Shereads moves to Vermont

[ABSTRUSE]

Vermont towns seek to impeach Bush

BOSTON (Reuters) - More than 30 Vermont towns passed resolutions on Tuesday seeking to impeach President Bush, while at least 16 towns in the tiny New England state called on Washington to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.

Known for picturesque autumn foliage, colonial inns, maple sugar and old-fashion dairy farms, Vermont is in the vanguard of a grass-roots protest movement to impeach Bush over his handling of the unpopular Iraq war.

"We're putting impeachment on the table," said James Leas, a Vermont lawyer who helped to draft the resolutions and is tracking the votes. "The people in all these towns are voting to get this process started and bring the troops home now."

The resolutions passed on Vermont's annual town meeting day -- a colonial era tradition where citizens debate issues of the day big and small -- are symbolic and cannot force Congress to impeach Bush, but they "may help instigate further discussions in the legislature," said state Rep. David Zuckerman.

"The president must be held accountable," said Zuckerman, a politician from Burlington, Vermont's largest city.

After casting votes on budgets and other routine items, citizens of 32 towns in Vermont backed a measure calling on the U.S. Congress to file articles of impeachment against Bush for misleading the nation on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and for engaging in illegal wiretapping, among other charges.

Five Vermont towns passed similar resolutions last year.

The idea of impeaching Bush resides firmly outside the political mainstream.

The new Democratic-controlled Congress has steered clear of the subject, and Wisconsin Sen. Russell Feingold's call last year to censure Bush -- a step short of an impeachment -- found scant support on Capitol Hill, even among fellow Democrats.

Vermont's congressional delegation has shown no serious interest in the idea.

'SOLDIERS HOME NOW'

Sixteen Vermont towns passed a separate "soldiers home now" resolution calling on the White House, the U.S. Congress and Vermont's elected officials to withdraw troops from Iraq.

"The best way to support them is to bring each and every one of them home now and take good care of them when they get home," the resolution said.

It was unclear how many towns had put the resolutions to a vote, and the results of all the town meetings in the state of about 609,000 people may not be known for days.

Residents of Burlington were voting on a separate question calling for a new investigation into the September 11 attacks.

Voters were asked to circle "yes" or "no" to the question: "Shall Vermont's Congressional Delegation be advised to demand a new, thorough, and truly independent forensic investigation that fully addresses the many questions surrounding the tragic events of September 11, 2001?"

Doug Dunbebin, who gathered signatures to get the issue on the ballot, said questions linger about September 11, when hijacked plane attacks killed nearly 3,000 people at New York's World Trade Center, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.

A group known as Scholars for 9/11 Truth believes the events of that day were part of a conspiracy engineered by the U.S. government and that it took more than two planes to bring down the Twin Towers in New York.

Vermont's new U.S. representative, Peter Welch (news, bio, voting record), a Democrat, said there was no need for a further investigation.

(Additional reporting by Julie Masis)

 

[shereads]

Vermont towns seek to impeach Bush

BOSTON (Reuters) - More than 30 Vermont towns passed resolutions on Tuesday seeking to impeach President Bush, while at least 16 towns in the tiny New England state called on Washington to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.

Known for picturesque autumn foliage, colonial inns, maple sugar and old-fashion dairy farms, Vermont is in the vanguard of a grass-roots protest movement to impeach Bush over his handling of the unpopular Iraq war.

"We're putting impeachment on the table," said James Leas, a Vermont lawyer who helped to draft the resolutions and is tracking the votes. "The people in all these towns are voting to get this process started and bring the troops home now."

The resolutions passed on Vermont's annual town meeting day -- a colonial era tradition where citizens debate issues of the day big and small -- are symbolic and cannot force Congress to impeach Bush, but they "may help instigate further discussions in the legislature," said state Rep. David Zuckerman.

"The president must be held accountable," said Zuckerman, a politician from Burlington, Vermont's largest city.

After casting votes on budgets and other routine items, citizens of 32 towns in Vermont backed a measure calling on the U.S. Congress to file articles of impeachment against Bush for misleading the nation on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and for engaging in illegal wiretapping, among other charges.

