Posts in the category Peace & Social Justice
From a story in the Economist
"UNPOPULAR, isolated, and facing the humiliation of impeachment, Pervez Musharraf resigned as president of Pakistan on Monday August 18th....
they (the people)were dancing in the streets."
------------------------------------------------
We here in America can cause accountability for President Bush and Vice President Cheney, but you have to take action before the election. You the voter have the power to force our Incumbent Democratic Congressmen(and women) to honor their oath of office to protect our Constitution by calling for immediate impeachment hearings.
It is not necessary that impeachment hearing be finished prior to the election, only that they are started. We the voters have the power to make this happen, but you will have to call your congressman repeatedly over the next two months.
Contact information for Colorado congressmen can be found here.
In addition, US House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers is calling the membership of the House Judiciary Committee back from their Fall recess to investigate Ron Suskind's revelations about the forged letter that falsely said that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
It has been reported that the order to the CIA to have the letter forged came on White House Stationary.
On Democracy Now today Conyers said "The 110th Congress isn't over. We're starting our work, and then we're doing it in a period where the Congress is in recess. I'm calling everybody back. We've got a huge amount of work to engage in."
Please contact the Judiciary Committee to
urge them to impeach now:
202-225-3951 FAX: 202-225-7680
THE GRAVES OF THE 4,134 Murdered US Soldiers
CRY OUT FOR IMPEACHMENT for the WMD LIES
Impeachment. More important than ever.
Plenty of time.
Impeachment Is Coming!
John H Kennedy,
43 yr Democratic voter, Obama delegate to the Denver County Democratic Convention, and organizer of the
IMPEACH COLORADO COALITION ImpeachCO.com
"UNPOPULAR, isolated, and facing the humiliation of impeachment, Pervez Musharraf resigned as president of Pakistan on Monday August 18th....
they (the people)were dancing in the streets."
------------------------------------------------
We here in America can cause accountability for President Bush and Vice President Cheney, but you have to take action before the election. You the voter have the power to force our Incumbent Democratic Congressmen(and women) to honor their oath of office to protect our Constitution by calling for immediate impeachment hearings.
It is not necessary that impeachment hearing be finished prior to the election, only that they are started. We the voters have the power to make this happen, but you will have to call your congressman repeatedly over the next two months.
Contact information for Colorado congressmen can be found here.
In addition, US House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers is calling the membership of the House Judiciary Committee back from their Fall recess to investigate Ron Suskind's revelations about the forged letter that falsely said that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
It has been reported that the order to the CIA to have the letter forged came on White House Stationary.
On Democracy Now today Conyers said "The 110th Congress isn't over. We're starting our work, and then we're doing it in a period where the Congress is in recess. I'm calling everybody back. We've got a huge amount of work to engage in."
Please contact the Judiciary Committee to
urge them to impeach now:
202-225-3951 FAX: 202-225-7680
THE GRAVES OF THE 4,134 Murdered US Soldiers
CRY OUT FOR IMPEACHMENT for the WMD LIES
Impeachment. More important than ever.
Plenty of time.
Impeachment Is Coming!
John H Kennedy,
43 yr Democratic voter, Obama delegate to the Denver County Democratic Convention, and organizer of the
IMPEACH COLORADO COALITION ImpeachCO.com
US House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers is calling the membership of the Judiciary Committee back from their Fall recess to investigate Ron Suskind's revelations about the forged letter that falsely said that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
It has been reported that the order to the CIA to have the letter forged came on White House Stationary.
On Democracy Now today Conyers said "The 110th Congress isn't over. We're starting our work, and then we're doing it in a period where the Congress is in recess. I'm calling everybody back. We've got a huge amount of work to engage in."
Here's the link to Democracy Now
Please contact the Judiciary Committee to
urge them to impeach now:
202-225-3951 FAX: 202-225-7680
Please help by contacting all media outlets and
members of Congress.
Impeachment. More important than ever. Plenty of time.
Impeach Colorado Coalition ImpeachCO.com
IMPEACHMENT IS COMING
..
It has been reported that the order to the CIA to have the letter forged came on White House Stationary.
On Democracy Now today Conyers said "The 110th Congress isn't over. We're starting our work, and then we're doing it in a period where the Congress is in recess. I'm calling everybody back. We've got a huge amount of work to engage in."
Here's the link to Democracy Now
Please contact the Judiciary Committee to
urge them to impeach now:
202-225-3951 FAX: 202-225-7680
Please help by contacting all media outlets and
members of Congress.
Impeachment. More important than ever. Plenty of time.
Impeach Colorado Coalition ImpeachCO.com
IMPEACHMENT IS COMING
..
The blockbuster claims that White House officials conspired to forge evidence linking Iraq to 9/11 plotters and ignored clear intelligence indicating Saddam Hussein's lack of WMDs may not be getting as much attention as it should in the US press, but some key lawmakers are beginning to take notice.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers says his staff will investigate these allegations and others aired in Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind's new book, The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism.
"I am particularly troubled that the decision to disseminate this fabricated intelligence is alleged to have come from the highest reaches of the administration," Conyers said in a press release Tuesday evening. "The administration's attempt to challenge Mr. Suskind's reporting appears to have been effectively dismissed by the publication of the author's interview recordings and transcripts. I have instructed my staff to conduct a careful review of Mr. Suskind's allegations and the role played by senior administration officials in this matter."
The announced probe garnered quick praise from Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), who has waged a months-long campaign to convince his colleagues and Democratic leaders in the House to impeach President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Suskind has said the allegations outlined in his book could be impeachable offenses.
The rest of the story is here
John H Kennedy,
43 yr Democratic voter, Obama delegate to the Denver County Democratic Convention, and organizer of the
IMPEACH COLORADO COALITION ImpeachCO.com
..
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers says his staff will investigate these allegations and others aired in Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind's new book, The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism.
"I am particularly troubled that the decision to disseminate this fabricated intelligence is alleged to have come from the highest reaches of the administration," Conyers said in a press release Tuesday evening. "The administration's attempt to challenge Mr. Suskind's reporting appears to have been effectively dismissed by the publication of the author's interview recordings and transcripts. I have instructed my staff to conduct a careful review of Mr. Suskind's allegations and the role played by senior administration officials in this matter."
The announced probe garnered quick praise from Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), who has waged a months-long campaign to convince his colleagues and Democratic leaders in the House to impeach President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Suskind has said the allegations outlined in his book could be impeachable offenses.
The rest of the story is here
John H Kennedy,
43 yr Democratic voter, Obama delegate to the Denver County Democratic Convention, and organizer of the
IMPEACH COLORADO COALITION ImpeachCO.com
..
Whispers of a Watergate for Bush
By Clive Crook the FT's chief Washington commentator.
The response in the US to startling new allegations that the White House directed the forgery of evidence to support its case for the war in Iraq has been surprisingly muted so far. The charges may be false, of course, but if they are seriously examined and turn out to be true, this is - or ought to be - a Watergate-sized scandal.
Ron Suskind is a heavyweight: a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, and the author of a well-regarded book on the administration's security policies, The One Per Cent Doctrine. His new book, The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism, which was published last week, contains the extraordinary new charge. It says that late in 2003 the White House ordered the Central Intelligence Agency to forge a memo dated July 2001 from Tahir Jalil Habbush, Saddam Hussein's intelligence chief, to Saddam himself, affirming that Mohammed Atta, the September 11 2001 bomber, had contacts with the regime and that Iraq had an ongoing weapons of mass destruction programme.
YOU need to read this Now!
The rest of the story is here You may have to Register (for free) to read it.
John H Kennedy,
43 yr Democratic voter, Obama delegate to the Denver County Democratic Convention, and organizer of the
IMPEACH COLORADO COALITION ImpeachCO.com
..
By Clive Crook the FT's chief Washington commentator.
The response in the US to startling new allegations that the White House directed the forgery of evidence to support its case for the war in Iraq has been surprisingly muted so far. The charges may be false, of course, but if they are seriously examined and turn out to be true, this is - or ought to be - a Watergate-sized scandal.
Ron Suskind is a heavyweight: a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, and the author of a well-regarded book on the administration's security policies, The One Per Cent Doctrine. His new book, The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism, which was published last week, contains the extraordinary new charge. It says that late in 2003 the White House ordered the Central Intelligence Agency to forge a memo dated July 2001 from Tahir Jalil Habbush, Saddam Hussein's intelligence chief, to Saddam himself, affirming that Mohammed Atta, the September 11 2001 bomber, had contacts with the regime and that Iraq had an ongoing weapons of mass destruction programme.
YOU need to read this Now!
The rest of the story is here You may have to Register (for free) to read it.
John H Kennedy,
43 yr Democratic voter, Obama delegate to the Denver County Democratic Convention, and organizer of the
IMPEACH COLORADO COALITION ImpeachCO.com
..
When Democrat Mark Udall debated Republican Bob Schaffer in July, he made no effort to refute Schaffer’s distortions surrounding health care reform. In fact, he essentially short-circuited meaningful debate by adopting the nebulous right-wing description of single-payer health care as “government health care,” thus capitulating to Republican framing of the issue.
Just what is government health care? Is it the more than 60 percent of all health care costs that are paid by taxpayers, including subsidies for inflated costs of private insurances? Private insurers skim the cream and game the system for profit, and count on government (taxpayers) to pick up the health care costs of all whose coverage they reject. Does government health care include the 70 percent of our legislators’ health coverage that is funded by taxpayers?
Democrats who facilely echo GOP talking points grossly misrepresent single-payer health care. In fact, contrary to assertions by the right-wing “free market” chorus, only single-risk-pool insurance provides true free choice of private providers, the same as traditional Medicare before Republicans moved to privatize Medicare (at 12 percent higher cost). Private insurance plans limit choice to “in plan” doctors, often requiring change of providers when plans are changed. Only single payer is capable of providing comprehensive, continuous health care benefits and protection against medical bankruptcy.
Our leaders should vigorously protest the abomination of Medicare prescription drug reform that was written by insurance and pharmaceutical lobbies with billions of dollars of taxpayer subsidies and inflated profits to benefit their bottom lines, while prohibiting negotiation of bulk drug prices.
Instead of privatizing Medicare-for-profit, why not improve and expand its coverage for everyone? Traditional Medicare has lower overhead costs – less than 4 percent – whereas private insurances divert 25 percent or more to profits, lobbying, marketing, exhorbitant CEO salaries and wasteful administrative costs. Profit is a perverse incentive for health insurance, which protects its bottom line by reducing benefits and shifting ever-greater costs to consumers.
The insulated political class in Washington, dependent upon corporate money and privy to 70 percent taxpayer-subsidized health coverage, seem out of touch with the U.S. people. Polls by Pew and others have revealed that increasing numbers – 54 to 65 percent – support a national single-payer health care plan. A recent study reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine (3-31-08) that 59 percent of U.S. physicians “support government legislation to establish national health insurance,” an increase of 10 percent since 2002.
Notably, more than 20 federal and state studies since 1990, including the 2007 Lewin Group evaluation in Colorado, have demonstrated that single-payer health insurance is the only reform model that can both save money and provide comprehensive health care benefits for all. The Colorado single-payer proposal and Rep. John Conyers’ national health care bill, HR 676, both deserve serious further study.
We have everything to gain from an honest dialogue about quality-, saftey-centered universal single payer health care, in place of profiteering health insurance gatekeepers.
"Our Health Freedoms " Educational Seminar
Oriental Theater (http://theorientaltheater. com) Denver, Colorado
THURSDAY AUGUST 21, 2008
9a.m. to 6p.m.
A unique opportunity for the public, interested parties, patients, and holistic professionals to gather and learn about a new program designed to help their client base, while assisting veterans, other social work cases, and the general public on the road to better health utilizing a wide variety of complimentary therapies.
Our forefathers worked hard to see through the Freedoms of Democracy, and NOW is the opportunity for us to work hard at assuring, "Our Health Freedoms", instead of those being dictated by BIG PHARMA's multi-Billion dollar daily lobbying efforts diverting our government in unhealthy directions.
Registration is ONLY $35., payable by CASH ONLY the day of the event, or by depositing via credit card
payment through paypal account (paypal.com) deposit $35. to account name goldnkid@earthlink.net .
Your conference payment includes continental breakfast, lunch (hamburgers and hot dogs), and Colorado made "HEMP I SCREAM" afternoon treat. Within walking distance remain several restaurants including Swing Thai, Mexican Jalapeno Grill, and others. It should, however, be noted that there will be a lunch time speaker that you might not want to miss. Warning, your conference fee does NOT automatically entitle you to
concert entry for the 1st THC National Convention in the evening. Tickets may be purchased separately online through the box office at http://theorientaltheater.com
Please Note: Due to the considerable excitement surrounding these unique events and due to the fact that thousands of individuals will be coming to Denver for the Democratic National Convention, ticket availability is going fast. Get yours today, and DON'T get left out in the cold!)
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
• 8a.m. to 9 a.m. REGISTRATION & SET-UP ACTIVITIES "Meet & Greet" time.
• 9a.m. to 10a.m. Continental Breakfast with Opening Speaker
• 10a.m. to 11:15a.m. "Why a Collective or Cooperative?"
• 11:15 a.m. to 1p.m. Lunch with speaker.
• 1:00p.m. to 3p.m. Breakout Sessions including:
1. Growers(Balcony)
2. Caregivers & Patient Advocacy
3. "Holistic Practitioners -enhance your client base"
4. "The Business of Cannabis (medical) in Colorado"
• 3:00p.m. to 3:30p.m. BREAK TIME (complimentary Colorado HEMP ICE SCREAM served).
• 3:30p.m. to 5:30p.m. "FREE SPEECH DIALOGUE"-with numerous representatives of the politics of the day. Included will be a Recreate 68 representative (recreate68.org) and an Alliance for Real Democracy representative along with other speakers, and having moderation by the U.S. Department of Peace. A unique experience following the concept of "Community Mediation".
• 5:30p.m to 6:30p.m. Networking and Cash Bar.
THE FIRST HEMP AND CANNABIS NATIONAL CONVENTION
http://thcnationalconvention.com http://www.myspace.com/thcnationalconvention
Official Gear: http://www.cafepress.com/THCNC
The HEMP CANNABIS NATIONAL CONVENTION
Oriental Theater (http://theorientaltheater. com)
Denver, Colorado
THURSDAY AUGUST 21, 2008
6 p.m. to Midnight
PUBLIC INVITED
• 6:30p.m. to Midnight Continuous Live Entertainment including:
BIG BUDS BLUES BAND
ONE MANNA (Anna, the one woman band)
APEX VIBE
Comedians and More
POLITICAL ACTIVISM, EDUCATION, COMMUNITY
This will be a celebration of Our Freedoms following a daylong seminar for
Medical Marijuana in Colorado
HIGHLY PRIZED & extremely limited $10 tickets
(now available Online at http://theorientaltheater. com or at the Oriental Theater Box Office)
Complimentary VIP for ALL legal Colorado Medical Marijuana patients at the door with package including buffet, limited laminate, official THC National Convention t-shirt,
"Green Cross" goodie bag and more!)
Sorry, price of the Concert is NOT included in the educational conference fee. BE WARNED, this event and conference WILL sell out early) If interested, please obtain your $10. concert tickets separately online at http://www. theorientaltheater.com
Very limited Sponsorship Opportunities and Vendor Booths remain available (Deadline for paid application: August 10, 2008) contact Bobby at 720-628-6291.
Oriental Theater (http://theorientaltheater. com) Denver, Colorado
THURSDAY AUGUST 21, 2008
9a.m. to 6p.m.
A unique opportunity for the public, interested parties, patients, and holistic professionals to gather and learn about a new program designed to help their client base, while assisting veterans, other social work cases, and the general public on the road to better health utilizing a wide variety of complimentary therapies.
Our forefathers worked hard to see through the Freedoms of Democracy, and NOW is the opportunity for us to work hard at assuring, "Our Health Freedoms", instead of those being dictated by BIG PHARMA's multi-Billion dollar daily lobbying efforts diverting our government in unhealthy directions.
Registration is ONLY $35., payable by CASH ONLY the day of the event, or by depositing via credit card
payment through paypal account (paypal.com) deposit $35. to account name goldnkid@earthlink.net .
Your conference payment includes continental breakfast, lunch (hamburgers and hot dogs), and Colorado made "HEMP I SCREAM" afternoon treat. Within walking distance remain several restaurants including Swing Thai, Mexican Jalapeno Grill, and others. It should, however, be noted that there will be a lunch time speaker that you might not want to miss. Warning, your conference fee does NOT automatically entitle you to
concert entry for the 1st THC National Convention in the evening. Tickets may be purchased separately online through the box office at http://theorientaltheater.com
Please Note: Due to the considerable excitement surrounding these unique events and due to the fact that thousands of individuals will be coming to Denver for the Democratic National Convention, ticket availability is going fast. Get yours today, and DON'T get left out in the cold!)
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
• 8a.m. to 9 a.m. REGISTRATION & SET-UP ACTIVITIES "Meet & Greet" time.
• 9a.m. to 10a.m. Continental Breakfast with Opening Speaker
• 10a.m. to 11:15a.m. "Why a Collective or Cooperative?"
• 11:15 a.m. to 1p.m. Lunch with speaker.
• 1:00p.m. to 3p.m. Breakout Sessions including:
1. Growers(Balcony)
2. Caregivers & Patient Advocacy
3. "Holistic Practitioners -enhance your client base"
4. "The Business of Cannabis (medical) in Colorado"
• 3:00p.m. to 3:30p.m. BREAK TIME (complimentary Colorado HEMP ICE SCREAM served).
• 3:30p.m. to 5:30p.m. "FREE SPEECH DIALOGUE"-with numerous representatives of the politics of the day. Included will be a Recreate 68 representative (recreate68.org) and an Alliance for Real Democracy representative along with other speakers, and having moderation by the U.S. Department of Peace. A unique experience following the concept of "Community Mediation".
• 5:30p.m to 6:30p.m. Networking and Cash Bar.
THE FIRST HEMP AND CANNABIS NATIONAL CONVENTION
http://thcnationalconvention.com http://www.myspace.com/thcnationalconvention
Official Gear: http://www.cafepress.com/THCNC
The HEMP CANNABIS NATIONAL CONVENTION
Oriental Theater (http://theorientaltheater. com)
Denver, Colorado
THURSDAY AUGUST 21, 2008
6 p.m. to Midnight
PUBLIC INVITED
• 6:30p.m. to Midnight Continuous Live Entertainment including:
BIG BUDS BLUES BAND
ONE MANNA (Anna, the one woman band)
APEX VIBE
Comedians and More
POLITICAL ACTIVISM, EDUCATION, COMMUNITY
This will be a celebration of Our Freedoms following a daylong seminar for
Medical Marijuana in Colorado
HIGHLY PRIZED & extremely limited $10 tickets
(now available Online at http://theorientaltheater. com or at the Oriental Theater Box Office)
Complimentary VIP for ALL legal Colorado Medical Marijuana patients at the door with package including buffet, limited laminate, official THC National Convention t-shirt,
"Green Cross" goodie bag and more!)
Sorry, price of the Concert is NOT included in the educational conference fee. BE WARNED, this event and conference WILL sell out early) If interested, please obtain your $10. concert tickets separately online at http://www. theorientaltheater.com
Very limited Sponsorship Opportunities and Vendor Booths remain available (Deadline for paid application: August 10, 2008) contact Bobby at 720-628-6291.
Progressive Democrats of America with The Nation magazine are setting up headquarters at Central Presbyterian Church (1660 Sherman St.), where they have scheduled issues forums over 5 days of the Democratic National Convention.
Free daily panels moderated by The Nation's John Nichols at 11 AM, are followed by additional panels covering Health Care on Monday, August 25, followed the rest of the week with forums on Media and Election Reform, Economic Justice, Global Warming and Constitutional Law.
Participants include Reps. John Conyers, Barbara Lee, Robert Wexler, Keith Ellison and Lynn Woolsey; Tom Hayden, Jim Hightower and authors David Sirota and Vincent Bugliosi; various writers and publisher of The Nation; journalist and radio host Laura Flanders; Jeff Cohen, author and founder of FAIR; and many others.
For schedule and more info, check Web site http://pdamerica.org, click on "Progressive Central" in green bar at page top. Watch for posting of PDF event flyer.
Also, check link to HCAC page for Democratic Convention Actions around Health Care.
Free daily panels moderated by The Nation's John Nichols at 11 AM, are followed by additional panels covering Health Care on Monday, August 25, followed the rest of the week with forums on Media and Election Reform, Economic Justice, Global Warming and Constitutional Law.
Participants include Reps. John Conyers, Barbara Lee, Robert Wexler, Keith Ellison and Lynn Woolsey; Tom Hayden, Jim Hightower and authors David Sirota and Vincent Bugliosi; various writers and publisher of The Nation; journalist and radio host Laura Flanders; Jeff Cohen, author and founder of FAIR; and many others.
For schedule and more info, check Web site http://pdamerica.org, click on "Progressive Central" in green bar at page top. Watch for posting of PDF event flyer.
Also, check link to HCAC page for Democratic Convention Actions around Health Care.
Is this the "smoking gun"?
Will our Democratic Congressmen honor their Oath and call for Impeachment Hearings?
Tape: Top CIA official confesses order to forge Iraq-9/11 letter came on White House stationery.
In damning transcript, ex-CIA official says Cheney likely ordered letter linking Hussein to 9/11 attacks
A forged letter linking Saddam Hussein to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks was ordered on White House stationery and probably came from the office of Vice President Dick Cheney, according to a new transcript of a conversation with the Central Intelligence Agency's former Deputy Chief of Clandestine Operations Robert Richer.
The transcript was posted Friday by author Ron Suskind of an interview conducted in June. It comes on the heels of denials by both the White House and Richer of a claim Suskind made in his new book, The Way of The World. The book was leaked to Politico's Mike Allen on Monday, and released Tuesday.
See the rest of this story at: RawStory.com
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP BRING ACCOUNTABILITY TO BUSH & CHENEY
Rep. Kucinich and five other co-sponsors of his articles of impeachment (Robert Wexler, Tammy Baldwin, Keith Ellison, Maurice Hinchey, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Hank Johnson) are calling on all Americans to contact their representatives
(202-224-3121) 24 hours, seven days a weekand 365 days/year
and urge them to join in co-sponsoring those articles and in calling for a formal impeachment hearing
PRIOR TO THE ELECTION.
You can call after normal business hours and leave a message urging your Congressman to join in co-sponsoring those articles and in calling for a formal impeachment hearing.
ALSO And Very Important:
PLEASE CALL ALL of Colorado's Democratic Congressmen/women
and demand they immediately Call For Impeachment Hearings Prior To The Election.
Contact info for Colorado's Congressmen
------------------------------------------------
And if you have time on any Saturday around Noon-1:00 pm
Our group holds an Impeachment Protest at East 6th & Speer in Denver every Saturday. We have lots of Impeach Signs so just show up and help. OR JUST DRIVE BY REPEATEDLY and HONK TO IMPEACH.
John H Kennedy, organizer
Impeach Colorado Coalition ImpeachCO.com
( other groups around Colorado do similar events and are listed on our Calendar at ImpeachCO.com )
..
Will our Democratic Congressmen honor their Oath and call for Impeachment Hearings?
Tape: Top CIA official confesses order to forge Iraq-9/11 letter came on White House stationery.
In damning transcript, ex-CIA official says Cheney likely ordered letter linking Hussein to 9/11 attacks
A forged letter linking Saddam Hussein to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks was ordered on White House stationery and probably came from the office of Vice President Dick Cheney, according to a new transcript of a conversation with the Central Intelligence Agency's former Deputy Chief of Clandestine Operations Robert Richer.
The transcript was posted Friday by author Ron Suskind of an interview conducted in June. It comes on the heels of denials by both the White House and Richer of a claim Suskind made in his new book, The Way of The World. The book was leaked to Politico's Mike Allen on Monday, and released Tuesday.
See the rest of this story at: RawStory.com
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP BRING ACCOUNTABILITY TO BUSH & CHENEY
Rep. Kucinich and five other co-sponsors of his articles of impeachment (Robert Wexler, Tammy Baldwin, Keith Ellison, Maurice Hinchey, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Hank Johnson) are calling on all Americans to contact their representatives
(202-224-3121) 24 hours, seven days a weekand 365 days/year
and urge them to join in co-sponsoring those articles and in calling for a formal impeachment hearing
PRIOR TO THE ELECTION.
You can call after normal business hours and leave a message urging your Congressman to join in co-sponsoring those articles and in calling for a formal impeachment hearing.
ALSO And Very Important:
PLEASE CALL ALL of Colorado's Democratic Congressmen/women
and demand they immediately Call For Impeachment Hearings Prior To The Election.
Contact info for Colorado's Congressmen
------------------------------------------------
And if you have time on any Saturday around Noon-1:00 pm
Our group holds an Impeachment Protest at East 6th & Speer in Denver every Saturday. We have lots of Impeach Signs so just show up and help. OR JUST DRIVE BY REPEATEDLY and HONK TO IMPEACH.
John H Kennedy, organizer
Impeach Colorado Coalition ImpeachCO.com
( other groups around Colorado do similar events and are listed on our Calendar at ImpeachCO.com )
..
I'm helping a local activist, Prisana, who is working on the Hmong people of Thailand. She is an organizer and leader for these people who have been displaced by their own government and surrounding nations who are forcing them to leave their refugee camps. These people are a shameful part of our Vietnam war history.
The problem is time.
She sent me this last week:
... From what I've researched, it looks like we'll need a
permit. It may be too late to apply for one. Do you know of a group
that already has a permit for a protest similar to our cause that we
could join?
She has an activist page on Facebook called One Hmong Voice Coalition:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=32233554088
What Prisana and I need is to hook up with another organization that already has a "permit" to march. Do you know of any organizations that would match up well?
Thanks.
My cell phone is 303-489-2447.
Ken
It would be nice if someone would help me, but I have been writing to people and found out that there is no one to help me in Colorado.
I have had problems with my ex husband for many years now. He is very abusive, physically, emotionally and verbally. He owed child support, so Colorado took his drivers license, then they took him to court, so he was pretty mad and convinced and conned my 14 year old that I was abusive, and he would get him cars, trucks, and other boy toys, so my son and his dad told the court that I was abusive. Which, I have never been abusive to any of my children. If we had gone back to the same court with Magistrate Sullivan he would not have custody of my 2 boys. She knows how he is and manipulative he is with the court system. He tried to be manipulative with DHS and they caught on to him too. His attorney took it into another court Judge Kane's and he just went for him all the way, he did not hear me at all, he just ignored me, I told the judge about the abuse I have been through and what he has put my children through, he still did not hear me. So he gave my abusive ex husband custody of my precious boys and now I have to pay him child support. He owed over eight thousand dollars. If you want justice in judge Kane's court you are dreaming because the justice system is missing in his court. He does not look at the evidence or listen to you. He made his judgment on the statement of a CASA worker which never saw me with my children. She made here decision only based on what she saw with my ex and the children. She made her decision on false accusations, she did not investigate, she did took my other children's statement but she did not apply it to her report, she did not call anyone of the numbers she asked for that have seen me with my children. Now they want me a single mother to pay them three hundred dollars for giving my children to my ex and not doing their job properly, I don't think so. I will not pay them even if I had the money. She did not charge my ex. How is it that a man that does not pay child support can have custody of my children? How is that he says he cant afford to pay child support that he can afford cars, trucks, new property, able to move his house to a new location in the mountains to keep me from my children, and to afford an attorney? My ex will not let me talk to my children as it was stated in the courts, he has moved to a place I do not even know where they live. He always knew where I lived and always had his visitation rights, every other weekend, and half of all holidays, he even had them when my son had races to go to. He is telling my children that I have abandoned them and I do not love them. He tells them that I am a drunk and a lazy ho. Well I do not drink and I do not have anyone. I am defiantly not lazy. The court gave me all of six weeks for visitation, four weeks in the summer, one week for winter break, and one week for spring break. I think he should have never received custody of my children, I believe he should have been arrested for back child support, not rewarded for not paying. I think the judge should have done more than sit in his chair with his thumb up his butt. I think the CASA woman should have done more investigating than she did. DHS knew I was not abusive, that is why they gave my children back to me when he ran off with them. DHS did their job by truly investigating me and my ex. They also spoke with my children and sent them to counselors. They also sent me to a counselor which knows I am not abusive but the judge did not want to hear all of this, he had his mind made up before I even spoke. My ex husband is a very charming con artist and a cheat, he lies, steals (check his record he was arrest for agg. armed robbery at Walmart). He says he cannot work, that he is handicap. I know this not to be true I have pictures of him working. I know I have written a lot but I need for you to know the history and what has happened. I would like my children back home with the family they have always known. I raised my children for the last eighteen years. If you need proof here are the court cases; 21-257253-001D, Child Support 04JV443, 04DR2955, Last hearing for child support and custody 06C11, CO212007C 016351, Permanent Protective Order 06JV119 DHS court orders. I need an attorney to get this back into court, get my boys back home to where they have been raised. I love them so much and I miss them. Please help me get my boys back, my six year old daughter really misses her brothers, she has a hard time sleeping and she cries for them a lot.
Hazel Lynn Smith
I have had problems with my ex husband for many years now. He is very abusive, physically, emotionally and verbally. He owed child support, so Colorado took his drivers license, then they took him to court, so he was pretty mad and convinced and conned my 14 year old that I was abusive, and he would get him cars, trucks, and other boy toys, so my son and his dad told the court that I was abusive. Which, I have never been abusive to any of my children. If we had gone back to the same court with Magistrate Sullivan he would not have custody of my 2 boys. She knows how he is and manipulative he is with the court system. He tried to be manipulative with DHS and they caught on to him too. His attorney took it into another court Judge Kane's and he just went for him all the way, he did not hear me at all, he just ignored me, I told the judge about the abuse I have been through and what he has put my children through, he still did not hear me. So he gave my abusive ex husband custody of my precious boys and now I have to pay him child support. He owed over eight thousand dollars. If you want justice in judge Kane's court you are dreaming because the justice system is missing in his court. He does not look at the evidence or listen to you. He made his judgment on the statement of a CASA worker which never saw me with my children. She made here decision only based on what she saw with my ex and the children. She made her decision on false accusations, she did not investigate, she did took my other children's statement but she did not apply it to her report, she did not call anyone of the numbers she asked for that have seen me with my children. Now they want me a single mother to pay them three hundred dollars for giving my children to my ex and not doing their job properly, I don't think so. I will not pay them even if I had the money. She did not charge my ex. How is it that a man that does not pay child support can have custody of my children? How is that he says he cant afford to pay child support that he can afford cars, trucks, new property, able to move his house to a new location in the mountains to keep me from my children, and to afford an attorney? My ex will not let me talk to my children as it was stated in the courts, he has moved to a place I do not even know where they live. He always knew where I lived and always had his visitation rights, every other weekend, and half of all holidays, he even had them when my son had races to go to. He is telling my children that I have abandoned them and I do not love them. He tells them that I am a drunk and a lazy ho. Well I do not drink and I do not have anyone. I am defiantly not lazy. The court gave me all of six weeks for visitation, four weeks in the summer, one week for winter break, and one week for spring break. I think he should have never received custody of my children, I believe he should have been arrested for back child support, not rewarded for not paying. I think the judge should have done more than sit in his chair with his thumb up his butt. I think the CASA woman should have done more investigating than she did. DHS knew I was not abusive, that is why they gave my children back to me when he ran off with them. DHS did their job by truly investigating me and my ex. They also spoke with my children and sent them to counselors. They also sent me to a counselor which knows I am not abusive but the judge did not want to hear all of this, he had his mind made up before I even spoke. My ex husband is a very charming con artist and a cheat, he lies, steals (check his record he was arrest for agg. armed robbery at Walmart). He says he cannot work, that he is handicap. I know this not to be true I have pictures of him working. I know I have written a lot but I need for you to know the history and what has happened. I would like my children back home with the family they have always known. I raised my children for the last eighteen years. If you need proof here are the court cases; 21-257253-001D, Child Support 04JV443, 04DR2955, Last hearing for child support and custody 06C11, CO212007C 016351, Permanent Protective Order 06JV119 DHS court orders. I need an attorney to get this back into court, get my boys back home to where they have been raised. I love them so much and I miss them. Please help me get my boys back, my six year old daughter really misses her brothers, she has a hard time sleeping and she cries for them a lot.
Hazel Lynn Smith
Dear Representative Carroll,
In reply to your last email;
You said: "When you think a judge gets a decision wrong the best remedy is to appeal."
Answer: You didn't read my account did you? To say that I think that the judge reached the wrong decision is insulting, offensive and derogatory. As my account exposes, Judge David R. Lass reached the wrong decision deliberately. He deliberately misstated the facts and evidence, he deliberately misapplied the laws, and deliberately abused his authority. He not only reached the wrong decision, he clearly reached a predetermined one.
An appeal regarding the water rights was filed. That case was 04 SA 328. I submitted numerous pleadings and complaints to the Colorado Supreme Court regarding the collusion between the attorneys and judges, the lack of jurisdiction, the violations of law, etc. However, all my pleadings and complaints were struck from the record.
You said: "I/we can help with legislative reforms that create /strengthen the judicial performance commission."
Answer: The judicial performance commission doesn't work and should be abolished. Judges Lass, Ruckriegle, Ossola, and Petre are good examples of why it doesn't work. Instead, all judges and justices, should be term limited to four years or less.
You said: "I don't think impeachment is the proper remedy unless a crime has been committed and if you think a crime has been committed the proper channel would be to report to the police and DA-not the legislature."
Answer: 1. If you bothered to read my account, you would find that several crimes were committed. In all, Judge Lass violated, and allowed others to violate 22 laws. 13 of the 22 are felonies, and 9 of the 22 are State racketeering charges. I am herein adding 18-8-403(1)(a), 18-8-404(a)(b)(c), 18-8-405(a)(b), and 18-8-406 C.R.S. How much crime do you need? Show me where the general public is allowed to violate even one law without being held accountable?
In addition to the violation of laws, Judge Lass violated the Judicial Cannons, Rules of Professional Conduct, the Constitution(s), his oath of office, and more. Article XIII, Section 2 of the Colorado Constitution provides that the governor and other state and judicial officers shall be liable to impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors, (it doesn't even have to be a felony), or malfeasance in office. I have evidenced both, high crimes and malfeasance in office. Article XIII also provides that the House shall impeach and all impeachments shall be tried by the Senate. You are clearly provided with the power and the law, so why do you refuse to use it?
While you and the rest of the Legislators are refusing to use your powers to stop Judge Lass, he is continuing with the trial and issuing orders even though he has no authority to do so. I recently submitted two Motions to Dismiss and Vacate for lack of jurisdiction. Judge Lass denied my Motions, and instead of relying on his own Court record to show jurisdiction(there is none), and the right to continue, Judge Lass used the Opinion issued in 04 SA 328 wherein the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that the doctrine of issue preclusion bars Appellants from collaterally attacking the lack of subject matter and in personam jurisdiction of the Summit County Court.
Because all roads, in the abuse of authority, obstruction of justice, violations of law etc., lead to the Colorado Supreme Court, lets take a look at the jurisdictional findings of that Opinion, shall we?
First of all, even though all my pleadings and complaints were stricken, the Justices still had full access to the entire record in Case No. 99 CV 277. The court record itself evidences that Judge Lass violated the laws, allowed others to violate the laws, abused his authority, and deliberately abused, violated, and denied me my civil rights to due process, contract freely, and right to be heard. The law recognizes that the Judgment in 99CV277 was not only void, but void ab initio. (From the beginning.)
Instead of holding Judge Lass accountable, the Supreme Court Justices denied, circumvented and concealed his criminal conduct, and put the blame on me by saying I had the chance to litigate, and/or did litigate the lack of jurisdiction, and am now barred by the doctrines of claim and issue preclusion from challenging it.
I re-read the transcript of 99 CV 277, and jurisdiction was not even mentioned once. The record shows that I hired four attorneys to represent me, my rights, and that of the Association. One was hired prior to the filing of the lawsuit, two were hired during proceedings to trial, and one was hired after the trial. Not one of the four ever mentioned subject matter or in personam jurisdiction, nor the lack thereof, to me or the court in any of the submitted pleadings before, during or after the trial. None. I stumbled upon jurisdiction requirements through law discussion groups and investigated it on my own. So no, I did not have a full and fair opportunity to litigate the lack of jurisdiction during the lawsuit, or at trial, and the record confirms it. For that matter, due process also mandates that the court confirm that subject matter and in personam jurisdiction exists. Again, the record does not evidence the court confirming its jurisdiction in any way except to deliberately misstate the facts and evidence in order to fraudulently obtain it.
The Colorado Supreme Court then supported their findings with case laws. Case law is supposed to be used to support arguments in like or similar circumstances and determinations. Let's look at the ones they used:
1. Keystone v. Flynn, 769 P.2d 484, 488-89 n.6 (Colo.1989) This is a case regarding whether the District Court obtained subject matter jurisdiction while the parties had not yet exhausted all administrative remedies, nor had the Public Utilities Commission entered a final decision.
2. Insurance Corp. Of Ireland, Ltd. V. Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinea, 456 U.S. 694, 702, 102 S. Ct. 2099, 2104 n.9 (1982). This is a case regarding personal jurisdiction over a foreign party by sanction, under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 37(b)(2)(A).
3. O'Neill v. Simpson. 958 P.2d 1121 (Colo.1998). This is a case regarding a lack of jurisdiction based on defective service of process.
4. City of South Pasadena v. Mineta, 284 F.3d 1154,1157 (9th Cir. 2002). This is a case regarding 11th Amendment immunity.
5. In re Marriage of Mallon, 956 P.2d 642, 645 (Colo. App. 1998). This case is a case regarding lack of jurisdiction due to the husband not residing in Colorado for 90 days prior to the petition for dissolution being filed.
6. People in Interest of E.E.A., 854 P2d 1346 (Colo.App.1992). This is a case regarding a jurisdictional flaw because the minor child being the subject of a paternity suit, was not made a party to the suit.
7. In People ex rel. J.A.U. 47 P.3d 327, 331 (Colo. 2002). This is another case regarding paternity, and lack of jurisdiction based on mistake.
While claim and issue preclusion may have applied to the above cases, none of them state that the reasons for lack of subject matter or in personam jurisdiction was based on the unlawful, fraudulent and malicious actions of the judge. Claim and issue preclusion does not apply when unlawful, fraudulent and malicious actions are committed by the judge. None of the above case law applies to my situation, the record, or the appeal brought in 04 SA 328. Citing one case law wrongfully is a mistake, citing seven wrongfully is deliberate and a cover-up.
The Justices then stated that to overcome the doctrines of claim and issue preclusion, there would have to be a showing of "manifest abuse of authority by the trial court." Again, in spite of striking all my pleadings and complaints which did show manifest abuses of authority, they had the Court Record, and the justices cannot escape the fact that the record itself speaks to manifest abuses of authority by the trial court.
They also reference Restatement (Second) of Judgment §12 cmt.a (1982). In the Restatement, a modern rule was added wherein finality rather than the validity of a case is given greater weight. They also say that finality over validity is in the public's interest.
No, it is not in the public's interest to forego truth over closure in any case. Off the top of my head, this principle of law is unconstitutional and violates the Rules of Professional Conduct. It strikes at the very core of our judicial systems stand for due process, fairness, equality, and to get at the truth in every case. The Supreme Court Justices have a duty to strike this principle everywhere it is used, and remove it from everywhere it is written. The concept of finality over validity only ensures a revolving door employment for attorneys, clogs our courtrooms, and denies justice. Again, the quoted Restatement did not apply to my case, or the appeal brought in 04 SA 328.
In their final argument, the Justices validly cite Restatement (Second) of Judgments §12 (1982). But, because they denied, circumvented and concealed Judge Lass's criminal conduct, they say the remedy doesn't apply. Here is what it says:
Section 12, paragraph 1, states that a judgment may be attacked for lack of subject matter jurisdiction when;
(1) The subject matter of the action was so plainly beyond the court's jurisdiction that its entertaining the action was a manifest abuse of authority; or . . . .
The Plaintiff(s), not an Opinion, establishes the court's subject matter jurisdiction. The record evidences that the Plaintiff's in 99 CV 277 had NO standing to bring suit, they could show NO injury, and there was NO justiciable controversy. In short, Judge David R. Lass lacked subject matter jurisdiction, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SUBJECT MATTER!!!!!! Likewise, there was NO judgment on the merits, BECAUSE THERE WERE NO MERITS!!!!!! By deliberately not addressing or even explaining the abuse of authority, or criminal conduct committed by Judge Lass, the Supreme Court Justices Opinion is biased and can only be construed to be a cover-up. Judge Lass's use of the Opinion as a defense for his continuing actions shows not only cover-up, but collusion between himself and the Colorado Supreme Court Justices. Furthermore, because of the amount of officials involved, the amount of money and property involved, this is more than just a good ole boy type system. It is a criminal enterprise, and all roads lead to the Mullarkey Court. (www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/orgcrime/glossary.htm) The Opinion, and Judge Lass's reliance on it rather than his own court record, is yet another on ramp.
The public will also be deceived by this Opinion as it will undoubtedly set precedence for someone else. They, not being privy to all the facts, and that crimes and abuses were intentionally denied, circumvented and concealed from the Opinion, will not be able to defend against it. How many more Opinions are there like this? Obviously, this case shows that a judge and/or justice can make a case, finding, or judgment have any outcome they want it to be, and the unsuspecting public has no clue. As long as the judge or justice signs it, the unsuspecting public will think that it must have been adjudicated fairly and by the rules and law, right? Again, how much crime do you need? How many more victims will there be who may or may not figure out what happened to them?
If you want to look up this Opinion yourself, the Case No. is 04SA328. A google search will bring it up easily, and while I am only herein focusing on the jurisdictional findings, the entire Opinion can be shown to be geared towards protecting Judge Lass, the attorneys, and other public officials criminal conduct.
The only remedy is impeachment, and I have herein made a partial but effective case against the Colorado Supreme Court Justices. If they are not stopped and held accountable, I as well as all other victims of this current corrupt judiciary, will hold you, and all the legislators, etc., liable for our losses of rights and property. And yes there are other victims. In fact, when I met with you in 2006 regarding this same case, Representative Wes McKinley told me that there had been another couple in to see him regarding Judge David R. Lass just two weeks earlier. Had something been done in 2006, I, as well as others would not have to be unduly enduring the continuing injustices today.
I did everything right. I filed complaints with every agency, entity and officials who are in position and power to stop the corruption, and bring accountability to our judiciary. I didn't fail, you did, and they did. (In 2007, yet another person has contacted me regarding Judge David Lass.)
2. Regarding the second part of your statement, I did take it to Sheriff Minor and D.A. Hurlbert. They both told me they would not investigate or bring charges. In fact, Sheriff Minor even yelled his statement that he would do nothing about the corruption. Here are their phone numbers. Feel free to call and ask them why they won't perform the duties, obligations and responsibilities of their offices of public trust. Sheriff John Minor - 970- 453-2232, D. A. Mark Hurlbert - 970-453-2327.
While your at it, here is the number to Summit County Commissioners Thomas Davidson, Bob French and Tom Long. Their number is 970 - 453-2561. I sent them a copy of the same account I gave you, and mailed it via Certified Mail No. 7007 3020 0002 4929 7947. Anyone can go to USPS.com, put in those numbers and verify that they did receive it. Ask them why I haven't heard from them, and ask them why they refuse to perform the duties, obligations, and responsibilities of their office of public trust.
The number for Chief Judge Terry Ruckriegle is 970-453-2241.
The number for Judges Ossola and Petre is 970- 945-5075
The number for County Attorney's Frank Celico and Jeff Huntley is 970 453-2561
The number for Summit County Planning Dept. is 970-668-4200
The number for Summit County Environmental Health is 970-668-4070
The number for Dept. Of Natural Resources is 303-866-3581
The number for Attorney General Suthers is 303- 866-4500
The number for Governor Bill Ritter is 303-866-2471
The number for Attorney Regulation is 303-866-6400
The number for the Judicial Discipline is 303-894-2110.
The above is a shortened list, but call and ask these public officials why they refuse to perform the duties, obligations and responsibilities of their offices of public trust, and/or participated in the racketeering. Article XIII also provides that those who are not liable to impeachment are liable to removal. Will I hold them liable? You bet. Again, I didn't fail, they did.
You said: "If you think the law itself is not properly written (which maybe lead to the wrong result in your case), we may be able to help."
Answer: It is not the law itself. As I have shown, and which you continue to skirt the real issue, it is the people elected and appointed who do not follow, uphold, and/or apply the laws fairly and for the benefit of all. As I have shown, our laws are being prostituted for money and job security, and not for truth and justice.
I will not respond to the rest of your e-mail because it is just more of the same skirting the real issues. I will however state that if this Governor and Legislature fails to use the power and rights we the people granted in Article XIII, I will in the future run a campaign to remove it from the Governor and Legislature, and put it in the hands of the people. Use it or lose it.
I will be sharing this email with the public. Part of the reason is to show the people what it is really like to seek redress of grievances, the other part is to warn them of corrupt public officials. If I alienate you-the one legislator out of a hundred who has responded to me-so be it. When our judiciary is being allowed to render a Judgment/Opinion that fits any scenario but the truth, we have bigger problems than whether I made you mad. Ours is a government of, by and for the people, (a Republic), not the other way around. Halena Lewis Halen@axint.net
Read my account at www.coloradoopencourt.blogspot.com
Join my group to support judicial accountability at www.progressnowaction.org/page/group/OPENCOURT
In reply to your last email;
You said: "When you think a judge gets a decision wrong the best remedy is to appeal."
Answer: You didn't read my account did you? To say that I think that the judge reached the wrong decision is insulting, offensive and derogatory. As my account exposes, Judge David R. Lass reached the wrong decision deliberately. He deliberately misstated the facts and evidence, he deliberately misapplied the laws, and deliberately abused his authority. He not only reached the wrong decision, he clearly reached a predetermined one.
An appeal regarding the water rights was filed. That case was 04 SA 328. I submitted numerous pleadings and complaints to the Colorado Supreme Court regarding the collusion between the attorneys and judges, the lack of jurisdiction, the violations of law, etc. However, all my pleadings and complaints were struck from the record.
You said: "I/we can help with legislative reforms that create /strengthen the judicial performance commission."
Answer: The judicial performance commission doesn't work and should be abolished. Judges Lass, Ruckriegle, Ossola, and Petre are good examples of why it doesn't work. Instead, all judges and justices, should be term limited to four years or less.
You said: "I don't think impeachment is the proper remedy unless a crime has been committed and if you think a crime has been committed the proper channel would be to report to the police and DA-not the legislature."
Answer: 1. If you bothered to read my account, you would find that several crimes were committed. In all, Judge Lass violated, and allowed others to violate 22 laws. 13 of the 22 are felonies, and 9 of the 22 are State racketeering charges. I am herein adding 18-8-403(1)(a), 18-8-404(a)(b)(c), 18-8-405(a)(b), and 18-8-406 C.R.S. How much crime do you need? Show me where the general public is allowed to violate even one law without being held accountable?
In addition to the violation of laws, Judge Lass violated the Judicial Cannons, Rules of Professional Conduct, the Constitution(s), his oath of office, and more. Article XIII, Section 2 of the Colorado Constitution provides that the governor and other state and judicial officers shall be liable to impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors, (it doesn't even have to be a felony), or malfeasance in office. I have evidenced both, high crimes and malfeasance in office. Article XIII also provides that the House shall impeach and all impeachments shall be tried by the Senate. You are clearly provided with the power and the law, so why do you refuse to use it?
While you and the rest of the Legislators are refusing to use your powers to stop Judge Lass, he is continuing with the trial and issuing orders even though he has no authority to do so. I recently submitted two Motions to Dismiss and Vacate for lack of jurisdiction. Judge Lass denied my Motions, and instead of relying on his own Court record to show jurisdiction(there is none), and the right to continue, Judge Lass used the Opinion issued in 04 SA 328 wherein the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that the doctrine of issue preclusion bars Appellants from collaterally attacking the lack of subject matter and in personam jurisdiction of the Summit County Court.
Because all roads, in the abuse of authority, obstruction of justice, violations of law etc., lead to the Colorado Supreme Court, lets take a look at the jurisdictional findings of that Opinion, shall we?
First of all, even though all my pleadings and complaints were stricken, the Justices still had full access to the entire record in Case No. 99 CV 277. The court record itself evidences that Judge Lass violated the laws, allowed others to violate the laws, abused his authority, and deliberately abused, violated, and denied me my civil rights to due process, contract freely, and right to be heard. The law recognizes that the Judgment in 99CV277 was not only void, but void ab initio. (From the beginning.)
Instead of holding Judge Lass accountable, the Supreme Court Justices denied, circumvented and concealed his criminal conduct, and put the blame on me by saying I had the chance to litigate, and/or did litigate the lack of jurisdiction, and am now barred by the doctrines of claim and issue preclusion from challenging it.
I re-read the transcript of 99 CV 277, and jurisdiction was not even mentioned once. The record shows that I hired four attorneys to represent me, my rights, and that of the Association. One was hired prior to the filing of the lawsuit, two were hired during proceedings to trial, and one was hired after the trial. Not one of the four ever mentioned subject matter or in personam jurisdiction, nor the lack thereof, to me or the court in any of the submitted pleadings before, during or after the trial. None. I stumbled upon jurisdiction requirements through law discussion groups and investigated it on my own. So no, I did not have a full and fair opportunity to litigate the lack of jurisdiction during the lawsuit, or at trial, and the record confirms it. For that matter, due process also mandates that the court confirm that subject matter and in personam jurisdiction exists. Again, the record does not evidence the court confirming its jurisdiction in any way except to deliberately misstate the facts and evidence in order to fraudulently obtain it.
The Colorado Supreme Court then supported their findings with case laws. Case law is supposed to be used to support arguments in like or similar circumstances and determinations. Let's look at the ones they used:
1. Keystone v. Flynn, 769 P.2d 484, 488-89 n.6 (Colo.1989) This is a case regarding whether the District Court obtained subject matter jurisdiction while the parties had not yet exhausted all administrative remedies, nor had the Public Utilities Commission entered a final decision.
2. Insurance Corp. Of Ireland, Ltd. V. Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinea, 456 U.S. 694, 702, 102 S. Ct. 2099, 2104 n.9 (1982). This is a case regarding personal jurisdiction over a foreign party by sanction, under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 37(b)(2)(A).
3. O'Neill v. Simpson. 958 P.2d 1121 (Colo.1998). This is a case regarding a lack of jurisdiction based on defective service of process.
4. City of South Pasadena v. Mineta, 284 F.3d 1154,1157 (9th Cir. 2002). This is a case regarding 11th Amendment immunity.
5. In re Marriage of Mallon, 956 P.2d 642, 645 (Colo. App. 1998). This case is a case regarding lack of jurisdiction due to the husband not residing in Colorado for 90 days prior to the petition for dissolution being filed.
6. People in Interest of E.E.A., 854 P2d 1346 (Colo.App.1992). This is a case regarding a jurisdictional flaw because the minor child being the subject of a paternity suit, was not made a party to the suit.
7. In People ex rel. J.A.U. 47 P.3d 327, 331 (Colo. 2002). This is another case regarding paternity, and lack of jurisdiction based on mistake.
While claim and issue preclusion may have applied to the above cases, none of them state that the reasons for lack of subject matter or in personam jurisdiction was based on the unlawful, fraudulent and malicious actions of the judge. Claim and issue preclusion does not apply when unlawful, fraudulent and malicious actions are committed by the judge. None of the above case law applies to my situation, the record, or the appeal brought in 04 SA 328. Citing one case law wrongfully is a mistake, citing seven wrongfully is deliberate and a cover-up.
The Justices then stated that to overcome the doctrines of claim and issue preclusion, there would have to be a showing of "manifest abuse of authority by the trial court." Again, in spite of striking all my pleadings and complaints which did show manifest abuses of authority, they had the Court Record, and the justices cannot escape the fact that the record itself speaks to manifest abuses of authority by the trial court.
They also reference Restatement (Second) of Judgment §12 cmt.a (1982). In the Restatement, a modern rule was added wherein finality rather than the validity of a case is given greater weight. They also say that finality over validity is in the public's interest.
No, it is not in the public's interest to forego truth over closure in any case. Off the top of my head, this principle of law is unconstitutional and violates the Rules of Professional Conduct. It strikes at the very core of our judicial systems stand for due process, fairness, equality, and to get at the truth in every case. The Supreme Court Justices have a duty to strike this principle everywhere it is used, and remove it from everywhere it is written. The concept of finality over validity only ensures a revolving door employment for attorneys, clogs our courtrooms, and denies justice. Again, the quoted Restatement did not apply to my case, or the appeal brought in 04 SA 328.
In their final argument, the Justices validly cite Restatement (Second) of Judgments §12 (1982). But, because they denied, circumvented and concealed Judge Lass's criminal conduct, they say the remedy doesn't apply. Here is what it says:
Section 12, paragraph 1, states that a judgment may be attacked for lack of subject matter jurisdiction when;
(1) The subject matter of the action was so plainly beyond the court's jurisdiction that its entertaining the action was a manifest abuse of authority; or . . . .
The Plaintiff(s), not an Opinion, establishes the court's subject matter jurisdiction. The record evidences that the Plaintiff's in 99 CV 277 had NO standing to bring suit, they could show NO injury, and there was NO justiciable controversy. In short, Judge David R. Lass lacked subject matter jurisdiction, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SUBJECT MATTER!!!!!! Likewise, there was NO judgment on the merits, BECAUSE THERE WERE NO MERITS!!!!!! By deliberately not addressing or even explaining the abuse of authority, or criminal conduct committed by Judge Lass, the Supreme Court Justices Opinion is biased and can only be construed to be a cover-up. Judge Lass's use of the Opinion as a defense for his continuing actions shows not only cover-up, but collusion between himself and the Colorado Supreme Court Justices. Furthermore, because of the amount of officials involved, the amount of money and property involved, this is more than just a good ole boy type system. It is a criminal enterprise, and all roads lead to the Mullarkey Court. (www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/orgcrime/glossary.htm) The Opinion, and Judge Lass's reliance on it rather than his own court record, is yet another on ramp.
The public will also be deceived by this Opinion as it will undoubtedly set precedence for someone else. They, not being privy to all the facts, and that crimes and abuses were intentionally denied, circumvented and concealed from the Opinion, will not be able to defend against it. How many more Opinions are there like this? Obviously, this case shows that a judge and/or justice can make a case, finding, or judgment have any outcome they want it to be, and the unsuspecting public has no clue. As long as the judge or justice signs it, the unsuspecting public will think that it must have been adjudicated fairly and by the rules and law, right? Again, how much crime do you need? How many more victims will there be who may or may not figure out what happened to them?
If you want to look up this Opinion yourself, the Case No. is 04SA328. A google search will bring it up easily, and while I am only herein focusing on the jurisdictional findings, the entire Opinion can be shown to be geared towards protecting Judge Lass, the attorneys, and other public officials criminal conduct.
The only remedy is impeachment, and I have herein made a partial but effective case against the Colorado Supreme Court Justices. If they are not stopped and held accountable, I as well as all other victims of this current corrupt judiciary, will hold you, and all the legislators, etc., liable for our losses of rights and property. And yes there are other victims. In fact, when I met with you in 2006 regarding this same case, Representative Wes McKinley told me that there had been another couple in to see him regarding Judge David R. Lass just two weeks earlier. Had something been done in 2006, I, as well as others would not have to be unduly enduring the continuing injustices today.
I did everything right. I filed complaints with every agency, entity and officials who are in position and power to stop the corruption, and bring accountability to our judiciary. I didn't fail, you did, and they did. (In 2007, yet another person has contacted me regarding Judge David Lass.)
2. Regarding the second part of your statement, I did take it to Sheriff Minor and D.A. Hurlbert. They both told me they would not investigate or bring charges. In fact, Sheriff Minor even yelled his statement that he would do nothing about the corruption. Here are their phone numbers. Feel free to call and ask them why they won't perform the duties, obligations and responsibilities of their offices of public trust. Sheriff John Minor - 970- 453-2232, D. A. Mark Hurlbert - 970-453-2327.
While your at it, here is the number to Summit County Commissioners Thomas Davidson, Bob French and Tom Long. Their number is 970 - 453-2561. I sent them a copy of the same account I gave you, and mailed it via Certified Mail No. 7007 3020 0002 4929 7947. Anyone can go to USPS.com, put in those numbers and verify that they did receive it. Ask them why I haven't heard from them, and ask them why they refuse to perform the duties, obligations, and responsibilities of their office of public trust.
The number for Chief Judge Terry Ruckriegle is 970-453-2241.
The number for Judges Ossola and Petre is 970- 945-5075
The number for County Attorney's Frank Celico and Jeff Huntley is 970 453-2561
The number for Summit County Planning Dept. is 970-668-4200
The number for Summit County Environmental Health is 970-668-4070
The number for Dept. Of Natural Resources is 303-866-3581
The number for Attorney General Suthers is 303- 866-4500
The number for Governor Bill Ritter is 303-866-2471
The number for Attorney Regulation is 303-866-6400
The number for the Judicial Discipline is 303-894-2110.
The above is a shortened list, but call and ask these public officials why they refuse to perform the duties, obligations and responsibilities of their offices of public trust, and/or participated in the racketeering. Article XIII also provides that those who are not liable to impeachment are liable to removal. Will I hold them liable? You bet. Again, I didn't fail, they did.
You said: "If you think the law itself is not properly written (which maybe lead to the wrong result in your case), we may be able to help."
Answer: It is not the law itself. As I have shown, and which you continue to skirt the real issue, it is the people elected and appointed who do not follow, uphold, and/or apply the laws fairly and for the benefit of all. As I have shown, our laws are being prostituted for money and job security, and not for truth and justice.
I will not respond to the rest of your e-mail because it is just more of the same skirting the real issues. I will however state that if this Governor and Legislature fails to use the power and rights we the people granted in Article XIII, I will in the future run a campaign to remove it from the Governor and Legislature, and put it in the hands of the people. Use it or lose it.
I will be sharing this email with the public. Part of the reason is to show the people what it is really like to seek redress of grievances, the other part is to warn them of corrupt public officials. If I alienate you-the one legislator out of a hundred who has responded to me-so be it. When our judiciary is being allowed to render a Judgment/Opinion that fits any scenario but the truth, we have bigger problems than whether I made you mad. Ours is a government of, by and for the people, (a Republic), not the other way around. Halena Lewis Halen@axint.net
Read my account at www.coloradoopencourt.blogspot.com
Join my group to support judicial accountability at www.progressnowaction.org/page/group/OPENCOURT
If you too are disgusted with how low Cheney and the Bush administration have stooped, take action:
Weekly impeachment protests are listed on front page of Progress Now Action:
http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/event/detail/visibilitysignwaving/4jrx9
Seymour Hersh articles:
To Provoke War, Cheney Considered Proposal To Dress Up Navy Seals As Iranians And Shoot At Them
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/31/cheney-proposal-for-iran-war/
Preparing the Battlefield:
The Bush Administration steps up its secret moves against Iran.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/07/07/080707fa_fact_hersh
Friday's House Judiciary Hearing on Impeachment: A Victory and a Challenge by Dave Lindorff at Commondreams.org
The dramatic hearing on presidential crimes and abuses of power held on Friday by the House Judiciary Committee was both a staged farce, and at the same time, a powerful demonstration of the power of a grassroots movement in defense of the Constitution. It was at once both testimony to the cowardice and self-inflicted impotence of Congress and of the Democratic Party that technically controls that body, and to the enormity of the damage that has been wrought to the nation's democracy by two aspiring tyrants in the White House.
As Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), chairman of the committee, made clear more than once during the six-hour session, this was "not an impeachment hearing, however much many in the audience might wish it to be." He might well have added that he himself was not the fierce defender of the Constitution and of the authority of Congress that he once was before gaining control of the Judiciary Committee, however much his constituents, his wife, and Americans across the country might wish him to be.
At the same time, while the hearing was strictly limited to the most superficial airing of Bush administration crimes and misdemeanors, the fact that the session -- technically an argument in defense of 36 articles of impeachment filed in the House over the past several months by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) -- was nonetheless a major victory for the impeachment movement. It happened because earlier in the month, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who has sworn since taking control of the House in November 2006, that impeachment would be "off the table" during the 110th Congress, called a hasty meeting with Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Rep. Conyers, and Rep. Kucinich, and called for such a limited hearing.
It was no coincidence that shortly before Pelosi's backdown, peace activist and Gold Star mother Cindy Sheehan announced that her campaign had collected well over the 10,000 signatures necessary to qualify for listing on the ballot as an independent candidate for Congress against Pelosi in the Speaker's home district in San Francisco. Sheehan has been an outspoken advocate of impeaching both Bush and Cheney. "Pelosi is trying to throw a bone to her constituents by allowing a hearing on impeachment," said Sheehan, who came to Washington, DC to attend. "It's just like her finally stating publicly that Bush's presidency is a failure -- something it has taken her two years to come to, but which we've been saying for years."
So determined were Pelosi and Conyers to limit the scope and intensity of the hearing that they acceded to a call for Republicans on the Judiciary Committee to adhere to Thomas Jefferson's Rules of the House, which prohibit any derogatory comments about the President, which was interpreted by Chairman Conyers as meaning no one, including witnesses or members of the committee, could suggest that Bush had lied or deceived anyone. Since a number of Rep. Kucinich's proposed articles of impeachment specifically charge the president with lying to Congress and the American People, this made for some comic moments, with witness Bruce Fein, a former assistant attorney general under former President Ronald Reagan, to say he would reference his listing of crimes to the "resident" of the White House.
In the end, the rule imposing a gag on calling the president a criminal fell by the wayside, with witness Vincent Bugliosi, a former Los Angeles deputy district attorney, accusing Bush of being guilty of the murder of over 4000 American soldiers and of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians because he had "lied" the country into an illegal and unnecessary war, and with committee member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-CA) suggesting that the president may have committed treason in invading Iraq, and that he appeared to be preparing to do it again with an unprovoked invasion of Iran.
Conyers also acquiesced in a Republican effort to minimize public monitoring and involvement in the hearing, allowing the minority party to fill most of the available seats in the hearing room with office staffers who showed little interest in the proceedings. Only a few dozen of the hundreds of pro-impeachment activists who had come to the Rayburn Office Building at 7 am in order to get seats in the Judiciary Committee hearing room were allowed in, with the rest having to remain in the hall or go to two remote "overflow" rooms to watch the proceedings on a TV hookup. Conyers also went along with a call by Republican members of the committee to have some of those who did make it into the hearing ejected simply for wearing buttons on their shirts calling for impeachment (the Republican members referred to these as "signs"), though such small personal tokens are routinely allowed in congressional hearing rooms.
It was clear that this was to be a tightly controlled and strictly limited hearing.
It was also clear that it was intended to go nowhere.
At one point, after hearing witnesses like Fein, Bugliosi, former representative and Nixon impeachment committee member Elizabeth Holtzman, former Salt Lake City mayor and impeachment activist Rocky Anderson, former House Clinton impeachment manager Bob Barr, former Watergate Committee counsel and current senior counsel of the Brennan Center for Justice Frederick A.O. Schwartz, and Elliott Adams, president of the board of Veterans for Peace, lay out the administration's crimes and abuses of power -- which included charges of usurping the legislative powers of Congress, violating international treaties, war crimes, lying to Congress, an illegal war, felony violation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the Fourth Amendment, defying Congressional subpoenas, obstruction of justice and more, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), chair of the Constitution subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, appeared convinced that the abuses were real and serious.
But Nadler, who for two years has been a major obstacle on the Judiciary Committee to any efforts to move impeachment to a formal hearing, said, "No president has been removed from office through impeachment." He asked the witnesses, "How would you approach impeachment today so it would be a viable option?"
Former Rep. Holtzman responded, "The real remedy to a president who believes he is above the law is impeachment. There is no running away from that." She said, "An impeachment inquiry, handled fairly, could work. Maybe I'm a cockeyed optimist, but I believe it could work."
The basic point, made by Holtzman, by Fein and by many others, including this writer, is that worrying about the political opposition to impeachment, both in the House, and in the Senate, not to mention among the broader public, is completely wrongheaded. Even when impeachment articles were first filed against Nixon, the public and the bulk of the Congress were against the idea. It was during the hearings that the tide turned, as evidence of malfeasance, criminality and abuse of power became evident through hearing testimony. The same would happen in the case of President Bush and/or Vice President Cheney. Most Americans don't even know that the president made up evidence to justify the war against Iraq out of whole cloth. They don't know what the Geneva Conventions are with regard to torture. They don't know why Congress passed the FISA act, which Bush has been feloniously violating to spy on them (it was passed because Nixon was using the National Security Agency to spy on Americans without judicial warrants!). They don't know the Bush has been refusing to enact laws passed by the Congress. Public hearings by an impeachment panel would make all these high crimes and misdemeanors clear on national TV to all sentient Americans. Moreover, as Holtzman pointed out, the president would not be able to use the claim of "executive privilege" to withhold testimony from aides in an impeachment inquiry, the way he has done when they have been subpoenaed by other House and Senate committees. Impeachment would be about violations of the very executive actions he would be claiming privilege on. As well, an impeachment committee, unlike any other committee of the Congress, is specifically sanctioned and empowered in the Constitution, meaning that even strict "constructionist" Federalists on the bench would have a hard time backing presidential obstruction.
As Holtzman noted, "There is no executive privilege in impeachment, because refusing to testify is itself an impeachable offense."
Committee Republicans, aided by two law professors they had brought in to testify, Stephen Presser of Northwestern University School of Law and Jeremy Rabkin of George Mason University School of Law, tried to argue that impeachment was only meant for crimes in which the official, or the president, was seeking personal gain. This nonsense was knocked down by most of the speakers, who quoted numerous founders who made it clear that what high crimes referred to were actions -even taken with the noblest of intentions -- that undermined the Constitution or abused the powers of the office. As Rep. Nadler said, "Impeachment has nothing to do with intentions or with good faith. Impeachment has to do with abuse of power which weakens the balance of power."
In the end, the hearing petered out, taking no action of any kind -- exactly the result that Pelosi, Hoyer and Conyers cynically intended.
Now it is up to the public and the impeachment movement to call their bluff and take impeachment to the next level. Noting that even Rep. Conyers ended the hearing by saying, "We are not done yet, and we do not intend to go away until we achieve the accountability that Congress is entitled to and that the American people deserve," Rep. Kucinich and five other co-sponsors of his articles of impeachment (Robert Wexler, Tammy Baldwin, Keith Ellison, Maurice Hinchey, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Hank Johnson) are calling on all Americans to contact their representatives (202-224-3121) and urge them to join in co-sponsoring those articles and in calling for a formal impeachment hearing.
They are also calling on everyone to contact their local and national media, nearly all of whom have blacked out news of impeachment. Incredibly, the New York Times, for example, has not even reported on Friday's hearing, even as a news "brief." Those news organizations, like the Washington Post and the Philadelphia Inquirer, that did report on the hearings did so only in short, inside articles. Though the hearing was aired in full on C-Span (and is still available for download), many Americans don't even know it happened.
Time is short, but even at this late date, it would be a simple matter to impeach the president on some issues. As several of Friday's witnesses pointed out, President Bush has essentially dared Congress to act, admitting that he openly violated the FISA law -- a felony, and openly admitting that he has refused to enact laws passed by the Congress, claiming a power-unitary executive authority not even mentioned in the Constitution. He has openly admitted to having known about, and approved, "enhanced interrogation techniques" devised by his subordinates -- techniques like waterboarding which clearly violate the Geneva Conventions and US law. No hearings would be required to establish these high crimes and misdemeanors. They could simply be voted on by an Impeachment Committee and sent to the full House for a vote.
Even if there were no time for a Senate trial, the simple act of impeaching the president for one or more abuses of power would serve notice on future presidents that future such abuses would not be tolerated. Failure to do so, and allowing this administration to leave office unimpeached, would send the opposite message: that Congress is no longer a co-equal branch of government, but is merely a consultative body, at best, and that a president is in effect a dictator.
That Pelosi buckled and permitted a hearing on impeachable crimes by the Bush/Cheney administration is a major victory for the impeachment movement, but it must not be the end of the line. Impeachment activists need to now redouble their efforts to make Congress do its Constitutional duty, and initiate a formal impeachment proceeding.
As former Republican representative Bob Barr, now the Libertarian candidate for president, told Friday's hearing, "We had a nuclear clock during the Cold War. In the '90s we had a debt clock. Now we have a Constitution Clock."
That clock is getting close to midnight, and it is ticking.
Dave Lindorff is a Philadelphia-based investigative journalist and columnist.
----------------------------------------------------
Rep. Kucinich and five other co-sponsors of his articles of impeachment (Robert Wexler, Tammy Baldwin, Keith Ellison, Maurice Hinchey, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Hank Johnson) are calling on all Americans to contact their representatives (202-224-3121) and urge them to join in co-sponsoring those articles and in calling for a formal impeachment hearing.
This phone number is staffed 24 hours, seven days a week and 365 days per year. You can call after normal business hours and leave a message urging your Congressman to join in co-sponsoring those articles and in calling for a formal impeachment hearing.
------------------------------------------------
And if you have time on Saturday around Noon-1:00 pm
Our group holds an Impeachment Protest at East 6th & Speer in Denver every Saturday. We have lots of Impeach Signs so just show up and help. OR JUST DRIVE BY REPEATEDLY and HONK TO IMPEACH.
John H Kennedy, organizer
Impeach Colorado Coalition ImpeachCO.com
( other groups around Colorado do similar events and are listed on our Calendar at ImpeachCO.com )
..
The dramatic hearing on presidential crimes and abuses of power held on Friday by the House Judiciary Committee was both a staged farce, and at the same time, a powerful demonstration of the power of a grassroots movement in defense of the Constitution. It was at once both testimony to the cowardice and self-inflicted impotence of Congress and of the Democratic Party that technically controls that body, and to the enormity of the damage that has been wrought to the nation's democracy by two aspiring tyrants in the White House.
As Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), chairman of the committee, made clear more than once during the six-hour session, this was "not an impeachment hearing, however much many in the audience might wish it to be." He might well have added that he himself was not the fierce defender of the Constitution and of the authority of Congress that he once was before gaining control of the Judiciary Committee, however much his constituents, his wife, and Americans across the country might wish him to be.
At the same time, while the hearing was strictly limited to the most superficial airing of Bush administration crimes and misdemeanors, the fact that the session -- technically an argument in defense of 36 articles of impeachment filed in the House over the past several months by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) -- was nonetheless a major victory for the impeachment movement. It happened because earlier in the month, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who has sworn since taking control of the House in November 2006, that impeachment would be "off the table" during the 110th Congress, called a hasty meeting with Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Rep. Conyers, and Rep. Kucinich, and called for such a limited hearing.
It was no coincidence that shortly before Pelosi's backdown, peace activist and Gold Star mother Cindy Sheehan announced that her campaign had collected well over the 10,000 signatures necessary to qualify for listing on the ballot as an independent candidate for Congress against Pelosi in the Speaker's home district in San Francisco. Sheehan has been an outspoken advocate of impeaching both Bush and Cheney. "Pelosi is trying to throw a bone to her constituents by allowing a hearing on impeachment," said Sheehan, who came to Washington, DC to attend. "It's just like her finally stating publicly that Bush's presidency is a failure -- something it has taken her two years to come to, but which we've been saying for years."
So determined were Pelosi and Conyers to limit the scope and intensity of the hearing that they acceded to a call for Republicans on the Judiciary Committee to adhere to Thomas Jefferson's Rules of the House, which prohibit any derogatory comments about the President, which was interpreted by Chairman Conyers as meaning no one, including witnesses or members of the committee, could suggest that Bush had lied or deceived anyone. Since a number of Rep. Kucinich's proposed articles of impeachment specifically charge the president with lying to Congress and the American People, this made for some comic moments, with witness Bruce Fein, a former assistant attorney general under former President Ronald Reagan, to say he would reference his listing of crimes to the "resident" of the White House.
In the end, the rule imposing a gag on calling the president a criminal fell by the wayside, with witness Vincent Bugliosi, a former Los Angeles deputy district attorney, accusing Bush of being guilty of the murder of over 4000 American soldiers and of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians because he had "lied" the country into an illegal and unnecessary war, and with committee member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-CA) suggesting that the president may have committed treason in invading Iraq, and that he appeared to be preparing to do it again with an unprovoked invasion of Iran.
Conyers also acquiesced in a Republican effort to minimize public monitoring and involvement in the hearing, allowing the minority party to fill most of the available seats in the hearing room with office staffers who showed little interest in the proceedings. Only a few dozen of the hundreds of pro-impeachment activists who had come to the Rayburn Office Building at 7 am in order to get seats in the Judiciary Committee hearing room were allowed in, with the rest having to remain in the hall or go to two remote "overflow" rooms to watch the proceedings on a TV hookup. Conyers also went along with a call by Republican members of the committee to have some of those who did make it into the hearing ejected simply for wearing buttons on their shirts calling for impeachment (the Republican members referred to these as "signs"), though such small personal tokens are routinely allowed in congressional hearing rooms.
It was clear that this was to be a tightly controlled and strictly limited hearing.
It was also clear that it was intended to go nowhere.
At one point, after hearing witnesses like Fein, Bugliosi, former representative and Nixon impeachment committee member Elizabeth Holtzman, former Salt Lake City mayor and impeachment activist Rocky Anderson, former House Clinton impeachment manager Bob Barr, former Watergate Committee counsel and current senior counsel of the Brennan Center for Justice Frederick A.O. Schwartz, and Elliott Adams, president of the board of Veterans for Peace, lay out the administration's crimes and abuses of power -- which included charges of usurping the legislative powers of Congress, violating international treaties, war crimes, lying to Congress, an illegal war, felony violation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the Fourth Amendment, defying Congressional subpoenas, obstruction of justice and more, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), chair of the Constitution subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, appeared convinced that the abuses were real and serious.
But Nadler, who for two years has been a major obstacle on the Judiciary Committee to any efforts to move impeachment to a formal hearing, said, "No president has been removed from office through impeachment." He asked the witnesses, "How would you approach impeachment today so it would be a viable option?"
Former Rep. Holtzman responded, "The real remedy to a president who believes he is above the law is impeachment. There is no running away from that." She said, "An impeachment inquiry, handled fairly, could work. Maybe I'm a cockeyed optimist, but I believe it could work."
The basic point, made by Holtzman, by Fein and by many others, including this writer, is that worrying about the political opposition to impeachment, both in the House, and in the Senate, not to mention among the broader public, is completely wrongheaded. Even when impeachment articles were first filed against Nixon, the public and the bulk of the Congress were against the idea. It was during the hearings that the tide turned, as evidence of malfeasance, criminality and abuse of power became evident through hearing testimony. The same would happen in the case of President Bush and/or Vice President Cheney. Most Americans don't even know that the president made up evidence to justify the war against Iraq out of whole cloth. They don't know what the Geneva Conventions are with regard to torture. They don't know why Congress passed the FISA act, which Bush has been feloniously violating to spy on them (it was passed because Nixon was using the National Security Agency to spy on Americans without judicial warrants!). They don't know the Bush has been refusing to enact laws passed by the Congress. Public hearings by an impeachment panel would make all these high crimes and misdemeanors clear on national TV to all sentient Americans. Moreover, as Holtzman pointed out, the president would not be able to use the claim of "executive privilege" to withhold testimony from aides in an impeachment inquiry, the way he has done when they have been subpoenaed by other House and Senate committees. Impeachment would be about violations of the very executive actions he would be claiming privilege on. As well, an impeachment committee, unlike any other committee of the Congress, is specifically sanctioned and empowered in the Constitution, meaning that even strict "constructionist" Federalists on the bench would have a hard time backing presidential obstruction.
As Holtzman noted, "There is no executive privilege in impeachment, because refusing to testify is itself an impeachable offense."
Committee Republicans, aided by two law professors they had brought in to testify, Stephen Presser of Northwestern University School of Law and Jeremy Rabkin of George Mason University School of Law, tried to argue that impeachment was only meant for crimes in which the official, or the president, was seeking personal gain. This nonsense was knocked down by most of the speakers, who quoted numerous founders who made it clear that what high crimes referred to were actions -even taken with the noblest of intentions -- that undermined the Constitution or abused the powers of the office. As Rep. Nadler said, "Impeachment has nothing to do with intentions or with good faith. Impeachment has to do with abuse of power which weakens the balance of power."
In the end, the hearing petered out, taking no action of any kind -- exactly the result that Pelosi, Hoyer and Conyers cynically intended.
Now it is up to the public and the impeachment movement to call their bluff and take impeachment to the next level. Noting that even Rep. Conyers ended the hearing by saying, "We are not done yet, and we do not intend to go away until we achieve the accountability that Congress is entitled to and that the American people deserve," Rep. Kucinich and five other co-sponsors of his articles of impeachment (Robert Wexler, Tammy Baldwin, Keith Ellison, Maurice Hinchey, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Hank Johnson) are calling on all Americans to contact their representatives (202-224-3121) and urge them to join in co-sponsoring those articles and in calling for a formal impeachment hearing.
They are also calling on everyone to contact their local and national media, nearly all of whom have blacked out news of impeachment. Incredibly, the New York Times, for example, has not even reported on Friday's hearing, even as a news "brief." Those news organizations, like the Washington Post and the Philadelphia Inquirer, that did report on the hearings did so only in short, inside articles. Though the hearing was aired in full on C-Span (and is still available for download), many Americans don't even know it happened.
Time is short, but even at this late date, it would be a simple matter to impeach the president on some issues. As several of Friday's witnesses pointed out, President Bush has essentially dared Congress to act, admitting that he openly violated the FISA law -- a felony, and openly admitting that he has refused to enact laws passed by the Congress, claiming a power-unitary executive authority not even mentioned in the Constitution. He has openly admitted to having known about, and approved, "enhanced interrogation techniques" devised by his subordinates -- techniques like waterboarding which clearly violate the Geneva Conventions and US law. No hearings would be required to establish these high crimes and misdemeanors. They could simply be voted on by an Impeachment Committee and sent to the full House for a vote.
Even if there were no time for a Senate trial, the simple act of impeaching the president for one or more abuses of power would serve notice on future presidents that future such abuses would not be tolerated. Failure to do so, and allowing this administration to leave office unimpeached, would send the opposite message: that Congress is no longer a co-equal branch of government, but is merely a consultative body, at best, and that a president is in effect a dictator.
That Pelosi buckled and permitted a hearing on impeachable crimes by the Bush/Cheney administration is a major victory for the impeachment movement, but it must not be the end of the line. Impeachment activists need to now redouble their efforts to make Congress do its Constitutional duty, and initiate a formal impeachment proceeding.
