Dec. 12--Be There

As I wrote after BHO's speech, let the demos begin.  Here's the first big one I'm aware of:

EMERGENCY ANTI-ESCALATION RALLY

Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009
11am-4pm • Washington DC

Lafayette Square | White House
Metro: Farragut West or Farragut North

Speakers: Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Rep. Cynthia McKinney, Sen. Mike Gravel, Kathy Kelly, Chris Hedges, David Swanson, Rev. Graylan Hagler, Gael Murphy, Brian Becker, Debra Sweet, Mathis Chiroux, Coy McKinney, Elaine Brower, Lynne Williams, Hon. Betty Hall, Marian Douglas, Dr. Michael Knox, Ralph Lopez, Cpt. Ron Fisher.
Plus: Statements from Rabbi Michael Lerner, Col. Ann Wright, Kevin Zeese, Dr. Stephen Zunes, Granny D (turning 100), and others.

Anti-War, 1969

Live Music: Jordan Page, Head-Roc, Emma's Revolution, Precise Science.

Under Obama-Pelosi-Reid, the US has already sent about 35,000 more troops into the Afghanistan graveyard of empires. Now, Obama has announced another round of re-enforcements—an Afghan surge of 30,000 additional GIs, thereby betraying his supporters on the left and ignoring the majority of Americans, 55% of whom disapprove of his handling of the war. Instead, Obama is taking the advice from the war party—from Petraeus, McChrystal, and Mullen. It's high time Obama, Pelosi, and Reid heard a clear message from a resurgent antiwar movement demanding no escalation and an immediate pullout of all US forces from Afghanistan and Iraq, including an immediate halt to Predator drone attacks and CIA operations in the region. 
Come to the rally and let our united voices be heard!
http://www.enduswars.org

Veterans for Peace Back Up Congressman Kuchnich: They Have Their Own Impeachment Petition

What a perfect opportunity for a combination punch! Let's help the Vets get into the People's House to meet with Congressman John Conyers. The Vets' impeachment petition is below, along with information about their next convention. There will be a tribute to David Cline and other Vets who have been freed from this life.
Congressman Dennis Kucinich Introduced 35 Articles of Impeachment Against President Bush on Monday Night
Submitted by david swanson on Tue, 2008-06-10
TUESDAY EVENING: The Clerk of the House is expected to read the articles of impeachment, which should take about 5 hours, at the conclusion of which Rep. Kucinich will make a motion. Watch C-Span! http://c-span.org
Rep. Robert Wexler is the first to cosponsor and will be on Keith Olbermann today.
CALL THE MEDIA!
Email Your Congress Member - Congress has 72 hours to table it, send it to committee, pass it, or reject it.
The full text of the articles is available at:
http://chun.afterdowningstreet.org/amomentoftruth.pdf
Extensive documentation to accompany each article will be posted later today. Watch these websites:
http://kucinich.us
http://democrats.com
http://afterdowningstreet.org
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/bush
Veterans for Peace members have been trying to meet with Representative John Conyers to deliver an Impeachment petition.
Wednesday, June 11, members of Veterans For Peace will be delivering 22,000 signatures demanding impeachment of President George Bush to Representative John Conyers' office. Representative Conyers, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, has refused to meet with the members of VFP for the past two months. Upon arriving at Representative Conyers' office, members from New York, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio and the District of Columbia have decided to conduct a sit-in until he agrees to meet with them.
In light of Congressman Dennis Kucinich putting forth 35 Articles for Impeachment and reading those Articles on the floor of the House of Representatives last night, 6-09-08...
YOU CAN HELP VFP
Call Representative Conyers (202-225-5126), ask that he meet with members of Veterans For Peace and accept the 22,000 signatures that call for the Impeachment of the President.
View the Press Release here - PDF
Read VFP's Case for Impeachment - PDF
This Country needs the Accountibility called for in our Constitution and must Act for the sake of Country and that Constitution and Right the Wrongs Committed 'In Our Names'!
http://imagineaworldof.blogspot.com/2008/06/tell-rep-conyers-to-meet-with-veterans.html#li nks
Tell the world: My America Doesn't Torture!
Convention Updates The convention is only 11 weeks away. Have you reserved your room yet? Convention registration is $200 and available online. Below are some updates and special events happening that weekend
Special Seminar on Justice for Victims of Agent Orange - Join us on Wednesday, August 27 for this half day seminar
Travel by Rail - Several VFP members are encouraging people to travel to the Convention by Amtrak.
Tributes - There will be tributes to David Cline and other VFP members who have passed this year.
Roommate - Are you looking to share a room at the Convention?

