Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Vermont Votes to Impeach Bush/Cheney
Yahoo ^ | 3/7/07

Posted on 03/07/2007 5:32:56 AM PST by Mr. Brightside

Vermont Votes to Impeach Bush/Cheney

John Nichols

Wed Mar 7, 12:36 AM ET

The Nation -- When Vermont Governor Jim Douglas, a Republican with reasonably close ties to President Bush, asked if there was any additional business to be considered at the town meeting he was running in Middlebury, Ellen McKay popped up and proposed the impeachment of Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

The governor was not amused. As moderator of the annual meeting, he tried to suggest that the proposal to impeach -- along with another proposal to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq -- could not be voted on.

But McKay, a program coordinator at Middlebury College, pressed her case. And it soon became evident that the crowd at the annual meeting shared her desire to hold the president to account.

So Douglas backed down.

"It became clear that no one was going home until they had the chance to discuss the resolutions and vote on them," explained David Rosenberg, a political science professor at Middlebury College. "And being a good politician, he allowed the vote to happen."

By an overwhelming voice vote, Middlebury called for impeachment.

So it has gone this week at town meetings across Vermont, most of which were held Tuesday.

Late Tuesday night, there were confirmed reports that 35 towns had backed impeachment resolutions, and the number was expected to rise.

In one town, Putney, the vote for impeachment was unanimous.

In addition to Governor Douglas's Middlebury, the town of Hartland, which is home to Congressman Peter Welch (news, bio, voting record), backed impeachment. So, too, did Jericho, the home of Gaye Symington, the speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives.

Organizers of the grassroots drive to get town meetings to back impeachment resolutions hope that the overwhelming support the initiative has received will convince Welch to introduce articles of impeachment against Bush and Cheney. That's something the Democratic congressman is resisting, even though his predecessor, Bernie Sanders, signed on last year to a proposal by Michigan Congressman John Conyers (news, bio, voting record) to set up a House committee to look into impeachment.

Vermont activists also want their legislature to approve articles of impeachment and forward them to Congress. But Symington, also a Democrat, has discouraged the initiative, despite the fact that more than 20 representatives have cosponsored an impeachment resolution.

"It's going to be hard for Peter Welch and Gaye Symington to say there's no sentiment for impeachment, now that their own towns have voted for it," says Dan DeWalt, a Newfane, Vermont, town selectman who started the impeachment initiative last year in his town, and who now plans to launch a campaign to pressure Welch and Symington to respect and reflect the will of the people.

It is going to be even harder for Governor Douglas, who just this month spent two nights at the Bush White House, to face his president.

After all, Douglas now lives in a town that is on record in support of Bush's impeachment and trial for high crimes and misdemeanors.

For the record, Middlebury says:

We the people have the power -- and the responsibility -- to remove executives who transgress not just the law, but the rule of law.

The oaths that the President and Vice President take binds them to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." The failure to do so forms a sound basis for articles of impeachment.

The President and Vice President have failed to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution" in the following ways:

1. They have manipulated intelligence and misled the country to justify an immoral, unjust, and unnecessary preemptive war in Iraq.

2. They have directed the government to engage in domestic spying without warrants, in direct contravention of U.S. law.

3. They have conspired to commit the torture of prisoners, in violation of the Federal Torture Act and the Geneva Convention.

4. They have ordered the indefinite detention without legal counsel, without charges and without the opportunity to appear before a civil judicial officer to challenge the detention -- all in violation of U.S. law and the Bill of Rights.

When strong evidence exists of the most serious crimes, we must use impeachment -- or lose the ability of the legislative branch to compel the executive branch to obey the law.

George Bush has led our country to a constitutional crisis, and it is our responsibility to remove him from office.


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; US: Vermont
KEYWORDS: hatebushcrowd; impeachment; liberals; moonbats; vermont
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 next last
To: Mr. Brightside
When do we vote on whether or not to let Canada have Vermont?
41 posted on 03/07/2007 6:10:03 AM PST by msnimje (Giuliani/Chafee 2008 - For the RINOs who want to send the very best to the White House)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

What's Vermont? ;)


42 posted on 03/07/2007 6:10:23 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves ("Wise men don't need to debate; men who need to debate are not wise." -- Tao Te Ching)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

Impeachment is the same as an indictment.
Exactly what law has been broken?
Answer: NONE.
You can't impeach someone for performing actions allowed by their office.
Bill Clinton was impeached for perjury. Lying under oath before a legislative or judicial body, i.e., purjury, is a crime.


