Kucinich is pursuing CheneyÕs impeachment. Well let's help him out. Sacks and sacks of mail are about to
arrive in Dennis Kucinich's office initiating impeachment via the House of
Representative's own rules.
Kucinich
says he is building his case for impeachment, and is working to build the
support of his peers in Congress. He said he needs us to keep building the
groundswell of support for impeachment all over the country. He asks that we
send him copies of all the resolutions passed in various States, local
Legislative Districts, County Districts and of any petitions with signatures,
so that he can present them to the floor of the House. He said he felt that our framing the issue
of impeachment in terms of the Constitution is a principled choice, and
ultimately more effective than just acting on anger. Here's video of Kucinich addressing the impeachment issue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAIJyKhJhiM
Let's answer Kucinich's call with a petition that has its
precedent in history, and its legitimacy in the Rules of the House of
Representatives.
This
is much more than just a petition. This is a way for individual citizens to
initiate the impeachment process themselves, directly.
There's
a little known and rarely used clause in the rules for the House of
Representatives that sets forth the various ways in which a Vice President can
be impeached. Only the House Judiciary Committee puts together the Articles of
Impeachment, but before that happens, someone has to initiate the process.
That's
where we come in. One of the ways to get impeachment going is for individual
citizens like you and I to submit a memorial. ImpeachForPeace.org has created
this new memorial based on one that was successful in impeaching a federal
official in the past.
To
find out more, check out: http://ImpeachForPeace.org/ImpeachNow.html
To
initiate impeachment, send one letter to Impeach for Peace, and another to one
or more of the following representatives who were recommended by Rep. Keith
Ellison. Rep. Ellison is on the House Judiciary (the committee in charge of
drawing up Articles of Impeachment), and provided a list of fellow Judiciary
members. With encouragement, Rep.
Ellison believes these representatives might support impeachment. Then, come
July, to make a big impact, weÕre delivering all the letters weÕve received on
the same date, and with cameras rolling.
Strategic
Representatives to whom to send this memorial:
|
Honorable Dennis J. Kucinich 14400 Detroit Avenue Lakewood, Ohio 44107 |
|
|
Honorable Linda T. Sanchez 17906 Crusader Ave. Ste. 100 Cerritos, CA 90703 |
Honorable Jerrold Nadler 201 Varick Street, Suite 669 New York, NY 10014 |
|
Honorable Howard L. Berman 14546 Hamlin Street, Suite 202 Van Nuys, CA 91411 |
Honorable Zoe Lofgren 635 N. First Street, Suite B San Jose, CA 95112 |
HereÕs
what to do:
1. Print out two pages: the cover
letter and petition addressed to ÒImpeach for Peace.Ó Also print as many copies
of the last two pages in this document as you wish. These two pages are the cover letter which you will address
to various representatives listed above, and the petition. Each envelope will contain a cover letter
and a petition.
2. Fill in all blank spots:
¥
Print your name/address in the ÒFrom:Ó boxes on the cover letters and
petitions.
¥
Print your full name after ÒI, _____Ó on the cover letters.
¥
Print your state after ÒState of ______Ó on the cover letters (For example:
ÒMinnesotaÓ).
¥
Sign your name and write the current date on the ÒSignatureÓ line at the bottom
of each of the cover letters.
¥
Write your full name after ÒThe petition of _____Ó on each of the petitions.
¥
Print your state after ÒState of ______Ó on the petitions (For example:
ÒMinnesotaÓ).
¥ Print the representativesÕ name and
address in each cover letterÕs ÒTo:Ó box.
¥ Print the representativesÕ name in
each cover letterÕs ÒDear ________, Ò line.
3. OPTIONAL: According to the chief parliamentarian
in the U.S. House of Representatives and his deputy, these memorials do not
need to be notarized. If youÕd rather be on the safe side, however, there are
many local banks or workplaces that will notarize them at no cost. There are
also notaries in every law office.
