Court Of Impeachment And War Crimes: January 2008

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Imbush Peach

We The People Radio Network

An interview with Naomi Wolf about the 10 steps from democracy to dictatorship!

Stop The Spying Now

Stop the Spying!

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Impeaching Bush and Cheney: Some thoughts about Justice and History.

























Impeaching Bush and Cheney: Some thoughts about

Justice and History.


A mistake was made in The Nixon Case by allowing him to simply slink and slither away in resignation without pursuing a post resignation Impeachment proceeding.


Justice was not done and the integrity of our Constitutional System, ignored, was critically wounded. We are paying the price for that failure of inaction. We dare not allow it to happen again!


Just as hindsight shows those Americans 30 years ago could have prevented the abuses of Bush and Cheney by prosecuting and imprisoning Nixon in 1974, we owe it to future generations of Americans to hold Bush and Cheney accountable for their crimes and incompetence today.


We Humans Can Make Things So Complicated. There is right; there is wrong; there is legal; there is illegal.


Retributive justice is a theory of justice that proportionate punishment is a morally acceptable response to crime, regardless of whether the punishment causes any tangible benefits.


In ethics and law, "Let the punishment fit the crime" is the principle that the severity of penalty for a misdeed or wrongdoing should be reasonable and proportional to the severity of the infraction. The concept is common to most cultures throughout the world. Its presence in the ancient Jewish culture is shown by its inclusion in the Law of Moses, specifically in Deuteronomy 19:17-21, which includes the punishments of "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot." Many other documents reflect this value in the world's cultures. However, the judgment of whether a punishment is appropriately severe can vary greatly between cultures and individuals.


Proportionality requires that the level of punishment be scaled relative to the severity of the offending behavior. However, this does not mean that the punishment has to be equivalent to the crime. A retributive system must punish severe crime more harshly than minor crime, but retributivists differ about how harsh or soft the system should be overall.


Traditionally, philosophers of punishment have contrasted retributivism with utilitarianism. For utilitarians, punishment is forward-looking, justified by a purported ability to achieve future social benefits, such as crime reduction. For retributionists, punishment is backward-looking, and strictly for punishing crimes according to their severity.[1]


Depending on the retributivist, the crime's level of severity might be determined by the amount of harm, unfair advantage or moral imbalance the crime caused.


In the early period of all systems of law the redress of wrongs takes precedence over the enforcement of contract rights, and a rough sense of justice demands the infliction of proportionate loss and pain on the aggressor as he has inflicted on his victim. Hence the prominence of the "lex talionis" in ancient law. The Bible is no exception: in its oldest form it included the "lex talionis," the law of "measure for measure" (this is only the literal translation of middah ke-neged middah).


In the 19th century, philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote in The Metaphysical Elements of Justice of retribution as a legal principle: "Judicial punishment can never be used merely as a means to promote some other good for the criminal himself or for civil society, but instead it must in all cases be imposed on him only on the ground that he has committed a crime."[2]

Immanuel Kant regards punishment as a matter of justice. He states that if the guilty are not punished, justice is not done. (Rachels, James 2007) "The Elements of Moral Philosophy".


We have a Constitution, History and Common Sense enough to understand when Impeachment is in order. It’s just that simple. A Congress that does not act to serve the people and defend the Constitution because of self-serving motives of political expediency and re-election has no right to be re-elected as they are as guilty as the Bush Administration. Ne explanation they can offer me will satisfy as they are only excuses for their cowardice and their criminal betrayal of the people of this nation.


The right to impeach public officials is secured by the U.S. Constitution in Article I, Sections 2 and 3, which discuss the procedure, and in Article II, Section 4, which indicates the grounds for impeachment: "the President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the United States shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors."


Removing an official from office requires two steps: (1) a formal accusation, or impeachment, by the House of Representatives, and (2) a trial and conviction by the Senate. Impeachment requires a majority vote of the House; conviction is more difficult, requiring a two-thirds vote by the Senate. The vice president presides over the Senate proceedings in the case of all officials except the president, whose trial is presided over by the chief justice of the Supreme Court. This is because the vice president can hardly be considered a disinterested party—if his or her boss is forced out of office he or she is next in line for the top job!


What Are "High Crimes and Misdemeanors?"


Bribery, perjury, and treason are among the least ambiguous reasons meriting impeachment, but the ocean of wrongdoing encompassed by the Constitution's stipulation of "high crimes and misdemeanors" is vast. Abuse of power and serious misconduct in office fit this category, but one act that is definitely not grounds for impeachment is partisan discord. Several impeachment cases have confused political animosity with genuine crimes. Since Congress, the vortex of partisanship, is responsible for indicting, trying, and convicting public officials, it is necessary for the legislative branch to temporarily cast aside its factional nature and adopt a judicial role.


The Infamous Sixteen


Since 1797 the House of Representatives has impeached sixteen federal officials. These include two presidents, a cabinet member, a senator, a justice of the Supreme Court, and eleven federal judges. Of those, the Senate has convicted and removed seven, all of them judges. Not included in this list are the office holders who have resigned rather than face impeachment, most notably, President Richard M. Nixon.


The Small Fry


The first official impeached in this country was Senator William Blount of Tennessee for a plot to help the British seize Louisiana and Florida from Spain in 1797. The Senate dismissed the charges on Jan. 14, 1799, determining that it had no jurisdiction over its own members. The Senate and the House do, however, have the right to discipline their members, and the Senate expelled Blount the day after his impeachment.


Judge John Pickering of New Hampshire was the first impeached official actually convicted. He was found guilty of drunkenness and unlawful rulings, on March 12, 1804, and was believed to have been insane.


Associate Justice Samuel Chase, a strong Federalist, was impeached but acquitted of judicial bias against anti-Federalists. The acquittal on March 1, 1805, established that political differences were not grounds for impeachment.


Other officials impeached were implicated in bribery, cheating on income tax, perjury, and treason.


The Big Fish



Two U.S. presidents have been impeached: Andrew Johnson, the seventeenth chief executive, and William J. Clinton, the forty-second.