43 posted on 03/07/2007 6:10:51 AM PST by BuffaloJack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

White guilt and PC run amok - thats Vermont. And all of it is neatly packaged in quaint little villages with 99.99% white folks who fancy themselves as arbiters of whats right for everyone else. Eff em.


44 posted on 03/07/2007 6:12:16 AM PST by BillyBonebrake
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BuffaloJack
The libs think Bush/Cheney are guilty of following the wrong policies. They want to criminalize conservatism and Libby's conviction has lit a fire under them. The moonbats want to go for broke.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

45 posted on 03/07/2007 6:14:34 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: angkor
Great post.

While reading your description of Putney, I swear I heard Seals and Croft singing, "Summer Breeze."

46 posted on 03/07/2007 6:17:55 AM PST by HoosierHawk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: TommyDale
I vote that we kick them out of the Union. They have never given us anything, only RINOs.

I vote we keep the state and deport those unAmericans

47 posted on 03/07/2007 6:17:59 AM PST by restornu ("Try to Lead by Example, Not by Trampling on Another!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: twonie
I know. I was just thinking of the old joke about the busload of hillbillies that left West Virginia to move to Ohio and by so doing improved the collective IQ of both states. Sounds like Quebecers and Vermonters would be in a race to the bottom when it comes to collective IQs.
48 posted on 03/07/2007 6:20:11 AM PST by chimera
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

All those Howard Dean robots should choke on their syrup. Personally I'll never buy another drop of Vermont maple. I'll make do with Aunt Jemima's buttery fake maple syrup.


49 posted on 03/07/2007 6:26:17 AM PST by bikerMD (Beware, the light at the end of the tunnel may be a muzzle flash.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside
I wish Vermont would just secede from the Union. I would wholeheartedly support it.
50 posted on 03/07/2007 6:28:21 AM PST by MBB1984
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

Vermont votes to overthrow constitution and have parliamentary government.


51 posted on 03/07/2007 6:29:34 AM PST by depressed in 06 (Bolshecrat, the party of what if and whine.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: indylindy

Can't we arrange a trade with Canada? They get Vermont and we get Alberta?


52 posted on 03/07/2007 6:30:13 AM PST by RockinRight (My wish for Islam - The Glass Parking Lot Formerly Known As The Middle East.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: MBB1984

I've just passed legislation outlawing Vermont forever. The bombing begins in five minutes.


53 posted on 03/07/2007 6:32:20 AM PST by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: RockinRight
Can't we arrange a trade with Canada? They get Vermont and we get Alberta?

It is starting to soung like a game of Monopoly. I don't think they want Vermont, either.

54 posted on 03/07/2007 6:33:26 AM PST by dforest (Liberals love crisis, create crisis and then dwell on them.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

I was working at IBM doing contract work, was eating at a restaurant on the patio and this thing walked by in a sun dress. A male, this is Vermont, San Fran east. Bernie and Leaky must be overjoyed.


55 posted on 03/07/2007 6:34:31 AM PST by boomop1 (there you go again)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

In related news, it was announced that Vermont and Wisconsin have been traded to Canada for Alberta, Saskatchewan, and a province to be named later.


56 posted on 03/07/2007 6:42:53 AM PST by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

Now that’s funny. I guess the whole “non-binding” thing is becoming popular.


57 posted on 03/07/2007 6:44:15 AM PST by mutantcoil
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Brightside

We have towns in Maine that were taken over by the old commune communities. One of them called Unity gets so busy during the marijuana harvest that potato chip vendors can't keep chips on the shelves. The entire town gets the munchies.


58 posted on 03/07/2007 6:50:12 AM PST by armymarinemom (My sons freed Iraqi and Afghan Honor Roll students.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Abathar
Don't forget to impeach them for their hatred of black people too....

What would the good people of Vermont know about black people?

According to the US Census, Vermont is 97% white and a whopping .6% black. Presumably, for Vermonters to care about black people, they'd have to meet one.

59 posted on 03/07/2007 6:52:05 AM PST by Alter Kaker (Gravitation is a theory, not a fact. It should be approached with an open mind...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: boomop1
was eating at a restaurant on the patio and this thing walked by in a sun dress. A male,

Sounds like the hippie dippy Putneyite I used to work with. Did he/she have a full handlebar moustache and tortoise-rim glasses?

60 posted on 03/07/2007 6:54:35 AM PST by angkor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson