Awake

[H2O Man]

Recently I have had the opportunity to take part in a couple of interesting discussions. The longer of the two has to do with progressive democrats advocating that the Congress move towards the impeachment of the president and/or vice president. There have been a variety of opinions about what that means, and how it might best be accomplished. The other conversation of note was about Gandhi consciousness, and the potential benefit that this holds for those who are hoping to end the Bush-Cheney aggression in Iraq. I suspect that these two topics are very closely related.

The issue of impeachment is gaining the interest of a wide range of people. It’s worth noting that conservative republican radio personality Jay Severen has called for President Bush to either resign, or face impeachment, for his present policy in Iraq. While I think that we should start by impeaching VP Cheney for manipulating the intelligence, and lying to the country about the true reasons he helped force the country to war in Iraq, I find Severen’s position interesting. I recognize, however, that a large number of the members of the Democratic Underground make a far stronger case for impeaching Bush.

At the same time, there are people who pose as having the democratic party’s best interests in mind when they say that it will damage our chances to win the White House if we so much as whisper the word "impeachment" in public. Although the Constitution of the United States clearly calls for impeachment, in terms that even Severen grasps, they warn us that now is not the time, and that there are more important things we need to concentrate on.

This reminds me of a part of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech, given in the Bishop Charles Mason Temple in Memphis on April 3, 1968. We know this speech as "I See the Promised Land," and tend to be most familiar with the final few paragraphs., where he predicts his death. But earlier in the presentation, Martin spoke about history, including the Roman Empire.

"Now, what does all this mean in this great period of history? It means that we’ve got to stay together. We’ve got to stay together, and maintain unity. You know, whenever the Pharaoh wanted to prolong the period of slavery in Egypt, he had a favorite, favorite formula for doing it. What was that? He kept the slaves fighting among themselves. But whenever the slaves get together, something happens in Pharaoh’s court, and he cannot hold the slaves in slavery. When the slaves get together, that’s the beginning of getting out of slavery. Now let’s maintain unity."

Martin was planning his Poor People’s Campaign for the summer. He had been working to combine the civil rights movement with the anti-war movement. And he came to recognize that both racism and war combined to hold a large group of people in poverty. He knew that he was challenging the power structure in America, and he recognized that was dangerous.

"And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. …. Well, I don’t know what will happen now. … Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. ….And He’s allowed me to go up on the mountain. And I’ve looked over. …" That part of Martin’s final speech still haunts America. Indeed, it should. Yet we should not get stuck on his Gethsemane, and fail to move in the direction he spoke of.

On March 31, 1968, Martin had given his last Sunday sermon. He delivered the Passion Sunday sermon at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. That speech was titled, "Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution." While it is not as famous as his "I Have a Dream," "A Time to Break Silence (Beyond Vietnam)," or "I See the Promised Land" speeches, it remains one of his most important statements.

"Remaining Awake …." speaks to us on many levels. Certainly Martin was speaking of Gandhi consciousness, a level of awareness reflected in his beginning the speak by making reference to the line from the Book of Revelations, Chapter 16: "Behold, I make all things new, former things are passed away." And he compares this awakening to the prolonged sleep described in Washington Irving’s classic, "Rip Van Winkle."

King focused on an important, often forgotten part of the Rip Van Winkle tale. When he went off to sleep, he saw a picture of King George; when he woke up, there was a picture of George Washington. Rip Van Winkle did not recognize the first president, because he had slept through a Great Revolution.

Martin reminded his audience that they were in a time of a Great Revolution, too. He called it a triple revolution, based upon the technology that had made the world a global community; the violence that threatened to destroy the world in a nuclear war; and the human rights campaign that was confronting racism and poverty.

He quoted a John F. Kennedy saying twice: "Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind." He also quoted John Donne: "No man is an island entire of itself. Every man is a piece of the continent – a part of the main." He connected the price of the Vietnam War – the death of each enemy soldier cost the US tax-payers $500,000 – with the inability of the Johnson administration to make real the promise of LBJ’s Great Society.

Great documents always hold that promise of great things to be done, Martin said, but it was up to mankind to accomplish those potentials. And he identified one of the enemies of those who wished to accomplish the good described in the Constitution, the Emancipation Proclamation, and other documents. That enemy "is the myth of time. …There are those who often sincerely say …., "Why don’t you slow up? Stop pushing things so fast. Only time can solve the problem. …..

"There is an answer to that myth. It is that time is neutral. It can be used either constructively or destructively. And I am sorry to say this morning that I am absolutely convinced that the forces of ill will in our nation, the extreme rightists of our nation – the people on the wrong side – have used time much more effectively than the forces of good will. …. Somewhere we must come to see that human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability."

In "Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Making of a Mind" (Orbis Books; Maryknoll, NY; 1990), author John Ansbro focuses on King’s discussing how he combined the teachings of Jesus with the tactics of Gandhi. He quotes Martin as describing the Montgomery Boycott: "Gandhi was probably the first person in history to lift the loveethic of Jesus above mere interaction between individuals to a powerful and effective social force on a large scale." In a sermon at The Riverside Church in New York City in 1967, King said, "Christ showed us the way and Gandhi showed us it could work." And in "Stride Toward Freedom," King wrote about the form of Gandhi consciousness known as "satyagraha" – which means "holding on to Truth," or "Truth-force."