Johnson, a Southern Democrat who became president after Lincoln's assassination, supported a mild policy of Reconstruction after the Civil War. The Radical Republicans in Congress were furious at his leniency toward ex-Confederates and obvious lack of concern for ex-slaves, demonstrated by his veto of civil rights bills and opposition to the Fourteenth Amendment.


To protect Radical Republicans in Johnson's administration and diminish the strength of the president, Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act in 1867, which prohibited the president from dismissing office holders without the Senate's approval. A defiant Johnson tested the constitutionality of the Act by attempting to oust Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. His violation of the Act became the basis for impeachment in 1868. But the Senate was one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict, and Johnson was acquitted May 26, 1868.


Senator Charles Sumner, witness to the proceedings, defined them as "political in character." Historians today generally agree with his assessment and consider the grounds for Johnson's impeachment flimsy—the Tenure of Office Act was partially repealed in 1887,and then declared unconstitutional in 1926.


Bill Clinton was ultimately dragged down—though not defeated—by the character issues brought into question even before his election.


An investigation into some suspect real estate dealings in which Clinton was involved prior to his presidency failed to turn up any implicating evidence. However, Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr managed to unravel a tangled web of alleged sexual advances and affairs in Clinton's past.


The trail led to former White House intern Monica S. Lewinsky. After months of denials, including in a videotaped legal testimony, Clinton admitted in August of 1998 that he had had a sexual relationship with the young woman during the time of her internship.


The infamous "Starr Report" outlining the findings of the Independent Counsel's investigation was delivered to the House of Representatives on Sept. 9, 1998, and subsequently made available to the public. Many felt the report, filled with lurid details of Clinton's sexual encounters with Lewinsky, to be a political attack against the President rather than a legal justification for his impeachment. Of the 11 possible grounds for impeachment cited by Starr, four were eventually approved by the House Judiciary Committee: grand jury perjury, civil suit perjury, obstruction of justice, and abuse of power.


On December 19, following much debate over the constitutionality of the proceedings and whether or not Clinton could be punished by censure rather than impeachment, the House of Representatives held its historic vote. Clinton was impeached on two counts, grand jury perjury (228–206) and obstruction of justice (221–212), with the votes split along party lines.


The Senate Republicans, however, were unable to gather enough support to achieve the two-thirds majority required for his conviction. On Feb. 12, 1999, the Senate acquitted President Clinton on both counts. The perjury charge failed by a vote of 55–45, with 10 Republicans voting against impeachment along with all 45 Democrats. The obstruction of justice vote was 50–50, with 5 Republicans breaking ranks to vote against impeachment.


The One That Got Away


Of thirty-five attempts at impeachment, only nine have come to trial. Because it cripples Congress with a lengthy trial, impeachment is infrequent. Many officials, seeing the writing on the wall, resign rather than face the ignominy of a public trial.


The most famous of these cases is of course that of President Richard Nixon, a Republican. After five men hired by Nixon's reelection committee were caught burglarizing Democratic party headquarters at the Watergate Complex on June 17, 1972, President Nixon's subsequent behavior—his cover-up of the burglary and refusal to turn over evidence—led the House Judiciary Committee to issue three articles of impeachment on July 30, 1974.


The document also indicted Nixon for illegal wiretapping, misuse of the CIA, perjury, bribery, obstruction of justice, and other abuses of executive power. "In all of this," the Articles of Impeachment summarize, "Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as president and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States." Impeachment appeared inevitable, and Nixon resigned on Aug. 9, 1974. The Articles of Impeachment, which can be viewed at http://watergate.info/, leave no doubt that these charges qualify as "high crimes and misdemeanors," justifying impeachment.


Just as hindsight shows those Americans 30 years ago could have prevented the abuses of Bush and Cheney by prosecuting and imprisoning Nixon in 1974, we owe it to future generations of Americans to hold Bush and Cheney accountable for their crimes and incompetence today.


Pensito Review » Bush Legacy: Presidents Can Be Impeached After ...

It is also possible that Bush is aware he could be brought to justice after he leaves ... That is done by the house, and only requires a simple majority. ...
www.pensitoreview.com/2008/01/15/bush-legacy-post-term-impeachment


Hagel: Bush Might be Impeached ‘Before This is Over’ » Outside The ...

Hagel: Bush Might be Impeached ‘Before This is Over’ ... Justice requires not only impeachment but also prosecution for war crimes. Posted by ken March 7, ...
www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2007/03/chuck_hagel_says_bush_might_be_impeached_before_this_is_over


George W. Bush’s Impeachable Offenses: Newsroom: The Independent ...

George W. Bush’s Impeachable Offenses December 19, 2005 ... And the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) requires that warrants for national ...
www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1639


Bush Cheney should be impeached says senator The News is ...

The impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton in 1999, Chief Justice ..... in Bush Cheney impeached senator impeach kucinich whitehouse white house ...
www.nowpublic.com/politics/bush-cheney-should-be-impeached-says-senator


Just as hindsight shows that Americans 30 years ago could have prevented the abuses of Bush and Cheney by prosecuting and imprisoning Nixon in 1974, we owe it to future generations of Americans to hold Bush and Cheney accountable for their crimes and incompetence today.


The Impeachment of George W. Bush

by ELIZABETH HOLTZMAN

http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20060130&s=holtzman


Do You Remember When These Words Lifted The Movement?

[from the January 30, 2006 issue]


Finally, it has started. People have begun to speak of impeaching President George W. Bush--not in hushed whispers but openly, in newspapers, on the Internet, in ordinary conversations and even in Congress. As a former member of Congress who sat on the House Judiciary Committee during the impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon, I believe they are right to do so.


I can still remember the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach during those proceedings, when it became clear that the President had so systematically abused the powers of the presidency and so threatened the rule of law that he had to be removed from office. As a Democrat who opposed many of President Nixon's policies, I still found voting for his impeachment to be one of the most sobering and unpleasant tasks I ever had to undertake. None of the members of the committee took pleasure in voting for impeachment; after all, Democrat or Republican, Nixon was still our President.