Impeachment Begins the Path to Justice

We have so much work to do but must not despair. On this 40th anniversary of the death for Dr. Martin Luther King, his courage and commitment must inform every action, every day. Each little step forward has a ripple effect, pushes unknown others to action they might not have attempted. And my mantra for today: act in kindness and with compassion for those who cannot understand.

Conyers Threatens Impeachment if Iran Attacked
Submitted by davidswanson on Thu, 2008-04-03 18:52. By David Swanson
Coming out of today's meeting with John Conyers, these seem to be the significant developments:
He is circulating a letter among his colleageus for signatures, a letter addressed to Bush letting him know that an attack on Iran will result in impeachment hearings. LET'S ASK EVERY MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO SIGN ON! I know it seems bassackwards and we want impeachment before a new war, not after, but this is a way for us to show Conyers the support that will be there any time he moves forward.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/

Pelosi To Hold Bush Accountable?!!!

May it be true! (Click on the picture to expand)


Via David Swanson, AfterDowningStreet.org

The Indictment Initiative Takes Off

Vermont Citizens again lead the way for pro-active democracy. Put down your hoes and pick up the ballot!

Public Forum Planned on Brattleboro, Vermont
Proposal to Arrest Bush and Cheney

Submitted by davidswanson on Sat, 2008-02-23
Why Indict? A Forum on Brattleboro’s Indictment Resolution
An information session and discussion about the Brattleboro Town Meeting Ballot Article calling for the Indictment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney will be held on March 2nd from 3 to 5 p.m. at the River Garden, at Main and High St., in Brattleboro, Vt. Scheduled speakers include David Swanson, Laurie Dobson, Dan DeWalt, and John Nirenberg.
The Indictment Resolution was drafted by Kurt Daims and then placed on the Brattleboro Town Meeting ballot. Since then, thousands of emails and comments from throughout the country have been received, praising our town and its citizens in the loftiest of terms for its courageous step in bringing this Resolution forward and for bringing the issue to national awareness. The Brattleboro Indictment Resolution has also inspired similar resolutions by citizens in other localities around the country, including Portland (OR), Kennebunkport (ME), and elsewhere. This ballot initiative is meant to generate the real dialogues of crimes and war crimes. As that conversation is maturing, statesmen and attorneys around the nation will forge appropriate legal mechanisms to fit the current critical situation.
This forum will explain the reasoning behind the Resolution, and why it should pass.
[...] This event is critical for anyone wishing to understand the thinking behind the Town Meeting Resolution. There will be ample time allotted for questions and answers.
The vote will take place at the General Town Meeting and Presidential Primary, Tuesday, March 4th at Brattleboro Union High School Gym. Polls are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Please note: The Indictment Initiative article is printed on the REVERSE side of the ballot. Look for it!
For more information, call 802-257-4995 or 802-258-4931, or email at bushindictment@gmail.com
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/31257

Arcata, CA Protects It's Youth from Lying Recruiters

Berkeley, CA has been under siege since the right wingnuts decided they’d be “true patriots” by intimidating, shouting, generally abusing anyone who disagrees with their point of view. The right of the people of Berkeley to self-determination is fiercely being fought. It makes me proud!

Can Your Town Ban the Military from Recruiting Anyone Under 18?
By David Swanson
February 05, 2008
Of course, Americans must be 18 to serve in the military, but much of the military's recruiting work is directed at those who have not yet turned 18.
According to Dave Meserve in Arcata, Calif., localities can avoid the consequences of the No Child Left Behind law (which turns students' names and contact information over to recruiters) not only by helping students and parents to opt out of recruitment lists or by challenging the ability of recruiters to be on school campuses, but also by prohibiting any recruiting activities that involve kids under 18.
Meserve has drafted an ordinance and submitted it to the city clerk and the city attorney in Arcata. They will have 15 days to review it and provide a title and ballot summary for the November 2008 ballot. Then Meserve can begin gathering signatures to get it on the ballot.
Why not do the same thing in your town or major city? Here's the draft ordinance:

ARCATA YOUTH PROTECTION ACT
AN ORDINANCE TO PROHIBIT THE MILITARY RECRUITMENT OF

ANY PERSON UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN

To protect the welfare of our youth, the People of Arcata Ordain as Follows:
No person who is employed by or an agent of the United States government shall, within the City of Arcata, in the execution of his or her job duties, recruit, initiate contact with for the purpose of recruiting, or promote the future enlistment of any person under the age of eighteen into any branch of the United States Armed Forces.

