…Politicians are increasingly isolating themselves from the people they are supposedly representing. It is virtually impossible to contact a politician unless you are a constituent, regardless of the committees they sit upon. If you are a constituent, you receive a form letter with the blanks filled in. I have dozens from my representatives and they all read the same, regardless of the issue…
by Steve Osborn
All of the information has been before us for a long time now, but what use have we made of it? We the People, whose forebears wrote the Constitution of the United States to ensure that nothing like the government of King George should ever happen to the people of the United States again, have watched it happen for the past six years and have done nothing to stop it.
I hope the government’s assessment, that as long as the people have enough phony “Reality TV” shows, managed news and propaganda, sports and rock concerts to watch, they will not care what happens to them as a nation or a people, is not correct, but I have seen little to assure me that is not the case.
In early 2003, former Attorney General Ramsey Clark brought out articles for impeachment, showing how lies and misinformation was used to instigate the war on Iraq. Since then, the information, the proof, the evidence, has reached mountainous proportions. The excesses by the Bush administration have also grown exponentially. To get more background on what is happening, read Thomm Hartman’s article, “Reclaiming The Issues: Islamic Or Republican Fascism?” http://www.commondreams.org/… Amongst other things, you will see how long this has been building here.
Representative John Conyers has released the Judiciary Committee’s report on the administration’s high crimes and misdemeanors, a document running to 350 pages! The number of citizens demanding impeachment has grown into the millions, but the Congress ignores the people and writes off impeachment. The rest of the world watches as a lawless government runs amok around the globe with little attempt at curbing it by its own people and they begin to identify all Americans with the government.
Look over the Executive Orders awaiting the President’s signature at. http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/… There are other sites, just Google Executive Orders+FEMA.
The Democrats, who should in theory, be leading in the fight to curb government excesses do not protest, they do not censure, they vote yet more billions for an illegal occupation of a foreign (oil rich) nation. They vote in yet more tax breaks for the wealthy and more cuts for vital services to the people. Our veterans are nothing but cannon fodder. The support for our wounded and their shattered families is decreasing with every appropriations bill.
One possibility I’ve heard mentioned; are the Democrats being blackmailed by a threat to declare martial law and put them all out of business if they don’t give corporate fascism all it desires? The alternative is that they are just as corrupt and venal as their Republican counterparts, in which it is time to get rid of the whole rat pack.
Politicians are increasingly isolating themselves from the people they are supposedly representing. It is virtually impossible to contact a politician unless you are a constituent, regardless of the committees they sit upon. If you are a constituent, you receive a form letter with the blanks filled in. I have dozens from my representatives and they all read the same, regardless of the issue.
Of my personal inquiries regarding impeachment, which have been sent to my own representatives plus as many others as I could reach got replies similar to that below by Senator Murray:
Thank you for contacting me about the possibility of impeaching President Bush or other members of the administration. I appreciate hearing from you.
As you know, Congress can remove the President, Vice President, and all Civil Officers of the United States from office through the impeachment process. According to the Constitution, Congress must impeach and convict an official on charges of “Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors” (Article II, Section 4) to remove the individual from office. Only two sitting Presidents, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, have ever been impeached. No sitting President has been convicted and removed from office.
I understand your concerns and frustrations with the current administration. I too have significant concerns about the administration’s policies and the rationale for many of their actions. However, disagreeing with the President is not sufficient reason to remove him from office. [My emphasis] Oversight of the administration is one of Congress vital roles. I believe that the Senate must continue to hold the administration accountable for their actions and decision. Should the House of Representatives bring impeachment proceedings against the President or any member of the administration, I will keep your concerns in mind.
Again, thank you for contacting me. If I can be of service in the future, please be in touch.
Sincerely,
Patty Murray
United States Senator
To which I answered:
Dear Senator Murray,
“disagreeing with the President is not sufficient reason to remove him from office.” This is not a case of disagreement. What does it take to make a high crime and misdemeanor? For Clinton, it was not keeping his pants zipped in the oval office, then being embarrassed to admit it.
For Bush, lying to the American People and Congress, getting us into a quagmire in Iraq, spending billions in tax breaks for his wealthy friends at the expense of the welfare of the American People, assenting to torture of prisoners, unilaterally discarding treaties which are the law of the land. Vacationing while disaster approached, then overwhelmed, the Gulf Coast, are mere peccadilloes.
Please explain to me how any of these things are not high crimes and misdemeanors, and how an open fly outranks them. I’d really like to know.
To this query, I have received no answer from any representative I have contacted.
Congressman Rick Larsen’s answer to impeachment?
Thank you for contacting me regarding the call for impeachment proceedings against President Bush and others. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue.
I understand your frustration and anger with the administration’s foreign and domestic policies. However, the arduous process of impeaching an elected official is time consuming and very rarely effective. I do not believe that starting impeachment proceedings will rectify these injustices.[my emphasis]
I believe our energy would be put to better use by focusing on how we can better our future. First, by creating the promise of a better future through the creation of jobs and educational opportunities, continuing to grow the economy, and taking care of our troops overseas in harms way. Second, we must concentrate on the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq so that the Iraqi people are able to stand on their own as a nation.
As your elected Representative, please be assured that I will continue to fight for the values of the 2nd Congressional District.
Nancy Pelosi, our alleged Democratic leader, has stated that, “for the Democrats, Impeachment is not on the table.” For my money, that puts her on the impeachment list also.
As We the People have become more organized and learned to use the internet to bring our concerns to our representatives, our representatives have become increasingly uncomfortable with that. Their answer has been to declare any petitions, etc., to be spam, to be rejected unread. That leaves it to the individual to try to reach them. Have you ever listened to their phone messages?
After several frustrating years trying to get some response, some action, from our representatives, I have come to the conclusion that, with a handful of exceptions, the only difference between a Democrat and a Republican is that the so called Democrat puts a “D” after his name rather than an “R.” Other than that, they all vote the same way; for the interests of their powerful sponsors and lobbyists. For corporate greed, war, exploitation of our natural resources, parks and preserves.
I believe the time has come to seek out new people to represent us. There are a few people currently visible who care more for humanity and for the welfare of planet Earth than they do for personal wealth and power. The time has come to draft them into public service and ask for their help. We should go out into our neighborhoods and cities in every state seeking, like Diogenes, for an honest man (or woman) and if we find them, to enlist them in the cause of restoring our democracy and our Constitution to the halls of government, intact and functioning. If we can do this, perhaps the United States of America will once again be able to hold its head up amongst the civilized nations of the world.
If we could bulletproof him, I would unhesitatingly vote for Bill Moyers for President. He has a lifelong reputation for honesty, integrity, care, compassion and empathy. Another good candidate for high office would be Al Gore. Totally disgusted with politics, he has shown his main concern; that of keeping our beautiful planet Earth from turning into a clone of planet Venus. And, he is doing a good job of bringing the problem to our attention and providing solutions.
Where there are two, there must be more who put humanity and the environment in which we live ahead of personal power and greed. For our own survival, we’ve got to put partisan politics aside and seek out these people. Otherwise, we are looking at an Orwellian future of no jobs, no privacy, repression, hunger, illness, homelessness and hopelessness for all but the few.
Stephen M. Osborn [send him email] is a freelance writer living on Camano Island in the Pacific Northwest. He is an “Atomic Vet.” (Operation Redwing, Bikini Atoll 1956, ) who has been very active working and writing for nuclear disarmament and world peace. He is a retired Fire Battalion Chief, lifelong sailor, writer, poet, philosopher, historian and former newspaper columnist. Steve is a featured columnist at www.populistamerica.com