At the time, I hoped that our committee's work would send a strong signal to future Presidents that they had to obey the rule of law. I was wrong.


Like many others, I have been deeply troubled by Bush's breathtaking scorn for our international treaty obligations under the United Nations Charter and the Geneva Conventions. I have also been disturbed by the torture scandals and the violations of US criminal laws at the highest levels of our government they may entail, something I have written about in these pages [see Holtzman, "Torture and Accountability," July 18/25, 2005]. These concerns have been compounded by growing evidence that the President deliberately misled the country into the war in Iraq. But it wasn't until the most recent revelations that President Bush directed the wiretapping of hundreds, possibly thousands, of Americans, in violation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)--and argued that, as Commander in Chief, he had the right in the interests of national security to override our country's laws--that I felt the same sinking feeling in my stomach as I did during Watergate.


As a matter of constitutional law, these and other misdeeds constitute grounds for the impeachment of President Bush. A President, any President, who maintains that he is above the law--and repeatedly violates the law--thereby commits high crimes and misdemeanors, the constitutional standard for impeachment and removal from office. A high crime or misdemeanor is an archaic term that means a serious abuse of power, whether or not it is also a crime, that endangers our constitutional system of government.


The framers of our Constitution feared executive power run amok and provided the remedy of impeachment to protect against it. While impeachment is a last resort, and must never be lightly undertaken (a principle ignored during the proceedings against President Bill Clinton), neither can Congress shirk its responsibility to use that tool to safeguard our democracy. No President can be permitted to commit high crimes and misdemeanors with impunity.


Just as hindsight shows those Americans 30 years ago could have prevented the abuses of Bush and Cheney by prosecuting and imprisoning Nixon in 1974, we owe it to future generations of Americans to hold Bush and Cheney accountable for their crimes and incompetence today.


But Like A Timex; He Keeps On Ticking and America Takes The Licking!


Or Like The Energizer Bunny; He Just Keeps Going and Going!


Iniquities of War, Inequities of Life (And What We Going To Do?)
Bush has tried to justify the Iraq war in the past, he has now clumsily — if inadvertently — admitted that the invasion and occupation of Iraq was aimed primarily at seizing predominant influence over its oil by establishing permanent ...


Just as hindsight shows those Americans 30 years ago could have prevented the abuses of Bush and Cheney by prosecuting and imprisoning Nixon in 1974, we owe it to future generations of Americans to hold Bush and Cheney accountable for their crimes and incompetence today.


Have I made my point?


Impeach Bush And Cheney: Things To View, Things To Do, Things To Read, Things To Consider Today And A Battle To Be Waged And Won.
























Impeach Bush and Cheney: Things To View, Things To Do,

Things To Read,

Things To Consider Today

and

A Battle To Be Waged And Won.

Things are changing all around us daily at a dizzy pace and we just have to keep abreast of the news and the latest attempts to frustrate and circumvent the laws of this land by the Bush Administration.

They will not stop unless someone steps up to stop them, and that someone has to be “We The People” yanking our Congress back to reality and fidelity to their Oath of Office. Either they come around or we send them home!

Dennis is right; Edwards is right; We are right…so let’s fight like hell!

Would A Democrat President Pull Out Of Iraq?

The Real News Fein Interview.

The Real News Impeachment Videos

The Real News Videos On Spying

Tell Congress George Bush Is Not King!

Commentary: Impeach Bush And Cheney

Statement in Defense of Free Speech Rights on the National Mall
Sign the Statement

“It’s The Judiciary Committee Stupid!” Campaign Lead Link

Reach The Press/Media

BEGIN CHANGE NOW WITH CHENEY IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS

Petition To Replace Nancy Pelosi As Speaker Of The House Of Representatives For The Purposes Of Pursuing Impeachment

The Pelosi Page

http://courtofimpeachmentandwarcrimes.blogspot.com/2007/12/impeach-bush-cheneythe-pelosi-page.html

An Open Letter To Nancy Pelosi

http://courtofimpeachmentandwarcrimes.blogspot.com/2007/11/open-letter-to-speaker-pelosi.html

The Steny Hoyer Page

http://courtofimpeachmentandwarcrimes.blogspot.com/2007/12/impeach-bush-cheneythe-steny-hoyer-page.html

An Open Letter To Steny Hoyer

http://courtofimpeachmentandwarcrimes.blogspot.com/2007/11/open-letter-to-congressman-hoyer-basis.html

The John Conyers Page

http://courtofimpeachmentandwarcrimes.blogspot.com/2007/12/impeach-bush-cheneythe-john-conyers.html

An Open Letter To John Conyers

http://courtofimpeachmentandwarcrimes.blogspot.com/2007/11/open-letter-to-john-conyers.html

Work With Wexler

Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL) is organizing his colleagues to ask House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers to begin Cheney impeachment hearings, and he needs our help.

We're asking other Judiciary Committee Members to co-sign Wexler's letter to Conyers, and we're asking the rest of Congress to send their own letters to Conyers. Please email your Congress member here:
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/125

(http://www.democrats.com/congress). Tell your Congress member to urge Chairman Conyers to begin impeachment hearings for Dick Cheney. Then tell your friends and call and email the media.

Wexler to Conyers Letter Signers So Far

Randi Rhodes Puts Robert Wexler Over 200000

Who is Congressman Welch Representing, Anyway? (Let’s Target Welch!)

And If Can Find The Time; Make The effort, pick up a pen and send them a good old fashioned hand written letter that expresses your feelings and the fact: No Impeachment: No Re-Election! MAKE TIME!!!

I’m beginning to think John Conyers is slipping mentally. I’m Serious!

Hero Or Zero: The Legacy Of John Conyers?

Pledge To Impeach.Org

Impeach For Peace.Org (I recommend Their Widget)

After Downing Street

Bush will ignore more of Harry Reid's and Nancy Pelosi's laws

The Road To Impeachment and Peace Runs Through Cleveland

Impeachment Hot Links

1st District Democratic candidates focusing on illogical issue Do ..