Martin was planning to lead a Poor People’s Campaign in Washington, DC during the summer of 1968. He was prepared to challenge the power of the state, and to demand social justice. It was an intense plan, and it made many people nervous. Even some of Martin’s closest associates were opposed to it. They were even arguing about it during Martin’s last 24 hours on earth.

On Passion Sunday, King told of a journalist asking him, "Don’t you think you’re going to have to stop, now, opposing the war and move more in line with the administration’s policy? As I understand it, it has hurt the budget of your organization and people who once respected you, have lost respect for you. Don’t you feel that you’ve really got to change your position?" And King that he was not a "consensus leader," and that he did not take Gallop polls to determine what his beliefs should be. Rather, he looked to be a molder of consensus.

"On some positions," King said, "cowardice asks the question, is it expediant? And then expedience comes along and asks the question – is it politic? Vanity asks the question – is it popular? Conscience asks the question – is it right? There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor polite, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right. … And I submit that nothing will get done until people of good will put their bodies and their souls in motion."

Thirty-eight years later, we are facing many of the same problems that Martin confronted then. We have an immoral war in a distant land that we need to stop. It is keeping this country from becoming a Great Society, and not only because of the financial investments the Bush-Cheney administration has made. We need to be fully awake and fully aware of these connections.

King was prepared to shut Washington down to protest this nation’s policies. Those of us who are advocating that Congress begin the investigations that should lead to impeachment are not looking to shut anything but executive corruption down. In fact, we are asking Americans to take the actions needed to make sure that Washington DC does work properly. We want to bring life to those great documents. We invite you to join us.

Please write to Reps. Waxman and Conyers this week, and request that they investigate the lies that brought this nation to war in Iraq.

[Jcrowley]

1. Call them

Don't ask, demand. It's their obligation. As it is ours.

K&R

[Peace is Possible]

25. Don't ask, demand

exactly
:toast:

[Sydnie]

2. Has something changed? Is Conyers thinking of not investigating?

He has lists of things that he already knows that blivet** and his band of thieves have directed or condoned. He knows where the bodies are buried, he just needs to get it on the record. Has there been some development that has caused him to second guess himself? :shrug:

[bobbolink]

4. Conyers said he won't go for articles of impeachment,

after Pelosi said it is "off the table".

:nuke:

[mzmolly]

74. I believe that Pelosi, Conyers and others are planning to impeach.

But they want it to come from the bottom up. They want to expose this administration along with the entire Republican Party via investigations, and they want to ensure a public outcry for impeachment once the evidence for such a measure is handed to the American people on a platter.

What we're seeing now, I believe, is called "politics" and I am convinced that in the future we will see "justice."

However, I would also caution that Pelosi has said her first priority is the troops, I think she's straddling a sensitive balance between bringing them home and ousting the Bush cabal for their crimes.

The above is of course mere speculation on my part. ;) *ehem* Conyers didn't work his hind end off to expose Bush only to brush the matter under the "lets win in 08" rug.

:shrug:

Peace all

[bobbolink]

79. I have no idea what is in Pelosi's mind. She doesn't consult me.

~~chortle~~

However, if you are correct, and it is a political ploy, I'm really disappointed that she went about it the way she did. After what this nation has been through with disengenuous crap from leaders, I want Dems to be scrupulously honest and forthcoming.

If that was what she had in mind, she could have had a response that was non-committal, but left a door open. To pledge that it was "off the table", then go back later and go forward with it, just isn't honest and upfront.

Whatever she actually has in mind, I'm VERY disappointed (Heartbroken, if she keeps her pledge!), and not excited about her leadership.

We, as a nation, deserve better. And, I *believe* she can do better.

[mzmolly]

80. I don't think it's a "ploy." I think it's a cautious approach to a difficult situation.

Pelosi said "let's see where the evidence takes us" time and time again, so - I believe the door you speak of has been "left open." She simply isn't foaming at the mouth yelling 'IMPEACH' before we've uncovered all the evidence and presented a case to America.

[bobbolink]

82. No, she took a PLEDGE --no impeachment.

I saw/heard her on TV. Couldn't have been clearer.

[H2O Man]

8. It is important

for Rep. Conyers to be able to say to others in Congress, as well as to the media, that he has been contacted by a large number of citizens from across the country on this issue.

[Imagevision]

11. Amerika needs to expose/impeach Bush&Cheney to regain credibility in the world

Under Bush cabal leadership (2 terms), the US. appears it has lost it's direction to the rest of the world.

[Sydnie]

13. That's enough motivation for me

Will send off letters right away. Thanks for the heads up (as usual). :)

[H2O Man]

14. Thank you.

It is an important part of the process.

[puebloknot]

19. Yes! If Conyers is being pressured, we need to give him...

...ammunition to overcome objections to impeachment.

I note that the people who voted Nancy Pelosi into office again have passed a bill to demand impeachment.

Phone calls, lots of phone calls! We can afford it. The bill comes due *next* month! It's an investment in the future of our country for ourselves and most of all for our beloved children!To paraphrase a bit: What would Martin do NOW? What would Gandhi do NOW?

And what would Jesus do now? Considering what he is said to have done then (he drove the money changers out of the temple), he would not stand for the all-consuming corruption that we see now.

Most of all...what will WE do?

[Tuesday_Morning]

3. Thanks H2O Man

Rep. Waxman's contact page: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/webreturn/?url=http://www.house.gov%2Fwaxman

Rep. Conyer's contact page: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/webreturn/?url=http://www.house.gov%2Fconyers

Rep. Conyer's email: [e-mail]

[Me.]

10. Thanks For The Email Address

Already sent

[Tuesday_Morning]

16. And here's a link

to the whole beautiful sermon.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/publications/sermons/680331.000_Remaining_Awake.html

[H2O Man]

31. Thank you!

Thanks for providing us with the link to this very important speech. It's Martin's view from that mountain top.

[Sydnie]

44. Done Thanks for the email addresses. n/t

[bobbolink]

5. Toll-free Capitol Hill Switchboard numbers to call Conyers and Waxman

1 877 851 - 6437

1 877 762 8762

1 800 828 0498

calimary noticed the middle one is SOB U SOB :rofl:

CALL!! :)

[Me.]

6. You Don't Have To See The Whole Staircase To Take The First Step

Time has not been a neutral for the * administration. They have, of course, used it well, according to their sights, ill and destructively according to ours.

[porphyrian]

7. Beautiful, my friend. - n/t

[alfredo]

9. Excellent essay

I'd like to pass this on to friends.

This floored me:

"On some positions," King said, "cowardice asks the question, is it expediant? And then expedience comes along and asks the question – is it politic? Vanity asks the question – is it popular? Conscience asks the question – is it right? There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor polite, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right. … And I submit that nothing will get done until people of good will put their bodies and their souls in motion."


It may not be a lack of will, it could be a bit of nose counting in the Senate.


When it comes down to it, impeachment is nothing when compared to the crimes he has committed. Let the investigations lay the groundwork for war crime charges. I'm an old salesman. I like it when a customer comes in presold on what I am selling. Investigating and exposing his many crimes could pave the way for bush being brought to justice in a meaningful way. He is not above the law, and we are a nation of laws.

[Ilsa]

12. Assholes are still blaming the CIA solely for the manipulation of

intel. The info on Cheney's Special Operations dept in the pentagon needs to see the light of day.

[H2O Man]

15. It needs to be

seen on televised hearings.

[Octafish]

20. Doug Feith will cry like a baby before spending a day in the slammer.

Doug Feith'd blubber all up and down that his Office of Special Plans only was doing what Sneering Dick Cheney told him to do. It is my sincere hope Feith gets into the Witness Protection Program, not that the man Tommy Franks called the "stupidest fucking guy on the planet" would know. If sequestered, the Democrats should bring in Feith's "friend" Michael Ledeen for unfriendly questioning.

[Ilsa]

46. Thanks. I couldn't remember "Office of Special Plans" nt

[omega minimo]

17. Reagan wasn't impeached for Iran /Contra; tomorrow IC perp Gates is made Sec-Def?

We look back at what has happened because Reagan wasn't impeached 20 years ago and ask what we the USA become in 20 years if THIS maladministration is not held accountable now?


Beautiful piece, H2O Man. Thanks for connecting the dots and getting that ball rolling.

[H2O Man]

33. This essay

is largely a result of my considering two exchanges between you and other DUers.

[westerebus]

37. Awake,awake!

On the a boat crossing during a violent storm,jesus slept. The apostles were afraid and woke him. He said: you of little faith,why are you so afraid? He stopped the winds and calmed the storm.
The night before his death, he gathered his followers and went to pray in the garden of olives. He left them to pray and told them to stand watch. When he returned he found them asleep. Awake, he said,the spirit is willing,but the flesh weak. And the second time: Awake, least you fall back into your old ways. And the third time: Awake,for this cup shall not pass and you are to bear witness.
This isn't about religion or faith. Being AWAKE is seeing things in a different way. It is taking action. It is expressed in many different systems across the world. Hindu,Buddhist,Taoist,Muslim,Christian and secular philosophy,the american constitution and bill of rights,the UN charter etc. A breaking from the sleep of the past,from contentment.
What ever your beliefs,you Know right from wrong. Now get on with being AWAKE.

BRING the TROOPS HOME!

[newyawker99]

70. Hi westerebus!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[westerebus]

77. Thank you.

I had a conversation with a fellow just back from Iraq. He is a civilian contractor. His job is specific to the military. He expects to return to Iraq the end of 07.
We will be there a long long time. Corruption is far worse than anyone will admit to. The Iraqi police ARE the militias/death squads run by the Iraqis themselves from inside the government.
He said the current Iraqi government will not survive once their military is organized and Turkey and Iran are talking on how to partition the Kurdish north if the country splits.
So if anyone is wondering why we are redeploying to the border,there is your answer.

[omega minimo]

60. Well, we made it to the Home Page

:hi:

[omega minimo]

51. .

:toast: :grouphug:

[Octafish]

18. Truth Force

Dr. King knew what he was up against.

Martin was planning his Poor People’s Campaign for the summer. He had been working to combine the civil rights movement with the anti-war movement. And he came to recognize that both racism and war combined to hold a large group of people in poverty. He knew that he was challenging the power structure in America, and he recognized that was dangerous.

