Mikael of ImpeachforPeace Empowering citizens to hold our elected (or otherwise in power) servants accountable

Here and there around the country debates are raging over whether or not to open City Council meetings with The Pledge of Allegiance. This discussion is the very definition of the political “red herring”. Nothing could be less critical or more distracting from the real issues of priority facing our nation.

Most civil servants across the nation from members of Congress to Water Commissioners swear an oath upon taking office something along the lines of promising to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic”.

I would hope your City Council is no different.

The flag is a symbol which holds no intrinsic value apart from that with which it is embued by each individual beholder. Some see the American flag as a symbol of the highest patriotism and sacrifice, others as far too often being misused as a jingoistic manipulative tool.

Both perspectives are of value and should not be disregarded.

The Constitution, on the other hand, is a living document refined and perfected over 230 years of blood, sweat and Congressional review representing the highest evolution of democratic ideals and dreams such as habeas corpus (due process) which traces back to the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 and before.

On the heels of Patriot Acts I & II, the Military Commissions Act and most recently S. 1927 which further gutted our 4th Amendment protections against illegal searches and seizures, our Constitutional “Liberty and Justice for All” are on life support in Washington D.C. under the misguided aegis of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney.

Do you value your privacy? Your rights to it are dead. Did you notice?

It is high time for all Americans to reconsider our loyalties, which should not be to political party, to President or to any person and certainly not to a symbol. Our loyalty should be to the Constitution to which every public servant and every member of our military swears to support, defend, protect, honor and otherwise regard as our most precious treasure.

Debating whether or not to begin City Council meetings with a pledge that schoolchildren can recite in their sleep is a distraction and a misdirection. What all public servants must do at this time of grave crisis in America is be reminded of the oath they swore upon the commencement of their privilege of public service.

City Councils across the nation would make far better use of their time by authoring a resolution of support of the courageous stand taken by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) in authoring H. Res. 333 and cosigned by nineteen of his contemporaries calling for impeachment proceedings to commence against Vice President Richard B. Cheney.

A collection recitation of their oaths of office to begin every City and Town Council in America would be a strong reminder of what their first and most important loyalty will always be – to the Constitution of the United States of America and the inalienable rights from which its genius was born.

It isn’t just the current office holders that need to be convinced of the duty swearing an oath to “…support and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign AND DOMESTIC…” entails.

A personal e-mail exchange I initiated with congressional candidate Clint Curtis, who is again running against Representative Tom Feeney (R-FL 24th) after I had noticed that he doesn’t have any mention of accountability in “Clint’s Commitment List” on his campaign web site: www.clintcurtis.com brought this perspective to mind.

Mr. Curtis is a solid advocate of election integrity, Universal no-fault Health Care, Protecting Social Security and other progressive, people-before-profit issues along with the apparent necessary evil of backing the military industrial complex in his home state through the guise of supporting scientific development at NASA. But Mr. Curtis seems to be ignoring the pink elephant in the room.

Criminals in the White House.

Over 500 investigations are in process but there is already plenty of ‘open source’ evidence to impeach Bush/Cheney and multiple other members of the administration and has been for a long time. The investigating has been going on for 6 1/2 years. All that is needed is to introduce various already published books into the Congressional Record such as the one by Conyers’ own staff.

It would be nice if his Mr. Conyers’ staffers could get him to read the book but that’s another article entirely.

Here is an evidence page compiled by my ImpeachforPeace cofounder Jodin Morey:

www.impeachforpeace.org/evidence/

Removing enabling and complicit Republicans such as Feeney is a noble goal, but I also am well aware of Democratic Party sellouts such as my own Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar’s vote on S. 1927 gutting my 4th Amendment protections against illegal searches and seizures. I have openly called for Ms. Klobuchar’s resignation on my blog for violating her oath to “support and defend the Constitution” as well as on OpEdNews and on YouTube in a 2 minute video (I was too upset to put on a nice shirt and comb my hair first, apparently):

MN Dem calls for resignation of Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

Certainly preparation is needed to bring forward a solid case of evidence, but Nixon’s impeachment hearings began on May 9th, 1974 and he resigned on August 8th – less than three months later. Impeachment proceedings in the House are an investigation and the Constitutionally mandated remedy to protect ourselves from tyrannical governance precisely such as this. Are your candidates of choice fully aware of the plethora of Presidential Executive Orders that have us balancing gingerly on the precipice of Martial Law/Police State in the event of a “catastrophic emergency” to be defined by the President himself?:

YouTube: “What We Choose to Ignore”

If Martial Law is declared by the President, it will last for 6 months before Congress has a FIRST opportunity to review it. In the interim, the President would assume all power into the Executive Branch. Congress and the Courts would be suspended. That is now the law in America. Through these actions and signing statements, etc. this criminal regime has more power than any other Administration in American history. This authority may get passed from President to President for as long as this nation survives. Do conservatives and Republicans want that power in the hands of Hillary Clinton? Do liberals want that power in the hands of Hillary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson or Mitt Romney?

