Sunday, May 18, 2008
Attitude Is Everything, Commitment is Courageous , Conviction Is Not Lacking In New Hampshire and Tenacity Is Consider A Primary Virtue By This Writer and:
New Hampshire’s Brookline, State Representative, Betty Hall’s Resolution to impeach Bush and Cheney passed at the NH Democratic Convention yesterday!
New Hampshire’s Brookline, State Representative, Betty Hall’s Resolution to impeach Bush and Cheney passed at the NH Democratic Convention yesterday by a Floor Division vote of 110 to 88. Tabled by the New Hampshire House on Wednesday, April 16, Hall vowed that the fight would continue. And so it did Saturday, May 17, at the New Hampshire Democratic Convention held at McLaughlin Middle School in Manchester.
The Convention support should carry significant weight when Representative Hall brings HR24 (the Petition to impeach) back to the NH Legislature for discussion (HR24 was tabled April 16 and despite coverage at the time, tabling did not mean HR24 was a dead issue, (a simple majority, not a 2/3 vote, can bring it back to the floor and renew the debate).
In addition to supporting the Hall Resolution, the convention also ratified, “The Newbury Resolution” demanding accountability, reconciliation and indictment of George Bush and Dick Cheney passed unanimously.
By passing both resolutions, the New Hampshire Democratic Party positioned itself consistently of the issues and asking for investigations to begin immediately.
In the past few days the two matters were the subject of some New Hampshire “editorial press “ coverage which ranged from thoughtful to downright ludicrous mediocre opposition. We will explore these matter later in this post.
On Thursday, April 17, 2008 , Brookline, New Hampshire state Representative, Betty Hall, authored the following letter to supporters of HR 24 in New Hampshire, New England and indeed across this nation:
Thursday, April 17, 2008 : To the wonderful army of people who fought for HR24,
Here is the statement I put out for public release:
NEW HAMPSHIRE TABLES THE REVOLUTION
HR24, the Petition to Commence Impeachment Procedures in the United States Congress, was tabled by the New Hampshire House on Wednesday, April 16. The vote was 227 to 95 to table the petition. Before the tabling motion was made, there was limited debate, during which most Republicans left the floor. The tabling motion was made by the Democratic floor leader, Dan Eaton of Stoddard and spoken for by the Democratic Majority Leader, Mary Jane Wallner of Concord. The tabling motion by the Democratic leadership cut off all further debate, defying the NH tradition of open debate on the floor of the House.
The petition is tabled, but unresolved. Full debate can still be invoked.
Tabling in NH does NOT kill a bill. The bill can be revived in this session.
I believe if an actual vote on the bill had been held, we would have had many more votes. But we got something VERY valuable: a roll call of 95 legislators who had the power of conviction to vote for the petition in spite of the leadership.
We will go forward. I have asked for a ruling on the Baldasaro amendment - if that doesn't dispose of it, there are other ways to remove it or neutralize it.
We had a wonderful rally. I have over 3000 e-mails of support. We have a roll call of brave legislators. And an army of volunteers and organizations gave my petition wonderful work and support.
I want to thank all of you and tell you to have courage. This fight is not over!
Best,
Betty
Support HR24 at I.Support.HR24@gmail.com
Links to Previous Posts Concerning HR24, Betty Hall and the New England advocates of HR24 are listed below as refreshers:
http://theimpeachmenthearingroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/new-hamshire-in-news-yoo-is-bringing.html
http://theimpeachmenthearingroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/impeach-bush-cheney-new-hampshire.html
http://theimpeachmenthearingroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/congratulations-new-hampshire.html
http://theimpeachmenthearingroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/betty-hall-new-hampshire-impeach-bush.html
http://theimpeachmenthearingroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/dedicated-to-betty-hall-and-all.html
http://theimpeachmenthearingroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/note-from-betty-hall.html
Pre Convention Press Commentary:
Besides formulating their platform for the November elections, delegates will be voting on 19 resolutions that were reviewed on May 6 by a resolutions committee of the party. Two of those resolutions pose an interesting conundrum.
The first, submitted by the Newbury Democratic Committee, calls for indictment and prosecution of our current leaders in Washington – among other things. While no one appeared to testify for or against the resolution, its passage was unanimously recommended by the resolutions committee.
