{"id":1906,"date":"2007-12-06T02:36:10","date_gmt":"2007-12-06T02:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/politics\/greens-democrats-and-impeachment\/1906\/"},"modified":"2007-12-06T02:36:10","modified_gmt":"2007-12-06T02:36:10","slug":"greens-democrats-and-impeachment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/politics\/greens-democrats-and-impeachment\/","title":{"rendered":"Greens, Democrats And Impeachment"},"content":{"rendered":"

http:\/\/portland.indymedia.org\/en\/2007\/12\/369504.shtml<\/a><\/p>\n

“Now the gloves are off.”<\/p>\n

Let me explain that statement.<\/p>\n

First, on the issue of Impeachment, either you get it or you don’t. Sadly, the
\nDemocratic Parties leadership are of the latter, they don’t and apparently won’t
\nget it. Former Federal Prosecutor, Elizabeth de la Vega has done a supreme job on
\nmaking of the case for Impeachment. Far more eloquently and concisely than I ever
\ncould.<\/p>\n

My name is Michael Cavlan, Registered Nurse, active in the group Impeach For Peace
\nimpeachforpeace.org and the Green Party candidate for US Senate in Minnesota 2006.
\nI was also the second politician in the country to publicly call for Impeachment,
\ntwo days after the now infamous Downing Street Memo became public. Chairman of the
\nJudiciary Committee, John Conyers was the first. He later arrested Cindy Sheehan
\nin his office for staging a sit down protest in his office due to his effectively
\ntaking it “off the table.” I can now safely say that I was the first to
\nsay it and actually mean it. More on Representative Conyers later.<\/p>\n

Fellow progressives, we need to be honest with ourselves and understand something.
\nThe Democratic Party and it’s corporate corrupted leadership have not simply
\nbeen inactive on this issue of Impeachment. Democratic “leadership” have
\nactually been fighting and blocking Impeachment all over the country. I base this
\nstatement of fact on my four years of experience in the Impeachment movement. I
\nhave worked with Impeach For Peace and have made the statement that on this issue,
\nI have been deliberately non-partisan because it is so important. Now, with what
\nhappened to the Dennis Kucinich Bill HR 799 that has changed my entire perspective.
\nAt this time I told my local Minnesota Democratic friends in Impeach For Peace that
\nmy ceasefire was over and that the “gloves were indeed off.” There has
\nbeen no argument from them on this. As I told them, it was time to look seriously
\nat “Plan B” for Impeachment. More on “Plan B” and what it entails
\nin a minute.<\/p>\n

Let me explain what the corporate media and the corporatized leadership of the Democratic
\nParty will not tell you. We need to understand that their actions and lack of actions
\nare actually protecting the Bush Administration and their illegal activity from
\nthe wrath of “We The People.” All over the country, while rank and file
\nDemocrats and indeed the majority of the American people want to have Bush and Cheney
\nImpeached, the Democratic party leadership have done everything in their power to
\nstop Impeachment. While at the same time, hyping us all up on how evil those in
\nthe Bush Administration are. Of course this mirrors the blatant lie on the Iraq
\nwar, where the Democrats tell us about needing 60 votes in the Senate to stop the
\nIraq war. That is a lie as the truth is, they only need 41 votes to block funding
\nfor this illegal and immoral war. Just don’t expect a Democrat politician or
\ntheir apologists to tell us that. So it is with Impeachment. The lie being perpetrated
\non a lack of Impeachment and accountability is that “it will make the Democrats
\nlook bad, small and spiteful.” Just as the lie on not having enough votes
\nto stop the war, so this lie must be exposed.<\/p>\n

The truth is that having the Congress call for Impeachment will do two very important
\nthings at the same time. It will begin the public investigation into the crimes
\nof the Bush Administration and then the corporate media will be unable to ignore
\nthe issue further. They will be forced into investigating and reporting it in a
\nserious and meaningful way. The second part is, in my book even more important than
\nthe first. With the American people awakened to the crimes being perpetrated in
\nour names, the groundswell of support for Impeachment will take off immediately.<\/p>\n

Instead, we have seen the movement for Impeachment squashed all over the country.
\n>From Vermont, to New Mexico and elsewhere all over our country it has been stifled
\nand marginalized. Not by the “greater evil” Republican Party but instead
\nby the “lesser evil” Democratic Party. So very often, going against the
\nwishes of the rank and file Democrats. As I stated earlier I have been working with
\na primarily Democratic organization Impeach For Peace and have witnessed this phenomena
\ngoing on all over the nation, as well as locally. Our federal government has failed
\nus, all of us. Instead of standing up and protecting us, they have blocked and stalled
\nthe Impeachment Movement all over our nation.<\/p>\n

By their actions and equally important, lack of action our elected officials have
\nabandoned their oath to “defend and protect the Constitution from all enemies,
\nforeign and domestic.” Even more damning, they have, as stated earlier actually
\nprotected the Bush Administration from being held accountable by us for their criminal
\nand immoral actions. In Minnesota recently Congressman John Conyers was recently
\nchallenged on this very point. He told us that it was more important to be re-elected
\nand have a Democrat in the White House than this critical issue of accountability
\nfor those criminals in the White House. These are his words here, not mine. I told
\nhim that we have reached a point in our nation that we need to hold those people
\naccountable who refuse to hold this criminal Administration itself accountable.
\nRemember this term for later.<\/p>\n

Then we have the earlier mentioned HR 799, entered into the political record by
\nDennis Kucinich. What happened to that Bill irrefutably makes my case. When presidential
\ncandidate Kucinich used his position and privilege as a Congressman to introduce
\nthis bill, calling for the Impeachment of Dick Cheney look at what happened. It
\nwas the Democratic Party which attempted to table it, to effectively kill the Bill
\nand all that it stood for, accountability. Yet in a stunning turn around, it was
\nthe Republicans who actually kept it alive, in an obvious attempt to make the Democrats
\nlook bad. In fact the story goes that an unnamed Republican “accidently”
\ndropped his pen where he could not reach it. Then the Republicans quickly had a
\nmeeting and decided to keep it alive, obviously for what they perceived as short
\nterm political gain. At the obvious behest of House leader Nancy Pelosi, the Bill
\nwas then sent to the Judiciary Committee, where it currently sits. We must note
\nthat it now sits with it’s virtual mirror HR 333 which also calls for the Impeachment
\nof Cheney. HR 333 has been languishing with no movement for over six months now
\nand it appears that HR 799 will suffer the same fate, as was intended. For all intended
\npurposes “Mission Accomplished” or so it would appear.<\/p>\n

It was at this point that I told my friends in Impeach For Peace that “the
\ngloves are off.” Now we need to analyze why the Democratic Party leadership
\nwould make such a horrific political blunder. Some have put it down to yet another
\nexample of “the Dems spinelessness and cowardice again.” I disagree. I
\nhold, firmly that the reason that Nancy Pelosi, Barck Obama, Hillary Clinton, yes
\neven John Edwards and John Conyers have been guilty of these unbelievable acts of
\ncraven cowardice is not just simple lack of political will and spine. I put it to
\nyou all, very directly that the real reason that they are not moving and in fact
\nare attempting to kill Impeachment is much deeper and troubling.<\/p>\n

The plain and simple reason that the Democratic Party are willing to go against
\nthe will of the majority, not just in their Party but indeed the general public
\nis this simple and chilling. Their owners won’t let them. Their owners are,
\nof course the wealthy, monied corporate interests who own the entire political system,
\nmedia and just about everything else in our country. Those people and interests
\nwho fund campaigns, the ones responsible for the slick, glitzy TV adds, the fancy
\nglossy brochures and parades that we often attend. The very groups and people that
\nthe Democratic party claims to fighting against. They own them, they are not our
\nrepresentatives, they are theirs. Years of watching good, honest people “petitioning”
\nthem has made that clear to me. The sooner we all come to that realization and fight
\nfor a true representative, grassroots government, the sooner we can actually achieve
\nit. Of course that means we have to look honestly and realistically on where we
\nare and just how bad and deep the mess we find ourselves is. “They” are
\nnot the solution, they are a manifestation of the problem we face. I base this on
\nthe dual understanding, the undeniable truth that corporate interests own both political
\nparties. Corporations do not like instability and Impeachment would indeed create
\nsome short term instability in the market. So they are probably threatening to withhold
\ntheir campaign constibutions if Impeachment is not “taken off the table.”<\/p>\n

Plan B<\/p>\n

This leads us to Plan B and all that entails, given the realities just described.
\nHere in Minnesota we are starting to organize a plan, a call to action. Since the
\nfederal government have indeed failed us all so dramatically, we need to go local.
\nThe good people in Impeach For Peace have found a way to make that happen. According
\nto the Thomas Jefferson Manuel On Impeachment, there is another way to institute
\nthe will of We The People in regards to Impeachment. Apparently Jefferson foresaw
\nthe situation we find ourselves in today. he gave us the blueprint for Plan B.<\/p>\n

It is this simple. We need to have just One State House and Senate pass, together
\na Resolution for Impeachment. That happens and the Congress which has failed us
\nby refusing to even bring it to the House is forced to put all other business aside
\nand deal with Impeachment. Here in Minnesota we are, even now planning for a Call
\nTo Impeachment Rally on the steps of the St Paul Minnesota Capitol. It is planned
\nfor February 15th, the first day of business for the Minnesota House and Senate.
\nAt the end of the rally, we in essence Storm the Bastille. The message will be clear,
\ncrystal clear. We are not “lobbying” or begging for Impeachment, we are
\ndemanding it. We will also be crystal clear in this message. If the politicians
\nwe talk to, do not actively do everything in their power to promote Impeachment,
\nwe will hold them accountable. They will face opposition in the next election and
\ntheir oppositions message will be simple. He or she will face another candidate
\nrunning against him with this message, “this person violated his oath of office
\nto protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
\nWe will ask them, in very plan language that do they want to face the accusation
\nthat “they actually protected the Bush Administration?” The simple beauty
\nof this plan is that we will be afforded the opportunity of talking to people and
\npotentially affecting them, on the local level where they are much less beholden
\nto the corporate interests which has made our democracy “the best that money
\ncan buy” on the Federal level, as investigative journalist Greg Palast has
\npointed out.<\/p>\n

Of course it would be beautiful if Minnesota did this, which we will but can we
\nimagine the impact of California, Hawaii, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia,
\nArizona, New Mexico and a host of other states did the same thing?<\/p>\n

This is your call to action. Make it happen. As is often the case, if you face a
\ncareer politician who will use the structure of his political party and it’s
\napparatus, then this is your opportunity to use us, the Green Party. That way you
\ncan’t be crushed or marginalized in a primary race by those who are better funded
\nthan you. Get involved in your local Green Party and seek the Green endorsement
\nin your run for office. If you don’t know how, contact myself at \u00a0ollamhfaery@earthlink.net<\/a>
\nor (612)327-6902. We can actually make this thing happen. We can and should put
\nImpeachment and accountability back on the table. It is our table to set after all,
\nalthough those in Washington Dc seem to have forgotten that.<\/p>\n

Like I said at the start of this piece, I had very deliberately been non-partisan
\non the issue of Impeachment because it was so critical. I am now strictly partisan
\nfor the same reason. Now is the time to get active on Impeachment. Let us hold the
\nBush Administration accountable for their crimes. Not just because it is the right
\nthing to do but to ensure that their are no further abuses of power in the future.
\nLet us all do this now, acting as though the very future of our democratic Republic
\ndepends on it. It just may.<\/p>\n

Michael Cavlan RN
\n(612)327-6902
\n\u00a0ollamhfaery@earthlink.net<\/a><\/p>\n

Below is a Green Party Statement on Impeachment<\/p>\n

Press Release<\/p>\n

Home | Press | Print<\/p>\n

Impeach Bush and Cheney Now!<\/p>\n

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
\n\u00a0http:\/\/www.gp.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Tuesday, January 3, 2006<\/p>\n

Contacts:
\nScott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, \u00a0mclarty@greens.org<\/a>
\nStarlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, \u00a0starlene@greens.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Congress must impeach Bush and Cheney, say Greens, citing White House lawlessness,
\ngrowing threat to U.S. democracy, and war crimes.<\/p>\n

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Citing a litany of alleged high crimes and misdemeanors, abuses
\nof power, and violations of the U.S. Constitution, Green Party leaders urged Congress
\nto initiate impeachment proceedings against President George W. Bush and Vice President
\nCheney as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

“The evidence that President Bush has abused his office and betrayed the trust
\nof the American people is now so overwhelming that failure to undertake impeachment
\nwould make Congress even more complicit in this administration’s lawlessness,”
\nsaid Nan Garrett, Georgia Green Party co-chair and spokesperson for the National
\nWomen’s Caucus. “Three more years of Bush and Cheney will do lasting damage
\nto the rule of law and result in even more death and destruction under Bush’s
\nreckless policies.”<\/p>\n

“The Bush Administration blocked an independent probe into 9\/11 while making
\nfraudulent statements about the reasons for invading Iraq, and now admits that it
\nspies on American citizens in disregard of legal limits. What more does Congress
\nneed before it says enough is enough?” Ms. Garrett added.<\/p>\n

The Green Party of the United States called for Congress to commence impeachment
\nof President Bush in July, 2003, after he ordered the invasion of Iraq. The resolution
\naccused the President of numerous deceptions to justify the invasion, as well as
\nviolations of the U.S. Constitution (restriction in Article II on the deployment
\nof Armed Forces to defense of U.S. borders; required adherence to international
\ntreaties in Article VI) and of international law (U.N. Charter; Geneva conventions).<\/p>\n

