John Conyers just finshed up a panel with John Cole and Christy Hardin Smith at Take Back America with words that were heartening to everyone made just a wee bit uneasy by the recent retirement of Admiral Fallon and the implications it might have for war with Iran:
"If Bush Goes Into Iran, He Should Be Impeached," said Conyers.
Conyers also said that with regard to FISA, the House was going into conference with the Senate. That the Senate wanted to give retroactive immunity to the telecoms, and that the House is saying "let a judge decide." But he also made the point that it wasn’t just the Republicans who were the problem:
"There were about seventeen Democratic senators that bought into that business. We need to straighten them out," he said.
Christy also noted that if the White House said the telecoms did nothing wrong, they certainly issued some indemnification letters — and that the legal departments at the telecoms would never have signed off without them.
So where are they?
Update: I forgot to mention — Conyers publicly chewed Christy out for the thousands of phone calls she regularly unleashes on his office. So everyone who feels entitled to share responsibility for that — take a bow.
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Bush should simply be impeached, period.
Geez, that’s all Conyers has to offer? It’s too late if he goes to Iran. Let’s do something BEFORE adding that disaster.
Impeachment: It’s what’s for dinner!
I think he’s hoping to forestall an invasion.
Wow!
too bad we have to attack Iran to get him impeached tho
Thanks Jane! I think Conyers will be calling into Air America this pm.
I have to say that Christy looks gorgeous in blue. And yes, Impeach!
Because the crimes of the last 7 years haven’t been enough.
Oh, right, shake your finger at W & tell him he’l have to go to bed without his supper. That’ll do a lot of good. In fact, threatening him may act more like a red flag, eencouraging him to charge.
What this “if he goes into Iran” business?
Congress has a moral and legal obligation to impeach this practicing war criminal, who has announced his intention to commit yet more war crimes (should the need arise).
I used to think he was a tiger, until I read the blog on myspace of the guy who is fasting for impeachment.
In it, there is a video of Conyers speaking to a constituent about the impeachment issue.
He was asking Conyers about the reasons he hasn’t gone for filing charges against Bush/Cheney.
Conyers said that he “had his reasons”…but wouldn’t elaborate.
CHS – re Bush, wiretapping, Keith, and Conyers’ own stewardship of Judiciary, ask him: “What would Arthur Kinoy think? And what would he tell you (he never asked) needs to be done?”
Conyers is absolutely right. Except for the fact that Bush/Cheney should have been impeached long ago.
really, I am surprised at conyers, he’s getting tired me thinks
thank you…how about yesterday?
Beat me to the punch!!! Had the sobs been impeached by the vi*gra candidates, back when….. we would not be in this situation today Mr. Conyers!!!!
B utiful photo of Christy!
The response to Conyers should be “If Bush goes into Iraq, he should be impeached.”
America’s Liberty in the hands of oil speculators………… retarded!!!
Got a two-word correction for Chairman Conyers:
Really, Congressman, do you think you’ll have the time and resources to impeach him once he bombs Iran? When all the vast media megaphone is once again arrayed in support of our War Preznit? I doubt it.
The time is now, or was. Sadly, that you did not act will be your eternal shame.
One would think by the timidity of Congress in regards to impeachment, the WH has something on members. Spitzer was merely a shot across the bow.
That’s what I don’t get. And Conyers would really do it in an election year? I don’t buy it. They haven’t shown much spine(until last week).
yes SHOULD is a wishy washy limp wrist word imo
Conyers isn’t gonna impeach anybody. Write another letter, John. LMAO
You’d think that somewhere within the over 300 infringements of laws listed on Hugh’s list some of them could have and should have been considered high crimes and misdemeanors enough to require impeachment. For instance, breaking an international treaty as important as the Geneva Conventions, which was signed by virtually every civilized country on the planet, and some not so civilized even, should be reason enough.
well the shitstorm is here
kabuki,played over and over…and they collect the paycheck for throwing us crumbs…change is gonna come
Six years too late, but I’ll take it when it comes.
ooohh, so what’s conyer’s gonna do — write another letter?
please. there’s more than enough to impeach this bastard already and they’ve done nothing but write fucking letters.
And did people applaud Conyers for this treacle?
Shocking and horrifying that it has come to this — weak tea served up to a progressive convention. I hope everyone booed.