IMPORTANT: If you decide to get the petitions notarized, wait to sign
and date them until you are in the presence of the notary. You can find a
notary at: http://www.notaryrotary.com/agent/search.asp
However,
do not let the inconvenience of notarizing the memorials stop you from sending
them. If you are unlikely to go to this effort, or if you do not have a bank
account and are unwilling to pay to have them notarized (usually a very small
fee if not free at many businesses), then simply sign it and send it in.
Notarization is probably not necessary, and regardless, your document will help
create political pressure.
4. If youÕve decided against getting
the document notarized, then sign and date the ÒSignatureÓ line of the
petitions that have the bit about notarization on them.
5. Address envelopes with Impeach for
PeaceÕs name/address and the name/address of the representatives (listed
above).
6. Write your return address on the
envelopes and put stamps on them.
7. Place the memorials and cover
letters in the appropriately addressed envelopes (and please consider including
a voluntary contribution to ÔImpeach for PeaceÕ to help us with travel expenses
to Washington DC).
8. Email all your friends about this!
9. Mail the envelopes today.
Petition: Cover
Letter
|
To: Impeach for Peace |
From (Name &
Address): |
Dear
Impeach for Peace,
I,
__________________, citizen of the State of _______________, and of the United
States, respectfully ask you to deliver on my behalf to the U.S. House of
Representatives a petition of memorial.
In concordance with the Jefferson's Manual section LIII, 603, which
states that Òimpeachment may be set in motion by charges preferred by a
memorial, which is usually referred to a committee for examinationÓ, I submit
the enclosed petition for review by the House Judiciary Committee regarding the
impeachment of the Vice President of the United States.
Thank you in advance for your assistance in this
procedure.
Respectfully,
________________________________________________
Signature
Date:
Petition
|
|
From (Name &
Address): |
To the Honorable House of Representatives of the United
States:
The petition
of _____________________, a citizen of the State of _________________, and of
the United States, respectfully showeth:
That,
Jefferson's Manual section LIII, 603, states that impeachment may be set in
motion by charges preferred by a memorial, which is usually referred to a
committee for examination; and
The memorial
goes on to set forth that, Richard B. Cheney has intentionally misled the
public regarding the threat from Iraq in order to justify a war against Iraq,
intentionally conspired with others to defraud the United States in connection
with the war against Iraq in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section
371; and
The memorial goes on to set forth that, Richard B. Cheney
has conspired to commit the torture of prisoners in violation of the
"Federal Torture Act" Title 18 United States Code, Section 113C, the
UN Torture Convention and the Geneva Convention, which under Article VI of the Constitution
are part of the "supreme Law of the Land"; and
The memorial goes on to set forth that, Richard B. Cheney authorized
the leaking classified national secrets to further a political agenda, exposing
an unknown number of covert U. S. intelligence agents to potential harm and
retribution;
The memorial
goes on to set forth that, In all of this Richard B. Cheney has acted in a
manner contrary to his trust as Vice President, subversive of constitutional
government to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the
manifest injury of the people of the United States.
In conclusion the memoralist says:
Having thus
submitted to your honorable body the facts of his case, your petitioner begs
leave to observe that it appears from those facts:
First. That
the said Richard B. Cheney has, in his capacity of Vice President of the United
States, been guilty of usurping a power which the laws of the land did not give
him.
Second. That
said Richard B. Cheney has exercised his power, be the same usurped or
legitimate, to the detriment of every citizen of the United States.
Wherefore, and
inasmuch as the said Richard B. Cheney has violated the most sacred and
undoubted rights of the inhabitants of these United States, your petitioner
prays that the conduct and proceedings in this behalf, of said Richard B.
Cheney, may be inquired into by your honorable body, and such decision made
therein to impeach, to appoint managers to conduct the impeachment trial in the
Senate, and to inform the Senate of these facts by resolution (Manual Sec. 607;
Deschler Ch 14 Sec. 9) for trial and removal from office and disqualification
to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States;
And your petitioner, as in duty bound,
will pray.
