Yesterday’s rally in DC for the Day Of Action To Restore Law and Justice had some great speakers. You can watch speeches online here — I highly recommend the above speech from Sen. Chris Dodd (already attached here as a YouTube as well), the one from Sen. Pat Leahy — which has some of his great snark, and the ones from Rep. Jerry Nadler and Sen. Tom Harkin, along with David Keene, the chairman of the American Conservative Union and Rep. Dennis Kucinich. (You can find video of a number of the other speakers here as well!)
Standing up for the Constitution and the rule of law is a must to gain political support from folks in this country who are fed up with the Bush Administration’s outright hostile treatment of the laws of this nation and their utter disregard for human rights. So I want to commend Sen. Dodd and Rep. Kucinich for standing up yesterday and speaking so plainly about this issue — and to challenge the rest of the Democratic Presidential candidates to follow suit. (And, when they do, if the speech is recorded, send me a link and we’ll try to get it up here. It is that important to me.)
I heard from a number of people on the Hill yesterday that all of the calls and faxes got noticed and then some. It was much appreciated by everyone who has been trying to build more momentum on this issue. So, thank you — all of you – for all of the work that you did yesterday on the nation’s behalf.
But we are not done yet.
The legislation hasn’t gone to a vote as yet in either the House or the Senate, so we need to keep the pressure going until it passes. The July 4th weekend is approaching, and a whole lot of politicians will be attending patriotic rallies and public meetings in their home districts — what better time to remind them that respecting the rule of law and the Constitution is the most patriotic thing they could do? Call the local office of your elected representative and set up a meeting with a staffer or with your elected official. Call in to a local talk radio show. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Call your elected officials and reiterate your support for the restoration of habeas.
This is not a partisan issue, it is an American issue — and as citizens, it is incumbant upon all of us to stand up and remind the elected officials that they work for us, and that we are very, very unhappy with the continued disrespect for the rule of law. However long it takes, we are going to undo this egregious wrong. We are better than this.
I was informed yesterday evening that the Nadler Bill (H.R. 1416) has now been superceded by a bill co-sponsored by Conyers, Skelton, and Nadler, among others (H.R. 2826.) In the Senate, S. 185 is still the bill being pushed on habeas restoration. Wanted to get everyone the current bill numbers for calls and letters on this issue.
Standing up for the Constitution and the rule of law is important — we need to make certain they know we want action, not just lip service. Here are the toll-free phone numbers: (H/T to katymine)
1 (800) 828 – 0498
1 (800) 459 – 1887
1 (800) 614 – 2803
1 (866) 340 – 9281
1 (866) 338 – 1015
1 (877) 851 – 6437
Please, make a few calls today — your nation, your constitution and the rule of law are depending on you.
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what?? First!
I am happy that both Feinstein and Boxer are co-sponsering the Senate bill.
I am unhappy that I have a nitwit of a congressman.
Christy!
Not one fucking dime on the backs of our nation’s military for this bozo. I swear, these greedy assholes are going to send my blood pressure skyrocketing.
Rats! I coulda had a zed! I went to read Wanker of the Day first.
Christy:
You should see my EPU’d @ 98 in the last thread re: Gordon Brown.
Christy @ 4:
You must be pretty pissed this morning. You rarely use the F-word!
Christy Hardin Smith @ 4
He’d better get his books out now because once he is in prison, he won’t be allowed to benefit from his crimes . . .
Biodun at 7 — The fact that Rumsfeld would be shopping around his memoir on Iraq failures while we are still trying to find a way to clean up after him — and that he’s expecting a multi-million dollar advance to pony up the information — absolutely infuriates me.
Hi christy!
I would like to point out again that in that in the fax and phone calls I think it’s important to enumerate the habeas protection and what the presdient claims he can do instead of just saying how important the rule of law
things like;
“the presdident claims the right to invent law in his own head to charge perfectly innocent people arrested before that new law was invented”
“an innocent person can never show that the chatges against them were invented by the very people that had no reason to arrest them at all”
things like everyday language describing what we find so offensive I think is important
on another note, could a lawyer comment on the following?
I am not a lawyer and I never heard this discussed in these terms before, is it correct or gabage?;
cheney would preside over his own impeachment]
The Constitution provides for only one exception in cases of impeachment: “When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside.” That’s because of the obvious conflict-of-interest of having the VP preside when the President is tried.
