these people out of government. The Democrats included. Our government has now become our enemy.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:49 PM on 07/18/2008
- + KSH See Profile I'm a Fan of KSH
Siegelman I hope you can convince those scary Dems to do something!
I am there with you!
Auburn University Class of 2006
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:41 PM on 07/18/2008
- + abouttime See Profile I'm a Fan of abouttime
"Equal protection under the law" is the fundamental doctrine of liberty - is it not?
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:39 PM on 07/18/2008
- + onegandolf1 See Profile I'm a Fan of onegandolf1
You've been asleep, haven't you Rip?
That was before we did away with it with the new FIAS Law.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:40 PM on 07/18/2008
- + flatus See Profile I'm a Fan of flatus
You would think that whenever a nominee for Attorney General sits before Congress that one of the primary questions asked of that candidate would be, "Will you at all times enforce Congressional subpeonas?". Thanks to the votes of Dems Schumer and Boxer, Mukasy is now busy doing nothing about it. How's that for shooting yourselves in the foot, eh Congress?
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:26 PM on 07/18/2008
- + Eoin45 See Profile I'm a Fan of Eoin45
I'm pretty sure it was Schumer and Feinstein not Boxer that gave us Mukasy.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:46 PM on 07/18/2008
- + knighthowl See Profile I'm a Fan of knighthowl
Perhaps that question should have been asked, but we usually assume that the attorney general will enforce the law. If a nominee must be asked about Congressional subpoenas, then he must be asked about every single other law on the books.
Since Mukasey refuses to enforce the law, he should be impeached. He is near the end of a long line of officials who warrant impeachment, but we need to start somewhere.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:06 PM on 07/18/2008
- + Lemeritus See Profile I'm a Fan of Lemeritus
Interesting that you should bring up the impeachment of Mukasey.
The very case that tested Congress' authority to issue subpoenas and warrants (McGrain v. Daugherty, 1927) concerned numerous allegations that the U.S. Justice Department was being mismanaged by its administrator, Harry Daugherty, the Attorney General of the United States. The case revolved around Daugherty's brother, who refused to comply with a subpoena to testify and who was held on warrant.
The Court found that, while the power to investigate was not explicitly given to Congress by the Constitution, it was traditionally recognized as implicit in the legislative function since it is a means to obtain necessary information. Further, it concluded that the Senate acted within its powers when it authorized a committee to investigate Daugherty and that the subpoena was a means to perform a legislative function since the purpose of the inquiry was to determine whether the attorney general and the Department of Justice"subjects of congressional regulations and appropriations"were properly performing their duties.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:29 PM on 07/18/2008
- + tinarm See Profile I'm a Fan of tinarm
Seiglman is right, but the McCain campaign can't even keep the RNC, Lobbyist, or his own staff in check. How's he going to have any influence over Rove? Please, this administration had 6 years of the justice dep. doing what ever they wanted as well as the republican senate. Now they just stall everything. I'm looking forward to the day when the entire truth comes out. It won't be anytime soon, but when it does it will probably make Nixon look good.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:18 PM on 07/18/2008
- + edwcorey See Profile I'm a Fan of edwcorey
Odd, isn't it, that patriotic religious conservatives like Bush, Cheney and Rove don't dare defend their actions under oath or in public, yet are so anxious to pry into the lives of American citizens, their conversations, and what books they read? You would think that, for all they've done for America, they would be proud to accommodate the people by answering their questions. Of course, when Bush et al., talk about serving the people, their idea is to toss them up like a tennis ball and smash them with their "racket." Speaking of which, why not haul the bunch of them in on RICO violations?
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:18 PM on 07/18/2008
- + meanguy See Profile I'm a Fan of meanguy
shouldn't siegelman be directing this to the HOUSE judiciary committee CHAIRMAN, mr conyers? has anyone told him that obama and mccain are SENATORS?
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:17 PM on 07/18/2008
- + bdl0715 See Profile I'm a Fan of bdl0715
Can Bush invoke Executive Privilege once President Obama takes office? I say lif they can't get cooperation now, then wait until the Obama administration takes office, then appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the whole mess and let the indictments flow.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:15 PM on 07/18/2008
Page: 1 2 Next › Last » (2 pages total)
You must be logged in to reply to this comment. Log in
New comments on this entry — Click to refresh
spinner Loading comments…
Ads by Google
10 Rules of Flat Stomach
Drop 9 lbs of Stomach Fat every 11 Days by Obeying these 10 Rules.
FatLoss4Idiots.com
Popular Stories on HuffPost
Jesse Jackson Disparages Barack Obama: Caught On Tape (VIDEO)
UPDATE JULY 16 9:00 PM EASTERN TVNewser reports that...