‘Tinfoil hat-wearing moon bat conspiracy theorists’ such as Editor & Publisher of “The Conservative” Pat Buchananon, ‘Father of Reaganomics’ Paul Craig Roberts and former CIA advisor to two Presidents Ray McGovern have joined the likes of Bill Moyers and Cindy Sheehan in expressing fear that Bush/Cheney may stage a ‘terroristic assault’ on American soil to gain these powers before, or lieu of, leaving office in January of 2009.

That risk, and the cost of 2.4 dead American soldiers a day is too much to pay for whatever specious political gains Democrats may be holding back from pursuing full justice in order to gain.

The reason impeachment is the best and healthiest remedy is that the American press has their own profit agenda (now owned by only 4 corporate entities thanks to Reagan AND Clinton) and is the biggest single obstacle to truth and justice and therefore peace and the ongoing health of this American Democratic Republic experiment.

The American people are largely uninformed and misinformed about the depths to which this mal-administration has dragged us. Investigations don’t make it to the front page and top story on the tube. Impeachment would put the criminality of the Bush Administration into the frontal lobe of every American on a daily basis, thus educating, enraging and empowering the electorate. That is the best way to reinvigorate this Democratic Republic and safeguard against this ever happening again. Anything short of that is a “half measure” and will greatly raise the odds of us traveling down this path again very soon.

While I don’t agree that it is too late for impeachment, I do agree that even if impeachment efforts fall short, the continuous and ongoing threat of impeachment now and criminal charges later should tail these self-serving wannabe tyrants for the rest of their days until justice catches up to them either here or in the hereafter.

The American people react positively to strong stands by their leaders and candidates based upon ‘what is right’. It is the job of every civil servant and prospective public servant to dutifully inform the electorate about the most critical issues of our day. Do the right thing, not the politically expedient thing or what handlers advise is the politically advantageous thing and you will succeed.

It will benefit you to be one of those insisting upon justice. Far more importantly, it is in the best interests of your country.

Senator Klobuchar,

I didn’t vote for Mark Kennedy last fall but I didn’t vote for the best candidate to be my U.S. Senator to replace Mark Dayton either. Green Party candidate Michael Cavlan has been an ardent defender of my Constitutional liberties for years and has consistently worked for the best interests of this Democratic Republic by early and often calling for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for their crimes and misdemeanors and their comprehensive assault on our Constitutional liberties and protections.

I could have voted for Michael Cavlan. I voted against Mark Kennedy strategically instead. I voted for you.

That vote was a mistake.

Ms. Klobuchar, you swore an oath on January 4th to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic”. On August 3rd you voted “yea” on S. 1927 handing wannabe Emperor George W. Bush virtually unlimited access to my private life, liberties and pursuit of happiness in direct contravention to my 4th Amendment right to protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.


In doing so you have violated your oath of office and are no longer qualified nor deserving of representing me and the State of Minnesota as our Senator. We expect that from lockstep brownshirt lickspittle Norm Coleman, but we expected more from you.

I am asking with all the respect due your office that you submit your resignation effective immediately in order that someone who has a deeper understanding of the critical importance of defending the Constitution during this national crisis can step forward and take your place as our Senator in Washington DC.

Sincerely,

Mikael Rudolph
Registered Democrat – Minneapolis, MN
(612) 302-9252

www.ImpeachforPeace.org
by Mikael Rudolph

‘Tis the season.

We are just now starting to be deluged by the rich begging for our funds. Thats’ right… Filthy rich political candidates want our ‘harder and harder to come by’ money in order to get elected or re-elected and to begin or continue enjoying the privilege of disappearing behind the wall of corporate lobbyists in DC to pretend they are representing us in between votes to raise their own pay and benefits and to syphon funds to their corporate donors.

There are, of course, exceptions. With the majority of Americans favoring impeachment and more and more citizens from all walks of life setting aside their busy lives to desperately scream for the justice that only the Constitutionally-mandated remedy of impeachment can bring, a small handful of our public servants have stepped forward and lived up to their oaths “to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign AND DOMESTIC”. Click on the link below and scroll down to see this far-too-short list of U.S. Representatives:

U.S. House of Representatives’ Co-Sponsors of H. Res. 333, A Bill Impeaching Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors

U.S. House of Representatives Co-Sponsors’ of H. Res. 589, Directing the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate whether Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General of the United States, should be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Al Franken is asking me for money to support his campaign to become my other Senator in Minnesota alongside freshman fascist enabler Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). Klobuchar was one of the 16 turncoat Democrats who inexplicitly and unforgiveably voted “Yea, yea, yea for the death of the 4th Amendment” on S. 1927 and handed wannabe Emperor Bush my 4th Amendment Rights to take a shit on.

Other civil servants such as Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI), who has twice now introduced Censure Resolutions against Bush have taken baby steps in the right direction.

Al Franken is not ready to be one.

Do I want Bush’s brownshirt lockstep lickspittle loyalist Norm Coleman to remain my Senator? Of course not. But do I want to replace him with someone who has made no indication that he supports holding the Bush Administration accountable for their crimes and misdemeanors as the Constitution demands?

No.

Thus I will not send a single cent to the Franken campaign and I encourage everyone to return any mailing requests for money from any other waffling and milktoast Democrats both nationally and locally with the statement: “Until you support impeachment, I won’t support you” written in thick, dark ink across the donation form.

While the Republican Party is in shambles, reeling from 6 1/2 years of blind lemming loyalism to this abysmal Administration, the Democratic Party is holding their breath and cowering in the corner hoping that the negative reaction to GOP excesses and crimes will continue to undergird their election hopes.

We can light a fire under the Democratic Party and get them to do our bidding. One of the only ways they will listen is by threatening to cut off their bankroll. By not utilizing this strategy and other strong tactics, we will just wind up with another Republican like Amy Klobuchar wearing a Democratic coat in Congress.

Friends,

It is far too early to be thinking about elections, but they are being forced upon us and legitimate issues are being pushed from the headlines…

… like Lindsay… Paris?… or was it Brittany this week?

Anyway…

I encourage everyone to work with the Green Party at every turn and support their (our) every step. The Green Party represents the highest principles and ideals that we should all be striving toward.

I am a registered Democrat as that has been the best way to challenge, confront and dis-empower the NeoCon stranglehold on our nation, but when a viable Green OR Progressive Democratic candidate emerges in any election, help get them elected.

Blind party loyalty is a mental illness. It is a disease.

When the principled Progressive faction of the Democratic Party presents a legitimate people’s candidate such as in my home state of Minnesota: Keith Ellison, Becky Lourey or Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer – GREAT! Support that candidate.

What I cannot abide is supporting the “lesser of two evils” candidate from the outset because “the Green Candidate doesn’t have chance”.

That is how we wind up with two virtually indistinguishable Minnesota Senators dedicatedly voting to perpetually fund this illegal, immoral and endless “War on Terror” Military Industrial Complex construct.

Now is the time – while party platforms are being formed and candidates are feeling their way based upon what WE COMMUNICATE TO THEM AS OUR EXPECTATIONS – to insist that candidates such as Mike Ceresi and Al Franken NOT COMPROMISE and stand strongly for the very highest values and principles that we want them to uphold. This is NOT the time to declare unquestioning and unbending allegiance to a candidate and get that bumper sticker on your car. That is lazy politics – the candidates haven’t even fully defined their platforms yet.

I strongly encourage supporting candidates according to the highest values of your conscience all along and then voting strategically in the polls…

There is no difference between the Green Party and what is best about the Democratic Party (people before profits, the health of children over and above corporate rights). Unfortunately, there is also no difference between the Republican Party and what is the worst about the Democratic Party – especially at the national level (corporate sell-outs in many cases, not representing the people, putting political expediency over what is best for our nation and our children’s future).

Now is the time for me, when the DFL is calling for financial and other support, to make perfectly clear that I will not support ANY candidate from ANY party that is asking me to support them in their quest to win an election and gain the privilege to swear the oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign AND DOMESTIC” when they haven’t even taken a moderately strong stand against confirmed domestic enemies to the Constitution: Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, Alberto Gonzales, et al.

I confronted Minnesota Senatorial candidate Al Franken about this at the Pride Festival. I like Al, but Al is not ready to swear that oath. Hopefully that will change – but only if we do not accept anything less from him. Al will be as good a Senator as we insist that he be if elected. Support for any candidate absolutely MUST be conditional at this point or we are contributing to the disconnect between elected officials and their constituents.

All of our political support must be conditional or else we are simply ‘brownshirts’ and ‘yes men’ on the other side of the aisle.

Pick your candidate now unconditionally and you might as well sign them over to special interests and corporate lobbyists as you are giving them carte blanche to do and be whomever they might be influenced to become while in office.

Why should I trust those who don’t hold these White House criminals fully accountable to their oath to be put in a position to swear the same or similar oath?

If you as a candidate do not support impeachment, then you are not ready to take that oath and you will not get my support, financial, volunteer or otherwise. Whether impeachment happens or not, it is most certainly justified and absolutely in the best interests of the nation, and thus support for it is a litmus test for the political awareness and integrity of Democratic candidates.

We have enough sold-out and otherwise compromised ‘public servants’, we most certainly don’t need to aid and abet getting more elected.

Mikael Rudolph
www.ImpeachforPeace.org

courtesy: Sgt. Daniel Fearn, “the Impeachment Grunt”

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A comparison of www.ImpeachforPeace.org activity with the site run by the first commenter below:

www.ImpeachforPeace.org is in blue and “other” is in red. As the country awakens to the dark political heart embodied by the hate speech in his comment below, our site is growing and his is heading toward oblivion.

Since his major criticism of me when I was visiting his site was that I added a link to our website to my posts, it is only appropriate for me to honor his wishes and not post his site link on ours. Don’t worry, you aren’t missing much.

(by: Sgt. Daniel Fearn, “The Impeachment Grunt”)