Everyone sign the Conyers "No Pardons" petition?

[mod mom]

Rep John Conyers: Sign "NO PARDONS FOR TREASONGATE" PETITION

In July, I wrote to the White House to ask the President to pledge that he will not pardon any Administration official indicted during the course of the Fitzgerald investigation. As some of you may recall, his father, President George H.W. Bush, pardoned officials under indictment in the Iran-Contra scandal. Many of my Republican colleagues, and some of my Democratic colleagues, raised questions about the pardons issued by President Clinton during his last days in office. It would seem to me that this Administration, which promised a higher standard of ethics could, at least, make this pledge.
Sign the Letter to the President to Demand No Pardons for Treasongate

http://johnconyers.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={B8736AFE-46F8-4994-81E7-7ECB674DE91D}

The White House had promised its full cooperation with the investigation, but has clearly done as much as possible to cover-up their role. In fact, thus far, their strategy has been attack, attack, attack -- most significantly on Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, and as I note below, we will soon see attacks by the President's surrogates on every part of this investigation: the prosecutor, the Central Intelligence Agency and the press. I am afraid, if push comes to shove, a pardon will be a last ditch tactic to evade accountability.
The President has not answered my letter from July (as he has ignored a letter signed by more than 120 of my colleagues about the Downing Street Minutes), but the press has the power to ask this question of the administration directly, and I hope they will.
As the day nears for Fitzgerald to issue indictments, the time is now to put pressure on the President and make him answer the question, will you pardon those indicted in Treasongate?

PLEASE CIRCULATE!

[hippiegranny]

1. Signed and Kick

The whole reason we have this same band of recycled criminals is because of pardons!

[Peace Patriot]

12. You are so right, hippiegranny! They should all still be in jail for...

...for Iran-Contra!

Here's the petition letter (my additions/editings marked by **). The bit about Alexander Hamilton and pardons for treason, in paragraph 4, is especially good (it's the work of Conyers or his staff--nice find).

-------------------------

Dear Mr. President:

I write in order to seek your pledge that you will not pardon anyone who has worked or is currently working in your Administration pursuant to Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution in the event that any such individual is either prosecuted for, or convicted of, a crime **in connection with** (minor edit) the disclosure of Valerie Wilson's identity as a CIA operative or any related matter.

Your handling of the Valerie Wilson matter already demonstrates lowered standards of ethical and legal behavior. On July 18, 2005, you changed the threshold for terminating your staff **from involvement in leaking the identity of Mrs. Wilson to being convicted of that crime.** (minor edit) Moreover, you have refused to respond to a request by Congressman John Conyers and 90 other Members of Congress that you ask Karl Rove, one of your top advisers, to either disclose his role in the outing of Mrs. Wilson or resign and, indeed, you have allowed him to remain on your staff without doing so. **Additional members of your administration also need to disclose their role in this disgraceful affair, and resign, or be fired, or be impeached.**

On repeated occasions, you have permitted your staff to mislead and/or lie to the American people in connection with this matter without disciplinary consequences. For several years, your press secretary, Scott McClellan, assured the American people that neither Mr. Rove, I. Lewis Libby, nor Elliot Abrams were involved in the leak; just this past month, however, we learned that both Mr. Rove and Mr. Libby were sources for Ms. Plame's identity. Mr. McClellan remains undisciplined for his statements. I am therefore concerned that these low ethical standards foreshadow future actions on your part that will allow individuals responsible for this breach of national security to evade accountability.

There is little doubt that outing an intelligence operative is one of the most serious offenses under our laws, as it endangers not only the operative, their family, and their employer, but jeopardizes other operatives and intelligence assets, and our nation's security. To do so during a time of war for purposes of a political vendetta makes the offense far worse. That is why when in connection with the drafting of our Constitution, Alexander Hamilton wrote, the "power of pardoning in the President has . . . been only contested in relations to the crime of treason."