Elisabeth Hasselbeck Cries After Sparring With Whoopi Over N-Word (VIDEO)
Thursday morning on "The View," during a discussion on...
Arianna Huffington Scary Thought: Is Condi Rice Our Last, Best Chance for Peace?
Here's a scary thought: Condoleezza Rice might be our last,...
Mayhill Fowler John McCain's Fake Town Halls
The John McCain town hall meeting is a fraud. Unlike other writers at HuffPost,...
Todd Carmichael Something Strange is Happening at the Coldest, Driest Place on Earth
For someone who has experienced...
Bob Cesca Senator McCain Isn't Funny, So Stop Encouraging Him
As we approach the August vacation season, naturally our thoughts turn to President...
Reporters Spar With McCain Press Aides Nicolle Wallace, Brooke Buchanan (VIDEO)
Clearly not all reporters are enamored with John...
Sarah Jessica Parker's Missing Mole (PHOTOS)
**SCROLL FOR PHOTOS*** Sarah Jessica Parker attended Tuesday night's All-Star game, and...
Jon Stewart Takes On Media, Obama For Overreacting To New Yorker Cover: "It's Just A F***ing Cartoon!"
On Tuesday's...
Starbucks Closure List Revealed: Is Your Shop Toast?
**UPDATE** The full Starbucks closure list is available here in a searchable web...
Why Touching Sometimes Trumps Sex
There's a lesson for us all in the recent story of a couple who had been married for 80 years.They wisely...
Al Gore A Generational Challenge to Repower America
This speech was given today at the D.A.R. Constitutional Hall Ladies...
HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES
Oil Prices Fall In Biggest Weekly Drop Ever
Oil
Report: Baby Sea Lions Are Cute (VIDEO)
Technology
Microsoft's Real Problem: Steve Jobs
Only A Market Recovery Will Stop Short-Sellers: TheStreet Founder James J. Cramer
Economy
Proposed George W. Bush Sewage Plant Makes The Ballot In San Francisco
George Bush
McCain Leaks Details Of Obama's Iraq Trip
John McCain
Katie Couric, CBS News, Have "No Plans To Part Company Anytime Soon"
Katie Couric
Chinese Reporters Shot At Anti-Gun Press Conference
China
The Divine Miss M(SNBC)
Keith Olbermann
more big news pages »
Send us tips and comments:
huffpolitics@huffingtonpost.com
GTalk/AIM: NicoPitneyIM
2007-09-27-feed.jpg FEED
HuffPolitics Reporters
Nico Pitney
Nico Pitney is National Editor at the Huffington Post.
Read More
Thomas B. Edsall
Thomas B. Edsall is the Political Editor of the Huffington Post. He is also Joseph Pulitzer II and Edith Pulitzer Moore Professor at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.
Read More
Sam Stein
Sam Stein is a Political Reporter at the Huffington Post, based in Washington, D.C. Previously he has worked for Newsweek Magazine, the New York Daily News and the investigative journalism group Center for Public Integrity.
Read More
Jason Linkins
Jason Linkins is a Political Reporter at the Huffington Post, covering media and politics. He's based in Washington, DC. Previously, he wrote for HuffPo's Eat The Press, and has also contributed to DCist and Wonkette.
Read More
Seth Colter Walls
Seth Colter Walls is a Political Reporter at the Huffington Post, based in Washington, D.C.
Read More
Max Follmer
Max Follmer is a Political Reporter at the Huffington Post, based in Los Angeles.
Read More
Marc Cooper
Marc Cooper is a Special Correspondent for the Huffington Post as well as Editorial Director of OffTheBus.
Read More
Katharine Zaleski
Katharine Zaleski is News Editor at the Huffington Post.
Read More
Will Thomas
Will Thomas is an Associate News Editor and Political Reporter at the Huffington Post.
Read More
Related Tags
Don Siegelman, John McCain, Karl Rove, Mccain Judiciary, McCain Rove, Mccain Rove Adviser, Mccain Rove Judiciary, Rove Testimony, Siegelman McCain, Siegelman Rove, Siegelman Rove Trial
Top Buzz on HuffPost
Powered by Yahoo!
Site Web ask.com
Send Bush to Jail
Conyers to hold hearings on Bush presidency
By Deb Price / Detroit News
WASHINGTON -- Rep. John Conyers announced Thursday he will hold Judiciary Committee hearings next week on the "imperial" Bush presidency -- a step the Detroit Democrat's allies on the political left quickly trumpeted as "impeachment begins."
Conyers, however, was careful in his news releases not to use the word "impeachment," which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House leaders have repeatedly said is off the table.
