[Vision2020] Kucinich Introduces Impeachment Articles Against Cheney

[Ted Moffett]

Joe et. al.

Thanks for your kind response.

Read article below about a politician in Washington really trying to hold
those at the highest levels of government accountable for extreme abuses of
power.  This article lists offences Cheney committed that make Craig's
misconduct pale in comparison.  These offences are documented.

Why has Kucinich's impeachment articles against Cheney received such scant
attention?  Many people I have talked to, even among those who would agree
with Kucinich's effort, don't even know about this!   Kucinich explains in
this article his well considered reasons for impeaching Cheney first, not
Bush.  If Cheny/Bush get away with their deceit of the American people
regarding the Iraq WMD lies, then the full force of Larry Craig's words that
you quoted apply:

If our citizens conclude that lawlessness in the highest office is
acceptable, that their elected representatives are complicit in that
corruption then the nation is at risk."

Craig on impeaching Bill Clinton, Feb. 12, 1999, Congressional Record.
------------
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/24/AR2007042401542.html

*Kucinich Introduces Impeachment Articles Against Cheney
*

CQ Transcripts Wire
Tuesday, April 24, 2007; 6:09 PM

REP. DENNIS J. KUCINICH, D-OHIO: Thank you very much for being here.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal;
that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights;
that, among these, are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that, to
secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their
just powers from the consent of the government; and, whenever any form of
government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people
to alter or to abolish it.

These words from the Declaration of Independence are instructive at this
moment. Because not only whenever any form of government, but whenever any
government official becomes destructive of the founding purposes, that
official or those officials must be held accountable.

Because I believe the vice president's conduct of office has been
destructive to the founding purposes of our nation. Today, I have introduced
House Resolution 333, Articles of Impeachment Relating to Vice President
Richard B. Cheney. I do so in defense of the rights of the American people
to have a government that is honest and peaceful.

It became obvious to me that this vice president, who was a driving force
for taking the United States into a war against Iraq under false pretenses,
is once again rattling the sabers of war against Iran with the same intent
to drive America into another war, again based on false pretenses.

Let me cite from the articles of impeachment that were introduced this
afternoon, Article I, that Richard Cheney had purposely manipulated the
intelligence process to deceive the citizens and the Congress of the United
States by fabricating a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction to
justify the use of the United States armed forces against the nation of Iraq
in a manner damaging to our national security.

That despite all evidence to the contrary, the vice president actively and
systematically sought to deceive the citizens and the Congress of the United
States about an alleged threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

That preceding the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, the vice president was fully
informed that no legitimate evidence existed of weapons of mass destruction
in Iraq. The vice president pressured the intelligence community to change
their findings to enable the deception of the citizens and the Congress of
the United States.

That in this the vice president subverted the national security interests of
the United States by setting the stage for the loss of more than 3,300
United States service members and the loss of 650,000 Iraqi citizens since
the United States invasion; the loss of approximately $500 billion in war
costs, which has increased our federal debt; the loss of military readiness
within the United States armed services, through an overextension and lack
of training and lack of equipment; and the loss of United States credibility
in the world affairs and decades of likely blowback created by the invasion
of Iraq.

That with respect to Article II, that Richard Cheney manipulated the
intelligence process to deceive the citizens and the Congress of the United
States about an alleged relationship between Iraq and Al Qaida in order to
justify the use of United States armed forces against the nation of Iraq in
a manner damaging to our national security.

And that, despite all evidence to the contrary, the vice president actively
and systematically sought to deceive the citizens and Congress of the United
States about an alleged relationship between Iraq and Al Qaida.

That preceding to the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, the vice president was
fully informed that no credible evidence existed of a working relationship
between Iraq and Al Qaida, a fact articulated in several official documents.

With respect to Article III, that in his conduct while vice president of the
United States, Richard Cheney openly threatened aggression against the
Republic of Iran, absent any real threat to the United States, and has done
so with the United States's proven capability to carry out such threats,
thus undermining the national security interests of the United States.

That despite no evidence that Iran has the intention or the capability of
attacking the United States, and despite the turmoil created by the United
States's invasion of Iraq, the vice president has openly threatened
aggression against Iran.

Furthermore, I point out in the articles that Article VI of the United
States Constitution states, and I quote, "This Constitution and the laws of
the United States shall be made in pursuance thereof and all treaties made
or which shall be made under the authority of the United States shall be the
supreme law of the land. Any provision of an international treaty ratified
by the United States becomes the law of the United States."

The United States is signatory to the U.N. Charter, a treaty among the
nations of the world. Article II, Section 4 of the United Nations Charter
states, and I quote, "All members shall refrain in their international
relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity
or political independence of any state, or in any manner inconsistent with
the purposes of the United Nations."

The articles conclude by pointing out that the vice president's deception
upon the citizens and the Congress of the United States that enabled the
failed United States invasion of Iraq forcibly altered the rules of
diplomacy so that the vice president recent belligerent actions toward Iran
are destabilizing and counterproductive to the national security of the
United States of America.

These articles of impeachment are not brought forth lightly. I've carefully
weighed the options available to members of Congress and found this path the
path that is the most important to take.

The justifications used to lead our nation to war have unquestionably been
disproved. Brave soldiers and innocent civilians have lost their lives in a
war the United States should never have initiated. The weight of the lies
used to lead us into war has grown heavier with each death. Now is the time
for Congress to examine the actions that led us into this war, just as we
must work to bring the troops home. This resolution is a very serious
matter, and I will urge the Committee on Judiciary to investigate and
carefully consider this resolution.

At this time, I'm happy to take any of your questions.

QUESTION: Congressman, at this point do you have any other -- any fellow
members support this?

KUCINICH: At this very moment, the resolution is being transmitted to
members of Congress. Because this resolution is so weighty in its import,
it's going to be important for members of Congress to have sufficient time
to study the articles. This is unlike any other type of legislation or
resolution. This is not something that you can ask anyone to make a snap
judgment on. It took me a while to come to this point. And I would expect
that members of Congress, given the opportunity to review these articles,
will be able to come to a conclusion consistent with their own concerns and
the concerns of their constituents.

QUESTION: But at this point, you stand alone, at this point?

KUCINICH: At this point, I believe that I stand with millions of Americans
who have expressed concern through their state legislatures, through
petitions to Congress, through contact with their members of Congress, that
something has to be done to reclaim our country's goodness, to reclaim a
government which the American people want to be honest, want to be just.

And so I do not stand alone. I have multitudes of people backing this.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) Chairman Conyers to look at this?

KUCINICH: I will discuss this with Chairman Conyers, now that this has been
introduced, and I will ask for his consideration. And I will communicate
this to all members of the House and ask them to give it the kind of
thoughtful consideration that it deserves.

KUCINICH: I might point out that -- that when you read the annotations here,
you will see that everything that has been said in these articles has been
carefully documented. In fact, I would imagine that some of you have even
reported some of the statements, although perhaps the statements have not
been challenged in this way until now.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

KUCINICH: The question relates to why I'm bringing the articles of
impeachment against Mr. Cheney, and not Mr. Bush. Is that it?

QUESTION: Why solely Mr. Cheney?

KUCINICH: Well, there's a practical reason here. And the practical reason is
-- first of all, I want to say that each and every charge against Mr. Cheney
relates to his conduct or misconduct in office.

Now, with respect to the president. I think that it's very important that we
start with Mr. Cheney. Because if we were to start with the president and
pursue articles of impeachment, Mr. Cheney would then become president.

It's significant and responsible to start in this way, because if the same
charges would relate to the president as relate to the vice president, you
would then have to go through the constitutional agony of impeaching two
presidents consecutively.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

KUCINICH: Well, actually -- I'll wait until that truck goes by here.

Let me tell you the difference. The difference today is that this vice
president is actively encouraging aggression against Iran. It is urgent that
Congress take steps to check the abuse of power. And that's what this
impeachment resolution will do.

KUCINICH: There is no comparison whatsoever -- in any way, shape or manner
-- between these articles of impeachment and the articles of impeachment
which were presented to the House of Representatives in 1999.

In fact, these articles of impeachment are deeply researched, will stand up
in a discussion in the House and in the Senate. And I believe that they are
-- that they're imperative to bring forth right now because the threat of
war against Iran is very real.

And this vice president cannot be permitted to continue to violate both the
U.S. Constitution and the U.N. Charter.

QUESTION: Congressman, you're running for president. Are you hoping to get
the others (OFF-MIKE)?

KUCINICH: Each person has to -- each person will have to make his or her own
decision.

This goes beyond partisan terms. This is being done to defend our
constitutional system of government. This is being done so that all those of
us who took an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States can
understand that this impeachment is one valid way in furtherance of the
defense of our Constitution.

I don't see this as being distant from anyone, in any capacity in our
government. Everyone must reflect on this.

Years from now, people will ask, "Why didn't the United States government
respond when they saw this threat to our democracy? Why didn't people inside
the government respond?" if this doesn't move forward.

And so this really isn't so much, I might add, about the vice president as
it is about who we are as a people. What is it that we stand for? What kind
of government do the people of the United States expect and deserve?

KUCINICH: It's not appropriate for the government to lie to people. It is
wrong for government officials -- you know, the vice president, in this case
-- to take this nation into war based on lies.

And so, again, this becomes a question of who we are as a people. And so
this resolution 333, articles of impeachment against the vice president,
will let future generations know that no one is above the law of this
country and that Congresses have the specific responsibility to provide a
check to administrative abuse of power. That's the way the framers set this
government up.

QUESTION: Congressman, Speaker Pelosi has said on more than one occasion
she's not interested in impeachment.

Have you had conversations with her on this, or some exchange, in your
mind...

KUCINICH: No, I have not discussed this with Speaker Pelosi.

I want to stress that this is not a partisan action at all. I have not
confided in anyone in the leadership of my party, because I take this action
beyond partisanship, beyond party, as an obligation and commitment to my
nation and my loyalty to America and my willingness to say, "Stop the lies.
Stop the lying. Stop the dying that's occurring in Iraq over lies."

It's imperative that America stand for the truth. It said in the Bible, "You
shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." Well, let then these
articles of impeachment help set our nation free from the lies that have
enveloped our governmental process, the lies that are trapping us still in a
war in Iraq, the lies that could take us into a war against Iran.

This is about the truth.

QUESTION: Congressman, it's been said by some pundits that you're just
introducing these articles to gain publicity for your presidential campaign.

What do you make of those allegations? And do you think this is going to
help you out in your race for the presidency?

KUCINICH: These articles are about the conduct of the vice president of the
United States, that he deceived the people of the United States to take this
country into a war, that he continues to exhibit a pattern of conduct that
could take this country into another war based on false pretenses. That's
what this is about.

KUCINICH: And I believe that the people of this country are demanding that
someone stand up and anyone has been free to do this. Anyone in the House of
Representatives could take similar action if they so choose, or could take
action against the vice president or the president.

QUESTION: Pelosi says it's not going anywhere.

(CROSSTALK)

KUCINICH: Have you talked to her today?

QUESTION: Yes, I did.

KUCINICH: Then I would say I have not talked to her. And as much as I admire
the speaker, as much as I voted to support her, I feel that it's my
obligation as a member of Congress to introduce these articles of
impeachment. And I believe the American people will be the final arbiters as
to whether or not these articles should go forward.

QUESTION: Just to follow up, when you say the vice president led us into
war, wouldn't that be President Bush? Isn't Cheney working for Bush?
(inaudible)

KUCINICH: Well, let's go into Article I. "Mr. Cheney: 'We know they have
biological and chemical weapons.'" Said this in a press conference on March
17th, 2002. "We know they're pursuing nuclear weapons." He said this in a
press briefing on March 19th, 2002. "He is pursuing, activity pursuing
nuclear weapons at this time." He said this on "CNN Late Edition," March
24th. "We know he's got chemical and biological, and we know he's working on
nuclear."

"Meet the Press," May 19th: "But we know Saddam has resumed his efforts to
acquire nuclear weapons." "There is no doubt he's amassing them against our
friends, against our allies and against us." August 26th, 2002.

On and on and on. "He has in fact activity and aggressively seeking to
acquire nuclear weapons." September 8th, 2002, "Meet the Press."

"He has in fact reconstituted nuclear weapons." March 16th, "Meet the
Press."

This vice president was a driving force in trying to create the
circumstances to justify the United States's attack against Iran. And he not
only deceived the people of the United States, and the Congress of the
United States, he deceived the American media.

KUCINICH: And so these articles are tightly focused on the conduct of the
vice president. And to the extent that they may reflect in some way on the
conduct of the president of the United States, is another matter for another
day.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

KUCINICH: I think the record is very clear, that this vice president used
his conduct of office to promote a war and Article I and Article II are very
clear that he conducted himself in such a way as to use the power of his
office to promote that war.

And so this relates to the vice president. And I think I answered the
question earlier about why the vice president and not the president.

Anyone else? I want to thank you very much for being here.

QUESTION: Do you have anyone you would identify as a replacement? If Vice
President Cheney were impeached, it would have to be voted on the House and
the Senate for confirmation.

KUCINICH: That would be up to President Bush.

Thank you.
-------------------------------------------
Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett


On 9/4/07, Joe Campbell <joekc at adelphia.net> wrote:
>
> Dear Ted,
>
> I agree with what you say below and I realize now that I should have
> indicated this in my post to Roger, and in other posts.
>
> I don't think that anything that Craig did, or attempted to do was,
> especially egregious. I
> don't think that he should have resigned. I don't think that he should be
> vilified. I have
> pity for him and the way his career ended.
>
> As some have noted, nearly all of the condemnations and calls for
> resignation came from
> radical conservatives, though others are stuck with the blame. All I
> wanted was for him to
> be honest with himself and others, and not to pass discriminatory laws
> against people that
> he doesn't mind have sex with.
>
> And I agree that there are more important things to worry about than
> Craig.
>
> Best, Joe
>
> ---- Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> =============
> Joe et. al.
>
> While this quote from Craig is laudable, and should be applied from the
> top
> to the bottom for all those in public service, Craig's misconduct in this
> case is minor, in my opinion, though there does appear to be a degree of
> hypocrisy in the way Craig "lied" to the police officer who witnessed
> his "misconduct," assuming the officer was not fabricating details.   I
> won't expound further, in part because the Craig scandal is a distraction
> from far, far more serious offences and wrongdoing in government, that are
> going unpunished and mostly unexplored in mainstream media.
>
> If Craig being forced to resign is justified for his misconduct, we could
> make a list of taxpayer supported public servants involved in the Iraq war
> and the prosecution of the war on terror, guilty of far, far more grievous
> offences, who deserve far more attention and exposure in the media than
> the
> Craig case received, and who certainly should be removed from office.
>
> When are impeachment proceedings going to start against Bush?
>
> Yeah, I know, Nanci Pelosi when assuming speaker of the house said
> impeachment is "off the table."  This is incredible!  Of course the
> Republican die hard supporters in the US Congress would never let
> impeachment go anywhere.  But they should at least try.  At least Kucinich
> has went public with his attempts to impeach Cheney
>
> Ted Moffett
>
> On 9/3/07, Joe Campbell <joekc at adelphia.net> wrote:
> >
> > Courtesy of Michael Jennings from the Daily News Letters to the Editor
> > page, Aug. 29:
> >
> > "It follows that the most serious breach of duty in public office - the
> > most
> > serious threat to the order of society itself - is for the enforcers of
> > the law to
> > break the law. If our citizens conclude that lawlessness in the highest
> > office is
> > acceptable, that their elected representatives are complicit in that
> > corruption
> > then the nation is at risk."
> >
> > Craig on impeaching Bill Clinton, Feb. 12, 1999, Congressional Record.
> >
> > Apologies if this has already been posted but it is worth repeating
> > anyway.
> >
> > --
> > Joe Campbell
> >
> > =======================================================
> > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> >               http://www.fsr.net
> >          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> > =======================================================
> >
>
>
>
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