He also knew what he was doing, on the local and cosmic scales.

He tried to do the right thing, always.

Thank you for writing that, Mr. H20 Man.

Awaken. Learn. Know. Act.

[H2O Man]

32. It is important

for people to realize that the forces that Martin was challenging with his Poor People's Campaign, which exposed the relationship between the war in Vietnam, racism in the USA, and the investments made in poverty, were not the same people who were upset by the thought of an integrated lunch counter.

[TahitiNut]

21. Dr. King, subscriber to deontological ethics, understood well Kant's Categorical Imperative

"On some positions," King said, "cowardice asks the question, is it expediant? And then expedience comes along and asks the question – is it politic? Vanity asks the question – is it popular? Conscience asks the question – is it right? There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor polite, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right. … And I submit that nothing will get done until people of good will put their bodies and their souls in motion."

Amen.


If Dr. King were a consequentialist, we'd have never heard of him and drinking fountains in the South might still say "Whites Only."

[omega minimo]

22. Why Kant more people understand that?

:hi:

[Tatiana]

23. Jay Severen and others want Bush gone for self-serving reasons.

It really has nothing to do with Bush's contempt for the constitution, his failed domestic policies, or botched Iraq policy - though these issues certainly play some part. Instead, they have come to realize what you have pointed out in a previous post: Bush is a loose canon.

They can no longer control him. Pappy sent in Baker to try to fix Idiot Son's mess. Hadley's memo leaks. The so-called bipartisan Iraq study group gives a tepid call for eventual withdrawal of troops from Iraq (DUH! Who didn't see THAT one coming?).

Bush's response to this not-so-subtle manipulation? F*** you! We're staying the course! Oh yeah, and I still want Bolton to stay in some capacity, 'cause he's just the bestest!

WTF!? At some point everyone has to stop, listen to this deranged lunatic, and realize he's just lost it (if he ever had it to begin with). He can't get right-wing nominations passed or implement neo-con plans for American imperialism given:

a) a House controlled by Republicans
b) a Senate controlled by Republicans
c) a Supreme Court controlled by Republicans
d) a mainstream/corporate media favorable to Republican interests
e) the damn White House
f) the worst terrorist attack on American soil

They gave him everything on a silver platter and he STILL (not surprising, given his history) managed to bungle it all. When I look back on the past six years, I wonder why we aren't even worse off than we are currently.

So the GOP wants to cut its losses. The puppet is no longer being controlled by his masters and this is a very dangerous thing to the neoconservatives. No one knows what he will do next. He says one thing and does an about-face at the next given moment.

That's why they want him gone. Because they know if Bush is left to his own devices, the American public will associate Bush and his "legacy" with the GOP and keep them out of power for years, possibly decades to come.

The Democrats are doing the right thing, in my opinion, by treading slowly but steadily towards the uncovering of untold treason, corruption, and crimes against this nation and other nations. I still think the best way to begin unraveling the whole sordid mess is to begin with the Office of the Vice President and follow the trails extending from Cheney and the Office of Special Plans (OSP). Make no mistake - this will will be a dangerous undertaking. Just like JFK and RFK and MLK and even Malcolm X, bullets start to fly and people die when those powerful behind-the-scenes establishments are challenged.

We have to make sure that all of our party leaders, committee chairs and the like are protected and secure.

[AntiFascist]

28. and now the US dollar is taking a severe beating...

I expect to see more fiscal conservatives turn against Bush as they see the danger to the American economy with billions being spent per day in Iraq. This is not a partisan issue. Uncovering the corruption that lead to war will be in the long-term best interest of all Americans regardless of financial status.

[femrap]

71. Talking about economics....did you see this?

http://energybulletin.net/23259.html

These neocons are going to end up killing this nation....

[H2O Man]

30. Valid points.

I think that we need to be aware of what you are saying. You are right. What concerns me is that while we watch the republicans move away from Bush, that there is the risk that some democratic leaders will become closer to the Bush-Cheney policy, by subscribing to the illusion that the US can somehow "win" in Iraq if we just "give it more time."

Republicans do recognize that if the US is still involved in the civil war in Iraq in '08, their party will be damaged. I think that the same holds true for democrats. All of America is being damaged by this ugly war. And the only sure way out is by removing the reins of power from the hands of Bush and Cheney.

I was watching a short interview on that place called "you-tube." (I think that's correct.) It was of a college student interviewing my friend Rubin Carter. And Rubin told him that it is very important for the young men and women in the United States to realize that they have the ability to invest their lives in making this world a better place, instead of a more violent and dangerous place. And he said that this young generation of students needs to study the situation, and realize that it is impossible to end that war in Iraq with Bush-Cheney still in office.

[Tatiana]

34. Ding! Ding! Ding!

You've said what it has taken me a long time (3 years, really) to understand. We're NEVER going to leave Iraq as long as Bush/Cheney are in power. Honestly, we could probably substitute "Republicans" for Bush/Cheney. The neocons want a foothold in that region and while Pappy is more than willing to cut his losses to protect "other" interests, the neocons are more than happy to watch soldiers and civilians alike perish for their pipe dream.

Of course Congress could de-fund this invasion. But that will never happen. No one has the guts to do such a thing. So we're left with removing Bush/Cheney from office and making sure a Republican is not (s)elected in '08 to extricate ourselves from the situation.

It's a gloomy outlook, but I don't see any alternative.

[H2O Man]

35. Expecting the Bush administration

to produce a meaningful change in its Iraq policy makes no more sense than expecting a banty rooster to lay an ostrich egg. It's against the laws that define its nature.

[central scrutinizer]

45. a couple of points

I believe the Republicans and neocons are moving away from Bush/Cheney as a smokescreen. They are worried that their whole agenda will be scrutinized closely and repudiated. Far better to spin it so that it is not the policy that was wrong but that the wrong people were in power and messed it up. They don't want their world view challenged, which is exactly what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was saying. The rest of the world can see what is going on: Corporate domination of resources and labor worldwide, backed up by American military power. They are not going to hand over their natural resources to American exploitation so we have to wrest it from them. We cannot let the Republicans and neocons shirk their responsibility by allowing them to throw Bush/Cheney under the bus.

Regarding impeachment: let's not put the cart before the horse. Investigations need to begin immediately on war profiteering, torture, intelligence manipulation, the real story of 9/11, inaction following Katrina, etc. The mountain of evidence of malfeasance, criminal neglect, lies, fraud, outright stealing, will not only bring down Bush/Cheney, but also provide powerful campaign material for 2008 when every incumbent Republican in the House and Senate can be asked: "What were you doing while this was going on? How many oversight hearings did you hold? Provide one example where you put the good of the country ahead of the good of the Republican Party as dictated by Karl Rove?"

[ptolle]

50. excellent

Scrutinizer- excellent just about as good an analysis of the necessary-IMO- course of action as I've seen.Hold their feet to the fire and let the whole country listen to the howling.I just wish we could rely upon the corporate media to report such an undertaking fully and honestly.I especially like the question you recommend at the end of your essay.There's a variation of the question needs be asked of all congress critters democratic or republican- the country's good ahead of your personal good.Way too many Democrats went along without a hint of dissent or protest to exonerate them.I'd not be surprised that were various trails followed to their end we'd find this is a Carlyle Group war as much as anything else. I also suspect that's why poppy has sent in his personal group of regulators.

[KoKo]

59. Excellent comments Scrutinizer... Already there's a campaign to blame the

"people" for not supporting the war and the Press's Reporting(while we who've been here for awhile know the MSM with so few exceptions gave Bush his war and pumped it long after it was out of control) and that the People Demonstrated in the Thousands over and over again...and were IGNORED.

We have to get the hydra. I agree with H20 Man that Cheney is the one that is the lead into the NEST of VIPERS but the whole system of Think Tanks and Special Interest (Powers that Be) needs to be explored and going through Cheney's long history and current actions will do that.

The SYSTEM was USED to do this to We the People. The system that's been in place since the Cold War and only grown seeking more and more War because it needs to feed itself constantly. The bigger it grows the more it needs to eat to sustain itself.

It's time to Stand UP with all we have to stop this before there's nothing left to protect.

[mzmolly]

75. And this is precisely the key to our "strategy" toward justice.

Pelosi has said as much in so many words.

Nice summary. :hi:

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

24. Quoting James Baldwin:

"Those who say it can't be done are usually interrupted by others doing it."

[Peace is Possible]

26. Thank you H2O Man

great post
:applause:

[OneBlueSky]

27. o/t but related . . . Johann Sebastian Bach composed a cantata . . .

entitled "Sleepers wake" . . . maybe we should adopt it as a Democratic theme . . .

Cantata BWV 140: Wachet auf ruft uns die Stimme.
Sleepers wake, the voice is calling

available at your local music store and/or online . . .

[Cooley Hurd]

29. Impeachment is inevitable...

The first congressional investigations will lead to others, which will ultimately reveal crimes from the top on down. To NOT act on impeachment after so much is uncovered would be, in itself, criminal.

The only thing that would keep that from happening is the time constraints due to the Chimp's remaining tenure in office. And, on 1/19/09, he'll issue pardons to everyone from Cheney to Abramoff to DeLay.

[Zambero]

47. Will the GOP spearhead impeachment?

They may have to, not for any sense of highmindedness of course, but for survival. If the minority party sensed that the anti-Bush-Cheney backlash had long-term implications of having them losing the White House, losing even more seats in Congress, alienating millions of 18-30 year old voters who were so turned off by these criminals that voting for Republicans would be unthinkable, and ensuring a lasting legacy for them as the most corrupt, complicit and non-accountable Cogress in the nation's history -- perhaps excising the current cancer would be the only solution for them. The Democrats would then have political cover to move impeachment forward. Without GOP support, impeachment proceedings would be characterized as partisan revenge for Clinton, which some Democrats (and Republicans) considered "payback" for forcing Nixon out.

Impeachment under those circumstances would overshadow any other issue in the 2008 presidential campaign, and the GOP would be the likely beneficiaries. It would also stall any legislative opportunities that the Democrats might have over the course of the next 2 years. Impeachment 24/7 would be the order of the day. I look for a courageous but pragmatic Republican member(s) of the House or Senate to make the initial overture, followed by larger numbers, and eventually a consensus with Democrats to move forward would be reached. This process would need to move ahead as quickly as possible with "bipartisan" support. It would of course be preceded by hearings and investigations which would ultimately prod the GOP's sinking ship to bail itself out with impeachment. The Senate would be likely to convict under these circumstances.

