(D-WI) Baldwin makes a call for impeachment hearings

[struggle4progress]

Source: The (Madison) Capitol Times

John Nichols — 7/25/2008 11:49 am

Declaring that "there is no task more important for this Congress than to seriously consider whether our nation's leaders have violated their oath of office," Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin on Friday morning told the House Judiciary Committee, "I now firmly believe that impeachment hearings are the appropriate and necessary next step."

The Madison Democrat's opening statement to the Judiciary Committee's "Hearing on Executive Power and Its Constitutional Limitations" was one of many pointed and at times passionate declarations delivered during an extraordinary session that saw both Democratic and Republican representatives engage in serious discussions about how best to address what committee chair John Conyers, D-Mich., referred to as "numerous credible allegations of serious misconduct by officials in the Bush administration."

Conyers said before the hearing began that "I believe it is imperative that we pursue a comprehensive review commensurate to this constitutionally dangerous combination of circumstances."

Though Republican critics, such as Iowa Congressman Steve King, suggested that Friday's session was effectively what King referred to as "an impeachment hearing," Conyers made it clear that the session was actually a broad examination of possible responses to what Conyers referred to as the threat of "an imperial presidency" ...

Read more: http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/297851

[Hulk]

1. deleted....hit the send key twice...doh

[Hulk]

2. I just find this so hard to fathom....that Bill Clinton could be impeached for his "crime"...and

these criminal sons of bitches can keep the American people at arms length with all they are accused of.

Disgraceful!!

And for these neocon repug slimeballs to suggest that this is some sort of "political circus" is insulting at best. Bring out the tar and feathers!!

[rucognizant]

12. Not a word...........

about this hearing in the NYT today!
I found it scary that 2 of the only 4or 5 opposers to impeachment, present at the "hearing" are both PROFESSORS OF LAW, teaching young students in Universitys!
Steven Presser: Northwestern U in Chicago area ( a neo-con devotee?)
And Rabkin: George Mason U ( in the same neck of the woods as The Cedars The FELLOWSHIP church!)
I intend to write both!

[defendandprotect]

20. .....and look at what sad specimens they are vs FEIN and HOLTZMAN . . . !!!

These are simply people who have been bought off to be political in their work ---
rather than to follow humane law -- they follow criminals ---

same thing going on with the Supreme Court ---
even more dangerous!

[MadrasT]

36. My reaction to Presser and Rabkin

:puke: :puke: :puke:

(not a particularly erudite commentary, but sums it up nonetheless)

[RoccoR5955]

43. Can't we impeach Bush for BLOWING THE JOB?!?!?!`

After all, they impeached Clinton for far less!

[jcla]

3. It sure took them long enough!

An angry former Vermonter now living in California! Go Brattleboro!
Impeach then perp walk in the Hague! From the top down Let's get Bush, Cheney, the DOJ ... et cetera!

[Spouting Horn]

13. We should impeach, remove and prosecute

Bush here in our own country.

Shipping him off to a foreign court would set a poor precedent.

[Herman74]

24. Not necessarily. Some of Bush's most pernicious crimes entail violation of...

...international law. Bush's violations of U.S. law (e.g., spying without a warrant) are generally not nearly at the same level of wickedness as, say, starting a war based on lies.

[guyton]

27. W's new residence

Laura's shopping for a new house in Texas, but I think W's got his new residence lined up here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2008/jul/22/radovankaradzic.warcrimes?picture=335879663

http://image.guim.co.uk/Guardian/world/gallery/2008/jul/22/serbia/[e-mail]

I think he'll enjoy the company of his peers (Radovan Karadzic).

[RoccoR5955]

44. He will not dare step foot in Vermont....

...because there's a warrant for his arrest there!

[AllyCat]

4. Yea Tammy!!! My rep...

:toast:

[eridani]

6. Be sure to thank her

A donation denominated with reference to the bill number sends a nice message.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

10. mine too - she is one great representative!

and SO hard-working.

