There sure are a lot of websites springing up all asking (well, demanding really) the same thing: that the House of Representatives start impeachment hearings against U.S. President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and the rest of the Bush administration involved in all sorts of alleged misconduct. In case you don’t remember from the Clinton era what impeachment is all about, it’s essentially where the House of Representatives files charges against the President (or any high government official), and then a trial is held by the Senate to determine if there was any wrong doings or not.
The points and cases in favor are many and seem very strong. See for yourself. This is a list of several of the most effective and informative sites I found after only a little surfing. Note: each hyperlink should open in a single new window. Did I miss your favorite site? Add it in the comments below.
Impeachment
Charges and Evidence: Impeachment of George W. Bush
The best site I’ve found presenting evidence of “impeachable offenses” committed by Bush and his administration is found at this site. Since all an impeachment really is is a trial, there certainly are enough questions raised in this one page to convince me (and probably any logical person) that Bush–at the very least–should explain his actions under oath before the Senate and in full view of the American public.
Impeach Bush: Do-It-Yourself Style
This site refers to the impeachable offenses listed above and provides a way for you, the average citizen, to attempt to initiate Bush’s impeachment process using a largely unknown, but apparently valid and legal method by directly requesting it of the House. The ImpeachForPeace.org site is also calling for a “National Day of Awareness and Resistance” on Thursday, October 5, 2006 at 11:30 AM in cities throughout the USA.
World Can’t Wait: Drive Out the Bush Regime
This organization appears to be the one driving the “day of mass resistance” planned for Thursday, October 5, 2006 around the country. Their vision statement is posted online along with a lot of resources for people interested. Since there is a local (Sacramento) chapter, it looks like we might get to see or even be a part of the action. This video explains the cause well:
ImpeachPAC
This political action committee (PAC) is attempting to elect “a Congress to Impeach Bush and Cheney”. More interesting (to me) is their handy list of resolutions for impeachment passed around the country. They also offer a 2-page and 10-page guide on impeachment, explaining what it is and how to make it happen.
The Million Phone March to Impeach President Bush
This handy little site makes it super easy for your to write to your Congressional Representative and both your Senators AND also your local newspaper editor. You don’t even have to know who these people are. Just enter your address, and it looks up the information for you. You enter your personal message, submit it, and the site takes care of sending out your messages. Truly an Internet-era method of democracy.
Impeach Bush
Well, the name pretty much states the organization’s goals pretty clearly. They have been running ads trying to educate the public. They also have a referendum calling for impeachment. They are hoping for one-million signatures, and they are about 3/4 of the way to their goal.
Democrats.com
This site is an independent community of Democratic Party activists. They have a lovely liberal, anti-Bush blogroll and a link to another automatic submission engine for sending your comments to Congress. They have links to supporting evidence for at least four different impeachable offenses committed by the Bush administration.
BushOccupation
Too bad this site seems to be pretty much inactive these days. They have a good list of websites, columnists, and blogs in a similar vein (scroll down the page to read the list). It makes some very good points about these click-to-submit message generating sites. It is one reason why I always try to include as uniquely personal a message as I can and also why I do pay for a stamp or a phone call and let my representatives know that REAL humans are standing behind all these semi-automated messages they receive.
Punching a “submit” button under a form letter actually doesn’t accomplish much. Because it’s so easy, editors and politicians dismiss cookie-cutter web activism. At its worst, it’s a kind of junk food activism, satisfying a natural need with an unhealthy, synthetic substitute. We promote real activism.
Spammers and marketers devalued email as a medium. Increasingly, email is an inhuman, automated, database-produced product. Most on-line activism is either simple marketing in disguise or easily mistaken for spam.
This is the bottom line: you must speak out in your own voice, to friends, co-workers, and families. You must write and call the media, your Senators and representative to make a real difference. A form letter automatically sent in your name isn’t going to do it.
U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI)
This Congressman is asking for your help in sending a message to the President and the people that we will not stand for an imperial presidency any longer:
I recently completed a thorough review of this administration’s misconduct and have produced a 250-page report that provides evidence suggesting further steps to be taken.
It is time to take bolder measures in our pursuit of justice. This White House has responded to questions about its conduct with misleading statements, obfuscation, and vicious attacks against their critics. We must take the next step towards restoring accountability in our federal government.
To this end I have I am calling upon Congress to create a select committee similar to the Ervin Committee, which investigated President Nixon’s Watergate crimes. This select committee would investigate the Administration and its intent to go to war before congressional authorization, manipulation of pre-war intelligence, encouraging and countenancing torture, and retaliating against critics.
Wikipedia: Movement to impeach George W. Bush
A very good overview (with lots of details) about the whole movement to impeach Bush.
Censure
Not every site is gusty (or optimistic?) enough to demand an impeachment. Some simply are asking Congress to censure President Bush. Censure is basically a public black mark on the person’s record indicating that the person (in this case, President Bush) had done bad things, and that they must stop. In other words, it’s a slap on the wrist compared to impeachment. While it might be a big deal to a politician running for reelection, for a lame duck President, it probably won’t make much difference. The thing it might do, is make it easier for an impeachment proceeding to find the President guilty if he’s already had this public black mark added to his record.
MoveOn.org PAC: President Bush Must be Censured for Breaking the Law
One of the oldest cyberspace grassroots organizations is MoveOn.org. They help average citizens with very little time figure out effective ways to bring about changes in politics. Originally non-partisan, they were formed (ironically enough) to tell Congress to hurry up and put to rest the impeachment of President Clinton and “move on” with the more pressing matters facing the country. I say “ironically”, because this time around, it looks like impeachment of Bush might just be one of the most pressing matters facing the country.
Act for Change – Tell the Senate: Censure Bush on Illegal Wiretapping
Another click-to-write site that sends messages to Congress requesting censure for wiretapping Americans illegally.
Other Petitions
VoterMarch.org – Online Petitions
A list of links to a variety of online petitions you can sign. Some are for impeachment, others for censure, one to stop voter fraud in Florida, etc. Several of the sites I mention are listed (it would have saved me a little time if I had found their list first!).
Watchdogs
Finally, here are two sites that don’t necessarily call for action, but are keeping a close watch on the Bush administration.
Bush Watch
Bush Watch is a daily political internet magazine with lots of interesting links.
Michael Moore
Filmmaker Michael Moore (Fahrenheit 9/11) has a great site/blog with an enormous amount of content: links, open letters, quotations, op-ed pieces. If you don’t like Bush, you’ll love this site. If you like Bush, you might learn something if you can keep an open mind.