The second resolution, submitted by Brookline state Rep. Betty Hall, calls upon the U.S. House to uphold its oath of office and begin investigations to determine if there is sufficient cause/evidence to hold our current elected leaders responsible.
Tthe Resolutions Committee recommended not to support it by a 2-1 vote. However, the actual decision will be made at the convention by the vote of all the delegates.
So here's the conundrum – how is it possible that the review committee could vote for indict and prosecute and vote against investigating?
My curiosity led me to go check out the resolutions on the New Hampshire Democratic Party Web site.
(The constitution of the party requires all pertinent information be available 10 days before the convention.)
Nothing – not there.
Delegates need time to prepare for making an intelligent, informed vote. So are they to cast their votes at the convention as apparently uninformed as the committee?
Are we, too, just supposed to ignore the rules and lawful process when it comes to this administration?
Are there to be no investigations to lay out the truth of what this administration has done to our honor and with our money?
Worst of all, are the illegitimate powers they've taken from the people, from the legislative and judicial branches of government, going to be allowed to go forward to future administrations – of either party?
Oh, yes, I forgot to mention the sponsor of each resolution will be given three minutes to speak at the convention . . . and no one else may speak at all.
In 2006, the resolutions committee had also recommended not to support another resolution regarding investigations of the Bush administration. Only after numerous speakers rose and spoke in support of investigations did the entire convention come to its feet in strong support and then vote to pass the resolution. However, that resolution was ignored for the past two years.
Can we expect that the delegates will again be our voice in telling them that we the people do want truth and accountability?
Can we hope that the review committee recommendation will again be overturned?
Will the state "party leaders" again sweep the issue under the rug?
What can they be thinking? What are they afraid of?
The tidal wave that swept the current Democratic office holders into their positions was the result of a national backlash against the Bush administration – perhaps it is time for the tide to go out.
Hmmm! Perhaps the top Democratic leadership senses this and they don't care.
NH Democratic Party Convention — 9 May 2008 — by Nancy White — Concord, New Hampshire — it is not known why Hall’s resolution was not recommended and the Newbury resolution was given a full recommendation. — In A Crowded Standing Room Only Meeting At The Nh Democratic Party Headquarters May 6th, the Resolutions Committee of the NH State Party Convention recommended a split decision on two similar resolutions.
Among the 19 resolutions put before the committee, two resolutions were submitted which were of a like nature. One from members of the Newbury, NH Democratic Party resolved to bring to the US Congress an assessment of current imbalances in the Bush/Cheney administration; identify recent wrong doings and failures; appoint and administer a Commission of Accountability and Reconciliation; indict and prosecute the guilty; and hear and address the rightful grievances of those wronged. It was voted unanimously 3-0 by the committee. There were no supporters present to speak on behalf of the Newbury Resolution.
Next to come before the committee were about two dozen supporters who renewed and emphasized their testimonies to an amended version of a resolution presented by NH State Brookline Representative Betty Hall. It calls for the NH House of Representatives to exercise its right to petition the US House to begin impeachment investigations of President Bush and Vice-President Cheney.
This resolution submitted by Representative Hall, however, was not recommended by the committee by a vote of 2-1 during their executive session. State Representatives Melanie Levesque, Brookline and Jane Clemons, Nashua, provided the majority votes, while Attorney Alexander Lee, Concord cast the lone minority vote.
Majority/minority reports will be presented to delegates at the upcoming NH Democratic Party Convention to be held Saturday, May 17 in Manchester. It will now be up to delegates to decide whether to adopt the Hall resolution. However, in a recent move this month by the rules committee speeches will be limited to sponsors only for any resolution at this year’s Convention. There will be no support speeches. Comments will be limited to a total of three minutes.
Keeping paper costs at a minimum while supporting 'green' sustainable practices, the Party will be listing on their web site all platform articles and resolutions (www.nhdemconvention.org). In an effort to keep their 'carbon footprint small', this year they will be emailing all convention materials to delegates. It will not include, however, speeches in support of various resolutions. Debate on any resolution will be curtailed at the Convention because of the three minute rule, which represents a departure from past Convention policies and the tradition of fair and open discussion in New Hampshire politics.
