A02791
Articles : Civil LibertiesRep. McKinney Files Articles of Impeachment
Editor’s note: GNN has been covering this story as it unfolds on Capitol Hill. We will have video of Rep. McKinney’s floor speech and an exclusive interview with the Congresswoman up shortly.
On Monday, gathering in a conference room in Washington D.C., Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and her advisors worked on a draft copy of the articles of impeachment against President Bush.
At the heart of the charges contained in McKinney’s articles of impeachment, is the allegation that President Bush has not upheld the oath of presidential office and is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors.
Article I states that President Bush has failed to preserve, protect and defend the constitution. Specifically cited in this article is the charge that Bush has manipulated intelligence and lied to justify war: “George Walker Bush … in preparing the invasion of Iraq, did withhold intelligence from the Congress, by refusing to provide Congress with the full intelligence picture that he was being given, by redacting information … and actively manipulating the intelligence on Iraq’s alleged weapons programs by pressuring the Central Intelligence Agency and other intelligence agencies.”
This manipulation of intelligence was done, the charge continues, “with the intent to misinform the people and their representatives in Congress in order to gain their support for invading Iraq, denying both the people and their representatives in Congress the right to make an informed choice.”
Article II, “Abuse of office and of executive privilege,” states that President Bush has disregarded his oath of office by “obstructing and hindering the work of Congressional investigative bodies and by seeking to expand the scope of the powers of his office.” The President has “failed to take responsibility for, investigate or discipline those responsible for an ongoing pattern of negligence, incompetence and malfeasance to the detriment of the American people.”
This article continues by indicting Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in their actions to manipulate or “fix” intelligence and mislead the public about Iraq’s weapons programs. Ultimately, this article calls not only for Bush’s impeachment and removal from office but also asks the same actions to be taken against Cheney and Rice.
Article III states that President Bush has failed to “ensure the laws are faithfully executed” and that he has “violated the letter and spirit of laws and rules of criminal procedure used by civilian and military courts, and has violated or ignored regulatory codes and practices that carry out the law.”
Specifically, McKinney cites illegal domestic spying as a result of failing to obtain warrants thereby subverting congress and the judiciary in the process: “… by circumventing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act courts established by Congress, whose express purpose is to check such abuses of executive power, provoking the presiding judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to file a complaint and another judge to resign in protest, the said program having been subsequently ruled illegal; he has also concealed the existence of this unlawful program of spying on American citizens from the people and all but a few of their representatives in Congress, even resorting to outright public deceit.”
The article continues by citing public statements Bush has made that were blatantly contradictory to his policy and actions regarding domestic spying.
While the staff was editing the document, one advisor told me, “As we sat down and worked on this, a pattern became very clear … a pattern to specifically undermine the constitution and establish a unitary presidency.”
The charges addressed in McKinney’s resolution are nothing revelatory or new. Rather, they are issues which have been in the public eye for quite some time and have increasingly been covered in the media over the last year.
Despite winning the congressional majority, the Democrats have yet to put forth a plan to investigate what have become somewhat ubiquitous allegations.
Speaker-elect, Representative Pelosi, dismissed any possibility of impeachment, saying it is “off the table” and that it is “a waste of time … making them lameducks is good enough for me.” Although, in the November election, 60% of the voters in her own district cast ballots in favor of Proposition J, a measure calling for the impeachment of President Bush.
In 2005 Representative John Conyers sponsored a resolution, HR 365, to create a special committee to investigate allegations against the Bush Administration – a move that would likely lead to the discovery of impeachable offenses. This resolution was passed to the House Committee on Rules and was never brought up for a vote.
At that time it was widely believed that if the Democrats took control of congress, Conyers would reintroduce the resolution as would have subpoena power if selected as leader of the House Judiciary Committee.
A few days after the Democrats won control Conyers echoed Pelosi’s statement saying, “I am in total agreement with her on this issue … impeachment is off the table.” Last week a spokesperson from Conyers office said that the resolution would not be reintroduced and that the Representative had no intention to pursue the matter.
Will other members of congress support the action Congresswoman McKinney has brought forth?
At the table in what could be considered her impeachment “war room” the question is brought up a number of times.
Mike, an advisor to McKinney, mentions, “Conyers was supposed to have investigations. They were chomping at the bit 6 months ago to do subpoenas.”
McKinney quietly replies, “Now they say they aren’t even going to issue subpoenas.”
Looking up from her papers she takes a deep breath, “I’m going in alone on this one because now it is all about them playing majority politics.”
This is McKinney’s last week as a member of congress and this act, to impeach the president, is the final resolution she will enter into the Congressional record.
For those who know anything about Cynthia McKinney it may come as no surprise that she would file this resolution as her parting gift to Congress.
McKinney is no stranger to being attacked by the media and has been isolated from her own party.
From her inquiries into election fraud in 2000 to her calls for a transparent and thorough investigation into 9-11, not to mention the widely covered run-in she had with the Capitol Hill Police, the congresswoman is aware that this resolution will likely be ignored and that she will be ruthlessly attacked upon its filing.
“What do you think they are going to do to me this time?” she asks her staff. Everyone uncomfortably shifts in their seats and after no answer comes McKinney explains, “We have to do this because this is simply the right thing to do. The American people do want to hold this man and his office accountable for the crimes they have committed and if no member of congress is willing to do it, than I will.”
It is questionable as to how effective this move could be in gaining support because of her reputation as a firebrand congresswoman and because, ultimately, she is on her way out of office.
The Congresswoman and her staff realize this but hope that by filing the articles of impeachment it will, at the very least, open up a discussion on whether or not President Bush and key members of his administration have committed impeachable offenses and whether our officials should be held to account.
“My duty as a member of Congress is merely to uphold and preserve the constitution and to represent the will of my constituency. Ultimately, it isn’t up to me or any other member of congress – it is up to the American people to decide.”
GNN contributor Matt Pascarella is a freelance journalist & producer who was present during the drafting of the Articles of Impeachment that Congresswoman McKinney filed today.
For updates from GNN sign up for a free GNN account.
Posted by anthony
Anthony Lappé is GNN's Executive Editor. He's written for The New York Times, Details, New York, Paper, The Fader and Vice, among many others. He has worked as a producer for MTV and Fuse. He is the co-author of GNN's True Lies and the producer of their Iraq doc,...
RELATED ITEMS
- American Blackout
Posted by ian on Friday, August 4th 2006 - Impeach Bush for the sake of the Republic
Posted by anthony on Monday, November 20th 2006
Well, at least we tried.
“Speaker-elect, Representative Pelosi, dismissed any possibility of impeachment, saying it is “off the table” and that it is “a waste of time … making them lameducks is good enough for me.””
And of course it is, you’ve got your seat – nothing else matters.
Wow. Is this just for show?
Place your bets. Will he make it to Summer 2007? Keep those cards and letters coming. We’re going for Cheney too. Last I heard we weren’t thinking we could make anything stick. AND The Bloodsucker Rice.
Holy Cow Batman. I do believe the people of the United States do not like to be made fools of. You are not alone Cynthia. You are NOT alone.
When Spain decided they wanted absolutely out of Iraq? 11,400,000 people, out of a total population of 40,000,000 — hit the streets. Hola Sean. What up? Where’s Sean? And.
Whatever happened to Congresswoman Holtzman ?
I am betting this goes no where.
bumper stickers. we need bumper stickers.
It very well might go nowhere — for the moment — but thank God one responsible representative and her staff have the legal and moral fortitude to defend the Constitution. This motion by McKinney will gain legs if some Republicans from the true conservative wing lend her support.
It’s obvious Pelosi and her crew are sell-outs and in many cases even pro-war Zionists, so ironically McKinney’s only chance might be to attract support from the people whom we once thought were all villains: the CIA and (serious) conservative Republicans.
ITMFA
Leaving Bush in office paves the way for another Clinton presidency.
My sincere thanks to,
Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney
I liked Clinton.
McKinney Introduces Bill to Impeach Bush
By Ben Evans
Associated Press
Friday 08 December 2006
Washington – In what was likely her final legislative act in Congress, outgoing Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney announced a bill Friday to impeach President Bush.
The legislation has no chance of passing and serves as a symbolic parting shot not only at Bush but also at Democratic leaders. Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has made clear that she will not entertain proposals to sanction Bush and has warned the liberal wing of her party against making political hay of impeachment.
McKinney, a Democrat who drew national headlines in March when she struck a Capitol police officer, has long insisted that Bush was never legitimately elected. In introducing her legislation in the final hours of the current Congress, she said Bush had violated his oath of office to defend the Constitution and the nation’s laws.
McKinney has made no secret of her frustration with Democratic leaders since voters ousted her from office in the Democratic primary this summer. In a speech Monday at George Washington University, she accused party leaders of cowing to Republicans on the war in Iraq and on military mistreatment of prisoners.
McKinney, who has not discussed her future plans, has increasingly embraced her image as a controversial figure.
She has hosted numerous panels on Sept. 11 conspiracy theories and suggested that Bush had prior knowledge of the terrorist attacks but kept quiet about it to allow friends to profit from the aftermath. She introduced legislation to establish a permanent collection of rapper Tupac Shakur’s recordings at the National Archives and calling for a federal investigation into his killing.
But it was her scuffle with a Capitol police officer that drew the most attention. McKinney struck the officer when he tried to stop her from entering a congressional office building. The officer did not recognize McKinney, who was not wearing her member lapel pin.
A grand jury in Washington declined to indict McKinney over the clash, but she eventually apologized before the House.
serves as a symbolic parting shot
It seems, I don’t know, quaint.
