cool shit happening w/ California legislators

by: me

Hey, hey, ho ho Bush and Cheney have got to go. This chant, sung by a group of about 50 protesters in front of the Sacramento Convention Center on Saturday morning held even more meaning, as California has become the second state in which a proposal to impeach President Bush has been introduced in the state legislature. But unlike Illinois, the only other state to adopt such a proposal, Californias includes Cheney as well.

In addition to this big step in government legal action, an amendment to the bill that calls for withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq was passed on Friday that includes two important words immediate and now.

The protest was conveniently staged in front of the Convention Center as the Democratic Convention for Governor was taking place.

Representatives from the Progressive Caucus of the Democrat Ahjamu Makalani, Karen Bernal, Sean ONeill and Tim Goodrich spoke out against the Bush Administration, defined progressive politics, and gave a little background on the bills in Congress.

Bernal stated that the amendment is on its way to the general assembly. The language concerning impeachment, she said, has been dedicated to Cindy Sheehan.

The author of the impeach resolution, California Assemblyman Paul Koretz of Los Angeles makes the amendments (where the LA Times has now called for Cheney's resignation) reference Section 603 of Jefferson's Manual of the Rules of the United States House of Representatives. This allows federal impeachment proceedings to be initiated by joint resolution of a state legislature.

The resolution, in the words of Koretz's press release, "bases the call for impeachment upon the Bush Administration intentionally misleading the Congress and the American people regarding the threat from Iraq in order to justify an unnecessary war that has cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives and casualties; exceeding constitutional authority to wage war by invading Iraq; exceeding constitutional authority by Federalizing the National Guard; conspiring to torture prisoners in violation of the 'Federal Torture Act' and indicating intent to continue such actions; spying on American citizens in violation of the 1978 Foreign Agency Surveillance Act; leaking and covering up the leak of the identity of Valerie Plame Wilson, and holding American citizens without charge or trial."

Makalani defined progressive politics to include addressing working conditions. Its a belief, not just an idea, that this countrys history is based on. But he went on to say that
people are calling for a demand. We must not be led by idealistic beliefs, Makalani said.

Its not just a war in Iraq, but a war here. We cannot have universal health care with a war. Theres no such thing as a free lunch, Makalani said.

While the protest was going on, inside of the Convention Center, were Democrats supporting Westley and Angelides. A decision had to be made of who will run on the Democratic ticket, and the winner is Angelides.