Everyday the bush junta stays in power,our looming financial ruin is sealed imo
Can you get banned from a thread?
[Mod Note; attack the message, not the messenger.]
Spot on!
John Conyers to be on the Thom Hartmann show (substitute host Peter B Collins) after THIS commercial break (9:30AM Pacific time now).
((((((((CHS)))))))))
You know yer doin’ something right when he has to complain in public that thousands of callers want him to do his job and uphold the oath to protect the Constitution.
I agree with this. I would also say there is a world of difference between saying Bush should be impeached and I will introduce a motion to initiate investigations for the purpose of impeachment in my committee.
Someone should have asked Conyers that if Congress is unwilling to defend the Constitution what would be his reaction and those of his “esteemed colleagues” if the “people” who do believe in the rule of law marched to the Capital steps with torches and pitchforks in hand.
Impeachment has been suspended unless and until there is a non-Republic President. If the next President is not a Republic due to chance or Dibold malfunction, the call for impeachment shall not begin until Jan 21, 2009.
Jane -
Was he half-way joshin’ or was he nasty p!ssed?
Interestingly, if we go into Iran, the neocon’s may let the GOP go along with an impeachment. Their goals will have been met, a new President taking over in 2009 will have to deal with an already-started war in Iran.
They will have no more use for Bush at that point, will they?
john conyers campaigned on impeachment. he conned his constituents into thinking he would take action. maybe michigan should have fired john and hired his wife monica to get in the ring with these assholes. i hear she throws one hell of a punch.
I think Conyers, and I suppose several of the posters at the conference, that he had made a major admission/commitment. It is interesting to see how this is not how it is being taken by most of the commenters here. I guess with distance comes perspective.
can someone explain what it means by chewed out christy over phone calls to Conyers office.
I would think he should be glad that he isnt forgotten about.
Standing, applauding — go Christy!
What about “representative democracy” does Conyers not understand? They act as if their positions are nothing more than an entitlement and the “rabble” are nothing more than a nuisance.
wooHOO!
Does Conyers realize that Christy “unleashes” our FAXes, emails, and phonecalls in order to keep us from marching on Washington with torches and pitchforks?
(( CHS ))
really, new policy huh?
Christy is beautiful!
OT: Obama speech text here
I would say that Conyers views it more like being in control of a botnet, but i doubt that Conyers knows what a botnet is.
Yes, yes, yes! That was his attitude in the video–he started to get the attitude of “how dare you question me, don’t you know I’ve had years’ of experience”, then noticed someone was filming him…
I always think it’s spring when the botnets first come into bloom.
thanks!
my apologies for the drive-by (i don’t have time to even read all the comments), but i just want to echo teddy here.
because, imo, if bush attacks iran, it is conyers et al. who should be impeached for permitting it to happen.
and I always thought there was an opening day for botnets
ding ding ding
Conyers up on Air America.
Agree one hundred percent….but like so much about teh internets, tone can mean everything, something, or nothing. I’m disabled by a dependence on actually seeing/hearing someone to have a more accurate picture of what my reaction should be. Not that that always helps either. *g*
Conyers made a similar statement more than a year ago.
He may be good on many issues, but his occasional qualified invocations of impeachment, made when surrounded by progressives pounding him on the subject, are not to be trusted.
””If Bush Goes Into Iran, He Should Be Impeached,” said Conyers.”
Well then Rep. Conyers, why don’t you fucking DO something about it instead of whining like a baby? All I’ve seen from your office is a bunch of Sternly Worded Letters.
From the fdl newsbox: Russia, US fail to agree on missile shield.
I think the main sticking point is that Bush would like to put them in Eastern Europe whereas Russia would like him to put them up his . . .
Hey!
Whatsamadderwidallyouseguys?
Jane just said this was ‘heartening news’.
Most of you don’t sound ‘heartened’ ta me.
THIS may well be the ‘best’ we can expect from Conyers, the ‘best’ Christy could get outta him.
Note that he did not say. ‘Now, I will not accept less than impeachment and hereby begin the process ..’ neither did he say, ‘I, personally will get in the faces of those seventeen Democratic Senators …’ (His ‘we’ business seems awfully one-way … since most of the time ‘we’ appear to be regarded as ‘them’ by ‘our’ um… ‘leaders’ …)
Guess someone else will have to do those things.