Impeachment Before Washington State Legislature

Vermont town calls for impeachment

Vermont wants Bush behind bars?

Liar, Liar, Burning Bright

A Short Sweet Impeachment Story

Goodbye for now Dear Dennis

Keep In Touch With The Kucinich Campaign In Ohio

Freedom Rider: Progressive Agenda
Black Agenda Report - Jersey City,NJ,USA
... in Cleveland, “movement politics is the order of the day” and “the Kucinich impeachment resolutions against Cheney and now Bush must move forward. ...

http://www.usalone.com/impeach_george_bush.php

(anyone can use this link)

TELL THE CANDIDATES: CHANGE BEGINS NOW

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

No TKO but they weren't kidding!



THERE IS NO QUESTION NOW, THAT THE KENNEDYS WERE SERIOUS!


Please Keep In Mind The Fact That The Democrat Primary Formula Of Proportional Delegate Allocation Within The States, Means, Despite Media Hype, That Super Tuesday Will Not Provide The Final Answer. Also Keep In Mind That Gore Forces Are Still Watching And That Edwards Is Well-Positioned For A Vice-Presidential Nod.

The Pundit who makes a final call on “Super Tuesday” will be a fool. There will be resetting of polling models and indexes which will result and we will have a clearer picture of how the religious and race cards “may” play out. States in the March Cycle are no longer statistically predictable. All bets are off as the only thing we can be certain of is the word “change” and real change in campaign volatility.






END POST, BUT THIS IS FAR FROM OVER!

The OK Corral Is Now OHIO And KUCINICH!







The OK Corral Is Now OHIO And KUCINICH! Fasten Your Seatbelts And Keep Your Heads Down. This Is Going To Get Rough!


"Only my candidacy gives the American people a real choice and only my candidacy gives the American people a real debate," Kucinich said in a video statement to supporters after losing his legal appeal in Nevada. "I will persist in my efforts to elevate the public interest, the cause of our Constitution, and the people's right to have a government they can call their own."

Kucinich's backers believe he'll win re-election and say his office provides superlative performance on constituent service issues like passport difficulties. He retains support from Cuyahoga County's Democratic Party and local organized labor.

"It is our belief that he is going to win the congressional primary, whether he's in the presidential election or not, because he is Dennis, his constituents are supporting him, and they are going to vote for him," says Colleen Corrigan Day, executive director of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party.

Despite his reputation in some circles as a political flake, Dennis Kucinich is as shrewd and organized about electoral fundamentals as anyone in the business, and his base of support in the 10th District is wide and deep. If he wants to stay in Congress, he’ll do what he has to, and he’ll be very hard to beat.

This congressional seat is really owned by organized labor. The real question now is if big labor wants Kucinich, who has done their every bidding, enough to force Cimperman out of the race or pave the way for a different position for Cimperman . Let the games begin now that it is clear that the Kucinich team of old is ready to March on Cuyahoga County. They are flying in from across the nation on a daily basis and they are an accomplished potent force to be reckoned with. They are experienced and they know how to fight; they are no young dreamers, just tenacious street fighter precinct masters.

Political scientists in the area say Kucinich is likely to win his primary because his critics will divide their votes among his opponents, who, in addition to Palmer and O'Grady, are Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman and Barbara Ferris, Kucinich's unsuccessful 2006 primary foe.

Kucinich Drops Presidential Quest To Focus On Congressional Race.

Friday, January 25, 2008
Molly Kavanaugh and Mark Naymik
Plain Dealer Reporters

Dennis Kucinich Is Staying Home.

Re-Elect Dennis Kucinich for Congress

Two weeks after insisting he could run for Congress and president at the same time, his decision Thursday to drop his second bid for the White House suggests he is concerned about winning a seventh term in Congress.

He faces four candidates in the Democratic primary, including Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman, who has become his chief rival by raising hundreds of thousands of dollars and winning media attention.

Kucinich, 61, who has easily won re-election previously, wouldn't say Thursday what influence his contested congressional race had on his decision to drop out of the presidential contest. Kucinich will hold a news conference at noon today at a downtown union hall to explain his decision.

He cited his exclusion from national debates and the practical strains of running a national campaign as reasons for leaving.

"There is a point at which you just realize that you, look, you accept it, that it isn't going to happen and you move on," he said during a congressional endorsement interview with The Plain Dealer editorial board and reporters. Kucinich stayed in the 2004 presidential race until late summer, when he had little competition for re-election back home.

When he kicked off his congressional re-election bid Jan. 9, he said he would focus on his local race, but then ratcheted up his presidential bid, campaigning in Michigan and Nevada and filing unsuccessful legal appeals to stay on the ballot in Texas and to win a spot on stage during presidential debates. He has fared poorly in early presidential contests.

Meanwhile, the congressional race made headlines when Cimperman revealed that Kucinich had asked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to investigate a Cimperman campaign stunt. Cimperman entered Kucinich's Lakewood office Jan. 3 with a camera-toting campaign worker to drop off a "missing" poster mocking Kucinich's presidential travels.

And this week, Cimperman launched a television advertisement critical of Kucinich's time away from the 10th Congressional District, which includes Cleveland's West Side and western suburbs.

Kucinich countered with a video appealing for immediate contributions and revamped his re-election Web site. Borrowing a page from his days as a populist mayor, he charged that corporations were behind Cimperman's campaign.

"Right now I'm under attack by corporate interests, most of them from the city of Cleveland, who have an agenda that has nothing to do with the people of my community," he said in the video.

Cimperman, referring to money Kucinich raises from Hollywood actors, repeated one of his favorite lines Thursday: "The money I raise is from Cleveland, his is from California."

Cimperman campaigned for Kucinich two years ago after he was reassured by the congressman that he would not run for president again. Five weeks after being re-elected, Kucinich announced he had changed his mind.

