Twenty impeachment advocates met with Congressman John Olver in Amherst on July 5. We represented 14 of the 20 towns in his district that had voted for impeachment by huge margins, 66 to 99 percent in favor. Here is what I said: “It's only 18 more months. Let Bush and Cheney continue in their incompetent ways. The public will become disgusted and the Democrats will win big in 2008. Maybe. But what if there is no election in 2008? What if Bush decides to bomb Iran. Will the Iranians welcome us with candy and flowers as this incompetent administration predicted about the Iraqis five years ago? Or would Iran and others retaliate by bombing the United States?”
“My family left Germany, the country of my birth, in 1935. My dad was a radiologist with a busy practice. He was politically smart. When Hitler came to power in 1933 my dad understood we might have to leave Germany to save our lives. He decided to flee if Jews lost the right to vote. We left one month after that happened in 1935. Many Jews felt that Hitler was deranged and would soon be forced from office. Those optimists were murdered in concentration camps. I believe that the United States faces an equal danger now. George Bush and Dick Cheney are not Hitler, but their acts may unleash a reaction of equal deadliness.”
“Congressman Olver, I ask you to be as smart as my dad was, to understand the danger of this administration and work to eliminate it. I urge you to speak, work and vote for impeachment.”
Four other speakers gave specific reasons to impeach: to protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic, to rein in the imperial executive and to prevent dangerous precedents, to re-establish openness in government, and to heal this nation, our veterans and the world. During our discussion Congressman Olver expressed his concern that the Bush administration might bomb Iran, that it might declare martial law in the aftermath of that bombing and there would be no elections in 2008.
Congressman Olver and his Democratic colleagues frequently justify their inaction by saying that they don't have the votes to impeach, hearings will take energy from needed legislative work, the impeachment process will prevent them from stopping the war, impeachment will unite the Republicans behind Bush and divide the nation and if they let Bush hang himself, the Democrats will win in 2008. We rebutted each of these.
Congressman Olver said he was definitely against beginning impeachment proceedings at this time. Cory Bazinet, a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq responded, “In view of your comments I will not read my prepared statement. I have only one question for you- what will it take for you to change your mind and to cosponsor H.RES. 333?” (H.RES. 333 calls for the impeachment of Vice President Cheney.) Olver was taken aback. After a few seconds he answered that he would be for impeachment if he were convinced that it would be useful.
Congressman Olver agreed that Bush and Cheney lied us into war, condoned torture and approved illegal electronic surveillance. Each of these is an impeachable offence. On May 19, 2007 the 2500 delegates to the Massachusetts Democratic Convention called on the Massachusetts' delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives to investigate these charges, and if the investigation's findings support the charges, to vote to impeach George W. Bush. But. even though Congressman Olver took an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic, he doesn't think the time is right. We did not ask Congressman Olver to remove Bush and Cheney from office. Only the Senate can do that. However, the Constitution must be defended now, not at some politically convenient time in the future. H.RES. 333 has 13 cosponsors. Each additional cosponsor puts members of Congress on notice that they must take a stand on impeachment. The impeachment process would force the administration to testify under oath without any possibility of claiming executive privilege.
The impeachment process is similar to an indictment in a criminal case. In that instance a prosecutor presents charges to a grand jury. The grand jury decides whether there are adequate grounds to indict. It is not up to the grand jury to decide that a conviction is certain. Likewise, it is not up to Congressman Olver to decide that the Senate will convict. Since he believes that this administration has committed impeachable offenses, his oath of office requires him to support an impeachment investigation.
The Constitution has been greatly damaged by Bush and Cheney's arbitrary grab of power. We are in imminent danger from retaliation for their projected bombing of Iran. The entire population is paying for their misguided adventure in Iraq. We are threatened by their warrantless eavesdropping and are demeaned by their use of torture.
Impeachment proceedings must begin now to save this nation and the Constitution from these destructive individuals. It is time for each of us to challenge Congressman Olver to live up to his oath of office.