Obviously, a conflict of interest arises if the VP were to preside over his own impeachment. But there’s no similar provision for having someone else preside if the Vice President is impeached
Christy Hardin Smith @ 9
Maybe the fact that he is shopping it around all over the place means nobody is buying.
perris — That doesn’t sound correct to me, but I don’t have time to look up specifics as to why. Suffice it to say that presiding over your own matter at law is a substantial conflict of interest.
Christy-
I asked this downstairs after the “new thread” notice- Is it too superficial to ask if Kissinger and Lieberman may have similar interests in world events?
Christy Hardin Smith @ 4
Re Rumsfeld, I got an advance copy of it. Here it is:
Is there anything more that really needs to be said?
Any word on how the Post/Cheney revelations are causing any new thoughts in our congresscritters’ minds?
OldCoastie @ 2
Hey, at least you have two out of three who actually represent you! Try having Box Turtle Cornyn, Perpetual Cheerleader Hutchison, and the Odious and Execrable Lamar Smith. I make my views known and it’s like I’m p*ssing in the wind or somethin’.
Perris @10:
No way — conflict of interest to a fare-thee-well!
The President Pro Tem of the Senate (Byrd?) would preside, should an impeachment of Cheney actually make it to the Senate floor.
No money for books by Tenet, Lieberman, Rumsfeld, Condi, Wolfowitz and about a hundred others!
No books by crooks.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 12
ya, we all know it’s a conflict of interest but accoding to that page the only exclusion provided for someone other then the vp to preside is in the case of a presidential impeachment
with no doubt the vp would site that he is following constitutional law and he would refuse to recuse himself..he is that brazen
I am not agreeing with the page I am wondering if what that page says is correct
Now, here’s something interesting about Gore!
http://www.dailykos.com/storyo…..6623/40510
What really fries my oysters are the fees these people get from the lecture circuit.
perris at 20 — No, it’s not correct. Which, I believe, is what I and Bringsamen just said. But I don’t have time to look up cites for you on it, because I have to be on a conference call in 3 minutes.
Brisingamen @ 17
hi, I commented downstairs on this too…while I agree that’s the way is SHOULD go, and that’s what WE think and what WE want, accoRding to that page there is NO provision for anyone else presiding then the vp with the sole exclusion of a presidential impeachment
Brisingamen @ 17
The Chief Justice presides.
Quote of the Day, from Helen Keller on her birthday — via the Writers Almanac:
“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.”
Steve @ 25
How comforting!
LS @ 21
i have trouble believing this is true:
backing out of 6 months of speaking engagments does not compute… unless he’s already decided to run. if true, sounds more like a family crisis requiring him to restrict traveling.
well, we don’t even know if it’s true… i’ll wait to see it confirmed before taking it too seriously.
Tne view here is that Mr. Gore is running.
Steve @ 25
IIRC, that’s only when the President is impeached.
perris @ 24
Maybe you can find it here?
I should point out that in the NYT series on Rupert Murdoch, they note that Murdoch’s publishing companies have become a neat way to give those whose favor he wishes to curry big bucks. The publishing house gives a large advance to a Murdoch targetted politician for a book that is unlikely ever to sell well. So the question is: Is Rumsfeld worth something to Rupert or does Rupert think Donald is rich enough?
I’m convinced that this scandal holds the keys to getting rid of these Neocons…
http://www.dailykos.com/storyo…..21721/5156
Hugh @ 32
With all the pro-war spin from the likes of Murdoch and Donald Graham, it is nice to see that the public still gets it.
U.S. action in Iraq not morally justified.
selise @ 28
backing out of 6 months of speaking engagments does not compute… unless he’s already decided to run. if true, sounds more like a family crisis requiring him to restrict traveling.
well, we don’t even know if it’s true… i’ll wait to see it confirmed before taking it too seriously.
Family crisis entered my mind too, but I hope that isn’t the case. If he has made tons of money on film/book sales, he might have a sizable campaign chest. We shall see.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 19
that would make a great sign/t-shirt.
If rummy’s book gets published, perhaps we could promote a boycott of bookstores that sell it?
Sort of like the opposite of what was done for Greenwald’s book.
-ck- @ 26
Thanks, ck. She’s so quotable in these times, along w/some of my other heroes- Margaret Sanger, Eleanor Roosevelt, & Alice Paul :)
oops, sorry — meant to link only #19 [Mod: fixed]
Gnome de Plume @ 15
I’m searching around now. As I said downstairs. I want to know when the audit is going to start. Going back to 2003 when he stopped complying. And if Bush continues to say the he and Cheney are not subject to the EO, then they are required to put similar processes in place. I want an audit on what those processes are and whether or not they’ve been complied with.
