New Blog Action on Impeachment.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Let me explain this post a bit in advance. Many of you already know about Daily Kos, the largest political blog on the internet. I actually started blogging over there before I started my own blog, and I frequently cross-post between the two. For those of you unfamiliar with Daily Kos, at any given time, 8 "diaries" (posts) are on the "recommended list" (diaries with broad acceptance by the 73,000+ registered members at Daily Kos.Today, TWO of the recommended diaries are on the subject of impeachment. I have asked both the diarists for permission to repost their diaries over here - I've heard back in the affirmative from one of them so I will repost below and then add the second diary, if I receive permission, tomorrow.
The first diary is title Dusting off Articles of Impeachment by Daily Kos user Christian Dem in NC, who also has a personal blog: The Christian Dem Home Journal. Below is the diary, and be sure you give the blog a little love in appreciation for the repost. ;-)
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Dusting off articles of impeachment
by Christian Dem in NC [Subscribe]
Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 03:38:37 AM EST
Update [2005-12-17 11:16:45 by Christian Dem in NC]: Added that Shrub violated the Wiretap Act as well---thanks, Ben Masel!
Unlike FleetAdmiralJ, I have been on the impeachment bandwagon for a long time. Rather unusual, since I'm one of the few DLCers in here.
I thought it impossible to top keeping Karl Rove on the payroll as the most blatant of his impeachable offenses. But ordering the NSA to spy on American citizens? Come on now--according to the NYT, a warrant is very easy to obtain. But we aren't talking about mere stupidity. We're talking about behavior that has no place in a democracy.
I've had a file of proposed articles of impeachment saved for some time--so I figured now's as good a time as any to dust them off. A draft follows in "There's more"ville--feel free to contribute anything I missed.
Resolved, that George Walker Bush, President of the United States, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and the following articles be exhibited to the Senate:
Articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of the United States of America, against George Walker Bush, President of the United States of America, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.
Article 1.
In his conduct while President of the United States, George Walker Bush, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duties as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the United States and to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, willfully, knowingly and without lawful cause or excuse made false, misleading and deceitful statements to the Congress regarding evidence justifying military action against Iraq.
In doing this, George Walker Bush has brought disrepute upon the Presidency, has undermined the integrity of his office, has betrayed his trust as President and has acted in a manner subversive of constitutional government and the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury of the people of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, by such conduct, George Walker Bush warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
Article 2.
In his conduct while President of the United States, George Walker Bush, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duties as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the United States and to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, actively conspired with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and certain other officials of the Government of the United Kingdom to mislead and deceive Congress and the Parliament of the United Kingdom regarding evidence justifying military action against Iraq with the purpose of evading the Kellogg-Briand Pact, the Charter of the United Nations and other treaties signed and ratified by the United States regarding the conduct of war.
In doing this, George Walker Bush has brought disrepute upon the Presidency and the United States, has undermined the integrity of his office, has betrayed his trust as President and has acted in a manner subversive of constitutional government and the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, by such conduct, George Walker Bush warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
Article 3.
In his conduct while President of the United States, George Walker Bush, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duties as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the United States and to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, knew or had reason to know of a decision by the Secretary of Defense to divert funds appropriated for action in Afghanistan to develop plans for action in Iraq, and failed to prevent this action even though said action was contrary to appropriations as enacted by the Congress.
In doing this, George Walker Bush has brought disrepute upon the Presidency, has undermined the integrity of his office, has betrayed his trust as President and has acted in a manner grossly derelict of his constitutional duties, to the manifest injury of the people of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, by such conduct, George Walker Bush warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
Article 4.
In his conduct while President of the United States, George Walker Bush, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duties as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the United States and to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, directed the falsification and fabrication of evidence and intelligence supporting the case for military action against Iraq with the purpose of evading the Kellogg-Briand Pact, the United Nations Charter and other treaties signed and ratified by the United States regarding the conduct of war.
In doing this, George Walker Bush has brought disrepute upon the Presidency and the United States, has undermined the integrity of his office, has betrayed his trust as President and has acted in a manner subversive of constitutional government and the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, by such conduct, George Walker Bush warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
Article 5.
Using the powers of the office of President of the United States, George Walker Bush, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duties as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the United States and to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, communicated to the Congress, as per the requirements of Public Law No: 107-243 (Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002) that military action against Iraq was justified because Iraq gave aid and comfort to the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; even though George Walker Bush knew the evidence that supposedly supported this determination was false and fabricated.
In doing this, George Walker Bush has brought disrepute upon the Presidency, has undermined the integrity of his office, has betrayed his trust as President and has acted in a manner subversive of constitutional government and the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury of the people of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, by such conduct, George Walker Bush warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
Article 6.
In his conduct while President of the United States, George Walker Bush, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, knew or had reason to know of the unlawful disclosure of a covert Central Intelligence agent's identity and failed to prevent said disclosure even though the agent's identity was classified as "secret" and said disclosure caused serious damage to the security of the United States.
In doing this, George Walker Bush has brought disrepute upon the Presidency, has undermined the integrity of his office, has betrayed his trust as President and has acted in a manner grossly derelict of his constitutional duties, to the manifest injury of the people of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, by such conduct, George Walker Bush warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
Article 7.
In his conduct while President of the United States, George Walker Bush, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, failed to take corrective action against the members of his staff involved in the unlawful disclosure of a covert Central Intelligence agent's identity even though the agent's identity was known by George Walker Bush to be classified as "secret" and said disclosure caused serious damage to the security of the United States.
In doing this, George Walker Bush has brought disrepute upon the Presidency, has undermined the integrity of his office, has betrayed his trust as President and has acted in a manner grossly derelict of his constitutional duties, to the manifest injury of the people of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, by such conduct, George Walker Bush warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
Article 8.
Using the powers of the office of President of the United States, George Walker Bush, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, willfully, knowingly and without lawful cause or excuse authorized the National Security Agency to conduct surveillance on American citizens without obtaining a warrant as required by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 and the Wiretap Act.
In doing this, George Walker Bush has brought disrepute upon the Presidency and the United States, has undermined the integrity of his office, has betrayed his trust as President and has acted in a manner subversive of constitutional government and the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, by such conduct, George Walker Bush warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
