Hi, this is David Swanson of Democrats.com and AfterDowningStreet.org, and I've got good news, and I've got bad news, both related to Iran and related to the people, who are universally understood to be criminal and crazy enough that they might attack it from the United States. I mean this is the situation we're in, which is absolutely insane. We have an administration that is openly engaged in one ongoing years-long illegal occupation and war against the people of Iraq, and threatening the possibility of an attack on Iran. And the head of our Justice Department, our Attorney General, declaring what we should do is declare eternal war everywhere, so that any laws that don't apply in wartime won't apply anywhere ever.
And the insanity of this, and the fact that I'm free to speak about it, here in the so-called "homeland" of the empire I am free to speak about these things and to put them out there on the internet for all who seek them out to hear. I think the strength of the pretense that it isn't happening yet - that fascism couldn't ever possibly happen here - explains our remaining freedom of speech. Combined, I think, with the fact that we have absolutely no representation in Washington, so we can convince 99% of the American public. On some issues we have. We've convinced over 90% that we shouldn't be attacking Iran. And it makes absolutely no difference because we have absolutely no representation in the so-called "House of Representatives" in Washington DC.
So, the thinking of Cheney-Bush Incorporated is that the public has no influence, no power - activism is pointless. Well, I have some good news and begins to question that point of view. The good news is that this bill that was about to move through the House of Representatives unchallenged, to antagonize Iran to effectively demand a blockade on land and sea and air of Iran, has been stalled. They are not going to be able to put it through without a vote, and the chairman of the relevant committee is refusing to put it through at all unless it's altered to not call effectively for a blockade. And we have seen Congress members including Barney Frank, Robert Wexler, Tom Allen, Steve Cohen, William Lacy Clay back off - unco-sponsor - a resolution they had presumably co-sponsored without any thought and probably without reading the thing. They have unco-sponsored because of the pressure of the anti-war movement. And Congressman Berman is blocking it, as the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Now the bad news: it doesn't matter. Congress doesn't mean a damn thing. This White House will attack Iran if it chooses to. This Congress has gone along with funding of terrorist activities aimed at regime change, as they call it euphemistically, in Iran. This Congress has failed to so much as redundantly say: "Hey Mr. President, please adhere to the Constitution and the War Powers Act." Nothing. And were it to do so it wouldn't matter because the Congress has unilaterally disarmed. Can't get subpoenas enforced. Can't get contempt citations enforced. Can't get requests answered. Is being laughed at. Is nothing but a debate society because it has unilaterally disarmed removing impeachment from our Constitution.
So here's the good news on that front: this Friday, July 25th, in the House Judiciary Committee at 10am Eastern Time, in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2141, there will be a kind-of sort-of impeachment hearing. A hearing brought about by the pressure of the public for impeachment, by the pressure of Congress members and Committee members for impeachment, and by the ongoing campaign, the dedication, the relentlessness of Congressman Dennis Kucinich introducing impeachment on the floor of the house as a privileged motion three times and threatening to do it again and again. So this is a hearing set up to allow Congressman Kucinich the opportunity to present the case for impeachment to the House Judiciary Committee. That's the good news.
The bad news is: it's being rigged. The bad news is that they are inviting lots of other Congress members and non-Congress members to testify. One, two, three maybe in support of impeachment. Most - the overwhelming majority - against impeachment and in favor of other so-called "solutions". Things like censure, which is absolutely zero value as deterrence to future Presidents and is nowhere to be found in our Constitution. Things like passing laws during the next presidency to re-criminalize some of the crimes committed by Bush and Cheney - absolute sheer lunacy. Things like bills to require that if a President is going to announce with a signing statement that he intends to break the law, he's required to let Congress know. Excuse me - he posts the signing statement for the public to see on his website. Congress members could take a look if they chose. Wouldn't change the fact that it's all illegal and un-Constitutional. And the Constitution says nowhere in it that a President should be censured, or that a President should be punished by passing laws during the following administration to re-criminalize his crimes. Absolute nonsense. And Congressman Conyers has dared to put the word "Constitution" in the title of Friday's hearing.
We will see. We will see.
The witnesses are being told what they can say, what they can't say. They are being told there is a rule forbidding them to assert that the President has committed impeachable offenses.
This is a game.
This is part of a masterful stalling campaign that Congressman Conyers has engaged in for nearly two years now. He's given activists passes to sit in hearings. He's come to their events. He's given them rhetoric in support of impeachment and turned around and refused to engage in it. He's met and had chats with them, and described his love of jazz. He's met with them and suggested that they're having a big impact and he wants to meet with them in another month-and-a-half, and then met with them and said he's considering it and he'll meet with them in another month.
This is a game. It's an absolutely disgusting game.
And not just because Congressman Conyers made a campaign promise - had millions of Americans out working to elect Democrats in 2006 so that he could be Committee Chair and pursue impeachment - had the majority of Americans in polls shortly before the election, believing the RNC talking points that a Democratic majority would mean impeachment. And we voted for thirty new Democrats and not a single new Republican, and what did we get? None of that matters. The fact is that Congressman Conyers and every other member of Congress have sworn oaths to defend our Constitution.
Stalling and playing games does not defend our Constitution.
Making stupid calculations about how to win an election does not defend our Constitution. So take this opportunity of this door cracking open on a kind-of sort-of impeachment hearing whose hosts are trying to rig it against impeachment and force the door open. Call your Congress member every day, every hour, between now and Friday July 25th. Call members of the Judiciary Committee. Call John Conyers and call Nancy Pelosi. And call the media. Call the national media. Call the local media. Call c-span. Call the cable and network broadcast stations. Ask them to televise the entire hearing. Ask them to interview the witnesses ahead of time. Ask them to cover a story that is coming from the public - from the people of our so-called "democracy". Let them know that their ratings will be through the roof if they air an impeachment hearing. Go to AfterDowningStreet.org, look at the top for the latest news, look for how you can contact your Congress member, how you can contact the media. And if you're anywhere near Washington DC and can get there, be there with us, early in the morning, Friday July 25th, Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2141. Get in line to be in the hearing. Get in line before the sun comes up. Or if you'd rather, join us in the front of the Rayburn House Office Building at 9am on Friday, and we will let Washington DC know that the PEOPLE of the United States want our Constitution, want our democratic republic, and are not going to let it go without a fight. If you can't get to Washington DC, do a little freeway blogging. Make a big poster with the simple word "IMPEACH", and put it where as many cars will see it as possible. And another and another. Take the day on Friday to freeway blog, and post photos and videos of what you're doing at AfterDowningStreet.org.
Don't give up.
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