Impeachment: A Continuing Wild Ride

author : Gail Johnson topic : impeachment

by Gail Johnson

When our group began meeting in July 2006, we had no idea we were embarking on Mr. Toad's wild ride. We began simply enough with a strategy to inform others about impeachment. We began by showing the Center for Constitutional Rights' documentary, How to Impeach a President, at the local libraries and at Traditions Fair Trade.

Over 800 people came to our February 20 town hall meeting, "Constitution in Crisis: The Case for Impeachment," to hear Elizabeth de la Vega, David Lindorff and Ray McGovern. None of the Congressional delegation attended, and only Representatives Brian Baird and Adam Smith sent staff to attend. (The edited version is supposed to be shown on tctv in May).

Impeachment efforts in the Legislature took off on Valentine's Day this year. Freshman Senator Eric Oemig (D -- Kirkland), along with eight co-sponsors (including Olympia's Karen Fraser), introduced the Senate Joint Memorial 8016, which petitioned Congress to begin impeachment investigations of the President and Vice President.

Working with the impeachment group from the Eastside Fellowship of Reconciliation in Bellevue (which morphed into Washington for Impeachment), we began a lobbying effort. This included giving legislators a copy of How to Impeach a President. We went office to office, speaking primarily with staff. Many were supportive and planned to attend the town hall meeting.

Over 500 people attended a rally before the hearing on March 1. The overflow crowd filled three rooms to hear eloquent and heartfelt testimony against the Iraq escalation and for impeachment. Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and former Army Col. Ann Wright were among the speakers who supported impeachment.

Unlike the misinformation stated in an Olympian editorial opposing impeachment, if the legislature passed this memorial, it would go to the floor of the US House of Representatives and be treated as if a US Representative had initiated it. That is the US House Rule.

The greatest surprise was when Sen. Patty Murray (D) and Rep. Jay Inslee (D) came to Olympia to stop impeachment. When two state representatives proposed a companion bill to sjm 8016, Murray said that she did not want them to do that. It would make her life harder and harder for the Democrats' agenda. Frank Chopp, chair of the Democratic Caucus, agreed and that was the end of the House companion bill. The Democratic leadership in the Senate, led by Sen. Lisa Brown, fell into line too. Murray and Inslee have since denied that they came to the state legislature to lobby against impeachment. They were there, they said, to meet with their representatives, just like any citizen. Right.

As it turned out, the hearing was held one day after the cutoff date. Only bills considered before the cutoff would come to the floor for a vote. Our efforts shifted to trying to get the bill revived for a vote. Again, there were massive emailing and phone calls to the legislators. Staff told us that they received more emails about impeachment than any other issue this session. It was an uphill battle. It required a two-thirds vote to suspend the cutoff bill, and no one was willing to even try.

The effort to pass an impeachment resolution in this legislative session ended on April 19. Over 100 people rallied on the Capitol steps before taking seats in the gallery to watch a symbolic debate.

While it was not really a debate, it was unusual for Senators to speak on the floor about anything other than bills under consideration. Senator Oemig spoke first, saying that the legislature should not be afraid to face the truth -- the truth about the deception that took us into Iraq, about the violation of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution to every person, and about the use of torture. All of these actions, he said, undermine the Constitution and our rights. It must be challenged.

Republican Sen. Dan Swecker spoke next. He did not defend the President or the President's actions. He also did not dispute the truth that Oemig outlined. Instead he said that foreign policy is a national issue, and it was an inappropriate topic for the legislature to debate. "It's not what we are elected to do," he said.

Democratic Senator Adam Kline stood up next and spoke from his own experience as an antiwar activist 40 years ago. We have forgotten the lessons learned from Vietnam, he stated. He objected to the deception used by this administration to take us into Iraq. He ended, saying, "There will always be evil in the world. Our fault is for tolerating it."

When Senator Eide called for a recess, thus stopping further statements, the crowd expressed its disapproval. Some chanted, "Impeach! Impeach!" while others yelled "Do your job!" State troopers and legislative guards moved quickly to silence people, but everyone was already leaving as they continued to voice their displeasure.

While we did not get the actions we wanted, we were very successful in getting impeachment on the public's table. We got a bill submitted and a hearing, which is huge for a fledgling group. April 19 was closure for sjm 8016, but we used it to send a message: We are not going away! We will see the legislators in their districts. If it is necessary to come back next session, we will be bigger, stronger, and smarter about the legislative process. We will not be stopped. No one, not even a President, gets to take away our rights and violate laws without being held accountable.

What is next? We will return to the cities to ask them to make a decision about impeachment. We will continue to send our message to our Congressional delegation, most of whom have refused to meet with us face to face. Every member of our Congressional delegation opposes impeachment. We have minds to change.

A number of legislative districts have endorsed impeachment resolutions, including the San Juan County Democrats Central Committee, Grays Harbor Democratic Party, and King County Democrats, as well as Legislative Districts 1, 32, 34, 36, 37, 41, 43, 44, and 45. The Thurston County Democrats voted against endorsing an impeachment resolution, but we will go back to them. More minds to change.

This is a grassroots movement. We plan to continue to provide information and engage people in this process. If you want to join us, have ideas or can gather a few people in your home to watch The Constitution in Crisis or How to Impeach a President, please contact us. We have information posted on our website, http://www.citizensimpeach.org . If you just want to be alerted to impeachment actions (like when to show up to a city council meeting), please join our action alert listserve on our website.

As Elizabeth de la Vega put it, "I miss the Constitution and I want it back."

Gail Johnson is affiliated with the Citizens' Movement to Impeach Bush/Cheney. She can be reached by email at impeachbush@riseup.net or by phone at 360-786-1246. Visit the website at http://www.citizensimpeach.org .