11 State Legislatures Take Up Impeachment

By David Swanson

On Tuesday, Maine became the 11th state legislature to introduce a resolution to petition for the impeachment of President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Maine joins Vermont (where the Senate has already passed such a resolution), California, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. Already 14 state Democratic parties have not just introduced but passed resolutions supporting impeachment. So have 85 cities and towns, either by public vote, or by a vote of the local government, or both. Details are available here: http://www.impeachpac.org/resolutions-list

The introduction of Maine's resolution followed months of activism by the citizens of the state, http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/me , which culminated in a rally on Tuesday at the State House, where they presented a citizens' petition bearing 11,000 signatures.

A video is available at: http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=61892

WCSH6 reports:
Protesters At Statehouse Call For Bush Impeachment
Web Editor: Chris Rose, Reporter
Last Updated: 5/29/2007 9:27:37 PM
AUGUSTA (NEWS CENTER) -- A group made up of peace activists, lawyers, and leading democrats are calling on the Maine House of Representatives to pass a resolution in support of the impeachment of President Bush. Portland Democrat Ethan Strimling says he will submit a bill calling for the legislature to support a resolution calling for the impeachment of President Bush. Strimling says the signatures gathered throughout Maine supporting the measure should get the attention of his colleagues. The signatures were brought to the Speaker of the House's office and to Senate President Beth Edmonds after protesters held a loud rally outside the statehouse Tuesday. Petitions with the signatures were also delivered to the Maine offices of Congressmen Allen and Michaud.

The Portland Press Herald reports:
Strimling introduces bill on behalf of impeachment movement
By Ann S. Kim Portland Press Herald (Maine)
AUGUSTA — Sen. Ethan Strimling, D-Portland, today introduced a bill on behalf of the movement to impeach President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. The impeachment effort in Maine wants the state Legislature to pass a resolution calling for impeachment investigations. The movement has collected more than 11,000 petition signatures in support of the effort. Activists rallied in front of the State House today before delivering the signatures to the offices of Senate President Beth Edmonds, D-Freeport, and House Speaker Glenn Cummings, D-Portland. Strimling said he doesn't know whether impeachment is warranted but that he wants the debate to take place.

Information about Maine's impeachment effort is available at http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/me and at http://www.maineimpeach.org

The Chair of Maine Lawyers for Democracy, John Kaminski, spoke at Tuesday's rally. Maine Lawyers for Democracy is a statewide group of over 70 lawyers who have called for impeachment. They have circulated to legislators a detailed position paper calling for impeachment.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/sites/afterdowningstreet.org/files/mai...

They cited the deceptions used to justify starting the Iraq War, the illegality of the War under international treaties adopted by the United States, and illegal wiretapping of U.S. citizens. In other words, Maine Lawyers for Democracy cited not just impeachable offenses but also specific violations of law, as did – to an even greater extent – Congressman John Conyers' report released last year on the same topic:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/downloads/crisis/summary.pdf

This renders quite odd the Portland Press Herald's editorial on Tuesday opposing impeachment on the undefended and baldly asserted ground that no crimes have been committed:
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=108786&ac=PHedi

For more information on impeachment efforts in Maine and www.maineimpeach.org contact: Gary Higginbottom ghiggin2@earthlink.net

For more info on Maine Lawyers for Democracy contact: John Kaminski mainelawyersfordemocracy@yahoo.com

For additional information on Maine's impeachment movement, including videos, see: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/me

Speakers on impeachment are available:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/speakers