Lobbying for impeachment: remarks at United for Peace and Justice Pre-Lobby Day Event on Jan. 28, 2007
It's an honor to be part of this obviously growing movement for peace and justice. Our president took us into war before Congress gave its so-called authorization. He did so without telling Congress or the American people and without Congress appropriating any funds for the purpose. In the summer of 2002, Bush took $2.5 billion – according to the Congressional Research Service – away from other projects, including Afghanistan, and used it to build airfields in Qatar and to begin bombing Iraq in preparation for the full-scale invasion.
That is a crime.
In fact, it's what the founders of this country would have called a high crime and misdemeanor.
And what do we do about high crimes and misdemeanors?
That is a crime.
In fact, it's what the founders of this country would have called a high crime and misdemeanor.
And what do we do about high crimes and misdemeanors?
A new manifest destiny
Half a million people marching against the war seem to be cursed to have their numbers reported as "tens of thousands" in the mainstream media for reasons that strike me as similar to the reeling U.S. auto industry's ongoing reliance on monster SUV sales (and didn't Ford make headlines by hemorrhaging almost $13 billion last year?).
That is, the human race has slipped, developmentally, from the grasp of the institutions that attempt to contain and define it. What a muddle. We're flowing instinctively toward survival - toward a sustainable, global society, as free of war and dehumanized enemies as it is of reliance on fossil fuels - but those in power can't bear it, can't understand it, and keep selling us the past.
How else do you explain the sort of zombie life George Bush's war on terror enjoys in the corridors of official thought - where, for instance, the insanity of "troop surge" is given polite, respectful deference - well after its lifeblood of public support has bled into the sand?
That is, the human race has slipped, developmentally, from the grasp of the institutions that attempt to contain and define it. What a muddle. We're flowing instinctively toward survival - toward a sustainable, global society, as free of war and dehumanized enemies as it is of reliance on fossil fuels - but those in power can't bear it, can't understand it, and keep selling us the past.
How else do you explain the sort of zombie life George Bush's war on terror enjoys in the corridors of official thought - where, for instance, the insanity of "troop surge" is given polite, respectful deference - well after its lifeblood of public support has bled into the sand?
Live blogging from Congressional Progressive Caucus Committee Chairs Conference
Prior to this I just sat through a hearing which Pelosi scheduled 12 votes in the middle of, exactly as the Republicans used to do. Conyers subpoenaed no documents or people and put noone under oath. The media left in the middle because of all the votes. And the media was less than it had been when Conyers' hearings were unofficial minority affairs. The only difference was the presence of rightwing nuts at the witness table lying out from under oath. So, it is with some frustration and foreboding that I begin listening to this event. Blogging follows.
4:25 pm John Nichols introduces Chuck Collins and Congress Members Barbara Lee, Steve Cohen, John Conyers, Dennis Kucinich, Bob Filner, and Maurice Hinchey.
Collins spoke first. The Institute for Policy Studies ("Defining the Issues") is sending this out live to radio stations.
Collins suggests holding hearings off the Hill around the country, and tying them to activism. Fine. But how about using them to demand truth out of a criminal White House?
B. Lee spoke next, then Conyers. Conyers described signing statements as Bush placing himself above the law.
4:25 pm John Nichols introduces Chuck Collins and Congress Members Barbara Lee, Steve Cohen, John Conyers, Dennis Kucinich, Bob Filner, and Maurice Hinchey.
Collins spoke first. The Institute for Policy Studies ("Defining the Issues") is sending this out live to radio stations.
Collins suggests holding hearings off the Hill around the country, and tying them to activism. Fine. But how about using them to demand truth out of a criminal White House?
B. Lee spoke next, then Conyers. Conyers described signing statements as Bush placing himself above the law.
Alan Haber's perspective on developments in MDS
View Alan Haber's comments on this message
Friends,
Students for a Democratic Society (sds) is back!
Finally, and not a moment (or a few decades) too soon, we have the re-emergence of a national and international nonsectarian umbrella anti-imperialist movement based in the US. This is one of the most crucial struggles on the Left going on anywhere today, and has met with amazing growth, although the specifics are fuzzy: over 200 chapters forming or in formation, over 1000 nationally registered, and active campaigns across the country, all within the first year since Martin Luther King day 2006.
Friends,
Students for a Democratic Society (sds) is back!
Finally, and not a moment (or a few decades) too soon, we have the re-emergence of a national and international nonsectarian umbrella anti-imperialist movement based in the US. This is one of the most crucial struggles on the Left going on anywhere today, and has met with amazing growth, although the specifics are fuzzy: over 200 chapters forming or in formation, over 1000 nationally registered, and active campaigns across the country, all within the first year since Martin Luther King day 2006.
Goodbye, Molly I. (by Anthony Zurcher)
Molly Ivins is gone, and her words will never grace these pages again -- for this, we will mourn. But Molly wasn't the type of woman who would want us to grieve. More likely, she'd say something like, "Hang in there, keep fightin' for freedom, raise more hell, and don't forget to laugh, too."
If there was one thing Molly wanted us to understand, it's that the world of politics is absurd. Since we can't cry, we might as well laugh. And in case we ever forgot, Molly would remind us, several times a week, in her own unique style.
Shortly after becoming editor of Molly Ivins' syndicated column, I learned one of my most important jobs was to tell her newspaper clients that, yes, Molly meant to write it that way. We called her linguistic peculiarities "Molly-isms." Administration officials were "Bushies," government was in fact spelled "guvment," business was "bidness." And if someone was "madder than a peach orchard boar," well, he was quite mad indeed.
If there was one thing Molly wanted us to understand, it's that the world of politics is absurd. Since we can't cry, we might as well laugh. And in case we ever forgot, Molly would remind us, several times a week, in her own unique style.
Shortly after becoming editor of Molly Ivins' syndicated column, I learned one of my most important jobs was to tell her newspaper clients that, yes, Molly meant to write it that way. We called her linguistic peculiarities "Molly-isms." Administration officials were "Bushies," government was in fact spelled "guvment," business was "bidness." And if someone was "madder than a peach orchard boar," well, he was quite mad indeed.
Molly Ivins (1944-2007)
Molly Ivins, the liberal Texas columnist best known for her down-home humor and biting wit, passed away on Jan. 31, 2007. We at Creators Syndicate are deeply saddened by this loss to us individually and to newspaper readers around the world.
When Molly Ivins began her journalism career at the Houston Chronicle in the late '60s, no one, including her, realized the tremendous impact her political writings would have on our nation. Her friendly, approachable style changed the tone of newspaper column writing, and she fast became a reader favorite.
Richard S. Newcombe, president of Creators Syndicate, said he was personally saddened by the great loss.
"When Molly joined Creators Syndicate in 1992, she brought excitement and levity," he said. "I had admired her columns in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, especially the way she infused political issues with color and personality. She was an incredibly charismatic talent in her own right."
When Molly Ivins began her journalism career at the Houston Chronicle in the late '60s, no one, including her, realized the tremendous impact her political writings would have on our nation. Her friendly, approachable style changed the tone of newspaper column writing, and she fast became a reader favorite.
Richard S. Newcombe, president of Creators Syndicate, said he was personally saddened by the great loss.
"When Molly joined Creators Syndicate in 1992, she brought excitement and levity," he said. "I had admired her columns in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, especially the way she infused political issues with color and personality. She was an incredibly charismatic talent in her own right."
D.C. demonstration
On Saturday, I was thrilled to join hundreds of thousands of protesters in Washington, D.C., including my good friends at Progressive Democrats of America and Code Pink, in protesting the Iraq War and demanding a cut-off in funds to the immoral war in Iraq. As one who has been part of the civil rights and anti-Vietnam war movements in the 60’s, I can say that the energy and enthusiasm I saw today is entirely comparable.
At the Rally
"George Bush has a habit of firing military leaders who tell him the Iraq war is failing," [Conyers] said, looking out at the masses. "He can't fire you." Referring to Congress, the Michigan Democrat added: "He can't fire us."
- Associated Press
One of the points I made in my speech was that "George Bush has a habit of firing military leaders who tell him the Iraq war is failing." The White House wasted no time in responding, with spokesman Trey Bohn claiming that that Conyers "needs to learn the difference between fact and fable, between a soundbite and a slur, [Conyers'] assertion that the president fires generals with whom he disagrees is flat wrong."