Instead, Conyers said the hearing next Friday will look at "credible allegations of serious misconduct" by Bush administration officials and "what many would describe as a radical view" of power.
"As chairman of the Judiciary Committee, I believe it is imperative that we pursue a comprehensive review commensurate to this constitutionally dangerous combination of circumstances. Next Friday's hearings will be an important part of that ongoing effort," Conyers said.
The White House did not return a call about the hearing. But Pelosi's spokeman said she supports Conyers.
"The speaker supports this hearing and appreciates Chairman Conyers' strong leadership to ensure proper oversight and accountability," said Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, who was a Democratic presidential candidate, has introduced 35 articles of impeachment against President Bush, largely around his handling of the Iraq war. On June 11, the U.S. House voted 251-166 to send Kucinich's bill to Conyers' committee in what was seen as way to kill it.
But Democracy.com -- one of several left-wing activist groups pushing for Bush's impeachment -- sent out an email before Conyers' announcement Thursday titled, "Impeachment begins July 25." The group, which did not respond to an interview request, urged impeachment supporters to attend the hearing.
"This is not yet a true impeachment hearing," the group wrote in a widely distributed email. "but it is our opportunity to push for one, and it represents a tremendous victory...."
Conyers has already held numerous hearings looking into whether Bush has overstepped his constitutional powers, leading two veteran political analysts to conclude that the hearings essentially will be a sideshow to appease the powerful left wing of the Democratic Party, which through the Internet has become a formidable mobilizing and fund-raising force.
Michael Franc, a political analyst at the Heritage Foundation, said the Internet-based left of the Democratic Party "can't be dismissed as the crazy uncle in the attic. They are a powerful force in Democratic politics."
But Franc said the Democratic left "tends to criminalize differences of opinion on policy, vision and the use of power." As a result, Franc said, Conyers' hearing -- part of a larger, continuing spotlight on the Bush White House -- could backfire if a Democrat is elected president.
David Bositis, a political analyst at the Joint Center for Economic and Political Studies, said "actual impeachment hearings could make voters sympathize with Bush at the very time his record-low poll ratings make him useful to Democrats in the upcoming high-stakes presidential and congressional elections.
"Bush serves a great use, because the Democrats are going to wrap George Bush around every Republican in the country," Bositis said. "Why risk a good thing?"
Blog Archive
-
▼
2008
(275)
-
▼
July
(44)
- To provoke War, Cheney Considered Proposal To Dres...
- Are they going to Steal 2008?
- Court Reward Exxon for Valdez Oil Spill
- Obama Doesn't Sweat. He Should.
- The Criminal Richard Peele, War Architect Explorin...
- A Murderer's Bookshelf: Hannity, O'Reilly and Sava...
- Protest the Bush Crime Family in Maine
- Kucinich raises Bush impeachment at hearing
- Students offer reward for Condoleeza Rice arrest
- Thank you, San Francisco and Supporters from All O...
- Reggae Rising
- Baldwin makes a call for impeachment hearings
- First al-Bashir, next ... Bush?
- US Exports Election Theft Tricks to Mexico
- McCain Should Compel Rove To Testify on Don Siegel...
- Send Bush to Jail
- Solution for the High Gas Price
- Bush claims executive privilege on CIA leak
- Bush IT Guru Now Works For "100 More Years of War"...
- Rove Refuses to Testify
- 2/10/08: Rove Refuses To Comply With Congressional...
- Election Truth, GOP wants to steal election again
- Bush Crime Family wants to attack Iran
- Bush Crime Family and Blackwater
- Bush, Congress get record lows in AP-Ipsos poll
- All Roads Lead to Rove - Siegelman
- The Chimp does it again: He vetoed the Medicare Bill
- Whau Mcain is?
- Help Cindy Sheehan Get Her Name on the Ballot
- Vote for Cindy Sheehan to replace Nancy Pelosi in ...
- Cotati may call for Bush's impeachment
- Bush triumphant as Senate passes wiretap bill
- FISA Vote: Unce Again, Democrats Show Their Spinel...
- Big Pharma Is in a Frenzy to Bring Cannabis-Based ...
- Bush Economy Sheds 62k Jobs in June
- 500 miles and counting: Bush foe hits street
- Bush endorse free speech
- Waxman: White House knew of Tax Deal
- Bush's Texas Oil co. friend undercut Iraq's centra...
- Bush's friends are defrauding taxpayers
- Bushit
- Is Bush a War Criminal?
- Bush's failed Bin laden Hunt
- McCain Heads Today for Colombia, Where Adviser Has...
-
▼
July
(44)