I hope you agree with Mr. Hamilton that there is no justification for using pardon powers in any way to insulate those who would commit such acts of disloyalty against our nation. **I urge you to apologize to the nation for permitting this breach of national security, whether by inattention or design, and to make amends to the nation for the pattern of deception that led us into an unjust war, of which this particular instance of treason is only one part.**

Sincerely,

XXXX

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Done! eom

[berni_mccoy]

3. Done

:kick:

[converted_democrat]

4. I was unaware of its existence, thanks for the heads up......Done..n/t

[texpatriot2004]

5. Here's the 1st DU thread on this topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2179438

[mod mom]

29. I crossed posted because I figured there are DUers who don't venture over

to GD: Politics and wanted more people to sign up!

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. done thanks

[baron j]

7. Thanks for the heads up!

[kaneko]

8. Mr. Conyers letter

duly signed and gladly endorsed.

[newyawker99]

27. Hi kaneko!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Rainbowreflect]

9. Done & kicked!

[itzamirakul]

10. Done! Thanks! Copied and sent on to others...

I could not add email addys to his website since I don't believe in passing on others addys without their consent, so I am sending your post to those of my friends who may choose to read and sign the petition. Thanks so much for sharing it!

[Junkdrawer]

11. Done n/t

[SeattleGirl]

13. Done! n/t

[OxQQme]

14. Done

Just curious...???
Anybody else have a sense of fear when you got to the having to give residence/address? Big brother sending goons? Maybe not to your doorstep in person but through a database that targets you for a tax audit or some such?
Phuqueit! I went right on and submitted. Bring it!!!!

[rucky]

15. !

[toad12]

16. Done n/t

[newyawker99]

28. Hi toad12!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[TheUnspeakable]

17. just did it-thanks!

[Gregorian]

18. Done, with great enthusiasm

[wryter2000]

19. Done

I know Nancy Pelosi is in line for Speaker if we win the House, and I'd be thrilled to have a woman in that position. But I'd so love saying Speaker of the House John Conyers.

[progressoid]

20. Whats the point?

There is absolutely no reason for Georgie to pay any attention to this. How many of our signatures were delivered about the DSM? What good did that do?

If we've learned anything from the last 5 years, it's that this group does what it damn well pleases. Hell, even Republicans are starting to realize this. Bush gets gets his orders from three sources: 1 Rove 2. Cheney 3. God. Since #1 & 2 are a little pre-occupied lately, what are the chances that a few thousand signatures can compete with George's psycho-connection to his God?

[jmatthan]

22. Action is better than scepticism

And Congressman John Conyers Jr. is about action.

Just see the thousands of things he is handling simultaneously.

There is no other Democrat politician who is on the job as this 76 year old man who is truly outstanding. Not beiung an Amwerica and not even living in America, I hacve seen him dong everything eerywhere. Not only does he blog he even reads his blog and acts on suggestions there.

Don't query him about his actions as he has seen politics through the ages and knows why he is doing these things as little steps.

His immense experience tells him what he has to do to ensure people do not escape the legal net.

Also, a thousand pinpricks make a lot of difference. Help him to help yourselves.

[mod mom]

26. If I've learned anything from the last five years, it is the persistant

harping to the MSM HAS paid off. It is the actions of progressives like us and certainly the honorable John Conyers, to force a subject into the spotlight when those complicit would prefer it to remain silent, that moved this treasongate forward.

Why bother? Because democracy is not a spectator sport and it up to us to secure it's existence for future generations.

[bloom]

21. ok, eom

[BrightKnight]

23. done

[BrightKnight]

24. .

double posted in error

[wrathofkahn]

25. Done.

[spuddonna]

30. Done, and THANK YOU! n/t

[bonito]

31. Done!

[hiley]

32. kick

;-)

[slipslidingaway]

33. Yes and thanks. n/t

[IndyOp]

34. Yes, Mom! I signed...

Anything for Congressman Conyers!

:patriot:

[NAO]

35. Done. Very Important!

[Shallah Kali]

36. Even if this doesn't stop pardons it will be another black mark on BushCo!

Keep chipping away at their wrong doing!