Posted on 04/19/2004 9:30:51 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Today: April 19, 2004 at 11:07:27 PDT
By Kirsten Searer
<searer@lasvegassun.com>
LAS VEGAS SUN
Fed-up Democrats passed a party platform over the weekend calling for the impeachment of President Bush, saying he lied to justify the war in Iraq.
Some party leaders were lukewarm to the idea, with Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., saying the platform plank was "just for show."
"I support impeachment of the president, but I support it on Nov. 2," he said, preferring to send Bush packing by an election defeat instead of by impeachment, as touted in the platform plank sponsored by state Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas.
Party platforms don't always draw attention, but some said the impeachment plank could alienate moderate voters and further polarize what is shaping up to be a contentious election in this swing state.
Chris Carr, executive director of the state Republican party, said the motion will "ignite our base."
"It's just out of step with mainstream Nevada," said Carr, who is planning the Republican state convention in Reno in two weeks.
Eric Herzik, a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, said the platform could dissuade undecided voters, and that it is another example of how the two parties are polarizing.
"It's over the top," Herzik said. "And this is the problem. Both sides are over the top on their attacks on the other side. They are preaching to their most loyal voters."
Coffin introduced the plank and passed out a three-page letter saying he thinks only Congress can properly investigate Bush's path to war in Iraq.
"I have agonized over my personal belief that a President should be supported in his endeavors in international affairs, but I am convinced that President Bush breached his constitutional duty to Congress and the American people when he launched our adventure in Iraq," Coffin wrote in the letter.
This year's state convention drew an estimated 920 people -- more than three times the number who attended the last convention in 2002.
Participants were united in "Bush bashing," but the sheer number of people attending sometimes made proceedings disorganized and contentious.
After bickering over delegate selection on Saturday, a smaller crowd arrived Sunday morning to debate the platform.
They spent hours on the first few pages of the 38-page platform, mostly debating a pro-choice plank and parliamentary procedure.
When they ran out of time, they passed the rest of the platform without debate -- even the line that called for Bush's impeachment.
Some delegates were furious that they weren't given the party platform in advance, saying they hadn't had a chance to read it before they had to vote.
"I feel outraged," Fallon resident Michelle Ippolito told convention leaders. "I think every one of you should be replaced."
The war in Iraq was one of the most talked-about topics on the main floor, but members of the committee that hammered out the platform for two days said the idea of impeaching Bush was not controversial when it was proposed.
"It carries a message that I thought was important to say," said committee member Peggy Maze Johnson.
Another committee member, John Cahill, said that some people actually cheered when they first talked about the idea.
Yet Cahill and others worried that people would think Democrats were trying to get back at Republicans for impeaching President Clinton.
"We should not be a party that wants to take vengeance and impeach Bush just to get even," said John Ponticello, president of the Paradise Democratic Club.
Democratic Party spokesman Jon Summers said the motion to impeach Bush isn't "extremist."
"The platform plank regarding the impeachment says what everyone is saying right now -- that this country was misled into the war in Iraq," he said.
Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a respected civil rights activist, invigorated the crowd Saturday with a speech on bonding together to fight for their rights.
At one point, he bellowed in his Southern drawl: "This war was unnecessary! We didn't have to have this war! It was unnecessary!"
Democrats said this weekend they realize they need to keep up their energy to win Nevada for John Kerry in November.
"This man is an absolute disaster," said 71-year-old Lucien Benjamin, who retired to Las Vegas after a career with the Federal Aviation Administration. "He ranks about as low as you can get."
Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, said the strong showing at the state convention proves that Democrats are keeping up the momentum they created when they showed up en masse throughout the state for the Feb. 14 presidential caucus.
"My worst fear was that after the caucus meetings, things would kind of fall flat," he said.
A steady lineup of the state party's notables rallied the crowd on Saturday, and TV and movie star Martin Sheen made a brief appearance Saturday evening to present an award to Reid.
Reid called the White House a "palace of privilege" and rattled off a list of complaints about Bush, from the rising deficit, which he said will hinder future generations, to the Medicare bill, which he said won't help seniors pay for their prescription bills.
"Harry Truman had a sign that said, 'The Buck Stops Here,' " Reid said. "President Bush has a sign that says, 'Hey, don't blame me.' "
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I admit .. I am truly shocked at the comments from the Dems.
Sure, I realize it's election time and yea words will be through back and forth on both sides
But I don't recall there ever being such nasty comments like the ones coming from the liberals
The same Democrats who called for the impeachment of Clinton for purgery and obstruction of justice?
What? They gave him a pass when he broke the law - for real - just because he was a democrat? Go figure.
We're motivated already. This would REALLY get us working for righteousness. If the far left sees us as a thorn now, wait until we become an entire forest!
Bill Clinton is misleadin' to Bill Clinton:
"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program." --President Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998
Bill Clinton is misleadin' to Madeline Albright:
"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face." --Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998
Madeline Albright is misleadin' to Sandy Berger:
"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983." --Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998
Sandy Berger is misleadin' to Democratic Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others:
"[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs." -- Democratic Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle and John Kerry in a letter to President Clinton, Oct. 9, 1998
Democratic Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others are misleadin' to Rep. Nancy Pelosi:
"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process." -Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998
Rep. Nancy Pelosi is misleadin' to Madeline Albright:
"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies." -- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999
Madeline Albright is misleadin' to Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL):
"There is no doubt that ... Saddam Hussein has reinvigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies." -- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL) in a letter, Dec 5, 2001
Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL) is misleadin' to Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI):
"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the! e means of delivering them." -- Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002
Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI) is misleadin' to Al Gore:
"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country." -- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
Al Gore is misleadin' to Al Gore:
"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power." -- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
Al Gore is misleadin' to Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA):
"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction." -- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA) is misleadin' to Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV):
"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons..." -- Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002
Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV) is misleadin' to Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA):
"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force -- if necessary -- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security." -- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002
Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA) is misleadin' to Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV):
"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years ... We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction." -- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV) is misleadin' to Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA):
"He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do" -- Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002
Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA) is misleadin' to Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY):
"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members ... It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons." -- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY) is misleadin' to Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL):
"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction." -- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002
Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL) is misleadin' to Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA):
"Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation ... And now he is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real..." -- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003
Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA) is misleadin' only to Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA).
"Some of our greatest moments have been acts of courage for which no one could have ever prepared. We will always remember the words of that brave man expressing the spirit of a great country. We will never forget all we have lost and all we are fighting for. Ours is the cause of freedom. We've defeated freedom's enemies before, and we will defeat them again. We cannot know every turn this battle will take, yet we know our cause is just and our ultimate victory is assured. We will no doubt face new challenges, but we have our marching orders. My fellow Americans, Let's Roll." -- President George W. Bush on the eve of the War Against Terror, quoting Todd Beamer, one of the Flight 93 Patriots
"George Bush has misled the American people." -- John F. Kerry (D-MA)
"This man is an absolute disaster," said 71-year-old Lucien Benjamin, who retired to Las Vegas after a career with the Federal Aviation Administration. "He ranks about as low as you can get."
Correct me if I am wrong, but the way this is written, I looks as though Benjamin is speaking about Kerry.
And I could not agree more!
I thought about that but the problem is, you need to post a few times to be taken seriously. There is my dilemma...If I don't learn gutter-speak, I won't fit in...if I do, my friends and family would have the soap ready.
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