A High Five to Murtha!

It looks like our impeachment efforts are making a real difference. On CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday, Rep. John Murtha raised the possibility of impeaching the president.

"We've already compromised," Murtha said. "And we need to make this president understand, Mr. President, the public has spoken. There's three ways or four ways to influence a president. One is popular opinion, the election, third is impeachment, and fourth is the purse." Host Bob Schieffer followed up, pressing him on whether impeachment was a serious option on the table. Murtha responded, "I'm just saying that's one way to influence a president."

Murtha no doubt cleared his comments with Speaker Nancy Pelosi before his appearance, which would indicate that impeachment is back "on the table" where it belongs. But Murtha is going to get a lot of heat for speaking truth to power, and his staff will be inclined to back off. Murtha needs to hear our support and encouragement immediately.

Call Jack Murtha to thank him and ask him to sign onto Dennis Kucinich's bill to begin impeachment proceedings against Vice President Cheney: (202) 225-2065.
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Tell the Pollsters: No More Excuses

There is no longer any possible excuse for polling companies' refusal to ask Americans whether they support the impeachment of Cheney or Bush. Articles of impeachment have been introduced in Congress. Prominent Congress Members are discussing the topic on television talk shows. Please go here to ask all the polling companies to start asking the question.

On Saturday, April 28th, impeachment events were held in 43 states and several foreign countries. George W. Bush met a major protest in Miami, Fla. The California Democratic Party passed a resolution demanding impeachment at a convention in San Diego hosted by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Citizens on both coasts spelled I-M-P-E-A-C-H with their bodies on numerous beaches. Rallies and town forums gathered crowds and made the news everywhere.

Together, our one voice has brought us this far. Did you really think we would be seeing this two years ago? We did this. We can finish this. Then... We celebrate! then... we work together to rebuild this great nation to all that we know it can be, that it should be, that it once was and shall be again!

Freedom of Speech??

I find this a bit interesting. Mr. Veto stamp wielding Bush has set his rubber sights on yet another piece of legislation. This one being the hate crime bill.

This bill was revised to include sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability.

Think about this. The same man who defies the constitutional rights of many Americans with his warrantless wiretapping and "no-fly" list, is saying that this is an infringement of freedom of speech.

The White House, in a statement, said state and local criminal laws already provide penalties for the crimes defined by the bill and “there has been no persuasive demonstration of any need to federalize such a potentially large range of violent crime enforcement.”

It also questioned the constitutionality of federalizing the acts of violence barred by the bill and said that if it reaches the president's desk “his senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill.”

The White House also noted that the bill would leave out other classes such as the elderly, members of the military or police officers.

Hate crimes under current federal law apply to acts of violence against individuals on the basis of race, religion, color, or national original. Federal prosecutors have jurisdiction only if the victim is engaged in a specific federally protected activity such as enrolling in school, voting or traveling between states.

So, hate crimes against homosexuals fall under freedom of speech? I don't know what state you live in and what your laws are, but in New York and Arizona, the killing of a police officer warrants the death penalty. So why add them?

Is it just me or does the right seem to think it possesses a high moral ground? Do they truly believe this? Why would a leader of a country that is supposedly working for all of the people of his country veto this bill? Why would a parent, grandparent, brother, sister, friend of any homosexual vote for such a party?

Daddys Blame, Sons Game

October 13, 1993, Bush expressed concern that the humanitarian mission to Somalia that he had launched nearly a year earlier was being "messed up" by the Clinton administration. "If you're going to put somebody else's son or daughter into harm's way, into battle, you've got to know the answer to three questions," Bush told the students. He said the president has to know what the mission is, "how they are going to do it," and "how they're going to get out of there." Several news reports noted that Bush's comments appeared to violate his earlier pledge not to publicly criticize Clinton during his first year in office. [The New York Times, 10/14/93; The Boston Globe, 10/23/93]

That was George Sr. It does make one wonder what he thinks of his son, does it not?

While campaigning with Dole days before the 1996 presidential election, Bush suggested that Clinton had compromised the "integrity of the White House. "What matters to me now is the integrity of the White House," he said. "I believe in duty, honor, country," he continued. "I believe in service. I believe in keeping the White House above partisan politics, away from these puny, terrible disputes we're seeing." [Chicago Tribune, 11/1/96]

In a letter released on April 23, 1998, Bush "criticized the White House and its allies for their continuing public campaign to criticize [independent counsel Kenneth] Starr and undermine his investigation," according to a New York Times article published that day. In the letter, Bush professed to hold Starr -- who at the time was investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair -- "in high regard."

On the 4th anniversary of some bullshit "mission accomplished" speech, dickhead jr saw fit to veto a bill that gave him billions of dollars. All he had to do in return was save hundreds, maybe thousands of lives. Thus, we enter the spin zone.

Welcome to the world of the great double standard. Sr bashed Clinton, jr commits the crimes. I say we agree with Sr. Impeach them all = ASAFP.

Howard Dean Says..

President Bush has hit a new low -- and I'm not talking about his 28% approval ratings.