Push Impeachment Down Their Throats

Conyers Says He's on Edge of Starting Impeachment
By David Swanson
On Thursday, Chairman John Conyers' House Judiciary Committee held a hearing at which Attorney General Michael Mukasey said that he would not investigate torture (video) or warrantless spying (video), he would not enforce contempt citations (video), and he would treat Justice Department opinions as providing immunity for crimes (report).
[...] Following the hearing, he and two staffers met for an hour and 15 minutes with two members of Code Pink to discuss impeachment.
Conyers expressed fear of what might happen following an impeachment, fear of installing a Bush replacement or losing an election. The "corporate power structure", he said, would not allow impeachment without unleashing "blowback." Conyers told Ellen Taylor and Manijeh Saba: "You need to be more than brave and courageous. You need to be smart."
[...] The Chairman told Taylor and Saba that he is listening to several advocates for impeachment, including Liz Holtzman and this author, and asked "So how would it look if I allowed two women to push me over the edge?" Conyers leaned out of his chair for dramatic effect.

Push Conyers Over the Edge
Only impeachment hearings:

1. will make it on TV

2. will force compliance with subpoenas by eliminating "executive privilege",

3. will hold brazen criminals accountable, and

4. will convince voters that Democrats care about the Constitution.
Call 202-225-5126, Fax 202-225-0072
Email john.conyers@mail.house.gov
For more info: http://wexlerwantshearings.com
[...] the people Conyers is really listening to are too smart for their own good but lacking a bit in the bravery and courage area. Their wise strategy places the outcome of elections ahead of preserving the democracy in which those elections are held or even the verifiability of those elections. And, on their own terms, they are probably wrong. Nothing (except perhaps hand-counted paper ballots) would benefit the Democrats in the next election more than a real fight to stand up for justice. If Congress chooses to cede all power to the White House and move to the back of the bus, Conyers' legacy will not be what it might have been.
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/30858

More Reasons to Impeach Bush

News Alert!!! This just in from David Swanson :
Bush's Latest Signing Statement Is Grounds for Impeachment
New York, NY -- United for Peace and Justice, the country's largest anti-war coalition with over 1400 member groups, condemns President Bush's continued arrogant and unconstitutional use of signing statements.On Monday, Jan. 25, 2008, President Bush released a signing statement claiming the right to violate four sections of H.R. 4986, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, which he had just signed into law. These four sections: 841, 846, 1079, and 1222, Bush announced, would be "construed" in a manner "consistent with the constitutional authority of the President."Among the measures Bush's latest signing statement declares the right to violate are: the establishment of a commission to investigate U.S. contractor fraud in Iraq and Afghanistan, the expansion of whistleblower protections, a requirement that U.S. intelligence agencies respond to congressional requests for documents, a ban on funding permanent bases in Iraq, and a ban on funding any actions that exercise U.S. control over Iraq's oil money.
[...] "The rule of law established by the Constitution has been undermind in an almost unnoticed revolution," said Leslie Cagan, National Coordinator of United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ). "The Constitution allows the president to veto bills or sign and enforce them, not to rewrite them or to disobey them. The same document that gives the Congress the power to make every law, gives it the sole power to raise and spend money, and the sole power to declare war. The people's representatives in Congress are losing all of these powers through their failure to act on the remedy provided for precisely this situation: impeachment."
UFPJ is urging its members to speak with the media about this matter and to phone the House Judiciary Committee at 202-225-3951 to request that it begin impeachment hearings.
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/

We Demand Impeachment

Our congressman, Jerrold Nadler has usually been supportive of progressive, human rights causes and advocated research into illnesses caused by the toxic air after 9/11. You might think he'd be at the forefront of holding the Bush administration accountable for the crimes perpetuated in America, Afghanistan, Iraq and the world, but read David Swanson's report:
Nadler Is Blocking Impeachment
http://www.democrats.com/node/15492
[...] Wednesday's meeting was handicapped, of course, because no-one says aloud what the reasons are for opposing impeachment. That Cheney and Bush have committed impeachable offenses is universally understood. But the arguments against impeaching them (other priorities,
bipartisanship, we don't have the votes, etc.) usually sound like lame cover for whatever the real reason is. I suspect the real reason is built into Nadler's plan of wasting a year in order to pass bills next year. He assumes that in 2009 there will be either a better Congress or a better president (he backs Hillary Clinton), or both.
Sadly, history says otherwise. For 230 years, the party that brings impeachment wins, and the party that fails to do so when it's called for loses. Conyers was there when the Democrats moved to impeach Nixon and then won big. He was there when they refused to impeach Reagan and then lost. And most of the current committee was there when the Republicans impeached Clinton against the will of the public for a non-impeachable offense and still won both houses of Congress and the White House.
[...] [Robert] Wexler proposed opening impeachment hearings on Cheney. Conyers committee staffer Perry Appelbaum laid out instead a schedule for non-impeachment hearings over the coming 11 months. Conyers' notion is to hold non-impeachment hearings on "the imperial presidency" and run out the clock .[...]
[...] Wednesday's meeting was handicapped, of course, because no-one says aloud what the reasons are for opposing imp eachment. That Cheney and Bush have committed impeachable offenses is universally understood. But the arguments against impeaching them (other priorities, bipartisanship, we don't have the votes, etc.) usually sound like lame cover for whatever the real reason is. I suspect the real reason is built into Nadler's plan of wasting a year in order to pass bills next year. He assumes that in 2009 there will be either a better Congress or a better president (he backs Hillary C linton), or both.
Sadly, history says otherwise. For 230 years, the party that brings impeachment wins, [my bold] and the party th at fails to do so when it's called for loses. Conyers was there when the
Democrats moved to impeach Nixon and then won big. He was there when they refused to impeach Reagan and then lost. And most of the current committee was there when the Republicans impeached Clinton against the will of the public for a non-impeachable offense and still won both houses of Co ngress and the White H ouse.

http://asknadler2impeach.org/

No Basi USA In Italia!

United States Citizens for Peace & Justice is very active in promoting peace, supporting the grass roots movements to get US out of Italy, promote nuclear disarmament, basically all the good work we need to support. Anyone passing by might want to take time to join this demonstration. Italians, by and large want to be free of US intervention, and most have memories of games the CIA played during post-war elections. This could be the start of something very big.
Dear peace activists,
On Saturday, December 15 at 7am the USC4P&J Peace Bus takes off: destination Vicenza and the international demonstration against the new U.S. military base at Dal Molin! Seats are going fast. Reserve yours now:
http://webmaila.juno.com/webmail/new/8?folder=Inbox&msgNum=0000NLk0:0017MjL1000015uE&block=1&msgNature=all&msgStatus=all&count=1197183399&content=central. Cost E. 25-30. We will stay overnight and arrive back in Rome Sunday afternoon. The folks in Vicenza will do their best to provide accommodations; please let us know as soon as possible.
The aggressive policies of the U.S., which have been the focus of our group since the beginning, would not be possible without the logistical support provided by the network of U.S. military bases on foreign soil. Let's join the people of Vicenza in their determination to stop the construction of the new base at Dal Molin and throw a wrench into the gears of the war machine.
See the fantastic video ad produced by the Presidio Permanente No Dal Molin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2jrdTanHz4
Desiree Fairooz, the CodePink activist who confronted Condoleezza Rice with "blood" on her hands, will be there as well as David Swanson, co-founder of AfterDowningStreet.org and impeachment activist extraordinaire. Representatives of movements throughout Europe, including the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Belgium and Hungary, will also be there. And Eve Tetaz is coming. She´s a 76-year-old activist from Washington DC who´s been arrested 9 times this year! She´s coming to Europe in order to stay out of trouble, but still plans to make good use of her time!
We´re also expecting others from the U.S. citizens groups in France and Germany.
Join us! Our voice is especially important here. And if we don´t stand up to the U.S. military in our free and democratic countries, how can we expect the oppressed peoples of the world to do so?
See our web site for more information on the 3-day mobilization: http://www.peaceandjustice.it/vicenza-dec-15.php
For any questions, contact us at: http://webmaila.juno.com/webmail/new/8?folder=Inbox&msgNum=0000NLk0:0017MjL1000015uE&block=1&msgNature=all&msgStatus=all&count=1197183399&content=central

Waist Deep in Our Big Muddy

What kind of a nation have we become? In the past week we've seen more coverage around civil society issues, such as the tasered student and a reverend trying to get back into court get tackled, thrown to the ground and beaten, IN THE COURT HALL! (See, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiradcejA6o) The details of what happened in Jena, LA just makes it obvious we are being dragged deeper into the slag heap of moral decay. (See, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/21/us/21jena.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1190348677-kG+Shl91rQvz46yhB5eYHQ
Republicans blocked a measure restoring habeas corpus for detainees, making us the land of the disappeared, see http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/20/washington/20detain.html and the Euro is now at $1.40, so we will have a harder time finding bargains with those European bitches grabbing them out of OUR stores. (see http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/21/business/worldbusiness/21dollar.html?hp.)

But Carlos Arredondo deserved to be treated like a man, not attacked by bullies. This story is just tragic.

The People Who Assaulted a Gold Star Father
on September 15th

Here are photos of members of "Gathering of Eagles" who assaulted gold star father Carlos Arredondo in broad daylight in Washington, D.C., on September 15, 2007, throwing him to the ground and kicking him.

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/carlos