Attorney Lee has been granted one minute by the Rules Committee to read his minority report recommending the Hall resolution at the Convention, which states:
'Because justice is better served; because our Constitutional democracy has been decimated by this Administration; because dedicated Democrats are leaving the Party due to a failure of our leadership on this issue; because it is never too late to prevent, halt, or avoid abuses to the Constitution; because inaction could cause the drumbeat for war in Iran to rise; because torture doesn't only happen in the movies; because I could not face my grandchildren if I voted otherwise; because of very reasonable suspicion of bribery, treason, war-profiteering, and other high crimes and misdemeanors; because we have the right to petition our government; because the world watches and waits for us, I dissent and cast the lone Committee vote in favor of Rep. Hall's resolution (for impeachment proceedings to begin in the US House).'
During the 2006 NH Democratic Party State Convention it was resolved unanimously to recommend submitting charges to the US House grounds for impeachment of President Bush. However, that resolution, which had been submitted by State Representative Bob Perry, Strafford was initially also rejected by the Resolutions Committee before the Convention that year. Only after numerous speakers rose to support investigations of Bush and Cheney did the entire convention come to their feet in a unanimous vote.
During the meeting Tuesday evening, the gathered NH residents expressed concerns and suspicions that war crimes and abuses of power to the executive branch have grown over the two succeeding years as revelations of wrong doing continue to mount. Many expressed their disappointment of the leadership of the NH Party by not honoring the 2006 commitments of the majority of the people. Barbara Hilton, Portsmouth said she has now left the Party to join the 'undeclared status' in NH after a lifetime of being registered as a Democrat, while others echoed frustrated sentiments.
It is not known why Hall's resolution was not recommended and the Newbury resolution was given a full recommendation. Impeachment is the formal term used in the US Constitution to describe inquiry in the US House and indictment by a trial in the US Senate. Impeachment, listed six times in the US Constitution, is for the offices of President, Vice-President and all civil officers when treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors have been investigated and convicted.
In an effort to inform delegates about Hall's resolution supporters have stated they will be providing an information table inside the Convention on May 17, work to create a speakers area outside at the McLaughlin Middle School, Manchester to hear citizen grievances and place speeches at a recent Impeachment Rally on a web site devoted to her resolution: www.Hall4Impeachment.com.
A Rally for Impeachment, which was held at the Capitol Center for the Arts last month, highlighted such notables as Pentagon Papers whistleblower, Daniel Ellsberg, The Nation magazine's John Nichols, Ret. USAF Robert Bowman, Granny D as well as Rep. Hall and others. It drew a standing room crowd of about 500 and also presented Peter, Paul and Mary great, Noel Paul Stookey, who sang his newest release, "In These Times". Over 3,000 letters of support of Betty Hall's resolution were emailed to a special account: I.support.HR24.@gmail.com and shared with NH Representatives and citizens.
PETITION TO COMMENCE IMPEACHMENT PROCEDURE IN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS (The Hall Resolution)
A resolution related to impeachment, offered by Betty Hall, for consideration by the New Hampshire Democratic Party Convention on Saturday May 17, 2008.
WHEREAS, the New Hampshire State Democratic Party resolved unanimously in 2006 that the House of Representatives of the State of New Hampshire has good cause for submitting charges to the U.S. House of Representatives as grounds for the impeachment of President George W. Bush; and,
WHEREAS, the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the people a right to petition the government for a redress of grievances; and,
WHEREAS, the New Hampshire State Constitution Article 4 provides for "Rights of Conscience"; and,
WHEREAS, members of the New Hampshire State Legislature and the United States Congress who are elected to public office take an oath to support the Constitution; and,
WHEREAS, the United States Constitution provides a system of checks and balances that is designed to prevent the abuse of power by government and to preserve the power and freedom of the people; and,
WHEREAS, there is evidence in the public record that suggests President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney may have abused their executive power by deliberately providing misleading information to Congress and the public about the threat from Iraq in order to induce Congress to approve the use of military force; and,
WHEREAS, there is evidence in the public record that President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney may have authorized and condoned the rendition of prisoners across national borders and the torture of those prisoners in violation of the "Federal Torture Act" Title 18 United States Code, Section 113C; and,
WHEREAS, there is evidence in the public record that President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney may have authorized allowed the politicization of the Department of Justice and improperly obstructed Congressional oversight investigations related to this action the politicization of the Department of Justice; and,
WHEREAS, on December 17th, 2005, President George W. Bush publicly admitted to ordering the National Security Agency to conduct electronic surveillance and information gathering on American citizens in a manner that may have violated the Constitution's 4th Amendment prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures; and,
WHEREAS, the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives has the power to investigate these, or any other charges of Executive misconduct, for which there is sufficient cause; and,
WHEREAS, the United States Congress has the sole power to determine guilt or innocence, and whether these crimes rise to the level of High Crimes and Misdemeanors, through the Constitutional process of impeachment and a subsequent trial; and,
WHEREAS, future Presidents will effectively inherit any expanded powers of the current Presidency unless those powers are removed by the process of impeachment before leaving office;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the New Hampshire State Democratic Party hereby requests that the United States House of Representatives investigate these charges, using the greater power that an impeachment investigation provides, and if their findings so warrant, proceed with the impeachment of President George Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the New Hampshire State Democratic Party hereby requests that the New Hampshire House exercise its right to petition the United States House of Representatives to urge commencement of impeachment investigations; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT a copy of this resolution with the original authorizing signature of the Secretary of State and of the New Hampshire State Democratic Party be sent to the Office of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and that copies of the signed resolution be sent to each member of the United States Senate and House of Representatives and to each member of the New Hampshire State Legislature.