Kucinich defended his decision during Thursday's interview, saying Democrats got elected in 2006 to end the war, and within weeks they voted to fund it.

"When I heard that, I knew that I was going to have to challenge my party nationally and there was only one way to do that," he said.

Kucinich said he has "zero intention" of getting involved in the presidential primaries by endorsing another Democratic candidate.

Congressional challenger Rosemary Palmer, another supporter of Kucinich's re-election in 2006, said Kucinich's move does not affect her campaign.

"I entered this race in June because I did not feel he was focused on the job, nor able to effect the change we so desperately need. On issues of job creation, health care, the environment and the Iraq war, Mr. Kucinich often talks a good game but seldom delivers," she said in a prepared statement.

North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O'Grady, another challenger, has had little criticism of Kucinich other than to complain about his time away from the district. He said Thursday that if Kucinich had dropped his bid for the White House sooner, he probably wouldn't be running for Congress.

"It's my hope that he redirects his interest back to the district," said O'Grady, speaking from Washington, D.C., where he is attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

O'Grady said he has no plans to drop out.

Candidate Barbara Ferris, former Peace Corps and United Nations worker who was trounced by Kucinich two years ago, said the congressman hasn't done much.

"He was unable to achieve anything running for president; he was unable to achieve in 11 years in Congress," she said.

Always coy about his political plans, Kucinich described his departure from the presidential race as "transitioning out" but would not say what that means. Nor did he address the criticisms of his opponents.

"I want people to know that I love this community and that I have repeatedly put my career on the line for this community," he said. "I want to make sure there is no confusion in this district about what my intention is. I want to be the congressman."

To reach these Plain Dealer reporters:
mkavanaugh@plaind.com, 216-999-4334;
mnaymik@plaind.com, 216-999-4849

The Race Tracker Ohio 10th Congressional District

The Opposition

Joe Cimperman, This one can wage a serious “system-type, system-oriented, good old boy type campaign”!

Cimperman profile

Councilman's Web site

See a video of Joe Cimperman's annoucement that he will run for Congress

Cimperman to challenge Kucinich.

Video: Cimperman's announcement.

Video: Cimperman visits Kucinich's office.

Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich has just picked up another opponent.

But not in his long-shot bid for the White House.

Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman will announce Tuesday that he is running for his fellow Democrat's 10th Congressional seat, which includes the West Side of Cleveland and the city's western suburbs.

Kucinich refuses to say if he plans to seek a seventh term next year; the filing deadline is a month away.

If Kucinich does run for re-election, Cimperman, who represents downtown Cleveland, will be Kucinich's first serious challenger in either a primary or general election since he was elected to Congress in 1996.

That year, Kucinich, playing up his Cleveland roots and espousing an anti-Washington message, knocked off two-term Republican Martin Hoke.

Ohio's primary is March 4.

Cimperman, 37, is an energetic campaigner whose populist fights have long earned him comparisons to Kucinich.

Like Kucinich's past campaigns, Cimperman's will feature his Cleveland roots.

"I'm a son of the city who has a passion for this community," he said.

When Cimperman was elected to council 10 years ago, he was a political nobody, a social worker at the West Side Catholic Center who grew up on Cleveland's near East Side, the son of a machinist.

Since then, he's become the political point person on development and housing downtown while maintaining his advocacy for the poor. He's also forged a relationship with some of the region's biggest businessmen, who have given tens of thousands of dollars to his campaigns.

Kucinich spokeswoman Natalie Laber would not comment on Cimperman but suggested his bid for the seat is tainted.

Referring to Kucinich, Laber said, "Whether he runs or not, the seat doesn't belong to him, it belongs to the people of the district, not corporate developers."

Kucinich praised Cimperman in the past.

"I think he has a great potential," Kucinich said in a 1999 Plain Dealer article. "He is passionately involved with his community. He's an activist, and an activist approach is necessary in order to catalyze the progress of the people you represent. I can identify with that."

Cimperman said Kucinich's second bid for the White House triggered his decision to run against the one-time ally.

"The community needs a full-time congressman," said Cimperman, who lives just outside the district.

Asked about his ability to be a full-time councilman while campaigning for Congress, Cimperman said he can do both much easier than Kucinich can serve his district while running for president.

"There's a difference in travel time along I-480 and going to Honolulu."

Rosemary Palmer, Paul Hackett has become a man desperate for a political career who has sacrificed his once revered integrity. That didn’t take long! Her Iraq War position actually works to Dennis’ advantage.

Barbara Anne Ferris

Thomas O'Grady O’Grady In!

Are The Democrats challenging Kucinich in the March primary.

Speculations Dismissed!

This Candidacy could have been a real problem!

Jerid at Buckeye State Blog says Parma Mayor Dean DiPiero is in the race to oust Dennis Kucinich from his 10th Congressional District seat. This follows a Plain Dealer Openers post yesterday in which DiPiero told Stephen Koff he’s “keeping his options open.”

Koff makes the point, obliquely, that DiPiero could simply be positioning himself as frontrunner in case Kucinich decides to relinquish his seat. But Jerid thinks he’s in it for a race against the incumbent. He sees the hands of County Prosecutor Bill Mason and Recorder Pat O’Malley in DiPiero’s supposed decision (makes sense to me.)

If DiPiero is in the race, and Kucinich wants to keep his seat, then Dennis faces a genuine primary for the first time since he beat Republican Martin Hoke in 1996.

Normally this would be no contest. DiPiero has no electoral history outside of Parma, Middleburg Heights, Brooklyn and Linndale — the communities that make up the 15th Ohio House District, which he represented in Columbus for five years — which together contribute only a fifth of Democratic primary votes in the District. He’s “Dean who?” in Cleveland (another fifth) or the suburbs farther west. Organized labor, which loves Kucinich, matters more in the 10th CD than anywhere else in the area — especially in a primary. The Mason-O’Malley “machine” doesn’t really have all that fearsome a track record. If he’s really threatened, Kucinich has access to lots of money. And Dennis has a history of kicking ass in Parma, DiPiero’s own home base.

But with all that said, DiPiero is a real politician, unlike Rosemary Palmer or Barbara Ferris. If he’s thinking seriously about this race — against an incumbent Democrat who can do him a lot of damage — he has a theory of how to win it. He has money commitments. And he has some kind of polling data that shows him (and potential funders) an opening.

So if DiPiero’s really in, Kucinich had better run a real primary campaign. And with the Ohio primary set for March 4, that means he’ll have to spend January and February (at least) in the District — not in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, etc.

Furthermore, if there’s a real primary — and Kucinich wants to keep his hat in both rings — he’s going to have to start offering local voters a more convincing explanation of his Presidential campaign than “I’m going to win.”

Despite his reputation in some circles as a political flake, Dennis Kucinich is as shrewd and organized about electoral fundamentals as anyone in the business, and his base of support in the 10th District is wide and deep. If he wants to stay in Congress, he’ll do what he has to, and he’ll be very hard to beat.

The question is, does he really want to?

Or does Dean DiPiero know something we don’t?

Right Angle Blog » Cimperman to Run Against Kucinich
To me, though I have nothing to substantiate it, this seems like a pretty strong indication that Kucinich won’t be running for re-election in the 10th.

WRONG!!!!

OH-10: This congressional seat is really owned by organized labor. The real question now is if big labor wants Kucinich, who has done their every bidding, enough to force Cimperman out of the race or pave the way for a different position for Cimperman . Let the games begin now that it is clear that the Kucinich team of old is ready to March on Cuyahoga County. They are flying in from across the nation on a daily basis and they are an accomplished potent force to be reckoned with. They are experienced and they know how to fight; they are no young dreamers, just tenacious street fighter precinct masters.

Other News, Campaign Chatter and Current Northeast Ohio Spin:

Kucinich

Democratic Party (The OHIO Scene)

Breaking News (The OHIO Scene)

Congressional candidates state their case to replace Kucinich
Four Democrats are running in the March primary to replace Congressman Dennis Kucinich.


One Kucinich opponent running against him again
Barbara Anne Ferris is hoping for a different outcome in her second race against Congressman Dennis Kucinich.

OH-10: Cimperman (D), Other Challengers Raise Big Money Against Kucinich (D)
Submitted by Jeff on Fri, 01/04/2008 - 1:51am.

Mark Naymik posted an eye-popping item on the Openers blog last night about fund-raising in the 10th Ohio Congressional District. He reports that city council member Joe Cimperman (D-Cleveland) has raised $226,000 in just about one month, and Rosemary Palmer (D-Cleveland) has raised about $130,000 since she started campaigning last summer. The other challengers are not quite so flush -- Barbara Anne Ferris (D-Cleveland) has raised about $35,000 and Mayor Tom O'Grady (D-North Olmsted) about $30,000.

That's a total of about $421,000 amassed against Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Cleveland), who does not appear to have given his congressional re-election campaign much thought at all. However, Naymik reports that he plans to have a campaign kickoff event at the North Shore AFL/CIO headquarters on Wednesday.

P.S. I was at the Meet The Bloggers session with Rosemary Palmer Tuesday. (George has some short excerpts.) She is a very nice lady who, when asked what she wanted to do as a Congresswoman about health insurance, education, or foreclosures, simply had nothing to say. Her most recent press hit was a challenge to Kucinich to debate. I say, be careful what you wish for.

Kucinich's absences from the district while running for president have been a consistent campaign theme for the four Democrats seeking his seat in Ohio's primary, also on March 4. Kucinich will appear on the ballot for president and Congress in his own district.

"There is a conflict of commitment," says 10th District candidate Rosemary Palmer, a Gold Star mother, former journalist and teacher. "He wants to be president, so that's where his heart is."

"I think it is great that Dennis has a voice on issues he feels are important and is bringing that to the national stage in his presidential run, but we still need someone whose focus is here in the 10th Congressional District, getting things done for our citizens," adds another Kucinich opponent, North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O'Grady.

Kucinich sees no conflict in running for two offices and says his run for president provides him with a national platform for issues that matter to his constituents in Cleveland - like ending the Iraq war, enacting manufacturing and trade policies that protect workers and the environment, and establishing a nonprofit national health care system.

"Only my candidacy gives the American people a real choice and only my candidacy gives the American people a real debate," Kucinich said in a video statement to supporters after losing his legal appeal in Nevada. "I will persist in my efforts to elevate the public interest, the cause of our Constitution, and the people's right to have a government they can call their own."

Kucinich's backers believe he'll win re-election and say his office provides superlative performance on constituent service issues like passport difficulties. He retains support from Cuyahoga County's Democratic Party and local organized labor.

"It is our belief that he is going to win the congressional primary, whether he's in the presidential election or not, because he is Dennis, his constituents are supporting him, and they are going to vote for him," says Colleen Corrigan Day, executive director of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party.

Political scientists in the area say Kucinich is likely to win his primary because his critics will divide their votes among his opponents, who, in addition to Palmer and O'Grady, are Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman and Barbara Ferris, Kucinich's unsuccessful 2006 primary foe.

Posted by lakewood216 on 12/04/07 at 11:22AM

Volts, who do you want to run for this seat? Ken Blackwell? Boehner?

DunlopReggie, if you want a conservative Christian Republican to win the district, conservative Christian Republicans have to move into the 10th District en masse first. Even the GOP-friendly areas (Rocky River, Brecksville, Independence, Westlake, north end of Strongsville) of the 10th district aren't exactly hotbeds for conservative/evangelical Christianity.

A Republican who insults the working class and calls them lazy will not win the 10th district. Ohio conservatives (the ones on cleveland.com) seem to have utter contempt for those below their own social class, even the white working class. California conservatives (California being my old stomping grounds) generally concealed their classism toward working class whites by focusing their ire towards ethnic minorities and to a lesser extent gays. Ohio conservatives (due to their proportionally larger numbers here along with Ohio being less diverse) have no problem bashing the white working class.


Now There Is True Ohio Red Neck Bullshit!

Impeachment and Re-Elect Dennis Kucinich (David Swanson Pod Cast mp3)

Kucinich Silenced By Mainstream Media

Concord Monitor - Concord,NH,USA


Not-for-profit health care that would cover all Americans - silenced. Ending the war and opposing continued funding of the war - silenced. Legislation to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney for taking us into a war based on deception, thereby killing more than a million innocent people - silenced. Fighting trade policies that allow millions of jobs to be outsourced - silenced.


Is anyone else wondering why Dennis Kucinich, the only politician fighting the corrupt link between the government and corporate America, is continually being silenced by media giants ABC and NBC - media giants funded by health insurance companies and military defense contractors? If not, you should be.


Kucinich is only "unelectable" because so many people allow themselves to be brainwashed by the mainstream media. It's understandable to some extent. It's easy to allow yourself to accept what the media tells you when you think you're still living in a democracy.


The fact is, the United States is more an oligarchy than a democracy at this point in its history.


I urge everyone to seek out news from small, independent presses that have nothing to gain by covering up the truth.


Tricia Orr Warner


The presidential candidates are dropping like flies, but that’s not stopping them from receiving thousands of belated votes in the primaries.


Fred Thompson and Duncan Hunter may have dropped out of the Republican race, but more than 25,000 voters made their way to polling places Tuesday to make marks for them on Florida ballots.


Likewise, former Democratic hopefuls Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich and Chris Dodd had announced their withdrawal from the race before the Tuesday primary, but combined, they received a total of almost 3 percent of the vote — more than 45,000 votes.


That’s right, more than 70,000 people in the Florida primary alone voted for candidates who are no longer viable.


That makes about 4 percent of the total votes in the primary essentially worthless.


Maybe voters wanted to make a statement that they were still behind their candidates (who, technically, can no longer claim that title) no matter what, or maybe it was a vote for “None-Of-The-Above”! I can understand that.


End Post....

Monday, January 28, 2008

Impeach Bush and Cheney: All The Reasons And All The Tools To Be Involved are Here For Your Use.










Impeach Bush and Cheney: All The Reasons And All The Tools To Be Involved are
Here For Your Use.


We’ve Waited Seven Years:

Kucinich Introduces Articles Of Impeachment Against Bush

Washington, Jan 28 - Today, Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) released the following statement:

"After making a statement on the floor of the House of Representatives last week indicating my intent to introduce articles of impeachment against George W. Bush, I met with members of the Judiciary Committee. After that brief meeting, I am hopeful there will be an inquiry by the Judiciary Committee. I will give them the opportunity to proceed before introducing articles of impeachment."

Support Kucinich Ohio Re-Election

After Down Street Home Page

After Downing Street Contact Congress Page

After Downing Street Contact The Judiciary Committee Page

After Downing Street Media Activist Page

After Downing Street Articles Of Impeachment Page

Alexandria Advocates Alliance Resolution Of Impeachment of Bush and Cheney

Click Here For Petition Summary

Summary Of Cause (Outline Form)

Jefferson Manual Memorial Petition Notes (Plus

“It’s The Judiciary Committee Stupid!” Campaign Lead Link

Reach The Press/Media

Petition To Replace Nancy Pelosi As Speaker Of The House Of Representatives For The Purposes Of Pursuing Impeachment

The Pelosi Page

An Open Letter To Nancy Pelosi

The Steny Hoyer Page

An Open Letter To Steny Hoyer

The John Conyers Page

An Open Letter To John Conyers

Harry Reid : A Petition Requesting Resignation


Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL) is organizing his colleagues to ask House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers to begin Cheney impeachment hearings, and he needs our help.

We're asking other Judiciary Committee Members to co-sign Wexler's letter to Conyers, and we're asking the rest of Congress to send their own letters to Conyers. Please email your Congress member here:

http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/125


Please call your Congress member through the Capitol Hill Switchboard (202) 224-3121, toll-free at 1-800-828-0498, or directly (http://www.democrats.com/congress). Tell your Congress member to urge Chairman Conyers to begin impeachment hearings for Dick Cheney. Then tell your friends and call and email the media.


Corporate media strategy: silence Kucinich, then remove him from ...
Over the past several weeks, the alphabets of corporate media dug their heels in the court system and in the federal agency established to protect and advocate fairness on the public airwaves (FCC), to keep Dennis Kucinich from bringing ...


Kucinich puts off effort to impeach Bush

Posted by Sabrina Eaton January 28, 2008 16:52PM

Categories: Kucinich


After promising last week that he'd mark President Bush's final "State of the Union" speech today by introducing articles of impeachment against Bush, Cleveland Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich announced he's postponing the effort.


Kucinich said he met with members of the House Judiciary Committee after making last week's impeachment pledge on the House of Representatives floor, and came away "hopeful there will be an inquiry by the Judiciary Committee."


"I will give them the opportunity to proceed before introducing articles of impeachment," Kucinich said in a statement issued by his office. The House Judiciary Committee's spokeswoman did not respond to The Plain Dealer's request for comment.


Last year, Kucinich introduced a measure to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney that has collected 24 cosponsors. His November effort to bring the matter before the full House of Representatives won support from Republicans who wanted to embarrass House Democratic leaders, but was eventually referred to the Judiciary Committee.


Kucinich told The Plain Dealer editorial board last week that nine members of the House Judiciary Committee favor his bid to impeach Cheney. But that's shy of a majority; the committee has 23 Democrats and 17 Republicans.


"I do not believe that there will be an impeachment this year -- I don't think that will happen - but I do think that the questions relating to an inquiry of both the president and the vice president are important so that our nation has a real understanding of the effort that was made, a consistent effort, to mislead the people into supporting a war," Kucinich said.


Road to Impeachment and Peace Runs Through Cleveland
OpEdNews - Newtown,PA,USA
On Monday, the day of Bush's last State of the Union address, Kucinich planned to introduce articles of impeachment against Bush. In fact, he has prepared a ...


Elizabeth Holtzman Impeach Bush and Cheney

Sunday 27 January 2008 (Original Publication)
... writes: "Since mid-December, members of the House Judiciary Committee Robert Wexler (D-Florida), Luis Gutierrez (D-Illinois) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) have called for hearings on the impeachment of Vice President Cheney." http://www.truthout.org/


The Wexler Exhibits:

No.1 , No.2 , No.3 , No.4


The Reason We Do All This http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/


State of the Union Excerpts -- 28 January 2008

President George W. Bush -- The White House

As Prepared For Delivery

"The actions of the 110th Congress will affect the security and prosperity of our Nation long after this session has ended. In this election year, let us show our fellow Americans that we recognize our responsibilities and are determined to meet them. And let us show them that Republicans and Democrats can compete for votes and cooperate for results at the same time."

On trusting and empowering the American people:

"From expanding opportunity to protecting our country, we have made good progress. Yet we have unfinished business before us, and the American people expect us to get it done. In the work ahead, we must be guided by the philosophy that made our Nation great. As Americans, we believe in the power of individuals to determine their destiny and shape the course of history. . .So in all we do, we must trust in the ability of free people to make wise decisions, and empower them to improve their lives and their futures."


On the economy:

"To build a prosperous future, we must trust people with their own money and empower them to grow our economy. As we meet tonight, our economy is undergoing a period of uncertainty. . .And at kitchen tables across our country, there is concern about our economic future. In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth."

On Earmarks:


"The people's trust in their Government is undermined by congressional earmarks. . ."


On housing:


". . .We must trust Americans with the responsibility of homeownership and empower them to weather turbulent times in the housing market."


On strengthening No Child Left Behind:


"On education, we must trust students to learn if given the chance and empower parents to demand results from our schools. In neighborhoods across our country, there are boys and girls with dreams -- and a decent education is their only hope of achieving them. Six years ago, we came together to pass the No Child Left Behind Act, and today no one can deny its results. . . Now we must work together to increase accountability, add flexibility for States and districts, reduce the number of high school dropouts, and provide extra help for struggling schools. Members of Congress: The No Child Left Behind Act is a bipartisan achievement. It is succeeding. And we owe it to America's children, their parents, and their teachers to strengthen this good law."


On the importance of trade:


"On trade, we must trust American workers to compete with anyone in the world and empower them by opening up new markets overseas. Today, our economic growth increasingly depends on our ability to sell American goods, crops, and services all over the world. . . These agreements will level the playing field. They will give us better access to nearly 100 million customers. And they will support good jobs for the finest workers in the world: those whose products say 'Made in the USA.'"

"If we fail to pass this [Colombia free trade] agreement, we will embolden the purveyors of false populism in our hemisphere. So we must come together, pass this agreement, and show our neighbors in the region that democracy leads to a better life."


On improving our energy security:


"To build a future of energy security, we must trust in the creative genius of American researchers and entrepreneurs and empower them to pioneer a new generation of clean energy technology. Our security, our prosperity, and our environment all require reducing our dependence on oil."


On combating climate change:


"Let us create a new international clean technology fund, which will help developing nations like India and China make greater use of clean energy sources. And let us complete an international agreement that has the potential to slow, stop, and eventually reverse the growth of greenhouse gases. This agreement will be effective only if it includes commitments by every major economy and gives none a free ride."


On entitlement reform and immigration:


"There are two other pressing challenges that I have raised repeatedly before this body, and that this body has failed to address: entitlement spending and immigration. Every Member in this chamber knows that spending on entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid is growing faster than we can afford. . .Now I ask Members of Congress to offer your proposals and come up with a bipartisan solution to save these vital programs for our children and grandchildren."


On the freedom agenda:


"Illegal immigration is complicated, but it can be resolved. And it must be resolved in a way that upholds both our laws and our highest ideals."


On the surge in Iraq:


"Our foreign policy is based on a clear premise: We trust that people, when given the chance, will choose a future of freedom and peace. In the last 7 years, we have witnessed stirring moments in the history of liberty…And these images of liberty have inspired us. In the past 7 years, we have also seen images that have sobered us. . .[and] serve as a grim reminder: The advance of liberty is opposed by terrorists and extremists -- evil men who despise freedom, despise America, and aim to subject millions to their violent rule."


"The Iraqi people quickly realized that something dramatic had happened. Those who had worried that America was preparing to abandon them instead saw. . .our forces moving into neighborhoods, clearing out the terrorists, and staying behind to ensure the enemy did not return. . .While the enemy is still dangerous and more work remains, the American and Iraqi surges have achieved results few of us could have imagined just 1 year ago. . ."


". . .Some may deny the surge is working, but among the terrorists there is no doubt. Al Qaida is on the run in Iraq, and this enemy will be defeated."


On our 2008 objectives in Iraq:


"Our enemies in Iraq have been hit hard. They are not yet defeated, and we can still expect tough fighting ahead. Our objective in the coming year is to sustain and build on the gains we made in 2007, while transitioning to the next phase of our strategy. American troops are shifting from leading operations, to partnering with Iraqi forces, and, eventually, to a protective over watch mission."


On this generation rising to the moment in the war on terror:


"We must do the difficult work today, so that years from now people will look back and say that this generation rose to the moment, prevailed in a tough fight, and left behind a more hopeful region and a safer America."


On Iraq:


"Our message to the people of Iran is clear: We have no quarrel with you, we respect your traditions and your history, and we look forward to the day when you have your freedom. Our message to the leaders of Iran is also clear: Verifiably suspend your nuclear enrichment, so negotiations can begin. And to rejoin the community of nations, come clean about your nuclear intentions and past actions, stop your oppression at home, and cease your support for terror abroad. But above all, know this: America will confront those who threaten our troops, we will stand by our allies, and we will defend our vital interests in the Persian Gulf."


On the American people:


"The secret of our strength, the miracle of America, is that our greatness lies not in our Government, but in the spirit and determination of our people."

More later….It’s Enough To Make You Dizzy!

END POST…