Messages

Hi Everyone,
Every time that I think my efforts towards impeachment
may be about to wind down a little, a new initiative
(indictment, HR24 etc) comes down the pike and I'm
still in the thick of it.
I don't see a lack of efforts. We just haven't
achieved the desired result.
And while that can be discouraging, I think that we
are in this for the Constitution and principle, and
results take a back seat in importance  - with respect
to keeping us on task.
I rarely take part in daily impeachment discussions,
as I prefer to use my limited time working on
projects. But I don't think that our movement is as
moribund as Barb and John seem to think.
Americans are not hip to what we're working for, but
increasingly, the rest of the world is. And it will be
the opinion of the rest of the world that matters in
the future as the US slowly disintegrates as an empire
and morphs into whatever form our decrepit economy and
useless politicians shape for us.
Dan

--- Patriot Indicter <[address removed]> wrote:

>  Hello, John, and everyone on this list,
>
> Barry Aleshnick here. I'm one of the organizers of
> the Brattleboro
> Indictment Initiative. Our town in Vermont just
> passed a Town Meeting
> Resolution calling for the indictment of Messrs Bush
> and Cheney.
>
> I agree fully with your analysis and frustrations
> here. Impeachment was an
> imperative already years ago, considering the
> constant series of scandals,
> lawlessness and atrocities coming from this
> Administration. Yet despite all
> of our efforts, despite our incessant cry of "What
> does it take??!!", still
> there are no apparent results, as Congress continues
> to inexplicably shirk
> its Constitutional responsibility. And now, with the
> clock ticking down, it
> is clear that a large portion of outraged citizens
> are simply raged out.
>
> As you know, each of us who are engaged must
> continue with our efforts,
> speak out and organize and join each successive best
> bet (currently NH24,
> for example).  All the way up until 01/20/09 (if we
> make it that far), for
> it's never too late.
>
> But I will also suggest to you that one of the
> primary incentives for us
> in Brattleboro to develop the Indictment Initiative
> is that it works to
> remedy exactly the dynamic which you have identified
> here. It can
> re-invigorate the impeachment movement, for whereas
> it seems that many
> advocates of impeachment might be getting burnt out
> due to lack of movement
> with a clock running, the concept of indictment can
> give people renewed hope
> and energy to keep working for
> accountability...because indictment has no
> shelf life! It is not limited by term in office!
> It is not meant to replace impeachment...but to run
> parallel to it. In fact,
> our resolution specifically stated  that we are
> actively pursuing indictment
> as a means of repudiation and accountability IN THE
> EVENT THAT THEY ARE NOT
> DULY IMPEACHED!!  And, in fact, although at first
> glance the indictment
> resolutions are seen to be merely symbolic, we have
> since learned from
> constitutional scholars who have analyzed our
> developments that indictment
> at a local level for alleged crimes at the federal
> and international level
> is fully legally supportable.
> Once people understand these two facts, then the
> concept of an indictment
> initiative becomes much more fathomable and
> supportable. Again, one of its
> primary purposes is to breathe new life into the
> impeachment movement for
> those who have been fatigued by our collective lack
> of tangible progress as
> the clock ticks down. For now, the two can run
> parallel. If impeachment
> dwindles without results, then indictment lives on
> in its stead. It can give
> people renewed hope.
>
> I've attached a copy of a broadsheet which we
> prepared in the days leading
> up to the Brattleboro vote. It was distributed
> widely around town and to the
> media, in a final effort to explain the validity of
> this radical new step.
> It was targeted to our likely allies as much as to
> others, because even
> among the progressive community - those who
> recognize the critical situation
> that this nation is in, many of whom have even been
> fully aboard the
> impeachment train for quite some time - even among
> this community, there
> have been many who couldn't quite get their arms
> around the idea of
> indictment at a local, grassroots level. This
> statement tried to answer many
> of their concerns, and it more fully explores the
> concept of indictment
> being an invigorating parallel track to impeachment,
> and also explains the
> legal basis of indictment.
> I also recommend that you look at David Swanson's
> forum discussion on
> PressTV, where he makes the point, among other
> things, that a push for
> indictment actually raises the bar, makes
> impeachment look like a tame
> compromise, given what we know about the egregious
> lawlessness of the
> culprits.
> It is very worthwhile to watch. He provided a very
> strong and eloquent
> explanation of the validity of what we've done here,
> especially in the
> context of impeachment:
>  One-hour PressTV discussion of indictment and
> impeachment:
> http://www.presstv.com/pop/wmp.aspx?id=47392
>
>
> Whew, I've said a lot here. It's all leading to
> urging you to consider
> passing the word that indictment initiatives in
> individual towns is also a
> valid and productive way to get at this beast. Just
> think what it would be
> like if, after January 20, there are all these
> little dots on the American
> landscape where those two criminals would actually
> be not able to go to, for
> fear of arrest (just as there are an increasing
> number of places globally
> where they will be effectively barred from visiting
> for the same reason).
> It's called accountability and repudiation. One way
> or another.
> If you know of anyplace which might be interested in
> getting this going, let
> us know. We're ready to help. We've done much
> advance footwork already, and
> we have a good number of resources prepared - sample
> resolutions, legal
> briefs, talking points, statements, mechanics and
> logistics, etc.
> Let me know what you think.
> Thanks,
> Barry
> On 4/7/08, John Kennedy
> <[address removed]> wrote:
>
> > Hi everyone,
> >
> > As an impeachment advocate I have missed the daily
> conversation we were
> > enjoying about impeachment strategy last fall.  It
> seemed to die out late in
> > the fall.  We have been wondering if we should
> renew the discussion for
> > mutual support.
> >
> > Barbara Ellis and I have been chatting about the
> obvious decrease in
> > impeachment activity nationally and noticing that
> there is now little or no
> > national conversation between groups or group
> leaders.  There is some
> > communication traffic due to the fight for HR-24
> in New Hampshire but
> > overall it seems much diminished from last year.
> >
> > Barbara is one of the leaders offering the Nixon
> Flooding Plan approach,
> > which I solidly support.  This should definitely
> be part of our overall plan
> > and local groups should probably be pushing their
> congressmen to get on
> > board.
> >
> > I've noticed that Impeach Meetups around the
> Country have been shutting
> > down and few new ones are replacing them.  Many of
> the groups seen strangely
> > quiet.  Perhaps as Barbara said it is "rage
> fatigue".   I hope we won't let
> > our streak of rugged individualism be the downfall
> of  impeachment of at
> > least Cheney and repudiation of all the evil that
> Bush has  brought upon our
> > Country.
> >
> > If we believe we are beat, if we now believe
> impeachment probably won't
> > happen, isn't that the real problem.
> >
> > If we can stay strong and focused for another six
> months and perhaps adapt
> > our strategy to the political conditions and
> election season, we might yet
> > prevail.
> >
> > It seems to me that Congressmen are probably more
> vulnerable to our
> > pressure now than at any time since November of
> 2006,

=== message truncated ===

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