The big question would be one of succession. If, presumably, Cheney was impeached/removed first, an interim VP in the "Gerald Ford" tradition would be nominated by the administration and approved by Congress. This individual would have a very high probability of succeeding as interim President, for obvious reasons. This is all very speculative, but Pelosi is not stupid and she knows that making unilateral partisan impeachment the number one item on the Congressional agenda would only serve the interests of the Republicans, since it would NOT result in an eventual Senate supermajority conviction. Bush and Cheney would "walk" and be "vindicated", and Democrats would be cast as revenge-seeking opportunists.

If and when a Republican demand for impeachment arises, it will be a "Nixon goes to China" event, only of greater magnitude. The county needs to put this entire sorry episode behind it, with broad support. Only then will the chances of future abuses of power be diminished, with the interest of the people being served first and foremost.

[glitch]

48. They can be impeached after they leave office. And convicted, and penalized.

And perhaps it's time to review the pardoning principle. These guys have no problem with ex post facto, maybe we should adopt their attitude on it. Or better, maybe there is a loophole that we can close in the next two years.

[tavalon]

36. That was powerful and moving

I've found myself on the fence around these issues and it appears MLK has much of use to say specifically to my delimna. I shall ponder this great mans words and even research some more. Wisdom once recognized should be revered by listening and understanding.

Thanks.

[Annces]

38. Thanks for the essay

I have sent message to Conyers. Waxman does not accept emails outside of his own district, so I emailed my own congress-woman, Tammy Baldwin. She sent back an extensive reply.

Here is part of it.

"Thank you for writing to me about the actions of President Bush
and the potential for impeachment proceedings. I appreciate your
taking the time to share your thoughts and for giving me an
opportunity to share with you the actions that I have taken on these
issues.

You may be particularly interested to know that I am a co-sponsor
of H.Res. 635, introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI),
which would establish a Select Committee of the House of
Representatives to thoroughly investigate the Administration's
intent to go to war before congressional authorization,
manipulation of pre-war intelligence, encouraging and condoning
torture, and retaliation against critics. The resolution also directs the committee to make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment. "

www.tammybaldwin.house.gov

[H2O Man]

39. That is one reason

that it is good to send "snail mail" ..... Some elected officials, such as Waxman, do not accept e-mail from outside their district. Yet his committee position will mean that he represents all of us. And his office, though they may not answer a letter, will certainly take note of it. More, when he and his people talk to others in Congress, it allows them to say, "We have been hearing from a heck of a lot of people on this issue. And many of them are not from our district."

And it looks like we should all be writing to Tammy Baldwin as well!

[pberq]

40. one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor polite

"On some positions," King said, "cowardice asks the question, is it expediant? And then expedience comes along and asks the question – is it politic? Vanity asks the question – is it popular? Conscience asks the question – is it right? There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor polite, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right. … And I submit that nothing will get done until people of good will put their bodies and their souls in motion."

[Laura PourMeADrink]

41. Brilliantly stated, as always. I think the "do not utter the word

impeachment" mentality echoes the "do not question the results of the 04 election
results for fear of being called a sore loser." Back then, wouldn't it have been
better to stop the show when you had the pulpit? Just think how much national
attention our questionable voting mechanism would have had when the final presidential
results were hanging in the balance. And, just maybe, it would have been fixed by now.
I, for one, am ready for the Democrats to stop playing politics and to lead the way
to what is right and just, as King always did. In the end, this is what builds trust.

I also have faith, that in the end, what is right and just reaches a critical mass of public opinion. The winds of impeachment are starting to blow. This became so evident as more and
more partisans began speaking out against the failed policies in Iraq - especially
Rumsfeld (hell, if you can believe that was a real memo) and Powell and people
live Severin (although he's always kind of thought the invasion was not a good
idea, right?)

[Flirtus]

42. you are a blessing

thanks for these thoughts, and all your comments.

I'm especially taken with "Time is neutral. ...we must come to see that human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability." I've never sat well with 'time heals all wounds' - it's old age and forgetfulness that lessens the response to stimulus! There are enough places in the world that have 'always known war' - how much better to raise up a generation in peace.

I'm grateful to Dr King, and others like him, that my daughter was able to grow up in a world where her classmates had different skin colors. Seems such a simple thing now.

...

I always wonder if you write with a waterman pen, too.

[Me.]

43. Mornin"

:kick:

[Autonomy]

49. Not to be rude, but pointed

It just seems to me that you've thrown as much Gandhi, King, and Kennedy at your topic as you can find, regardless of whether it's even tangentially related.

The fourth-to-last paragraph would have sufficed, imo. And what does *my* conscience tell me? Bush deserves impeachment, and the proper way to do this is to investigate everything and not let anything get swept under the rug.

[omega minimo]

52. It's all related

:think:

[Me.]

53. IMHO

There is never enough Gandhi and King, too much would mean the world had changed and we didn't need any of their words because we'd all taken their teachings to heart and acted upon them. And we all know that isn't true.

[bigtree]

54. I remember Henry Gonzales and his late night vigils in an empty chamber

That's the kind of perseverance we'll need to prevail.