A RESOLUTION PERTAINING TO THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (The Newbury Resolution)
WHEREAS: Labels such as left and right, small or big government, red or blue states distract and divide American citizens from the role of effective, smart and good government.
WHEREAS: An effective, smart and good government upholds the rule of law, protects the innocent, punishes the guilty, keeps the peace and provides order and security with the most justice and least violence possible.
WHEREAS: The Bush-Cheney administration of the federal government of the United States of America has been shown to have deceived its people as to why a war with Iraq was necessary, why its continued prosecution is necessary, and how the lives of thousands of wounded and killed soldiers and civilians of this country, Iraq and many other nations will be accounted for and addressed.
WHEREAS: The Bush-Cheney Administration of the federal government of the United States of America has also failed to appoint the capable people needed and recommend and provide the funding needed to ensure the right, proper and necessary regulatory responses to many situations recently including, not limited to, the care and rehabilitation of wounded soldiers and their families, the Gulf Hurricanes, the importation of toxic goods, food and toys from China, the fraud and deception that fueled the sub prime crisis, and the excessive profits being leveraged from American citizens and taxpayers by companies such as Exxon Mobil and Halliburton.
BE IT RESOLVED: The people of the United States of America have a right to expect standards of accountability for its government and the officials of that government and that it's established system of checks and balances either works or be revised to work. The people now come with a resolution to the Congress to assess the current imbalances, identify these recent wrong doings and failures, appoint and administer a Commission of Accountability and Reconciliation, indict and prosecute the guilty, and hear and address the rightful grievances of those wronged in this period. The people also require that the Congress now propose and adopt more effective standards of accountability for the government, its leaders, officers and agencies to prevent such future lapses and secure a more effective, smart and good government.
WILL THEY BACK IMPEACHMENT (AGAIN)? Will state Democrats back Rep. Betty Hall's resolution calling for the impeachment of President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney at Saturday's state convention?
The inside thinking is yes, they will, as they did in 2006. But Hall is concerned by what she views as a party leadership attempt to stifle her ability to get the word out about her proposal.
Two things rankle her.
First, she said a state party staffer recently denied her request for the names of convention delegates so she and her supporters could personally contact them with information about her plan.
Second, Hall and her supporters are displeased by what they view as an attempt by the party to curtail open discussion of her resolution, not to mention the 15 others to go before a convention delegation expected to be about 1,000 at the McLaughlin Middle School in Manchester.
Party chair Ray Buckley defends the party leadership on each count.
Buckley said the delegates' names have never been given out in order to protect them. He said Hall's request came in too late for the party to review the pros and cons of giving out the names.
"We once had a situation when names went out and an unhinged person was making threats to all the female town chairs," he said. "It's not a quick, Oh-sure decision."
But the party will allow delegates to distribute information about various resolutions at the door as people arrive.
Hall said she wanted "10 or 15 minutes" for speaking on her resolution, split evenly between those in favor and against. Buckley said she may get her wish because the rules of the convention will be decided by the delegates themselves before debate begins.
The convention resolutions committee has recommended each resolution's sponsor be allotted three minutes to present a proposal and that pro and con opinions then be condensed into a one minute speech on each side.