McKinney, a Democrat who drew national headlines in March when she struck a Capitol police officer
Fucking garbage
Elizabeth de la Vega: Going After the Con-man-der in Chief
or just watch her on Democracy Now
I was an Assistant US Attorney up until 2004, so I was still working as an Assistant US Attorney when the President and his senior aides started their marketing campaign for the war. And at the same time, of course, the Enron case was happening, and I was observing the similarities between what the President was doing in order to deceive the public regarding the war and the same type of techniques that the Enron people used to defraud their investors. And, of course, in the case of the Enron fraud, the public was absolutely outraged, and rightly so. And they have been, in the main, held accountable.
But yet, the President, who has caused this fraud that has obviously been far graver in scope and the consequences have been horrific, has not been held accountable in any way. So, I wanted to explain to people in a very non-charged atmosphere, which is the atmosphere of a hypothetical grand jury, exactly how this fits into the elements of a crime, which is conspiracy to defraud the United States.
continued . . .
OR
Read the book (what a novel idea!)
Well, I took the liberty to post this entry on digg, I apologize for the excess traffic!
It’s a start.
Bambi
A last desperate attempt to save a piece of democracy. Whether its fake or not, its what should have been done a long time ago.
A last desperate attempt to save a piece of democracy. Whether its fake or not, its what should have been done a long time ago.
Kind of like Oberman…better late than never.
Peace,
Kind of like Oberman…better late than never.
After some additional thought on the matter: McKinney should’ve gone here when she was punching that capitol policeman, which by the way I feel was justified.
He had no business putting his hands on her to begin with. She shouldn’t have apologized.
Nothing in this indictment is fresh. This was all mainstream news long before the beginning of the mid-term election cycle. The opportunity was there to make the impeachment issue a litmus test for candidates, Republican or Democrats, and truly change the direction in which this country is headed.
Because of the current timing, this isn’t likely to lead anywhere. It’s the “holiday season.” The election cycle is finally over, the signs are down, the campaign commercials have been replaced with glitzy ads.
People are consumed with non-political matters. Nobody, or nearly nobody is going to put a IMPEACH BUSH sign alongside their nativity scene.
Doesn’t really work into the whole holiday scheme at this point.
I’ve made comparisons of McKinney to Rosa Parks, but her apology to the Capitol Police after the harrassment she endured was the symbolic giving up of her seat.
McKinney’s conscience clearing act on the way out of office simply doesn’t have the impact it would were she to be staying on to continue this. One has to ask himself, would she be doing this if she were staying to serve another term?
She’s not refusing to give up her seat on the bus, she’s simply pointing out where it was as she disembarks.
Saddest part is now that impeachment has been broached, it’ll likely die on the vine and nobody will go there again on the “been there, done that” defense.
May have been better not to fire this parting shot on the way out of the arena.
Peace?
Where is Monica Lewinsky when you need her? If only something really big or highly controversial such as an affair would be revealed…
War crimes, domestic wiretapping and surveillance, torture, deceiving the American people… none of this matters
Wait a minute… they impeached Clinton because he lied….
So what is the difference?
I’m all for impeaching Bush. Have been for years. Went to my Congressman Bart Stupak with the idea personally in the spring of 2003. I’ve been a vocal advocate for the impeachment of this Bush administration since.
If the Iraqis had indeed possessed WMD’s, they’d have used them against the invading American army. This lie was obvious before the “Mission Accomplished” celebration.
It’s just that the timing is now way off and there’s less incentive to remedy the situation politically now than there had been prior to the mid-terms.
It remains the right and just thing to do, but that view is apparently held by a minority of the public or it hasn’t been communicated effectively to the legislative branch.
Most are more than willing to “stay the course” and continue on with the status quo.
They think.
Could it be that McKinney’s lone “swan song” was the fat lady singing?
Remember that a government big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take away everything you have.
– Davy Crockett
Yeah but Davy Crockett was a shooter, and shooting is “evil” in today’s america… unless the government orders you to don uniform and kill “their” enemies… (who may very well be people that you have nothing against and who never cared to mess with you either… but you’re both bombarded by state propaganda).
I love how the Demopublican machine confuses everyone.
The house of cards IS coming down, the matter is when, and who’s gonna get out of the wreck…
I’ve made comparisons of McKinney to Rosa Parks
That’s become an unfortunate cliche. The latest to be compared to Rosa Parks was Katherine Harris.
I did hear today that the Dems will be doing oversite of Bush’s handling of the war, complete with investigations and subpoena power.
Nobody, or nearly nobody is going to put an IMPEACH BUSH sign alongside their nativity scene.
But they, as well as you, may send to our new leadership in D.C. a Holiday Impeachment Card…
Cheney used Gerald Ford’s funeral to trail what’s expected of the next President
Did it pass. LOL.
I heard that her constituents had enough of her and turfed her out.