Dis, ‘heartening’ news or the same old, same old?
‘
And lets have hundreds of thousands more asking why the hell the sunbitch in the WH has not yet been impeached.
PS. That CHS hair sure in the hell is reddddd
That was worse than a disapointment
Missed Conyers on AARadio. What were the gist of his comments?
War with Iran? Now we’ll have to shop even harder!
hey dearheart….i for one can not imagine more rape and plunder
There were about seventeen Democratic senators that bought into that business. We need to straighten them out,” he said.
Please do, Conyers!
If Bush Goes Into Iran, He Should Be Impeached,” said Conyers.
Good, but not “should”, “will”. My rep Rosa Delauro said the same thing a while back.
Too bad about the phone calls. Sometimes it seems from this end that Conyers moves at a snails pace. And just when is Harriet Miers going to be forced to show up for his committee? Seems like he might want to work on that, given the Spitzer case reaks of more US attorney malarky. I mean who is the Rethugs next DOJ hit?
OT
Someone with a given name of Mohammad is now a talking head on CNBC. Nice to see some don’t think that disqualifies him from the human race, let alone from those with expertise.
Shop until you drop!
It’s the least we can do!!!
After Obama’s speech I’m sending him a contribution. It was brilliant, despite what the bloviators are saying, and deserving of being rewarded.
Violating treaties (the Law of the Land according to the Constitution), torturing prisoners, spitting on/ignoring the Bill of Rights (and the actual Articles in the Constitution), illegal invasions, politically-motivated prosecutions, etc…that stuff doesn’t warrant impeachment. It requires just one more violation that is no different than a previous violation: an unwarranted invasion/attack on yet another country is what it takes to get impeachment on Conyer’s table.
Pathetic.
1,794 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citizen Hugh:
“…he had made a major admission/committment. It is interesting to see how this is not how this is being taken by most of the commenters…”
Yes indeed, I think many of us have been so angered by the kabuki politics of the last 7 years by the so-called “progressives” that we’re ready ta throw the baby out with the bath water…and maybe that’s what it’s gunna take. And ya know, I don’t think ANY of the incumbents who enabled this fascist tyranny to continue by their affirmative votes on ANYthin’ from the war to the tax cuts deserve another bite of the apple unless they publicly acknowledge their complicity in the crimes.
KEEP THE FAITH AND GET READY THERE’S A CHANGE A’COMIN’!!
man, I hope conyers stops by to read what his supporters really think, imagine what those who don’t support him think
I had real pride for conyers when he conducted the hearings on official english government documents that told us the president lied us into war
and now that he has the power to do something with that information, crickets
crickets
conyers, you have dissilusioned this mans heart of hearts
What are the bloviators saying?
I just read part of your list to Conyer’s office as well as the Iran statement. “They didn’t know nothing” As far as I am concerned impeachment needed to be on the table before Hugh’s list reached the hundreds!
http://www.washingtonmonthly.c…..013352.php
Conyers is, quite simply, an old, delusional fart who will probably have a Congressional office building named after him and who thinks that events like Abu Ghraib was kinda sorta bad and oh yeah the Iraq was not to hot either but what am I supposed to do about it, speak up?
I pray his constituents impeach him next time.
With the current crop of zeros in Congress, if this were the 70s and the President were Nixon, old Tricky Dick wouldn’t have a thing to worry about. The whole Watergate goo-gaw would be tsk-tsk’d and a series of stern letters launched…but Nixon would see his Presidency through to the very end with nary a bump in his ride.
Thanks for nothing Congress of Zeros.
1,794 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citizen Bluetoe2:
“After Obama’s speach I’m sending him a contribution. It was brilliant despite what the bloviators are saying and desrving of being rewarded.”
Yes, and what made it brilliant was that it took the “middle ground” away from those who want to use the racist double standard to peel off white voters…are you listening Mrs.Clinton-McCain? Now the spotlight should shine directly on Clinton-McCain to respond to the speech…if she doesn’t endorse every single word Obama spoke, then we know that her politics lie with the racists in the Democratic Party who have taken the Black vote for granted while marginalizing the solutions to problems articulated by Blacks and progressives.