[bjobotts]

5. I wish it were more than just a show. Pelosi will make sure it never happens

[EFerrari]

7. Baldwin did well regardless and it all went into the record.

We need about a hundred more of her. :)

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

25. Exactly!

It all went into the record.

Will the Bush Legacy be the failure of this Congress to hold accountable those who have broken the law and violated our Constitution? Will The Record speak to future generations the evidence of Rule of Law or the willful neglect of accountability?


http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/legislation.html

Hearing on: The Use and Misuse of Presidential Clemency Power for Executive Branch Officials

Hearing on: The Continuing Investigation into the U.S. Attorneys Controversy and Related Matters

Meeting to consider the Executive Privilege claims asserted by White House Counsel in response to the subpoena for the production of documents issued to Joshua Bolten, White House Chief of Staff, or appropriate custodian of records.

Hearing on H.R. 2908, the “Deaths in Custody Act of 2007”

Meeting to Consider: a Resolution and Report Recommending to the House of Representatives that Former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten be Cited for Contempt of Congress

Hearing on Warrantless Surveillance and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: The Role of Checks and Balances in Protecting Americans’ Privacy Rights

Hearing on Warrantless Surveillance and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: The Role of Checks and Balances in Protecting Americans’ Privacy Rights (Part II)

Joint Hearing on Allegations of Selective Prosecution: The Erosion of Public Confidence in Our Federal Justice System

Joint Oversight Hearing on Rendition to Torture: The Case of Maher Arar

Hearing on Genocide and the Rule of Law

Oversight Hearing on the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Oversight Hearing on Torture and the Cruel, Inhuman, and Degrading Treatment of Detainees: The Effectiveness and Consequences of “Enhanced” Interrogation

Oversight Hearing of the Department of Justice

Oversight Hearing on the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel

Oversight Hearing on Voter Suppression

Oversight Hearing on the Department of Homeland Security

Joint Hearing on Paying With Their Lives: The Status of Compensation for 9/11 Health Effects

Hearing on: From the Department of Justice to Guantanamo Bay: Administration Lawyers and Administration Interrogation Rules, Part I

Hearing on: From the Department of Justice to Guantanamo Bay: Administration Lawyers and Administration Interrogation Rules, Part II

Hearing on: From the Department of Justice to Guantanamo Bay: Administration Lawyers and Administration Interrogation Rules, Part III

Hearing on: From the Department of Justice to Guantanamo Bay: Administration Lawyers and Administration Interrogation Rules, Part IV

Joint Hearing on Allegations of Selective Prosecution Part II: The Erosion of Public Confidence in Our Federal Justice System

Joint Hearing on: the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Report OIG-08-18, The Removal of a Canadian Citizen to Syria

Hearing on Revelations by Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan

Hearing on the Politicization of the Justice Department and Allegations of Selective Service

Hearing on: From the Department of Justice to Guantanamo Bay: Administration Lawyers and Administration

Hearing on: Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice

Hearing on: Executive Power and Its Constitutional Limitations

7-31-2008 Hearing Hearing on: H.R. 5607, the "State Secrets Protection Act of 2008"


AND

A Sampling from the Senate Judiciary

http://judiciary.senate.gov/schedule_all.cfm

2/6/2007
Is the DOJ Politicizing the Hiring and Firing of U.S. Attorneys?