[KoKo]

62. Ahhh...Henry Gonzales. It's a shame many here might not know who

that wonderful old warrior for truth was and missed hearing his wonderful speeches. Barbara Jordon was another one... We won't see their kind again, but hopefully their legacy can put some spine in what we have left to work for us. Some of the older ones in Senate and House remember...and we have to hope that age and seasoning and a long time in the "wilderness" will bring out a spirit that will harken back to Gonzalez and Jordan and the examples they set.

[bobbie]

55. H20 Man, this is one of the best thing's I've ever read

Thank you for tying words and events of the sixties to words and events today.
They are directly related.


On edit: K&R

[Big Sky Boy]

56. Your piece reminded me of Barbara Jordan

An amazing woman, seated before the House Judiciary Committee in 1974. No one can quite deliver what she spoke as eloquently or forcefully -- If you can find an audio clip, it is well worth listening.

In the comments leading up to the quote below she uses the word "Constitution" at least a half a dozen times--with special emphasis and stress on the word.

"A president is impeachable if he attempts to subvert the Constitution."

"If the impeachment provision in the Constitution of the United States will not reach the offenses charged here, then perhaps that eighteenth century Constitution should be abandoned to a twentieth-century paper shredder. Has the president committed offenses and planned and directed and acquiesced in a course of conduct which the Constitution will not tolerate? That is the question. We know that. We know the question. We should now forthwith proceed to answer the question. It is reason, and not passion, which must guide our deliberations, guide our debate, and guide our decision."

After she spoke those words, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the Judiciary Committee would vote to impeach. Nixon resigned to avoid the inevitable.

If we today cannot stand on principle than who are we? The people buying into the spin that we can't afford to get bogged down with investigations because that was "so disastrous for Republicans in 1996" have no understanding of history or the rule of law.

There are NO similarities. Clinton lied about a personal indiscretion. To compare that to what BushCo has done is like comparing a teenage boy caught with a Playboy magazine under his mattress to Boston Strangler.

I think most Americans can grasp the fact that an immoral war that has murdered hundreds of thousands of people with more dying every day is a whole lot more serious than a tryst in the Oval Office.

I am sickened by Democrats who want to "take it off the table" and talk about "more important issues." They are the reason we are in this mess to begin with. If Democrats in the 107th Congress hadn't been so willing to cave in and vote for the authorization to use force so they could "take it off the table" and go back to talking about "more important issues--like the economy," because "Americans trust Democrats when it comes to the economy," if they had stood their ground and asked the really tough questions--the invasion might never have happened. Instead their wishy washy stance lost two seats in the House and five seats in the Senate and guaranteed Republican control of Congress for four years.

That's what happens when we legislate by Zogby.

King's words are inspiring. They appeal to the better angels of our nature. But for me, at least on this issue, Jordan speaks with compelling moral clarity.

No. We shouldn't be dancing around like giddy little school children, bragging about bringing down a president like the Republicans did in 96. But if we seriously take impeachment off the table, then we have already run that eighteenth century Constitution through a twenty-first century paper shredder.

[jtm111]

57. I would prefer Bush resignation

but would reluctantly support impeachment.

I do think it will hurt democrats just like the 1998 impeachment hurt republicans.

[civildisoBDence]

58. Let's not forget Thoreau, whose "Civil Disobedience" inspired both King and Gandhi

Thoreau said that non-cooperation with evil is just as much of a moral imperative as is doing good.

I wonder more and more if I can pay my federal income tax this year--wouldn't that be supporting all the evils of this misadministration?

Newsprism

[Der Blaue Engel]

68. The taxes aren't theirs, they are ours

So it wouldn't be supporting the administration, it would be supporting the people of this country. What we need to do is put pressure on our representatives to ensure that our money is spent wisely and morally.

[robertpaulsen]

61. Time is neutral.

"There is an answer to that myth. It is that time is neutral. It can be used either constructively or destructively. And I am sorry to say this morning that I am absolutely convinced that the forces of ill will in our nation, the extreme rightists of our nation – the people on the wrong side – have used time much more effectively than the forces of good will. …. Somewhere we must come to see that human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability."

Thank you for citing this quote, H2O Man. I think if we look back over the last 34 years of American history, we can see instances within the political world where, facing overwhelming evidence of corruption and criminal activity, we have used time constructively (Watergate) and destructively (Iran/Contra). It's important to remember this lesson in accordance with the teachings of Martin Luther King. What would he do?

[mopinko]

63. impeach them both together. throw in a few cabinet officials

nuremberg impeachment. there are at least a dozen that should all hang together. rice, rummy, etc. there is no need to pick one or the other. try them all. together. that way they cannot point the finger at someone not in the dock.

i hope that when they say impeachment is off the table, what they mean is- we are going to investigate everything, put it on your tv, and soon every sane citizen of this country will be demanding impeachment. they really need the call to come from us. they need to do everything they can to distinguish themselves from what happened to bill. your call to send letters and call is a good one. that is what it will take.

very good piece, friend.

[Marnieworld]

64. Tears in my eyes, lump in my throat and goosebumps on my skin

Moved to say the least. This is precisely the point. We do not choose impeachment. We are obligated to do it. It may not be politic, polite, popular or practical but it is what must be done.