KEEP THE FAITH AND HOLD THE BASTARDS FEET TO THE FIRE!!
This station is not responsible for content. :-(
Sooner, rather than later. He contintues to damage this great country on a daily basis.
Impeach Cheney too. He’s just plain evil. And after his delusional statements made during his visit to Iraq, he should be at least committed for being insane and a potential harm to society.
“…if she doesn’t endorse every single word Obama spoke, then we know that her politics lie with the racists in the Democratic Party who have taken the Black vote for granted while marginalizing the solutions to problems articulated by Blacks and progressives.”
As always, well said Norske.
He said nothing and hadnt even heard Obama speech before coming on. He joked the whole time.
I have been to some blogs and not radical right wing ones and the hate and racism is rampant. All they heard is that Obama knew his pastor was controversial. Ugly,ugly stuff followed with “go Hillary”
I am sad.
getting too close to power seems to have a quieting effect on most. access. it appears if you gain entry into the club, you might be willing to look the other way. it would be extremely difficult to call out the people your rubbing shoulders with. getting close to people in congress is not the solution. they must be forced to do the right thing through hard hitting reporting which cannot be done if personal relaionships are developed. this could be where the left went wrong.
1,794 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citizen JimThe Cynic:
“Impeach Cheney too.”
Cheney first…the live roots out and the dead trunk will fall of it’s own weight.
KEEP THE FAITH AND REMEMBER THAT NUTHIN’ IS TOO BAD FOR THE BASTARDS!!
Great work – congrats to Christy, FDL, and callers!
Conyers, meet Skinner – now get to work and honor your Oath.
Conyers has the support of Joe Biden. I first heard Biden say that attacking Iran without congressional authorization would cause a constitutional crisis, right before Labor Day, in Iowa. (In response, may I pat myself on the back, to a question I asked him.) Later he said it again in a debate, and used the word impeachment. He said he had told the President this to his face. Biden is on the Judiciary Committee, so this is not an idle threat.
Biden and Conyers are warning Bush by saying this publicly. The question is whether Bush or Cheney care, and what would be the risk to military and other government employees who carried out unconstitutional orders?
Thanks Citizen CBL…you are too kind. As long as ya ken understand what’s said then it’s said well enough.
No can do. If they don’t sell food, clothes, or books, retail stores are like churches when I enter. Walls shake, windows crack, lightening crackles, it suddenly gets dark and crevasses form in the aisles. I get uninvited to weddings minutes into the rehearsal. Receptions are a different breed of tiger, though.
Again, if torturing people is not, in itself, reason to impeach than a measly thing like attacking Iran (NO different than attacking Iraq) is not. If holding people, innocent and guilty alike, in gulags forever is not grounds for impeachment, then nothing is. If violating law after law after law, firing DAs because they weren’t Republican enough, prosecuting people for political reasons, aiding and abetting rampant theft and corruption from the taxpayer via contractors at home and abroad, if the NOLA non-response wasn’t all valid reasons for impeachment than NOTHING is.
I wonder if Conyers and many others, far too numerous to mention, have any idea of the esteem with which they are held here?
I suspect they could care less.
But I also suspect that we see the future and they haven’t a clue …
Speaking of the future. Obama’s ‘Philadelphia Speech’ was a Declaration of Humanity; citing courage, tolerance and understanding and the collective need of all three.
An excellent introduction to considered thought and, mostly, devoid of emotional (or ‘button issue’) appeals.
Let us see if his fellow ‘contendas’ can match it for style, grace and class?
Clinton would be well-served to take Norske’s ’suggestion’@82 to heart. But will she? could she? Not so tough? Or too tough? Well, Hillary Clinton is …
McCain? Has a too-long-a way to go … simply can’t get ‘there’ from ‘here’or vice versa … Tough.
Ravens correct Hey mod “censorship” sucks period! The truth compromised by censors for civility!!! What is wrong with identifying a person as an a-hole when their positions clearly indicate an a-hole mentality, usually indicative and a hole!!!!
Conyers was undoubtedly smart enough to say that as Snark, and congratulated Christy for her and FDL’s social networking for the cause, for which his presence on the platform was a thank you. In the unlikely event that was a double entendre, and his eyes meant the humorously spoken criticism, may I suggest he ain’t seen nothing yet.