“In early 2003, there already existed credible evidence that the war was based
\non White House fraud: false claims that Saddam Hussein possessed WMDs, sought nuclear
\nweapons materials, and colluded with al Qaeda. But most Democrats feared accusations
\nthat they’d be soft on terrorism and unpatriotic if they criticized the invasion,”
\nsaid Jody Grage Haug, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States. “Three
\nyears later, after more than 2,100 U.S. troop deaths, tens of thousands of dead
\nIraqi civilians, a continuing military quagmire in Iraq, and indications that the
\ninvasion and occupation inflamed anti-U.S. sentiment around the world, especially
\nin Islamic nations, some Democrats have caught up to the Green Party.”<\/p>\n

In addition to White House falsehoods leading up to the war on Iraq, Greens listed
\nother grounds for impeachment:<\/p>\n

President Bush ordered the National Security Agency to spy on American citizens
\nwithout obtaining a warrant in accord with the Fourth Amendment and the 1978 Foreign
\nIntelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Recent FBI targets of surveillance (nonviolent
\npeace and human rights organizations, Catholic Workers Group, People for the Ethical
\nTreatment of Animals, Vegan Community Project) prove that his administration’s
\ngoals have more to do with politics than with preventing terrorism. Mr. Bush’s
\ninsistence that such surveillance is justified and will continue is further proof
\nof his contempt for the law.<\/p>\n

Numerous Bush Administration policies — denial of due process, extraordinary rendition,
\nsecret detention centers, and torture at various sites, including Abu Ghraib and
\nGuantanamo Bay — have violated U.S. and international law. Vice President Cheney
\nattempted to gain a license from Congress for torture, even though it has been proven
\nineffective for gathering accurate information (e.g., Ibn Al Shaykh Al Libi’s
\ntestimony about links between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda, later recanted). Greens
\nnoted that the agreement reached by Mr. Bush and Sen. John McCain purportedly outlawing
\ntorture allows a significant loophole (see “Tortured Logic: McCain-Bush deal
\nhas a big loophole” by James Ridgeway with Michael Roston, The Village Voice,
\nDecember 19, 2005, <\u00a0http:\/\/www.villagevoice.com\/news\/0551,ridgeway,71143,2.html><\/a>).<\/p>\n

Congress must investigate whether the White House endorsed the use of outlawed weapons
\nmaterials such as depleted uranium, which causes radioactive contamination of humans
\n(U.S. troops as well as Iraqi civilians) and the environment; white phosphorus,
\na chemical whose use in warfare is proscribed by international agreement; and cluster
\nbombs, which do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Their use in Iraq
\nis a war crime for which either the President himself or the Defense Department
\nmust be held accountable. Other war crimes, which require impeachment if based on
\nWhite House orders, include the military targeting of journalists, individual reporters
\nas well as television stations (Al Jazeera and Abu Dhabi), and looting of hospitals,
\nmuseums, and private homes.<\/p>\n

“Many Americans have realized that the Bush-Cheney ideology is about installing
\na permanent corporate elite in power, buttressed by military power and public fear
\nover perceived and fabricated threats, while missing real dangers to our security,”
\nsaid Jake Schneider, treasurer of the Green Party of the United States. “The
\nresponse to Katrina, dismissed evidence of global warming, manipulated scientific
\nresearch, energy policy crafted in secret with corporate lobbies, new prescription
\ndrug policy, attack on Social Security, 2000 and 2004 election irregularities, and
\nother evidence should lay to rest any illusion about this Administration’s disregard
\nfor the interests of the American people.”<\/p>\n

MORE INFORMATION<\/p>\n

Green Party of the United States
\n\u00a0http:\/\/www.gp.org<\/a>
\n1711 18th Street NW
\nWashington, DC 20009.
\n202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
\nFax 202-319-7193<\/p>\n

“Congress Must Reject Patriot Act, Ban Warrantless Spying”
\nPress release from the Green Party of the United States, December 19, 2005
\n\u00a0http:\/\/www.gp.org\/press\/pr_2005_12_19.shtml<\/a><\/p>\n

“Greens Call for Impeachment of Bush, Withdrawal of Troops by the Winter Holidays”
\nPress release from the Green Party of the United States, July 21, 200<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

http:\/\/portland.indymedia.org\/en\/2007\/12\/369504.shtml “Now the gloves are off.” Let me explain that statement. First, on the issue of Impeachment, either you get it or you don’t. Sadly, the Democratic Parties leadership are of the latter, they don’t and apparently won’t get it. Former Federal Prosecutor, Elizabeth de la Vega has done a supreme job on making of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,1616],"tags":[49],"class_list":{"0":"post-1906","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-politics","7":"category-usa-news","8":"tag-usa-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1906"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1906\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}