____________________________________________________________________
Signature Date
Print Name: __________________________________
|
For
Notarizing Only STATE OF ______________________ ) )
SS: COUNTY OF ____________________ ) SWORN TO and subscribed in my presence this
_______ day of ___________________, 20______. ___________________________________ Notary
Public |
Petition:
Cover Letter
|
To: |
From (Name &
Address): |
Dear
_____________________________,
I,
__________________, citizen of the State of _______________, and of the United
States, respectfully ask your representation in the U.S. House of Representatives
through a petition of memorial. In
concordance with the Jefferson's Manual section LIII, 603, which states that
Òimpeachment may be set in motion by charges preferred by a memorial, which is
usually referred to a committee for examinationÓ, I submit the enclosed
petition for review by the House Judiciary Committee (for precedent see Hinds
Sec. 2364, 2491, 2494) regarding the impeachment of the Vice President of the
United States.
For
precedent, I refer to the petition of Luke Edward Lawless, from March 30th,
1826 in regards to impeaching Federal Judge James H. Peck.
Also, here are the House rules that allow for the submission of
the memorial (even from those not in you constituency):
______________________________________________________________________
Congress
House Rules Manual -- Doc No. 108-241, Page 600-ÒPetitions, memorials, and
other papers addressed to the House may be presented by the Speaker as well as
by a Member (IV, 3312). Petitions from the country at large are presented by
the Speaker in the manner prescribed by the rule (III, 2030; IV, 3318; VII, 1025).
A Member may present a petition from the people of a State other than his
own
(IV, 3315, 3316). The House itself may refer one portion of a petition to one
committee and another portion to another committee (IV, 3359, 3360), but
ordinarily the reference of a petition does not come before the House itself.Ó
________________________________________________________________________
Thank you in advance for your assistance in this
procedure.
Respectfully,
________________________________________________
Signature
Date:
Petition
|
|
From (Name &
Address): |
To the Honorable House of Representatives of the United
States:
The petition
of _____________________, a citizen of the State of _________________, and of
the United States, respectfully showeth:
That,
Jefferson's Manual section LIII, 603, states that impeachment may be set in
motion by charges preferred by a memorial, which is usually referred to a
committee for examination; and
The memorial
goes on to set forth that, Richard B. Cheney has intentionally misled the
public regarding the threat from Iraq in order to justify a war against Iraq,
intentionally conspired with others to defraud the United States in connection
with the war against Iraq in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section
371; and
The memorial goes on to set forth that, Richard B. Cheney
has conspired to commit the torture of prisoners in violation of the
"Federal Torture Act" Title 18 United States Code, Section 113C, the
UN Torture Convention and the Geneva Convention, which under Article VI of the Constitution
are part of the "supreme Law of the Land"; and
The memorial goes on to set forth that, Richard B. Cheney authorized
the leaking classified national secrets to further a political agenda, exposing
an unknown number of covert U. S. intelligence agents to potential harm and
retribution;
The memorial
goes on to set forth that, In all of this Richard B. Cheney has acted in a
manner contrary to his trust as Vice President, subversive of constitutional
government to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the
manifest injury of the people of the United States.
In conclusion the memoralist says:
Having thus
submitted to your honorable body the facts of his case, your petitioner begs
leave to observe that it appears from those facts:
First. That
the said Richard B. Cheney has, in his capacity of Vice President of the United
States, been guilty of usurping a power which the laws of the land did not give
him.
Second. That
said Richard B. Cheney has exercised his power, be the same usurped or
legitimate, to the detriment of every citizen of the United States.
Wherefore, and
inasmuch as the said Richard B. Cheney has violated the most sacred and
undoubted rights of the inhabitants of these United States, your petitioner
prays that the conduct and proceedings in this behalf, of said Richard B.
Cheney, may be inquired into by your honorable body, and such decision made
therein to impeach, to appoint managers to conduct the impeachment trial in the
Senate, and to inform the Senate of these facts by resolution (Manual Sec. 607;
Deschler Ch 14 Sec. 9) for trial and removal from office and disqualification
to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States;
And your petitioner, as in duty bound,
will pray.
____________________________________________________________________
Signature Date
Print Name: __________________________________
|
For
Notarizing Only STATE OF ______________________ ) )
SS: COUNTY OF ____________________ ) SWORN TO and subscribed in my presence this
_______ day of ___________________, 20______. ___________________________________ Notary
Public |