Preserving Prosecutorial Independence: Is the Department of Justice Politicizing the Hiring and Firing of U.S. Attorneys? – Part VII

Combating War Profiteering: Are We Doing Enough to Investigate and Prosecute Contracting Fraud and Abuse in Iraq

Misuse of Patriot Act Powers: The Inspector General’s Findings of

Responding to The Inspector General’s Findings of Improper Use of National Security Letters by the FBI

Restoring Habeas Corpus: Protecting American Values and the Great Writ

Return of subpoenas regarding the legal justifications for the President’s warrantless wiretapping program from 2001 to 2007

Rape as a Weapon of War: Accountability for Sexual Violence in Conflict

National Security Letters: The Need for Greater Accountability and Oversight

Secret Law and the Threat to Democratic and Accountable Government

"--Hearing Suspended Because Of Objection On Senate Floor -- Coercive Interrogation Techniques: Do They Work, Are They Reliable, and What Did the FBI Know About Them? "

"--TIME CHANGE--From Nuremberg to Darfur: Accountability for Crimes Against Humanity "

How the Administration's Failed Detainee Policies Have Hurt the Fight Against Terrorism: Putting the Fight Against Terrorism on Sound Legal Foundations

[Karl_Bonner_1982]

8. Even if it doesn't make it all the way this is an important development.

...I forget, was Tammy Baldwin this way all along or did she just now embrace impeachment hearings?

If she's a newly-won convert, that's one step closer to justice. The more attention and sympathy the impeachment articles get, the better.

[Connonym]

9. We may be only a marginally blue state but WI has some kick ass Congresspeople

Tammy Baldwin and Russ Feingold. Now iff we could just get James Sensenbrenner's vileness out of Congress we'd be really smokin'

[Loudmxr]

11. The Repugs are a danger

They really do have it in them to manufacture a "terrorist" attack on our shores to win before the election. President Pelosi and Vice President :puke: Byrd would be better.

[Phred42]

14. Agree. A rabid dog is most dangerous when backed into a corner

The Reich is getting more desperate every day - WE are in trouble.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

30. exactly. especially rabid currs like the Neoconmen.

[L. Coyote]

18. Welcome to DU. They started a war for political gain!!!

They might do it again.

[defendandprotect]

23. It could be a reason to remove Cheney/Bush from office ---

if Pelosi hadn't been holding this up for two years ---

They might attack Iran with or without an impeachment ---

In fact, the Congress has certainly given them the green light to do it ---

PELOSI TOOK THE 'WARNING RE ATTACKING IRAN' OUT OF THE LEGISLATION --- !!!!

[defendandprotect]

21. We can't proceed from fear --- we have to make the best decisions possible . . .

and CLEARLY Pelosi is doing harm to the ideals of democracy ---

Did you see the Porter Goss thing --- ????

[ohio2007]

15. Looks like Wisconsin delegates impeach one of their own

Wis. Democrats oust delegate over McCain support

MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin Democrats on Friday ousted a delegate to their national convention for saying she would vote for Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain in November.

Embarrassed by a defection in their ranks, the Wisconsin Democratic Party's administrative committee voted 23-0 to strip Debra Bartoshevich of her status as a delegate to the Denver convention next month.

Bartoshevich was elected by party activists as a pledged delegate for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton from the 1st Congressional District in southeastern Wisconsin.

snip

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080725/ap_on_el_ge/delegate_dumped

imo, southeastern Wisc. is basically a "burb" of Chicago. She was purged to prevent/reduce an opposition voice/vote to Obama at the DNC more then claiming she switched party lines......


hmmmm...

maybe not but it does look like a potential coup against Barak is being snuffed out.

[sybylla]

47. potential coup?

You've got to be kidding me. The DNC requires the Democratic Party of Wisconsin to open our delegate selection process (which began in March) to the general public because we insist on holding an open primary. That means no party membership required. No proof you're a Dem except to sign a statement saying you are.

Thus Ms. Bartoshevich signed a delegate intent form in March in which she swore if she was elected as a delegate to the DNC convention, she would vote for whoever was eventually selected as the DEMOCRATIC Presidential nominee. On June 13th, just after Sen. Clinton suspended her campaign, she announced to the media she would vote for McCain. That same day, our membership voted unanimously at our convention (interesting timing, don't you think?) to request the DNC revoke her credentials. There was no embarrassment at a defection. There was only outrage that someone who calls themselves a Democrat would even think about voting for McSame let alone announce it to the media.

