The Senate Passed It!

Update @ 3:15 p.m. Well, search Google and you'll come up with reports on today's vote - media as far away as Iran, forgoodnessake.

scribe's diary on TalkLeft: On impeachment, again

I don't know whether the resolution will pass the Vermont House, and I don't have a vote or a voice in that. But I have one thing to say, in two parts:

In deciding whether Bush and Cheney should be impeached, any person holding a vote in the matter (and their constitutents seeking to exercise their petition rights, in one direction or the other) has to answer the following questions:

(a) Do you think the conduct of Bush and Cheney in their respective offices has been and is acceptable?
(b) Are you willing to say, as a matter of eternal precedent*, that conduct like Bush's and Cheney's should be considered as surmounting the threshold for acceptable conduct (or, said another way, that their conduct has not found the bottom of what's acceptable)?

As to each of these office-holders, if you answer "Yes" to both questions, then you must vote against impeachment. If you answer "No" to either (a), (b) or both, then you must vote for impeachment.

It's that simple.

Oh, and as a matter of (I suppose you'd call it moral philosophy), if you vote/stand against impeachment, you're equally complicit with Bush and Cheney in all they've done - you've ratified their conduct.

Choose wisely.

Daily Kos: Vermonters, contact your state representatives! They need to hear from you, and they need to know that they, like the Senate, can pass this bill in five minutes.


Update @ 1:35 p.m. Another e-mail update from Liza Earle: [Shumlin and White added Cheney's name to be impeached.]

When the cats away, the mice will play! They seized the moment, considering that Republican Lt. Gov. Dubie was not there today, so Shumlin was presiding--thus able to avoid having to send it to a committee (as Dubie most likely would have done.)

We need to focus on getting House Reps to say they will support a motion to pull it out of committee next week, to allow discussion on the floor.

Come to the Rally in Burlington--tomorrow-Noon, City Hall. Celebrate and enjoy impeachment cobbler, speakers, music, fun activities for kids--balloons, facepainting, etc.

Vermont Guardian: Vermont Senate Calls for Impeachment of Bush and Cheney

Rep. Dave Zuckerman, P-Burlington, will spend today and Tuesday collecting signatures from House members to introduce an identical resolution in the chamber.

“We will take the same language the Senate passed today, collect signatures today and Tuesday, and turn it in Tuesday afternoon, which gives people around the state time to call their representatives and ask them to sign it; we would then have it on the calendar for Wednesday and the speaker will either let it be voted on or have it sent to committee,” said Zuckerman. “In respect to the senate action, many of us are quite pleased they took the vote, but it’s clear that it only happened because citizens got involved.”

Herald Sun (Australia): Vermont approves Bush 'impeachment'

Breaking News! Just received an email from Liza Earle, so I'm passing the news along --

A Senate Resolution asking for the US House to initiate impeachment investigations of Bush and Cheney passed first thing this morning in the VT Senate: 16-9! It was originally introduced by Dick McCormack (Windsor County), but because it lacked Cheney's name, Shumlin and White introduced it with Cheney added. It was decided that it should go right to a vote and took about three minutes!

It was not a joint house resolution, so the House still has no obligation to take it up. Let's celebrate this and if we get the House to take it up, that would be fantastic!

FreyneLand: Friday Surprises