It doesn't sound like much, but according to resolutions committee member Alexander Lee, who wrote the proposal, it's actually more time for sponsors than past conventions, when the sponsor was allotted two minutes, the resolutions committee was allotted two minutes and each side was allowed two additional one-minute speeches. The resolutions committee has also proposed written statements on each proposal be included into the minutes of the convention.
Indict them, too...
Another resolution to be considered on Saturday, sponsored by the Newbury Democratic Committee, says that Bush and Cheney "have been shown to have deceived" Americans about the necessity of the Iraq war and have failed to properly take care of wounded soldiers and their families, as well as the victims of Hurricane Katrina and of several other problems facing the country.
It calls for Congress to appoint a "Commission of Accountability and Reconciliation" and to "indict and prosecute the guilty," which may be viewed as a stronger statement than impeachment.
Another proposed resolutions calls for national health insurance, and Lee proposes a resolution calling for what he calls a "Jimmy Carter" doctrine of a foreign policy that does not boycott or punish "political factions or governments that refuse to accept the United States mandates."
The party will also honor outgoing state DNC members Anita Freedman and Gaetan DiGangi, as well as the late former Hillsborough County Democratic chair David Broderick and the late Dr. John Hussey.
Among the 19 resolutions put before the committee, two resolutions were submitted which were of a like nature. One from members of the Newbury, NH Democratic Party resolved to bring to the US Congress an assessment of current imbalances in the Bush/Cheney administration; identify recent wrong doings and failures; appoint and administer a Commission of Accountability and Reconciliation; indict and prosecute the guilty; and hear and address the rightful grievances of those wronged. It was voted unanimously 3-0 by the committee. There were no supporters present to speak on behalf of the Newbury Resolution.
Next to come before the committee were about two dozen supporters who renewed and emphasized their testimonies to an amended version of a resolution presented by NH State Brookline Representative Betty Hall. It calls for the NH House of Representatives to exercise its right to petition the US House to begin impeachment investigations of President Bush and Vice-President Cheney.
'Because justice is better served; because our Constitutional democracy has been decimated by this Administration; because dedicated Democrats are leaving the Party due to a failure of our leadership on this issue; because it is never too late to prevent, halt, or avoid abuses to the Constitution; because inaction could cause the drumbeat for war in Iran to rise; because torture doesn't only happen in the movies; because I could not face my grandchildren if I voted otherwise; because of very reasonable suspicion of bribery, treason, war-profiteering, and other high crimes and misdemeanors; because we have the right to petition our government; because the world watches and waits for us, I dissent and cast the lone Committee vote in favor of Rep. Hall's resolution (for impeachment proceedings to begin in the US House).'
During the meeting Tuesday evening, the gathered NH residents expressed concerns and suspicions that war crimes and abuses of power to the executive branch have grown over the two succeeding years as revelations of wrong doing continue to mount.
In an effort to inform delegates about Hall's resolution supporters have stated they will be providing an information table inside the Convention on May 17, work to create a speakers area outside at the McLaughlin Middle School, Manchester to hear citizen grievances and place speeches at a recent Impeachment Rally on a web site devoted to her resolution: www.Hall4Impeachment.com. A Rally for Impeachment, which was held at the Capitol Center for the Arts last month, highlighted such notables as Pentagon Papers whistleblower, Daniel Ellsberg, The Nation magazine's John Nichols, Ret. USAF Robert Bowman, Granny D as well as Rep. Hall and others. It drew a standing room crowd of about 500 and also presented Peter, Paul and Mary great, Noel Paul Stookey, who sang his newest release, "In These Times". Over 3,000 letters of support of Betty Hall's resolution were emailed to a special account: I.support.HR24.@gmail.com and shared with NH Representatives and citizens.
Please note both State Democratic Party Resolutions below:
(The Official Convention Copies)
PETITION TO COMMENCE IMPEACHMENT PROCEDURE IN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
A resolution related to impeachment, offered by Betty Hall, for consideration by the New Hampshire Democratic Party Convention on Saturday May 17, 2008.
