Impeachment: 'It's Not Up to Pelosi,' Say Grassroots Leaders

Published on Friday, December 15, 2006 by OneWorld US
Impeachment: 'It's Not Up to Pelosi,' Say Grassroots Leaders
by Haider Rizvi

When Democratic lawmakers return to Washington next month to take over Congressional leadership positions, many will be under heavy pressure from their supporters to start impeachment hearings against President George W. Bush.

From civil libertarians to antiwar groups, hundreds of grassroots organizations are currently engaged in a nationwide campaign for impeachment, even though some leading Democratic politicians have publicly said it's not an option.

Last Sunday, "Impeachment for Change," an umbrella group representing a wide array of grassroots organizations, arranged as many as 75 countrywide events to mobilize support for congressional hearings into the conduct of the Iraq war and the wiretapping of U.S. citizens.

"It's time for Democrats to do the right investigations," said David Swanson, director of Democrats.com, a Web-based campaign group that has been pushing for impeachment since May 2005 when the leakage of a British secret report suggested that Bush manipulated intelligence to justify the military occupation of Iraq.

In an interview with OneWorld, Swanson acknowledged that most Democrats were not supportive of the movement for impeachment but said he was hopeful that consistent pressure from Democratic voters and thorough investigations into the conduct of war could lead to impeachment hearings.

"It's not up to Pelosi. It's up to us," said Swanson of the possibility of impeaching Bush, adding that his group is trying to set up a pro-impeachment group in every Congressional district in the country.

Recently, Democratic legislator Nancy Pelosi, the incoming speaker of the House of Representatives, indicated she would not support the idea of impeachment, even though most voters in her constituency wanted her to take the lead on this issue.

Many constitutional experts believe that there is a strong case for the impeachment of Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney because both allegedly put themselves above the rule of law by failing to substantiate the justifications for war on Iraq.

Before going to war in Iraq, Bush had told the U.S. Congress and public that Saddam Hussein was in possession of weapons of mass destruction, and that his regime posed a serious threat to international peace and security.

"Bush should be impeached because he has committed high crimes and misdemeanors," said former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman in a recent interview with Buzzflash, an independent Web-based publication.

Holtzman, who sat on the House Judiciary Committee during 1974 and helped draft articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon, has written a book titled The Impeachment of George W. Bush: A Practical Guide for Concerned Citizens.

On the Iraq war, according to Holtzman, Bush "failed to take care that the laws were faithfully executed. In other words, he has turned away from carrying out his responsibilities as president. So, in some cases, he puts himself above the law, and in some cases, he runs away from the law."

Campaigners said they would like to have 100,000 signatures from Democratic supporters for their petition on impeachment. The Democrats.com Web site shows more than 35,000 people had signed the impeachment petition as of Thursday evening.

Despite Pelosi's opposition to the demand for impeachment, it seems some leading Democrats may be willing to take an aggressive position on this issue. Among such politicians are the former presidential candidate and Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Congressman John Conyers, Jr., and Congressman Henry Waxman.

Conyers and Waxman are expected to take charge of the House committees on the judiciary and government reform, respectively.

Last Friday, outgoing Representative Cynthia McKinney introduced a bill calling for impeachment. While the bill is not expected to have any chance of passing, activists said it would add to the momentum of the pro-impeachment movement.

"Democrats should take it seriously," said Medea Benjamin of CodePink, a popular antiwar group, in an interview with OneWorld. "I think if they do their oversight job effectively, then enough issues will come out to pave the way for impeachment."

"There are good lawyers out there who are very, very serious," she added.

Holtzman agrees with Benjamin.

"It can happen," she said. "Grassroots is what changed the election and changed the composition of Congress. Grassroots can bring about the impeachment of George Bush."

Copyright © 2006 OneWorld.net.