Marie Roget @ 37
Helen Keller was a hero of mine when I was a little girl.
Wouldn’t it just be simpler to have Rummy subpoenaed, then invite him to speak into the microphone? I’m sure that Senators Rockefeller (intelligence), Leahy (judiciary), and Levin (armed services) would be willing to give him a seat in front of their committees.
It would save all the wear and tear on his ghostwriter.
LS @ 21
I put this on the last thread. Reason to hope?
OT. A little humor from JibJab: Presidents’ Star Spangled Banner
Brisingamen @ 30
You are right..fingers got ahead of brain..
On a totally, far out note..The mummy of the female pharaoh identified
10.30am
Tooth solves Hatshepsut mummy mystery
http://www.guardian.co.uk/egypt/story/0,,2112583,00.html
Hugh @ 32:
IIRC, Rumsfeld is still shopping around for a publisher. He hasn’t signed a contract yet with HarperCollins.
out to make some dollars, c all L8tr
Does Rumsfeld still have an office at the pentagon?
Biodun @ 45
I know but if he does . . .
Lots of towns have 4th of July parades.
Lots of politicians ride in those parades.
Lots of people sit on the curbs and cheer.
Floats and groups in the parade often display signs to the crowds, but suppose the tables were reversed. Imagine what would happen if the folks on the curbs had signs for those politicians. Imagine the possibilities . . . maybe spread out along a whole block, Burma Shave style:
We can do better than torture.
We can do better than unlawful detentions.
We can do better than military tribunals.
We can do better than warrantless wiretapping.
Bring back Habeas Corpus: It’s the American Way.
And imagine what would happen if the local media was altered, so as to be able to come take a few pictures . . .
Wondering if little bush is sad about the bush/blair project coming to an end.
BTW and I don’t know why I bring this up but the financing for the Politico comes from Robert Albritton whose family was connected to the Riggs Bank.
By the way, noted racist Pat Buchanan just referred to the E. Edwards/A. Coulter Hardball encounter as a “political stunt” by Elizabeth Edwards.
It should be noted that MSNBC is using that story at the top of the hour.
Nice work Dan Abrahams, despicable.
-GSD
Rummy writing a book? Oh goodie. This has been weighing on my mind & now maybe he will explain the things we know we know, the known knowns, the things we do not know & also the unknown unknowns, the things we don’t know we don’t know. But what I really want to know is if there are unknown knowns…or maybe it’s known unknowns. Never mind.
Glenn’s book is up to #13 on Amazon’s top 100 list. I ordered one for my favorite library – if they’re already getting it, they’ll have a second copy. It’s supposed to have shipped yesterday.
I also e-mailed my congresscritter and urged signing on as a co-sponsor to HR2826. (That link isn’t exactly working: it goes to an error emssage. You can find the bill from there, though, by clicking on ‘new search’.)
I can’t quit you Michael Gerson. Especially after reading that Fred Kagan is an “expert”. Kagan may be an expert on eating weenies, but he also promised the Surge would succeed. He also promised the Iraq war would succeed. But the possiblity of hundreds of thousands more dead is a neo-con daydream. They could then blame everyone else.
But surprise, surprise. Gerson is not even a journalist, he is just a political hack. Actually, he helped sell the Iraq war. This does seem to be a conflict of interest for him. He is promoting the war and slandering critics, but Gerson helped start it.
GSD @ 52
I would have preferred Elizabeth to have been a little more forceful with AC than she was. She was way too polite – like our congress people are when confronting the evil in the executive branch. She also should have asked Matthews why he gave lamprey face the air time.
Listening to Pat Leahy & Jerry Nadler’s speeches yesterday @ the rally in D.C. for Habeus Corpus restoration. So fine. I’m calling their offices right now before I leave for work.
Leahy- “Dept. of InJustice“. Thanks for pointing that out in front of the crowd & cameras, Pat…
Steve @ 44
it’s a sign and a signal
ironranger @ 53
The first is the one he missed. His boss, though, is big on known unknowables.
Elliott @ 58
First female ruler and she dressed like a man and wore a fake beard. Maybe Hillary won’t have to go that far.
Courtesy of an anonymous commenter at TPMuckraker:
“Let’s try another tack. Look at the US Code — Title 3, Chapter 2, subsection 106 entitled “Assistance and Services for the Vice President.”
Quoteth … “
(2) the official entertainment expenses of the Vice President; and
(3) the subsistence expenses of persons in the Government service while traveling on official business in connection with the travel of the Vice President.