Five Vermont towns passed similar resolutions last year.

The idea of impeaching Bush resides firmly outside the political mainstream.

The new Democratic-controlled Congress has steered clear of the subject, and Wisconsin Sen. Russell Feingold's call last year to censure Bush -- a step short of an impeachment -- found scant support on Capitol Hill, even among fellow Democrats.

Vermont's congressional delegation has shown no serious interest in the idea.

'SOLDIERS HOME NOW'

Sixteen Vermont towns passed a separate "soldiers home now" resolution calling on the White House, the U.S. Congress and Vermont's elected officials to withdraw troops from Iraq.

"The best way to support them is to bring each and every one of them home now and take good care of them when they get home," the resolution said.

It was unclear how many towns had put the resolutions to a vote, and the results of all the town meetings in the state of about 609,000 people may not be known for days.

Residents of Burlington were voting on a separate question calling for a new investigation into the September 11 attacks.

Voters were asked to circle "yes" or "no" to the question: "Shall Vermont's Congressional Delegation be advised to demand a new, thorough, and truly independent forensic investigation that fully addresses the many questions surrounding the tragic events of September 11, 2001?"

Doug Dunbebin, who gathered signatures to get the issue on the ballot, said questions linger about September 11, when hijacked plane attacks killed nearly 3,000 people at New York's World Trade Center, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.

A group known as Scholars for 9/11 Truth believes the events of that day were part of a conspiracy engineered by the U.S. government and that it took more than two planes to bring down the Twin Towers in New York.

Vermont's new U.S. representative, Peter Welch (news, bio, voting record), a Democrat, said there was no need for a further investigation.

(Additional reporting by Julie Masis)

I'm considering a move to New England, but not for the reason you suggest, Abs. Need I remind you that since the day after the congressional election, I've been advocating tolerance for the president and vice president, in the spirit of bipartisanship, so that America can begin to heal?'























BWAAA-hahaha. Sorry. I slay me sometimes.

I got yer bipartisan healing right here. Monkey Boy must pay!

 

[ABSTRUSE]

I'm considering a move to New England, but not for the reason you suggest, Abs. Need I remind you that since the day after the congressional election, I've been advocating tolerance for the president and vice president, in the spirit of bipartisanship, so that America can begin to heal?'























BWAAA-hahaha. Sorry. I slay me sometimes.

I loved you in Sybil.

 

[fpjmask]

Hehe. I used to live in Putney, north of Brattleboro. Lots of radicals there. A "college town without the college" is how USA Today once described Brattleboro.

 

[shereads]

Hehe. I used to live in Putney, north of Brattleboro. Lots of radicals there. A "college town without the college" is how USA Today once described Brattleboro.

I like the sound of that. We have some big colleges here in South Florida, but we try not to act like it.

Friends who spend time in Vermont tell me the local politics is driven by whatever is not in fashion elsewhere. "The politics of contrariness," one of them calls it. Which might not be the fastest way to get things done, but has managed to fend off billboards and Walmart. What more could anyone ask for?

 

[Wildcard Ky]

I'm getting tired of hearing all of the impeachment threats. Shit or get off the pot.

say start the impeachment proceedings.

They make all of these vaguely written allegations. Present the PROOF, bring up the charges, and let the legal dice fall where they may.

1. They have manipulated intelligence and misled the country to justify an immoral, unjust, and unnecessary preemptive war in Iraq.

Article 1 of impeachment. PROVE it.

2. They have directed the government to engage in domestic spying without warrants, in direct contravention of U.S. law.

Article 2. PROVE IT

3. They have conspired to commit the torture of prisoners, in violation of the Federal Torture Act and the Geneva Convention.

Article 3. PROVE IT

4. They have ordered the indefinite detention without legal counsel, without charges and without the opportunity to appear before a civil judicial officer to challenge the detention -- all in violation of U.S. law and the Bill of Rights.

Article 4. PROVE IT.

Do it in a completely legal way with all of the rules of evidence and the burden of proof laid on the prosecution. If they have a legitimate case with legitimate proof, STFU with the empty threats and bring forth the impeachment and the evidence.

Let the proceedings begin.

 

[Guest]

Shit or get off the pot???




(Sorry- haven't heard that one in awhile.)

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Do it in a completely legal way with all of the rules of evidence and the burden of proof laid on the prosecution. If they have a legitimate case with legitimate proof, STFU with the empty threats and bring forth the impeachment and the evidence.

Let the proceedings begin.

Or you could just ship them off to Gitmo and not be bothered with troubling little issues like the law and due process.

 

[shereads]

Or you could just ship them off to Gitmo and not be bothered with troubling little issues like the law and due process.

Cheerful is right, Wildcard. As the president likes to point out, everything has changed since 9/11. Proving the obvious is a waste of time. Common sense should tell you that Dubya and Dick dicked around with the constitution, just as surely as two out of three airline passengers named Ahmed, Jaamal or Mohammed are brainwashed Jihadists and the third one has just signed on with the Miami Heat.

Routine observation tells us that Bush and Cheney have gotten away with plenty. If you require proof-positive to sentence them to a traditional punishment, how about requiring that they both partake of some character-building military duty? We'd be doing them a favor. What better way to support the troops than by being troops? These guys are so gung-ho, they'll never forgive themselves if they miss their second chance to fight in a war.

So I propose:

Bush should be sentenced to fulfill his full term with the National Guard - only this time in foreign combat, which is only fair since a majority of those who voted for him in 2004 believed he served in Vietnam (according to one of those jaw-dropping AP polls that make one wonder how homo sapiens manages to walk without the aid of knuckles.)

As for Cheney, whose smirk alone should tell you he's the spawn of Satan, being plunged into hell on Judgement Day will be like condemning Bre'r Rabbit to the Briar Patch. If he's to pay, it will have to be in this lifetime. Unlike others who'd like to do to Cheney some of the things he's condoned doing to other suspected slimeballs, I'm against torture for any reason. Instead, I think Cheney should be assigned to patrol duty in Iraq with his crony Paul Wolfowitz; the commander of their unit can be Donald Rumsfeld. They will act on intelligence provided by Ahmad Chalabi. Halliburton Industries will be in charge of delivering meals and supplies (or not, as the case may be.)

Fair enough?

BTW, these are open-ended tours of duty with no definitive end date, and any scheduled holiday leaves of absence can be revoked at the last minute. Otherwise, we might have to replace Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld with draftees! None of us wants to do that when we can continue to pretend the Iraq war is being fought by an all-volunteer army.

 

[cantdog]

The idea of impeaching Bush resides firmly outside the political mainstream.

Not really. Outside the pundit mainstream? Oh, yes. But there's broad support for it among the citizenry.

 

[shereads]

Not really. Outside the pundit mainstream? Oh, yes. But there's broad support for it among the citizenry.

And I have the cheerleader outfit and pom-poms to prove it. Rah!




Who's up for a human pyramid? (A voluntary one, with clothing; not a prison one.)

 

[mckai777]

Who's up for a human pyramid? (A voluntary one, with clothing; not a prison one.)

You can't fool me, Lynndie England!

 

[Wildcard Ky]

I'm being serious when I say start the impeachment proceedings.

We've heard for a few years now that there's a mountain of evidence, the proof is there, everyone thinks it, etc.

Fine, then initiate the proceedings, present the evidence and have at it.

All of this posturing and grandstanding about it is getting on my nerves. Put up or shut up.

If he/they are proven guilty, throw em out. I have no problem with that.

 

[shereads]

I'm being serious when I say start the impeachment proceedings.

We've heard for a few years now that there's a mountain of evidence, the proof is there, everyone thinks it, etc.

Fine, then initiate the proceedings, present the evidence and have at it.

All of this posturing and grandstanding about it is getting on my nerves. Put up or shut up.

If he/they are proven guilty, throw em out. I have no problem with that.

Are you suggesting that we, here in the Authors Hangout, can begin impeachment proceedings? Well, okay, then, but I don't think it's legal. You'll have to handle the kidnapping part as a gesture of good will.