As former Republican representative Bob Barr, now the Libertarian candidate for president, told Friday's hearing, "We had a nuclear clock during the Cold War. In the '90s we had a debt clock. Now we have a Constitution Clock."
That clock is getting close to midnight, and it is ticking.
Dave Lindorff is a Philadelphia-based investigative journalist and columnist.
----------------------------------------------------
Rep. Kucinich and five other co-sponsors of his articles of impeachment (Robert Wexler, Tammy Baldwin, Keith Ellison, Maurice Hinchey, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Hank Johnson) are calling on all Americans to contact their representatives (202-224-3121) and urge them to join in co-sponsoring those articles and in calling for a formal impeachment hearing.
This phone number is staffed 24 hours, seven days a week and 365 days per year. You can call after normal business hours and leave a message urging your Congressman to join in co-sponsoring those articles and in calling for a formal impeachment hearing.
------------------------------------------------
And if you have time on Saturday around Noon-1:00 pm
Our group holds an Impeachment Protest at East 6th & Speer in Denver every Saturday. We have lots of Impeach Signs so just show up and help. OR JUST DRIVE BY REPEATEDLY and HONK TO IMPEACH.
John H Kennedy, organizer
Impeach Colorado Coalition ImpeachCO.com
( other groups around Colorado do similar events and are listed on our Calendar at ImpeachCO.com )
..
According to a RawStory.com article just published the Judiciary Committee approves resolution holding Rove in contempt of Congress. "The House Judiciary Committee has voted 20-14 to approve a contempt of Congress resolution against former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove for his failure to appear after a Congressional subpoena.
Voting along party lines Wednesday morning, the committee said Rove broke the law by failing to appear at a July 10 hearing on allegations of White House influence over the Justice Department, including whether Rove encouraged prosecutions against Democrats.
The committee decision is a recommendation. It remains unclear whether Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will allow a final vote."
Are our House Democrats growing a spine? We can hope.
A six hour preliminary Impeachment Hearing last Friday and Now This.
IMPEACHMENT IS COMING!
John H Kennedy, Denver CO, 43 yr Democratic voter, Obama delegate to the Denver County Convention and organizer of the
Impeach Colorado Coalition ImpeachCO.com
Voting along party lines Wednesday morning, the committee said Rove broke the law by failing to appear at a July 10 hearing on allegations of White House influence over the Justice Department, including whether Rove encouraged prosecutions against Democrats.
The committee decision is a recommendation. It remains unclear whether Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will allow a final vote."
Are our House Democrats growing a spine? We can hope.
A six hour preliminary Impeachment Hearing last Friday and Now This.
IMPEACHMENT IS COMING!
John H Kennedy, Denver CO, 43 yr Democratic voter, Obama delegate to the Denver County Convention and organizer of the
Impeach Colorado Coalition ImpeachCO.com
Ann Coulter, thank you.
Michael Savage, thank you.
Rush Limbaugh, thank you...
Police: Accused shooter hated liberals, expected to be killed
Of course he was deranged. But you can't deny the garbage coming in helped the garbage going out...
How does it feel in real life, folks?
Michael Savage, thank you.
Rush Limbaugh, thank you...
Police: Accused shooter hated liberals, expected to be killed
The shotgun-wielding suspect in Sunday's mass shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church was motivated by a hatred of "the liberal movement," and he planned to shoot until police shot him, Knoxville Police Chief Sterling P. Owen IV said this morning.
Jim D. Adkisson, 58, of Powell wrote a four-page letter in which he stated his "hatred of the liberal movement," Owen said. "Liberals in general, as well as gays."
Adkisson said he also was frustrated about not being able to obtain a job, Owen said.
The letter, recovered from Adkisson's black 2004 Ford Escape, which was parked in the church's parking lot at 2931 Kingston Pike, indicates he had been planning the shooting for about a week.
"He fully expected to be killed by the responding police," the police chief said.
Owen said Adkisson specifically targeted the church for its beliefs, rather than a particular member of the congregation.
"It appears that church had received some publicity regarding its liberal stance," the chief said. The church has a "gays welcome" sign and regularly runs announcements in the News Sentinel about meetings of the Parents, Friends and Family of Lesbians and Gays meetings at the church...
The church's Web site states that it has worked for "desegregation, racial harmony, fair wages, women's rights and gay rights" since the 1950s. Current ministries involve emergency aid for the needy, school tutoring and support for the homeless, as well as a cafe that provides a gathering place for gay and lesbian high-schoolers.
Of course he was deranged. But you can't deny the garbage coming in helped the garbage going out...
Michael Savage: "To fight only the al-Qaeda scum is to miss the terrorist network operating within our own borders... Who are these traitors? Every rotten radical left-winger in this country, that's who."
Rush Limbaugh: have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?
Linda Vester: You say you'd rather not talk to liberals at all?
Ann Coulter: I think a baseball bat is the most effective way these days.
How does it feel in real life, folks?
Per article in Rawstory.com
Hundreds gather for 'imperial presidency' hearing
"The decision before us is whether Congress will endorse with its silence the methods used to take us into the Iraq war," Kucinich will say, according to his prepared testimony. "The decision before us is whether to demand accountability for one of the gravest injustices imaginable."
Friday's hearing came in response to Kucinich's multiple introductions of resolutions calling for Bush's impeachment, but Judiciary Chairman John Conyers has maintained that his committee has no intention of actually voting on the resolutions. Indeed, even Kucinich's statement suggested he was barred from even uttering the word.
in fact, Kucinich is actually barred from using the word "Impeachment". And he is barred from actually saying the "Bush Lied". We all know Bush did.
Why are the House Democrats making it so hard to get at the truth behind the reasons that
4,100 US Soldiers went to their deaths for the
BUSH/Cheney WMD Lies?
John Kennedy
Impeach Colorado Coalition
..
Hundreds gather for 'imperial presidency' hearing
"The decision before us is whether Congress will endorse with its silence the methods used to take us into the Iraq war," Kucinich will say, according to his prepared testimony. "The decision before us is whether to demand accountability for one of the gravest injustices imaginable."
Friday's hearing came in response to Kucinich's multiple introductions of resolutions calling for Bush's impeachment, but Judiciary Chairman John Conyers has maintained that his committee has no intention of actually voting on the resolutions. Indeed, even Kucinich's statement suggested he was barred from even uttering the word.
in fact, Kucinich is actually barred from using the word "Impeachment". And he is barred from actually saying the "Bush Lied". We all know Bush did.
Why are the House Democrats making it so hard to get at the truth behind the reasons that
4,100 US Soldiers went to their deaths for the
BUSH/Cheney WMD Lies?
John Kennedy
Impeach Colorado Coalition
..
"The Democrats are trying very hard to show ... that they're not going to re-open these issues and that the Bush crimes will remain buried for all time," Turley told MSNBC's Keith Olbermann on Tuesday. "It would start a new administration on the same level that George Bush left it. And that's a very sad thing."
"Turley was particularly concerned about a recent statement by law professor Cass Sunstein, an Obama adviser, that only "egregious" crimes by Bush officials should be prosecuted by an Obama administration."
"There are very few obligations that a president has to do under the Constitution, but one of them is not to violate the laws that he is supposed to enforce," explained Turley.
Turley further pointed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's refusal to initiate impeachment proceedings against the president, saying, "I don't understand why some Democrats can't just simply accept a very straightforward proposition, that we'll prosecute any crimes committed by this administration, an Obama administration, a McCain administration. Because they're crimes. They're all egregious."
From an article by
RawStory.com
John H Kennedy, 43 yr Democratic voter, Obama delegate to the Denver County Convention and organizer of the
Impeach Colorado Coalition ImpeachCO.com
Join our Impeachment Protests, see the Calendar on the website
..
..
"Turley was particularly concerned about a recent statement by law professor Cass Sunstein, an Obama adviser, that only "egregious" crimes by Bush officials should be prosecuted by an Obama administration."
"There are very few obligations that a president has to do under the Constitution, but one of them is not to violate the laws that he is supposed to enforce," explained Turley.
Turley further pointed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's refusal to initiate impeachment proceedings against the president, saying, "I don't understand why some Democrats can't just simply accept a very straightforward proposition, that we'll prosecute any crimes committed by this administration, an Obama administration, a McCain administration. Because they're crimes. They're all egregious."
From an article by
RawStory.com
John H Kennedy, 43 yr Democratic voter, Obama delegate to the Denver County Convention and organizer of the
Impeach Colorado Coalition ImpeachCO.com
Join our Impeachment Protests, see the Calendar on the website
..
..
Kucinich, Barr, Bugliosi, Holtzman,"Rocky" Anderson, and Elliott Adams, President of the Board, Veterans for Peace are among those testifying.
The House Judiciary Committee has released a witness list for its hearing to examine "the imperial presidency" of George W. Bush.
Testifying Friday morning will be Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who has introduced several resolutions calling for President Bush's and Vice President Dick Cheney's impeachment; former Rep. Bob Barr, the Libertarian presidential candidate who led the charge to impeach Bill Clinton in 1998; Vincent Bugliosi, author of the just-released book The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder; and 10 other current and former members of Congress, constitutional experts and human rights activists.
The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday on Capitol Hill and will be carries on CSPAN.
Late Thursday afternoon, the committee released the full witness list, broken down into two panels.
Panel One
The Honorable Dennis Kucinich, Representative from Ohio
The Honorable Maurice Hinchey, Representative from New York
The Honorable Walter Jones, Representative from North Carolina
The Honorable Brad Miller, Representative from North Carolina
Panel Two
The Honorable Elizabeth Holtzman, Former Rep. from New York
The Honorable Bob Barr, Former Rep GA Nominee for President
The Honorable Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson,
Stephen Presser, Raoul Berger,Northwestern Univ.School of Law
Bruce Fein Asst.Dep Atty General 81-82 Chair
Vincent Bugliosi, former Los Angeles County Prosecutor
Jeremy A. Rabkin, Professor of Law, George Mason Univ
Elliott Adams, President of the Board, Veterans for Peace
Frederick A O Schwarz Jr Senior Counsel, NYU
The House Judiciary Committee has released a witness list for its hearing to examine "the imperial presidency" of George W. Bush.
Testifying Friday morning will be Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who has introduced several resolutions calling for President Bush's and Vice President Dick Cheney's impeachment; former Rep. Bob Barr, the Libertarian presidential candidate who led the charge to impeach Bill Clinton in 1998; Vincent Bugliosi, author of the just-released book The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder; and 10 other current and former members of Congress, constitutional experts and human rights activists.
The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday on Capitol Hill and will be carries on CSPAN.
Late Thursday afternoon, the committee released the full witness list, broken down into two panels.
Panel One
The Honorable Dennis Kucinich, Representative from Ohio
The Honorable Maurice Hinchey, Representative from New York
The Honorable Walter Jones, Representative from North Carolina
The Honorable Brad Miller, Representative from North Carolina
Panel Two
The Honorable Elizabeth Holtzman, Former Rep. from New York
The Honorable Bob Barr, Former Rep GA Nominee for President
The Honorable Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson,
Stephen Presser, Raoul Berger,Northwestern Univ.School of Law
Bruce Fein Asst.Dep Atty General 81-82 Chair
Vincent Bugliosi, former Los Angeles County Prosecutor
Jeremy A. Rabkin, Professor of Law, George Mason Univ
Elliott Adams, President of the Board, Veterans for Peace
Frederick A O Schwarz Jr Senior Counsel, NYU