Today, he ignored the majority of Americans and he defied the majority of Congress. And what's worst, he told our brave men and women in uniform that they will be the ones to pay the price.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: a Democratic president wouldn't veto that bill. We put forward a thoughtful plan and the President rejected it.

Here's what Secretary of Defense Robert Gates had to say about the Democratic plan to start bringing our troops home:

"The debate in Congress...has been helpful in demonstrating to the Iraqis that American patience is limited. The strong feelings expressed in the Congress about the timetable has had a positive impact...in terms of communicating to the Iraqis that this is not an open-ended commitment."

But President Bush's veto sends the opposite message. It refuses to allow the Iraqi people to stand up for their own country. It blatantly disregards the need for a political solution. Worst of all, it puts the lives of our troops right in the middle of it.

That's not a road to victory. It's a road to nowhere.

The Democratic Party is working overtime to stop this madness. We're doing all we can to change course in Iraq and to elect leaders who are accountable to the American people.

When President Bush rejects a troop withdrawal plan supported by nearly two-thirds of the country, he's not working for the American people -- he's working for himself.

The wave of support to end this war won't stop. The Democratic Party is ramping up the pressure on President Bush every day, and we're working hard to make sure that none of his Republican allies will continue his legacy.

This country has suffered through President Bush's failed policies for long enough.

One veto isn't enough to stop us. The Democratic Party brought change in 2006, and with your help we'll do it again in 2008.

Sincerely,

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

Well said Howard!

Crossroads

Nope, I didn't get taken away in a paddy wagon headed for Gitmo. I didn't drop off the face of the Earth. I was, instead, abducted.

This good looking man comes into my office, hands me a cup of coffee and says, "Go for a ride with me."

Of course, I accept the coffee. The ride took a bit more prompting. I mean, there is a war to end, a good message to be spread, impeachments to demand, masks to remove from government officials, cities to help rebuild, much, much work to do. Right?

Needless to say, I went, partially kicking and screaming, but I did go. I am, now glad I did. We took a ride up to Flagstaff via Sedona and hiked Sunset Crater and the the surrounding Indian ruins. We then, headed up to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. We took long routes and stopped to see everything. The weather was beautiful and I must admit, it was a perfect idea. I got to clear my head and once again see the beauty in life that I used to see everyday.

My husband and I used to take long drives, maybe once a week, just so I could take some pictures and get inspired to paint. I haven't painted in three years.

During this road trip, I heard Rudys claim against Democrats and every imaginable fear tactic thrown out by the right.

I can not speak for anyone else, but as for me, I don't like being told what to think. I don't like being told to be afraid. I don't like being controlled with fear and threats of dirty bombs and evil doers. I don't.

Yes, 9/11 was horrific. It was terrifying and it tore a thread in our little fantasy of being above such things. But think about this:

Every year, we also lose millions of Americans to preventable accidents and disease. We're more likely to die on the road than as a result of Al Qaeda's machinations. Annually, we lose some 43,000 people to auto accidents. For the grieving families, that's 43,000 deaths too many. But, although we surely could reduce auto fatalities if we chose to make it our top national priority, the Bush administration has yet to announce a "War on Highway Deaths."

After 9/11, the Republican line was that all future terror attacks on U.S. soil must be prevented at any cost. That's the line Giuliani was parroting this week, but its effectiveness hinges on our collective willingness to let fear swamp our capacity to reason.

Contrast the Republican response to 9/11 with the Republican response to the Virginia Tech massacre. After the shootings, when many commentators suggested that we might consider tighter gun control regulations, most GOP leaders were outraged: The right to bear arms is sacred! The massacre didn't occur because guns are easy to obtain but because the shooter was mentally disturbed, and if he hadn't had access to guns, he'd have found some other way to kill people! No legislation can completely protect us against maniacs!

and this:

A survey by Alpha magazine revealed that three American hedge-fund managers earned more than $1 billion last year.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Iraq burns. More than 3,100 Americans have died there, the equivalent of 100 Virginia Techs. Nearly 25,000 have been wounded in action, many of them gravely. And that's nothing compared to the number of Iraqis who have been killed as the country has slid into civil war. Fatalities among the civilian population are running about 3,000 a month. The Brookings Institution's latest Iraq survey carried one statistic that froze my blood: According to a recent poll, one in four Iraqis has personally experienced or witnessed the murder of a family member as a result of violence since the U.S.-led invasion. Dow 13,000, meet Iraq 13,000. That's approximately the number of Iraqis killed so far this year.

I, who hates the idea of control or being controlled in any way, shape or form learned something this weekend. I was controlled. We are being controlled, not by fear, but by anger, by frustration. How can we not be? We are bombarded with finger pointing, self righteous, fear mongering right.

I say let the right trade their lives and their freedom for fear. Let them be afraid, let them think like it's the Cuban missile crisis all over again and build bunkers in their back yards.

I will not. I will continue my work. I will see injustice, stupidity and corruption and show it. I will not give up on the human race. I will not give up on hope. I will, once again see beauty. I have already picked up a paint brush.

I see us as being at the fork in the road. One way, leads to fear of attacks and fear of terrorists. The other, leads to reality. We are not safe. We are not above all else. We just refuse to stop living because of it.

Which road would you chose?