Sums appropriated under this subsection for expenses described in paragraphs (2) and (3) may be expended as the Vice President may determine, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law. Such sums shall be accounted for solely on the certificate of the Vice President, except that, with respect to such expenses, ***the Comptroller General may inspect all necessary books, documents, papers, and records relating to any such expenditures solely for the purpose of verifying that all such expenditures related to expenses in paragraph (2) or (3)***. The Comptroller General shall certify to Congress the fact of such verification, and shall report any such expenses not expended for such purpose.
End Quoteth…”
“David Walker, as head of the GAO is the Comptroller General. He is the one with the legally binding power over the OVP. He needs to go in and get this info.”
GSD @ 52:
Chris Matthews knew exactly what he was doing. He invited Coulter to his stupid show, knowing the fur would fly; knew that Elizabeth would call in–and probably encouraged her to do so, knowing more fur would fly; and then gets on the Today Show this morning with his stupid bullsh*t; and then got on MSNBC later with more stupid bullsh*t. Despicable and shameless. He had Coulter on his show for ratings. But things might have backfired, as MSNBC has been getting a lot of berating emails and calls about having Coulter on air.
This is from Politico so who knows if it’s correct, slanted, etc.
Cheney’s office: VP is a part of Exec. Branch after all
Please excuse if this has already been posted.
OT,
BWAAAAAHAAAAHAAAA.
Treasonous bastard anyway.
snip
SUUUURE.
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/….._0627.html
Question – What about S576 – The Restore the Constitution Act, which Chris Dodd sponsored? It would not only restore Habeas Corpus, but also the Geneva Conventions as the law of the United States.
For Dan,
Heather
Kos has the straw poll up. Nice to see Dodd getting a bit more love. He’s been really good about the things we care about lately and I hope it continues.
And this from the same commenter:
“Also look at Title 3, Chapter 4 sec 301 of the US Code. It states:
Quoteth…”
TITLE 3–THE PRESIDENT
CHAPTER 4–DELEGATION OF FUNCTIONS
Sec. 301. General authorization to delegate functions;
publication of delegations
**The President of the United States is authorized to designate and empower the head of any department or agency in the executive branch, or any official thereof who is required to be appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to perform without approval, ratification, or other action by the President** (1) any function which is
vested in the President by law, or (2) any function which such officer
is required or authorized by law to perform only with or subject to the
approval, ratification, or other action of the President: Provided, That
nothing contained herein shall relieve the President of his
responsibility in office for the acts of any such head or other official
designated by him to perform such functions. Such designation and
authorization shall be in writing, shall be published in the Federal
Register, shall be subject to such terms, conditions, and limitations as
the President may deem advisable, and shall be revocable at any time by
the President in whole or in part.”
Sorry Margot.
We must have been typing at the same time.
*g*
Margot @ 63
TPM has it too. So you don’t have to rely on Drudgico. :)
OldCoastie @ 2
Ditto
I like Dodd too. ;0)
Bustednuckles @ 64
However they are standing by their claims that pigs can fly, Iraq is a success, Bush knows what he is doing, and we need to go back to the moon to eliminate our dependence on foreigners for cheese.
Margot @ 63
Marcy knows
Jane Hamsher @ 66
Jane, that was a link to the May poll results, not the June poll being taken right now.
[Mod: fixed, thank you]
Hugh @ 72
VERY funny. You forgot to say, however, that Bush REALLY does look like that in a flight suit.
OT–
BTW, Jane:
Have you seen this? From Greenwald in Salon today:
deleted by author
Yes, what about S-576?
When I called Bob Menendez’ office to urge the Senator to sign on as a co-sponsor of S-185, his staffer referred me to Sen. Dodd’s S-576, of which Sen. Menendez IS a co-sponsor.
Somebody needs to make sure all the wood is behind the same arrow…
ifthethunderdontgetya @ 69
Drudgico. I like that !
Elliott @ 79
Must Credit Atrios!
(At least I think that’s where I first saw it.)
curmudgeon at 78 — The Dodd bill, which is wonderful, is a comprehensive reform package — but it has to go through the Armed Services Committee (which is a much, much tougher voting road) because it, among other things, repeals the MCA. The Habeas Restoration — which is S. 185 only addresses habeas and, as I understand it, the votes are mostly lined up for the Judiciary Committee and closing in on the Senate as a whole. Think of it as a first step…which is how the leadership folks are thinking of it, as I understand it.
Hey all! It’s subpoena time!
hey, do you know the numbers to call direct. i’m in france and 1800 numbers don’t work but i’m happy to pay to restore the constitution in some way…
thanks!