Growing Distrust Leads to Surge in Citizen Impeachment Resolutions

San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors passed a resolution asking for the impeachment of George Bush on February 28, 2006. This follows a similar action by the Arcata City Council on January 6, 2006 and an earlier request for an investigation leading to impeachment by the City Council of Santa Cruz in September of 2003. On February 28, 2006, homespun, storytelling hero Garrison Keillor called for the impeachment of Bush on the Salon.com website. Keillor was beat to the punch by a group of Wisconsin Democrats who found an article on impeachment in the Nation magazine quite convincing. It's not only the Nation magazine that believes this administration has taken an illegal turn, evidenced by a February 27, 2006 editorial in Harper's magazine by editor Lewis H. Lapham. One town in Vermont led a charge for impeachment and was soon followed by several others.

Even in a climate where Republicans feign upset over the United Arab Emirates controlling U.S. ports and the unwarranted eavesdropping on American citizens, it is less than surprising that the call for impeachment has so far gone unheard. The stranglehold grip the administration has on all three branches of the federal government leads many Republicans to believe their time has come to change America, even as their bosses smash the Constitution and the conservative values they claim to uphold. The nescience of the leaders of the federal and state governments is leading to an unmistakable and powerful citizen revolt.

Now, in one of the most Republican counties of California, our group of educated and empowered citizens has called for the impeachment and removal from office of George W. Bush, Richard B. Cheney, Donald H. Rumsfeld and Alberto Gonzales. We, The Nevada County Green Party, voted unanimously to accept a draft resolution to impeach on February 9, 2006, then last night, March 9, amended the final draft to include the additional charge of Treason in the CIA leak controversy. Our group, which also involves local citizens from outside the party, drafted the nine charges of the resolution during 6 meetings over two months. A strict adherence to Constitutional Law makes this effort unique, as U.S. law and international treaty back every charge.

Word has arrived that the Green Party of Santa Clara County has adopted most of the language from our resolution, with a few minor changes, and that the California State Green Party is considering adoption of our resolution at the next state plenary. We encourage all county Greens across the U.S.A. to consider exemplifying our Green Party "Key Value" #1 of Grassroots Democracy by holding meetings within your community and organizing around an impeachment resolution of your own.

Many groups who hold opinions that aren't necessarily Green are on board with this impeachment resolution. U.S. citizens will almost invariably rally behind the Constitution when they recognize it is under internal threat. We feel that this process has brought our community together and surprisingly decreased the divisiveness that has become so normal over the last five years. It may be that civic involvement and participatory democracy, the real cornerstones upon which our country is built on, can wrest us from the jaws of what appears to be a developing police state.

The type of citizen action we have taken will only continue to grow as Americans begin to realize that our voice will be only be heard if we speak in a resounding and definitive way to power. Those seeking re-election in November had best listen to our voices, or hope you've made a sweet deal with Diebold.

Resolution of Impeachment

A RESOLUTION OF THE GREEN PARTY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA in defense of the Constitution of the United States, demanding the impeachment of George W. Bush, Richard B. Cheney, and two complicit associates.

Whereas the Declaration of Independence declares securing “unalienable Rights” including “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” to be the purpose of government and

Whereas the Constitution of the United States establishes the firm foundation for our rule of law, and its Bill of Rights provides for the precious individual rights and freedoms guaranteed to all American citizens, and
Whereas, in the conduct of their offices, President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard B. Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, in violation of their constitutional oaths to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution” and to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed,” have committed any or all of the following “high Crimes and Misdemeanors”:

I. WARRANTLESS SEARCHES: ordering the National Security Agency to conduct secret, warrantless searches and seizures of the private personal communications of American citizens, without oversight by the legislative or judicial branches of the government, in violation of the 4th Amendment of the Constitution and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of the Congress (FISA 1978);

II. TORTURE: authorizing and permitting torture against human beings, in violation of the Geneva Conventions (1864-1949) and the United Nations’ Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1985);

III. INDEFINITE DETENTION: depriving both American citizens and non-citizens of their constitutionally guaranteed rights regarding unjust imprisonment and speedy and public trial, in violation of their rights to guaranteed liberty and due process of law in the 5th and 6th Amendments;

IV. WAR OF AGGRESSION: launching an illegal, unjust, and undeclared war against the sovereign state of Iraq, in violation of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution and Chapters 1, 6, and 7 of the Charter of the United Nations (1945);

V. USE OF ILLEGAL WEAPONS: authorizing the use of illegal chemical and radioactive weapons in military campaigns, notably white phosphorous and depleted uranium in Iraq, in violation of the United Nations‚ Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948);

VI. DELIBERATE DECEPTIONS: repeatedly, consciously, and with forethought, lying to the American people and the U.S. Congress by providing false and deceptive rationales for an unjustified and illegal war in Iraq;

VII. ATTACKING CIVILIANS: authorizing, ordering, and condoning direct military attacks on civilians and civilian homes and communities, thereby causing massive death, maiming, and destruction in Iraq, in violation of Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and

VIII. VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL TREATIES: violating and unilaterally abrogating lawful signatory treaties, such as the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (1972) between the United States and Russia, the Treaty of Rome (1950) establishing the International Criminal Court, and the Geneva Conventions providing for humane treatment of combatants and civilians, in violation of Article VI of the Constitution acknowledging these treaties to be “the Supreme Law of the Land.”

IX. TREASON: Betrayal and disclosure of identifying information of a CIA agent and the operational cover by White House officials caused significant damage to U.S. national security thereby giving aid and comfort to the enemy in violation of USC Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 37 § 793, § 794, and the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982.

Therefore, the Green Party of Nevada County demands the impeachment and consequent removal from office of the four aforementioned officials.

Be it further resolved that the Green Party of Nevada County petitions the House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress to initiate Impeachment proceedings against all four identified officials under the authority given them by Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution and the duty given them by their constitutional oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution”

Be it further resolved that copies of this Resolution be sent to our Congressional representatives and to all members of the House Judiciary Committee.

(Adopted by consensus at the Monthly Meeting on February 9, 2006 in Nevada City, California, final document amended and adopted by consensus March 9, 2006 in Nevada City, California)


Doug Gaylord is a County Councilman for the Nevada County Green and can be contacted at douggaylord [at] direcway.com. The website is http://www.nevadacountygreens.org