What Conyers Didn’t Hear from ImpeachforPeace today

Special to IFP
by Mikael Rudolph – IFP cofounder

We had a 15 minute meeting scheduled with Chairman Conyers today. The meeting didn’t happen. We will give our full perspective here and on YouTube very soon as to why that appointment was not kept by Conyers and his staff over the next 24 hours. In the meantime, here is the opening and closing statement I prepared with the help of our group and the excellent input and encouragement of Phil Burk, Sophie DeVries, Cindy Sheehan, Bob Fertik, David Swanson and many other national “justice through impeachment” leaders:

Chariman Conyers,

I know your time is tight, but I am going to share a very brief personal story.

When I went to buy flowers for my mother’s funeral ancient florist and internment camp survivor Junkho Harui shook my hand and said:

“Your mother Natalie has done so much for the Japanese-Americans and Philipino-Americans and the Rainbow Coalition on Bainbridge Island over the years, these flowers are our “˜thank you’ to her.”

My mother taught me many choice swear words at a young age only to be uttered at the likes of George Wallace and Richard Nixon. Had he known about her, she would have been on Nixon’s “˜enemies list’ too. But those such as Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez were held up as the types of leaders her son was to follow.

I am a direct descendant of settlers from the original thirteen colonies, but so is George W. Bush. I was taught that fact does not distinguish me from my fellow citizens who were detained nor those stolen from across the ocean whose genealogical heritage was stripped from them forever.

My heritage has, however led me to recognize leaders of the caliber of those previously mentioned. Your distinguished legacy, Chairman Conyers puts you in the company of leaders my mother led me to recognize and my Representative Keith Ellison appears to be on the same road.

We of ImpeachforPeace can assume everyone here is fully aware of multiple impeachable offenses committed by multiple former and current members of the Bush Administration. We also all know that the road to peace always leads through justice. There is no other path. King marched unflinchingly into Bull Connor’s dogs and Ghandi marched into the teeth of the British Empire.

Courage for justice brings change.

My partners and I also recognize quietly among ourselves that impeachment may be unlikely – especially in light of only one additional H. Res. 333 cosigner after the August Recess despite heavy lobbying nationwide. It is our sincere hope that the bombing of Iran is not what it takes to bring impeachment to the table.

Where our perspectives seem to part is whether impeachment is the right course of action to take to address the lawlessness of the Bush Regime.

We hear of investigations, subpoenas, the possible use of inherent contempt against Harriet Miers and others, but we need to know what steps toward justice are being pursued, not just for ourselves, but for the thousands that we communicate with daily.

If impeachment is not chosen (and we have an appeal that I would like to read later), then please convince us that the path of accountability you and Congressmen Nadler, Waxman, Leahy, etc. are pursuing is a better one than the one we have worked tirelessly for over the last 2, 3, 4 years

We are hearing such dissatisfaction – even rebellion among progressives and activists who do not trust the Democratic Party’s strategy as reflected in the 11% and sinking approval rating of Congress. We fear that the chosen strategy of the Democrats that seems to appear wise only to those inside the beltway echo chamber is backfiring and a 2008 election disaster may result.

In conclusion, Chairman Conyers, we need specifics. We need dates. We need deadlines. We are all suffering together under a White House that dodges and ducks and hides everything. The Democratic Party leadership cannot expect those of us who are most informed and most committed to fight the good fight with you to sit back and trust that accountability and justice will come.

Please tell us. If not impeachment, what is the plan?

On behalf of ImpeachforPeace.org and millions of Americans who have signed impeachment petitions,

Mikael Rudolph
cofounder: ImpeachforPeace.org
[email protected]
(612) 302-9252

and in conclusion:

There are nearly as many excuses being given as to why not to impeach as there are impeachable offenses – and that is saying a lot. We would rather consider the benefits of initiating impeachment hearings instead.

If impeachment proceedings begin, of course the usual Hannity/Limbaugh rabble will squawk, but we will rise above that. Since when do we allow their lies to dictate our choices?

The initiative and character shown by pursuing the truth no matter what the consequences will gain those of you who lead us there new respect, new followers and new voters.

Don’t listen to me. Don’t listen to us of ImpeachforPeace. Listen to the likes of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison who had the great wisdom to foresee this exact threat of a return to tyranny and mentioned the remedy of impeachment five seperate times in the Constitution.

Now only one business is mentioned in the Constitution – just one is protected. The Fourth Estate, the press. Unfortunately they have abdicated their high calling and failed us miserably.

In signing H. Res. 333, Rep. Ellison made a public statement that there was sufficient evidence to warrant a public, political investigation into whether the Vice President, the second highest officer in the land was guilty of bribery, treason or other high crimes and misdemeanors. The Minneapolis Star Tribune buried that story on the 16th page. Just like with the investigations in Congress today, nobody noticed.

If, however, impeachment hearings begin for either Cheney, Bush or both, every newspaper, television, radio and internet news source in the nation will be forced to cover, in depth, every single piece of evidence and testimony exposed every day of every week for every month until their conclusions.

It doesn’t matter one iota what the final vote in the House is, much less whether it gets to the Senate or leads to removal from office.

The antiseptic light of truth about the multiple impeachable offenses we all know of will finally break through the digitally lobotomized frontal lobe of the entire nation. Bubba in East Texas and Gertrude in Denver will finally know what we know. The approval rating of a Congress that would be perceived to have at last stood up for justice would soar. This horrible precedent would not be allowed to stand and the Rovian divisiveness of the last seven years would be replaced by the unity that can only come together around the truth.

It is a leap of faith. It requires courage, integrity and trust in the American people’s ability to discern the truth once they finally are availed of it.

We will not fail. You will not fail. It will be your enduring legacy and an inspiration for our sons and daughters in succeeding generations.

I would like to conclude with a quote:

‘It is tragic that our nation has invaded another sovereign nation because “the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy,” and that millions of innocent Americans have been subject to government surveillance outside the proper legal process. It is unforgivable that Congress has been unwilling to examine these matters or take actions to prevent these circumstances from occurring again. Since the Majority Party is unwilling to fulfill their oversight responsibilities, it is incumbent on individual Members of Congress, as well as the American public, to act to protect our constitutional form of government.’

~ John Conyers in the Foreward to “George W Bush vs the US Constitution” on page IX.

We ask of you specifically:
1). Cosign H. Res. 333
or
2). Cosponser your own impeachment legislation. I highly recommend that you consider the one drafted by the National Lawyer’s Guild to be voted upon in their November annual convention.
or
3). Move H. Res. 333 out of subcommittee and discuss it in the Judiciary
or
4). Submit your own book into the Congressional Record in its entirety.

On behalf of ImpeachforPeace.org and millions of Americans who have signed impeachment petitions,

Mikael Rudolph
cofounder: ImpeachforPeace.org
[email protected]
(612) 302-9252