Thanks again for yet another piece that puts it all in simple eloquence. :pals:

[H2O Man]

73. Thank you.

I am pleased that some DUers, such as you, understand and appreciate what I am trying to say.

[MilesColtrane]

65. Congressional investigations need to bring forth powerful evidence...

in order to convince 16 Republican Senators to vote guilty in an impeachment trial. (not to mention Lieberman)

Since he would preside over the impeachment, you can bet that Bush appointee John Roberts would do everything he could to deny any evidence coming up in a trial.

Otherwise, impeaching Bush will only have the effect of making most of us feel good. It may also generate a slight mitigation in the global disdain and fear of America by other countries.

Actually removing Bush and/or Cheney from office is extraordinarily unlikely.
The time might be better spent in outlawing most of what they've done since taking office. And passing laws preventing what they want to do over the next two years. (attacking Iran)

But, by all means, continue the investigations exposing the malfeasance.

[Time for change]

66. Powerful arguments

God, it would be great if Congress followed their consciences on this matter. It's very hard for me to believe that that would hurt them politically.

[ooglymoogly]

67. thank you h2o man for showing us the brilliance of this man

i don't think many of us who loved him knew of the depth of his brilliance. i hope you write another article like this and submit it to huffpo and bi post it here as it needs to reach the widest audience possible. there is never to many times that this message can be said.

[Senator]

69. Response To All: You Cannot "Awake" by Pressing the Snooze Button

"Investigating" is just a euphemism for "NOT Impeaching."

"You can't ride two horses with one behind." -- Danny Rose (Yiddish proverb)

We do need an alarm. But it needs to end Our Slumber of Rationalization.

---

[earth mom]

72. I have goosebumps too...what an incredible post!

:bravo:

[mzmolly]

76. One more recommendation for ya!

:toast:

[KoKo]

78. And a KICK!

:kick:

[pat_k]

81. Don't "request that they investigate" -- Demand Impeachment!

In the OP, the quotes from MLK call on us to confront the truth head on, set aside fear and rationalization, and do what truth and principle demand of us. Unfortunately, instead of calling for impeachment, which is what truth and principle demand in our current crisis, the OP calls for investigation.

This disconnect provides a case study in the confusion and rationalization that is sabotaging the fight for impeachment.

From the OP:

. . .Those of us who are advocating that Congress begin the investigations that should lead to impeachment. . . Please write to Reps. Waxman and Conyers this week, and request that they investigate the lies that brought this nation to war in Iraq.

The DC Dems are hell-bent on "staying the course" of non-impeachment.

The Number 1 rationale invoked to defend their self-imposed "off the table" edict is that investigations "should lead to impeachment."

Bush and Cheney are committing their war crimes and conducting their criminal domestic surveillance program in plain sight. The "investigate" people NEVER tell us WHY they are not impeaching for these criminal abuses of power or WHAT an investigation could possibly uncover that would be more egregious than the high crimes already proven in the public record.

The Constitution is under attack. Members of Congress are sworn to defend. They are armed and ready. It is time to draft Articles of Impeachment and make the case.

When MLK said "we must come to see that human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability" he could have been talking directly to members who escape their personal responsibility to impeach by convincing themselves that impeachment will inevitably result if they simply carry on with oversight and investigation, business as usual.

If we want to see Bush and Cheney impeached we must challenge each and every Member of Congress to take up the fight by introducing or co-sponsoring Articles of Impeachment.

Asking them to "investigate" is like asking a fish to swim -- they are already doing it.

There is no middle ground between those of us who are challenging Members of Congress impeach and "Those of us who are advocating that Congress begin the investigations that should lead to impeachment."

For more on the irreconcilable differences between the "camps", see the following post (my reply to Time for Change's "Thoughts on Impeachment")

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2749557&mesg_id=2756313

[woodsgirl]

83. Thank you

H2O man and also the beautiful comments on MLKJr. and Ghandi.
The investigations should go quickly enough. I think the
illegal wire tapping will bring them down. I kept hoping the
dems. had a plan with their silence on election fraud.
Like,"Don't shoot 'till you see the whites of their
eyes." I personally think we've been sliding into fascism
since the assasination of our leaders JFK, MLKJr. and RFK. A
Greek friend of mine quoted a saying from the old gods
"Give them power so they will destroy themselves."
That was the gist of it...been several years since I heard
it.I think the Republican party has done just that. Destroyed
themselves.  

[demo_not_full]

84. nice article ...

and I believe we shouldn't look up to the Democrats in Congress like parents. Just because they say they will or won't do this or that, does not mean that "we" can't make it happen anyway. It's clear that they are trying to do alot for us but I don't believe this country will ever be close to what it should be as long as they dance around stubborn laws. The people have enough common sense to know what's right or wrong but it's an individual choice to follow some ideology that doesn't consider everyone else's opinion. I fully agree that we should send those letters in January and there should be plenty of evidence included to show that "we" know without a doubt that the law has been broken by GW Bush and it's the Democrats job to pursue it "now". When we drive down the highway speeding, does the law wait to pull us over 2 years later? If we break the law we get prosecuted then and there. It sets a very bad example for our officials to get special treatment. I personally don't like the fact that the House gets a makeover everytime it switches party. It should reflect the real man's world to remind them everyday that this country belongs to the people and "we" gave them the job.