WHEREAS, the New Hampshire State Democratic Party resolved unanimously in 2006 that the House of Representatives of the State of New Hampshire has good cause for submitting charges to the U.S. House of Representatives as grounds for the impeachment of President George W. Bush; and,
WHEREAS, the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the people a right to petition the government for a redress of grievances; and,
WHEREAS, the New Hampshire State Constitution Article 4 provides for "Rights of Conscience"; and,
WHEREAS, members of the New Hampshire State Legislature and the United States Congress who are elected to public office take an oath to support the Constitution; and,
WHEREAS, the United States Constitution provides a system of checks and balances that is designed to prevent the abuse of power by government and to preserve the power and freedom of the people; and,
WHEREAS, there is evidence in the public record that suggests President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney may have abused their executive power by deliberately providing misleading information to Congress and the public about the threat from Iraq in order to induce Congress to approve the use of military force; and,
WHEREAS, there is evidence in the public record that President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney may have authorized and condoned the rendition of prisoners across national borders and the torture of those prisoners in violation of the "Federal Torture Act" Title 18 United States Code, Section 113C; and,
WHEREAS, there is evidence in the public record that President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney may have authorized allowed the politicization of the Department of Justice and improperly obstructed Congressional oversight investigations related to this action the politicization of the Department of Justice; and,
WHEREAS, on December 17th, 2005, President George W. Bush publicly admitted to ordering the National Security Agency to conduct electronic surveillance and information gathering on American citizens in a manner that may have violated the Constitution's 4th Amendment prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures; and,
WHEREAS, the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives has the power to investigate these, or any other charges of Executive misconduct, for which there is sufficient cause; and,
WHEREAS, the United States Congress has the sole power to determine guilt or innocence, and whether these crimes rise to the level of High Crimes and Misdemeanors, through the Constitutional process of impeachment and a subsequent trial; and,
WHEREAS, future Presidents will effectively inherit any expanded powers of the current Presidency unless those powers are removed by the process of impeachment before leaving office;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the New Hampshire State Democratic Party hereby requests that the United States House of Representatives investigate these charges, using the greater power that an impeachment investigation provides, and if their findings so warrant, proceed with the impeachment of President George Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the New Hampshire State Democratic Party hereby requests that the New Hampshire House exercise its right to petition the United States House of Representatives to urge commencement of impeachment investigations; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT a copy of this resolution with the original authorizing signature of the Secretary of State and of the New Hampshire State Democratic Party be sent to the Office of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and that copies of the signed resolution be sent to each member of the United States Senate and House of Representatives and to each member of the New Hampshire State Legislature.
Primary Sponsor: Newbury Democratic Committee
Topic: A Resolution Pertaining to the Accountability of the Federal Governmet
Date Submitted: 4/30/2008
The Accountability of the Federal Government
WHEREAS: Labels such as left and right, small or big government, red or blue states distract and divide American citizens from the role of effective, smart and good government.
WHEREAS: An effective, smart and good government upholds the rule of law, protects the innocent, punishes the guilty, keeps the peace and provides order and security with the most justice and least violence possible.
WHEREAS: The Bush-Cheney administration of the federal government of the United States of America has been shown to have deceived its people as to why a war with Iraq was necessary, why its continued prosecution is necessary, and how the lives of thousands of wounded and killed soldiers and civilians of this country, Iraq and many other nations will be accounted for and addressed.
WHEREAS: The Bush-Cheney Administration of the federal government of the United States of America has also failed to appoint the capable people needed and recommend and provide the funding needed to ensure the right, proper and necessary regulatory responses to many situations recently including, not limited to, the care and rehabilitation of wounded soldiers and their families, the Gulf Hurricanes, the importation of toxic goods, food and toys from China, the fraud and deception that fueled the subprime crisis, and the excessive profits being leveraged from American citizens and taxpayers by companies such as Exxon Mobil and Halliburton.
BE IT RESOLVED: The people of the United States of America have a right to expect standards of accountability for its government and the officials of that government and that it's established system of checks and balances either works or be revised to work. The people now come with a resolution to the Congress to assess the current imbalances, identify these recent wrong doings and failures, appoint and administer a Commission of Accountability and Reconciliation, indict and prosecute the guilty, and hear and address the rightful grievances of those wronged in this period. The people also require that the Congress now propose and adopt more effective standards of accountability for the government, its leaders, officers and agencies to prevent such future lapses and secure a more effective, smart and good government.
Democrats approve impeachment resolution
Category: President, Local Tags: New Hampshire Democrats, impeachment, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Betty Hall
MANCHESTER -- At their annual state convention Democrats approved a resolution asking Congress to begin impeachment procedures against President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
The resolution, offered by the Newbury Democratic Committee, had very little debate at the state party convention, but several activists worked the crowd throughout the day and said they expected some controversy.