The DNC reviewed our request and sent it back to the state party.

On Friday she was still unrepentant, blaming everyone but Sen. Clinton for her loss. And she was still uncommitted to supporting Sen. Obama in November. Sorry. You don't get to go to the convention to represent DEMOCRATS if you're not going to vote for one in November.

So Ms. Bartoshevich stays home and another very strong supporter of Sen. Clinton will go in her stead. A DEMOCRAT who intends to vote for a DEMOCRAT in November. Unless you were at our delegate selection caucuses, you cannot know how intense the process was nor see how deeply committed to both candidates our delegates are.

I assure you, the woman who will take her place in Denver feels just as strongly in her support for Sen. Clinton.

This was no coup and I take offense at your ignorant suggestion otherwise.

[livingon]

16. Thanks Tammy. She has attended Conyers meetings from the

early days--when his meetings were held in the basement.

[L. Coyote]

17. VIDEO: Hearing on Limits of Executive Power, Rep. Tammy Baldwin

IMPEACH: Hearing on Limits of Executive Power, Rep. Tammy Baldwin
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x161418

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

19. 4 hrs. into the Hearing

they should check what Trent Franks said.

Maybe he misspoke when he said this administration allowed 9/11 to happen.

[bertman]

28. Trent Franks: "If there was a failure of this administration it was allowing 9/11 to occur."

Just before he made that statement (which I couldn't believe he said either, Sees Clearly) he went through a list of Dems (Madeline Albright, Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, Jay Rockefeller, John Kerry) who were parroting Bush's lines that Saddam had nuclear, chemical, etc. stockpiles and WAS a threat to the U.S. Then he followed up by quoting Al Qaeda figures who were on video having said they would bring death and destruction to the Great Satan, or something to that effect. All of this was his way of showing that President Bush had NOT LIED about the WMD because all of those Democratic bigwigs were saying the same thing.

A few minutes later Fein pointed out that Tenet and others had said they were fed cherry-picked information by the Bushies, so the reason Gore, Albright, Clinton, etc. said those stupid things was that maybe they had gotten the same briefing. He also pointed out that withholding pertinent information from Congress when considering going to war IS AN IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE.

Then Bugliosi held up the two CIA documents that had been prepared for the NIE and alleged that the original document the administration received had the correct info saying there was no imminent threat and there was no nuclear program being reconstituted BUT THE ONE PRESENTED TO CONGRESS HAD BEEN PURGED OF THOSE PARTS.

If that isn't enough to get a full inquiry out of the Judiciary Committee then I don't know what is.

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

34. bertman, do you have a transcript? I can't find one.

:kick:

[bertman]

38. Sees Clearly, I do not have an actual official transcript. During almost the entire episode

I was logging each person and what they were saying-as best I could since my typing is not the world's fastest. So I have my "transcript". I was so astonished at Franks' comment about 9/11 that I tried to get that part as close to exact as I could, but no guarantees of exactitude are included.

If you can't find a real transcript I will gladly email you my version. Toward the bitter end I started getting a little sloppier but the gist is there. I had to leave at 4pm so I missed the grand finale, whatever that may have been.

Disclaimer: I found Rabkin and Presser (is that right? I was using Pressler) so astonishingly ridiculous that I was not getting a good copy due to my ranting at the TV.

[ejbr]

22. Let's just see what these mother f&ckers do

given their history, even with all this "talk", the democrats will most likely back down.

[guyton]

26. Nancy Pelosi and the oath of office

I was curious just what Pelosi's oath of office read, so I looked it up. From http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/memberfaq.html

As required by Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution, Members of Congress shall be bound by oath or affirmation to support the Constitution. Representatives, delegates, and the resident commissioner all take the oath of office on the first day of the new Congress, immediately after the House has elected its Speaker. The Speaker of the House administers the oath of office as follows:

"I, (name of Member), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."

Nothing in there about selectively defending the Constitution if it's not too politically inconvenient.

Given the enormous damage done by her impeachment is off the table statements, how do we remove Pelosi from Congress? She's obviously violated her oath of office by signaling to the administration that we are no longer a nation of laws.

[AntiFascist]

29. K&R, the statements made during the hearing were very powerful...

a handful of diverse Democratic reps, including Tammy Baldwin, are doing the right thing. Although there may be little to fear from an Obama presidency, we need to continue the pressure of proceeding with impeachment so that a future president and administration will not continue with the abuse of power achieved by the current criminals.

[Uncle Joe]

31. I believe Tammy Baldwin hit a home run with that speech covering all her bases, the column

is well worth reading.

The administrations and congresses do set precedent of sort and I shudder to think of how much further a corrupt future administration and compliant or subservient congress would destroy the Constitution and the American People's freedom and privacy all on behalf of money grubbing, empathy deficient corporations, because that's truly the root of the problem.

The American People's freedom, independence, privacy and sense of self are literally being destroyed by the power of mega-corporations and Cheney/Bush's long list of high crimes, misdemeanors and abuse of power are just a symptom of this disease.

Thanks for the thread, struggle4progress

Kicked and recommended.

[Zorra]

32. Vincent Bugliosi is 100% correct - Bu*h is a murderer. Impeachment is

necessary because it is the duty of Congress to impeach.

But Bu*h must be tried for murder, war crimes, and a myriad of other related offenses. He can't be allowed to get away with what he has done.

[Phred42]

33. Baldwin...Fiengold....Hey, maybe cheese is a good thing!

It's not the water.......it's the Cheese

:rofl:

Can we force-feed republicans Cheese?

Moe, Larry, Cheese!

[davidwparker]

35. She was good during the hearing. I'd never seen her before.

[seriouslyfrivolous]

37. Absolutely nothing will come of this hearing

The rethugs have only 6 months left. I watched all 5 or so hours of these hearings in the self deluded belief that all the bloviation would hopefully lead us to the path of this admin's demise. The pro impeachment crowd tried very hard and were sincere and well meaning. But how long have these murderers and scum been getting away w/ their criminality? BOTTOM LINE: NOTHING WILL CHANGE!!!!

[bertman]

40. You may be seriouslyfrivolous but in this case you may also be seriouslycorrect.

I had to leave early (4pm) so I missed the wrapup. Was there any resolution to this? Does the committee meet again to vote on further inquiry? Or is this a dead horse?

[pleah]

39. K&R

[MFK6]

41. Impeachment

Our princess Speaker of the House has already evoked her power by saying that there will be no impeachment....too bad she was the first woman to represent the rest of us in this job. In any case - how about we prosecute and jail this bunch of moral cripples who have made life in the United States like living in a third-world dictatorship for the past seven years? Hefty jail time and removal of all illegally gained profits. Cheney and his buddies will scream the loudest. The WAR was based on misinformation (purposely done) and, therefore, Cheney's friends at Halliburton gained great financial benefit. This could easily be considered a crime - profiteering. Maybe that is why Halliburton wanted to move to Dubai; get away from prosecution. Heck, it might look like the hunt for Nazi criminals after awhile. That is what this administration has reminded me of historically - the build up to absolute power for Hitler. David Addington has subverted the power of Congress and the Justice Department in favor of a dictator-like Presidency. The Justice Department is riddled with criminal actions.... Maybe, some will say, let's just get on with our lives. I don't think many of us can get on with our lives without retribution against the criminal actions of this administration. The world is watching to see what we will do about these amoral, greedy bastards who have so changed America.

[bertman]

46. I'm with you on this, MFK6. How do we proceed? A body double for Nancy, who flip flops?

[jeff30997]

42. To Nancy:

They should investigate her too.

[trickyguy]

45. Very proud of Tammy's role in this. She's a great

politician and role model. I've been a supporter since she started

in politics here in Wisconsin. And I just put her yard sign out today. :toast: