Calls to Impeach Bush Growing

Calls for impeachment are becoming more and more prevalent across the Internet. People are no longer waiting for their elected officials to do the right thing, but are making their own stand. Here's a sampling of what's going on around the 'net these days.

The Owners of the Grand Theater in Oakland, California, use their theater marquee to exercise their right to free speech in tremendous ways. (Check out the recent Grand Marquee sign lambasting California of State Bruce McPherson for allowing Diebold back in here.)


This story at Booman Tribune caught my eye: Impeach him - for $3.00 a person. For a few bucks, the post's author bought a few t-shirts and some iron-on transfers, and made t-shirts for himself and his family bearing a copy of this recent Harper's Magazine cover:

Author Suskind writes:

I wore my shirt to the gas station shop, and the Indian fella behind the counter said "Impeach him, huh?" And I said, "Yeah, he's bad. Get rid of him." "He's so bad I want to break my TV," said the man. "For what he's done to this planet, he and Saddam... they are the worst." Said the guy. "Yeah, get rid of him," I said and left the shop.

Hmmm... I thought to myself, this shirt seems to be having an effect. I remember the Town Hall Forum where Liz Holtzmann and Congressman Conyers and others said that until we take it to the streets impeachment is not going to happen. But who knew it could be this simple?

I proceeded walking home from the shop, and one guy SALUTED THE SHIRT !! Wherever I went someone had something to say... basically "My sentiments exactly."

Over on Daily Kos, Stradavus posted a list of the thirty Representatives who have stepped up to the plate already to sign H. Res. 635, calling for the creation of a select committee to explore grounds for impeaching Bush. The list:

Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI)
Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA)
Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA)
Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO)
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI)
Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA)
Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY)
Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA)
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX)
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA)
Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA)
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI)
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN)
Rep. John Olver (D-MA)
Rep. Major Owens (D-NY)
Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ)
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
Rep. Martin Sabo (D-MN)
Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
Rep. Fortney Pete Stark (D-CA)
Rep. John Tierney (D-MA)
Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)

One site puts it quite bluntly: Impeach the Motherfucker Already.

Now sure, there are many on the left who fear the "i" word because of the damage done to Bill Clinton. But how can you compare lying about consensual sex, however extramarital, between adults, with illegally invading a country to forcibly shove Democracy down their throats, ready or not? How can anyone compare a blow job to allowing a major U.S. city to drown while the President played guitar? And now that we know from this AP video that Bush knew the levees could be breached, how can one excuse his behavior?

Inspired by the actions of others around the next, I set up a very simple petition anyone can sign, anonymously if they're scared. Click the image in the upper right to get there. And if you are far more scared by what Bush is doing than putting your name and address down in support of this, check out the ImpeachBush.org site. They're collecting not only names but money to run full-page ads in the New York Times calling for impeachment.

This Impeach Bush site has articles surrounding the constitutional and legal issues as well as arguments for impeachment.

Even the media is slowly getting into the act:

• Harpers Magazine: "The Case for Impeachment," by Lewis Lapham
• The Nation: "The Impeachment of George W. Bush," by Elizabeth Holtzman
• Salon Magazine: "Impeach Bush," by Garrison Keillor

Five towns in Vermont have called on their lone Congressional Representative, Bernie Saunders, Independent, to press for the impeachment. San Francisco City Supervisors want to impeach Cheney as well as Bush.

Harold Meyerson of the LA Weekly, in an article written instead for the Washington Post, warns it's not yet time to call for impeachment, that as bad as things are, can anything be done anyway without a Democratic congress?

He's right on the last part. The Republicans appear more interested in protecting their party than in doing the right thing for this country. The president's spying on Americans, even Meyerson concedes, appears to be a clear violation of law. If we let the president get away with breaking the law, then anything goes. Anything. Rigging of elections. Illegal wars. Allowing cities to drown without remorse. Anything. I refuse to give up on the law, and I know there are a lot of Republican citizens who feel the same way.

But we must call for impeachment, even as we work to secure our vote, which is in grave danger, and as we work on all the other issues that face us. Dark times require of us extraordinary bravery and diligence. Our American ethic, as espoused by our founding fathers, is under severe attack. I am grateful to those who have stepped up to take responsibility for our nation in positive ways, even as I am angry at those whose complacency makes life worse for all.

What are you doing to help?