In the end the vote was 110 to 88 in favor of the impeachment resolution. State Democratic Chairman Ray Buckley voted in favor of the resolution during the voice vote. State Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-Exeter) was against it.
Recently the Democratic controlled Legislature did not pass the same resolution.
State Rep. Betty Hall (D-Brookline), a cause celeb for the issue, introduced the issue to the partially full convention call.
Following Hall an activist from Amherst sang a song called "Impeach The Bastards".
LEFT-WING DEMOCRATS GATHER SATURDAY
This one doesn’t get it quite right…probably because he/she is on the right. Let just add this; in the case of Impeachment Centrist are fence sitters, and there is an old saying that: “He who straddles a fence ends up with slivers in his ass.” Enough said!
CONCORD – The extreme left-wing is firmly in control of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, judging by the agenda of tomorrow’s state Democratic Party convention.
Agenda items include platform language calling for legislators to look at “all potential sources of revenue” – code words for a broad-based income or sales tax; a resolution to impeach the President and Vice President; and another resolution calling for their indictment.
Keynoting the convention will be none other than DNC Chairman Howard Dean, whose failed presidential campaign sparked the left-wing’s ascendance in New Hampshire Democratic politics five years ago.
“There was a time when pragmatic centrists held the upper hand within the New Hampshire Democratic Party, but Howard Dean changed that. Today’s New Hampshire Democratic Party is dominated by left-wing ideologues like state Rep. Betty Hall, Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, and the BlueHampshire crowd,” said Fergus Cullen, Chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party.
“Centrist Democrats have become an endangered species in New Hampshire. With the Democratic Party’s lurch to the left on fiscal policy, social policy, and support for a ‘government-knows-best’ nanny state, they have abandoned the middle and given Republicans a real opportunity this year,” Cullen said.
State party resolutions seem to be in conflict.
New Hampshire Representative Pushes to Impeach Bush and Cheney
Resolution 24 created by Betty Hall urges the US Congress to Impeach the President and Vice President.
Atlanta, GA 5/12/2008 04:16 PM GMT (FINDITT)
87 year old New Hampshire state representative Betty Hall is asking the US Congress to investigate President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney and implement their impeachment with her House Resolution 24.
Supports of Resolution 24 accuse Bush and Cheney of putting the nation in an “undeclared, preemptive, never-ending war under false pretenses,” according to the Intelligence Daily. Rep. Hall states that some of the backers are very concerned about the Bush administration’s decision to eliminate prohibitions against torture.
Rep. Hall is not concerned about the timing, claiming that the “moral imperative of impeachment is too great to ignore.” Rep Hall is asking the 400 member New Hampshire House, to pass HR 24 and tell Congress, “for God’s sake, it’s time to consider some actual checks and balances.”
HR 24 went to the floor on April 16, in the wake of a local impeachment rally on April, 14, featuring Daniel Ellsberg and Dr. Robert Bowman. HR 24 is similar to an earlier resolution developed in 2007 in Vermont which stopped at the State Senate. A new resolution was drafted again in January 2008. The April 16 floor vote did not pass, 95-227.
It was declared “inexpedient to legislate.” In order for the resolution to pass, it needs to be taken off of the table by a simple majority vote, which will allow the “inexpedient” tag to be removed and enable the process to continue.
Rep Hill states, “On May 17, I will try again without hesitation,” nothing that New Hampshire independent voters are coming together to support the impeachment. Many republicans believe HR 24 is a form of revenge for the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton.
“It’s not just about Bush and Cheney, its about our Constitution. Its about finding the truth, justice and restoration of the rule of law. You cant have a state legislature without a relationship with the federal government,” Hall says. She also says that starting the impeachment so close to the end of the Bush-Cheney regime is beneficial in the way that it sends a strong message about the need for accountability.
And There You Have it, slivers and all; Impeachment Isn’t Over Until Bush and Cheney Are Impeached, and In New Hampshire, Indicted And Hauled Off To Court. My Thanks to Susan Serpa for her Update Phone call and Email follow up. Likewise on the email front to Nancy White.
Sometimes you have to write; sometimes you have to fight; and when they come together you often have a Revolution…huuuummm….well it is New England we’re talking about!
( Note…repetition of some material is a deliberate part of keeping the record for me)
Did you learn anything Howard Dean?
End Post…not the issue.
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