At the Rally
"George Bush has a habit of firing military leaders who tell him the Iraq war is failing," [Conyers] said, looking out at the masses. "He can't fire you." Referring to Congress, the Michigan Democrat added: "He can't fire us."
- Associated Press
One of the points I made in my speech was that "George Bush has a habit of firing military leaders who tell him the Iraq war is failing." The White House wasted no time in responding, with spokesman Trey Bohn claiming that that Conyers "needs to learn the difference between fact and fable, between a soundbite and a slur, [Conyers'] assertion that the president fires generals with whom he disagrees is flat wrong."
US military kept hostage to political abuse of power
Charles Mercieca, Ph.D.
President, International Association of Educators for World Peace
Dedicated to United Nations Goals of Peace Education,
Environmental Protection, Human Rights & Disarmament
Professor Emeritus, Alabama A&M University
In spite of its manifold problems, the United States remains a good country to live in. The greatest asset of this nation lies in its people who came from all over the world. There is hardly a major culture and language which is not found in the USA. This explains why President John F. Kennedy referred to this country as a “conglomeration of nations.” With the exception of a tiny minority of Native Americans, all citizens are immigrants or their descendants. This explains why we have Irish or Italian or Korean Americans and so on.
Capitalistic System in Perspective
President, International Association of Educators for World Peace
Dedicated to United Nations Goals of Peace Education,
Environmental Protection, Human Rights & Disarmament
Professor Emeritus, Alabama A&M University
In spite of its manifold problems, the United States remains a good country to live in. The greatest asset of this nation lies in its people who came from all over the world. There is hardly a major culture and language which is not found in the USA. This explains why President John F. Kennedy referred to this country as a “conglomeration of nations.” With the exception of a tiny minority of Native Americans, all citizens are immigrants or their descendants. This explains why we have Irish or Italian or Korean Americans and so on.
Capitalistic System in Perspective
An interview with Jason Miller
A few months ago I began receiving emails with a subject line “Submission For Linking” from Jason Miller. I’m not sure how he discovered me or my website, but as began reading the barrage of articles that Jason sent me for linking, I became increasingly impressed with his blogspot and with the person managing it. Upon noticing that Jason occasionally interviewed other progressive bloggers, I requested that he interview me, and the results have been extraordinary, in part, because of the nature of the questions that Jason asks. As a result, I asked Jason if I could interview him, not only to return a favor, but because I am genuinely curious about who this man is and what drives his passion to maintain and manage Thomas Paine’s Corner, aka, Civil Libertarian Blogspot.
Jason, I take it that you are not the actor, Jason Miller, who played the Father Damien Karras in “The Exorcist.” So having established that, I have some questions for you:
Jason, I take it that you are not the actor, Jason Miller, who played the Father Damien Karras in “The Exorcist.” So having established that, I have some questions for you:
Chairman Conyers puts Bush abuse of power `On the table'
Speaker Nancy Pelosi may have taken impeachment "off the table," but House Judiciary Chair John Conyers (D-MI) is about to put it back on the menu.
Conyers may have been blocked by a timid Pelosi from initiating impeachment hearings immediately into President Bush's crimes against the Constitution, but he's taken the first step anyway, with the anouncement of plans to hold hearings into what is surely the President's gravest abuse of power.
The congressman, a veteran of the Nixon impeachment hearings who recently published a book on Bush's crimes, today announced plans to have his Judiciary Committee hold hearings on Bush's rampant use of so-called "signing statements." These are the documents the president has claimed give him the power, as a commander-in-chief, to ignore laws duly passed by the Congress.
Conyers may have been blocked by a timid Pelosi from initiating impeachment hearings immediately into President Bush's crimes against the Constitution, but he's taken the first step anyway, with the anouncement of plans to hold hearings into what is surely the President's gravest abuse of power.
The congressman, a veteran of the Nixon impeachment hearings who recently published a book on Bush's crimes, today announced plans to have his Judiciary Committee hold hearings on Bush's rampant use of so-called "signing statements." These are the documents the president has claimed give him the power, as a commander-in-chief, to ignore laws duly passed by the Congress.