Should Conyers Impeach or Write Another Book on Bush's Crimes?

[davidswanson]

Don't Buy Conyers' New Book Unless He's Held an Impeachment Hearing
By David Swanson

House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers could impeach Bush and Cheney in an hour if he chose. They have refused to comply with subpoenas and contempt citations, making a laughingstock of his so-called "oversight." They have rewritten laws with "signing statements" and proceeded to violate the laws. They have openly admitted violating FISA. They've obstructed justice, punished whistleblowers, politicized the Justice Department, and lied us into a war, among many other abuses.

Conyers could take up Kucinich's Article XXVII, hold a real impeachment hearing just on the refusals to comply with subpoenas, and be done in under an hour, passing the matter on the the full House and fulfilling his oath of office at last. And, remember, the full House has already voted for Conyers' committee to hold impeachment hearings on Kucinich's resolutions. Conyers has no excuse not to.

Three years ago, Conyers' staffers on the Judiciary Committee produced a book about Bush and Cheney's impeachable offenses. Some of us helped them do it. After all, they were in the minority and couldn't do much more than write books.

But now? In the majority? Now, should they be accepting that Congress no longer has subpoena power? Now, should they be accepting that Congress no longer has the power to legislate? Now, should they be accepting that Congress has no power of the purse? Now, should they be devoting tax dollars to the pointless vanity of doing what anyone else can do: writing yet another book on Bush and Cheney's latest impeachable offenses.



If anyone buys Conyers' staffs' new forthcoming book, it will be because Conyers is (or at least was) chair of the Judiciary Committee. And yet, the book's existence will demonstrate and it will document that Conyers was never any such thing, that in fact he's just a professor who uses public funds to pay his teaching assistants to write books in his name. Why should anyone buy them? We have books aplenty. We need action.

We need a DON'T BUY CONYERS' LINES, DON'T BUY CONYERS' BOOKS campaign. Please post a comment below if you can commit to never again buying a book by John Conyers unless he holds a real impeachment hearing for Bush and/or Cheney.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. I'd be a lot more impressed with an autobiography down the road

that told the story of how he rightfully impeached a disaster President and saved the Constitution, Democracy and the United States of America. That is a book I would buy!

[mmonk]

2. Yes, Mr. Conyers already sent me an autographed copy

of George Bush vs. The Constitution. No more books because they mislead the reader into thinking he might be willing to do something about it.

[mod mom]

4. I too have autographed copies of not only "Bush v The Constitution" but also "Preserving Democracy:

What Went Wrong in Ohio" which presents another chapter as to why we need action over more writings. How about an autographed copy of the orders to hold rove in contempt. Now that is something I'm willing to dish out funds for!

[mmonk]

6. Absolutely. A much better use of an autograph worth framing.

[Kelvin Mace]

3. There will be no impeachment

Pelosi, Reid, Obama, et al, have decided to give Bush a pass. Pelosi claims she can't even seen anything he's done that is criminal, and Obama's camp has said they will only prosecute "egregious" law breaking.

Apparently willful murder, war crimes, torture, and violations of the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th and 8th amendments of the Constitution and the elimination of Habeus Corpus does not constitute a crime, or an "egregious" crime as understood by the Democratic leadership.

We are lead by the morally bankrupt people.

[mod mom]

5. The 2 party system has been transformed into a one party MONEY PARTY in which

our elected officials only answer to the highest bidder. :mad:

[Dinger]

7. That's It In A Nutshell

You nailed it.

[madamesilverspurs]

8. ...which invites a repetition

of the claim that the Capitol has become little more than a brothel.

[Phred42]

9. We are already there.

[orleans]

15. "We are lead by the morally bankrupt people."

more specifically:
We are lead by the morally bankrupt AUTHORS.

[davidswanson]

10. also useful to post your comments here

http://afterdowningstreet.org/nomorebooks


Conyers will read them.

[mod mom]

11. done. thank you David!

[eallen]

12. He should see his doctor.

If this were 2004, I would say he should impeach. This, instead, being 2008, I think he should see his doctor, because he's moving slower than a hibernating snail.

:hippie:

[asthmaticeog]

13. Great fuckin' idea, David.

So if your idea grows legs (mercifully unlikely) and Conyers does what you wish (slightly less unlikely), the media roundly discredits the hearings as a craven attempt by Conyers to sell books.

It would serve you well to have an unexpressed thought now and again, sir.

[Norrin Radd]

18. It doesn't serve us well to be fearful of the media.

[asthmaticeog]

20. Fear doesn't enter into it.

[balantz]

14. I'll go a step further.

I propose we gather ALL their books, Conyers, Pelosi, etc., and have a big public bonfire while chanting "IMPEACH THEM ALL!"

[KoKo]

17. I remember when Conyer's and his "Basment Hearings Committee" promised us

"Election Reform." Going so far as to have Jesse Jackson, jr. commit to first step when Dem Congress took power he would introduce an Amendment to Constitution giving Americans the Legal write to vote. Somehow that was missed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights and when women and African-Americans were allowed to finally have the right to vote and it became apparent after "Selection 2000" that a "right to vote" was the only way we voters would have any "standing" in lawsuits.

Another of Conyers empty suited efforts.

[samsingh]

16. both

[Gregorian]

19. John, if you're listening, think of the book you can write if you DO impeach!

Now that'll be a book worth reading. It'll sell like hotcakes. And we'll be doing the right thing. All at the same time.

Go on. Go on. Go on. GO ON!!!


PS- David Swanson, I'm loving your posts.