For starters, we will remember his words about impeaching the president, regardless of how close to an election it might be. It’s the investigation we need as much as removing that little man from office.
Dear Congressman Conyers, George Bush should have been impeached for a dozen crimes already committed. It’s just grandstanding to threaten him now. Respectfully, Pissed-off Outside-the-Beltway Me.
Double Ding!!
“If Bush Goes Into Iran, He Should Be Impeached”
This makes no sense to me. Has he or has he not committed impeachable offenses? Regardless of what happens with Iran?
I agree that Bush has given the congress more than one ground upon which articles of impeachment could be brought, but that’s not my point. The point is what senior elected officials on the two federal congressional judiciary committees have said they would do. If Bush attacks Iran without congressional authorization, they will impeach him. That may be one of the few remaining impediments to involving the country in another disastrous war.
My question (are you around, LHP?) is whether the military and other government officials who followed orders would have anything to fear.
Well, who gets to set the definition that says one person is an a**hole and one isn’t?
Better to have no one allowed to call another an a**hole than to have everyone clamoring for the “honors” of calling everyone else a**hole.
The Conyers Corolary:
If Bush attacks Iran, then ‘we’ impeach,
If he doesn’t, then ‘we’ don’t … impeach (that wouldn’t be ‘fair’).
That is clear enough even for wee George to grasp.
But, as was pointed out ages ago on this thread, once ‘WAR’ has been enjoined, there will be (surprise!) no ‘appetite’ for a ‘devisive, destructive and draining digression’ and, it might be too awfully confusing.
Of many it shall be said; ‘When their nation and all its peoples were in grave danger and great despair, facing almost total destruction from “within”, they could not and they would not, find the courage to behave as men and women of conscience. They betrayed the nation, its people and its sacred principles. Their’s is a legacy of shame and deceit, of craven cowardice and pathetic personal hubris, of greed and self-concern, of ego and arrogance. They were not much, they were very little creatures, without heart, vision or even much wit. The people and the times deserved much better. Thus was humankind propelled into a new Dark Age, at the very moment when what was most needed was a new Renaissance …’
Obama’s “Philadelphia Speech” makes him the most dangerous man in the nation in his stunning and brilliant analysis of the status quo. The entrenched interests, corporations, traditional MSM, Republicans, DLC, have been warned. The gauntlet has been thrown down in poetic and moving fashion.
I don’t understand: why did FDLer’s call Conyers? What was that about? Impeachment of FISA?
If Bush invades Iran, the consequence that not impeaching him invites is already realized.
peer review???
general consensus!
logic and reason?????
Equally nonsensical is that Conyers is only offering the safe assertion that Bush “should” be impeached; that construction avoids saying he would sponsor a House vote calling for an impeachment inquiry.
He knows that despite a steady clamor for impeachment, if Bush attacks Iran, Americans will be more worried about the decimation of their military and its families, the explosion of their public debt, and how to pay $6-8 for a gallon of gas and yet again doubled prices for already inflated food commodities.
I’d rather Conyers make his speeches in the House and put teeth behind them. I’d much rather he pushed forward on the investigations the House has already launched, but which have been stymied by criminal stonewalling by George W. Bush.
Yes “W”
blindfaith in the economy just like many who had faith in you after 911 Go to jail……..loser!!!!“If Bush Goes Into Iran, He Should Be Impeached,” said Conyers.
come on, give me a break. This is COMPLETE BS. bush will invade Iran after provoking or falsely accusing Iran of attacking American interests…firing on a US ship, fake photos of alleged Iranian troups crossing into to Iraq to attack Americans, fake bomb making materials from Iran found in Iraq after US troops are blown up, etc. No one is going to mention impeachment in the midst of bush, cheney, and the rest of the screeching harpies yelling “we’ve benn attacked, we’ve been attacked, oooohhhhhhh nnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!”
If Conyers (and Pelosi) was serious about impeachment, which he clearly is not, he would have started proceedings already over the extensive criminality of the bush regime. This is pure shuttin’ up the rambble talk.
.
Thank you. Thank you. no , really….. thank you all so much! *bowing, to the left, to the right and center stage*
really. you are too kind!~ thank you. thank you all so very much! thank you.
we’re here till forever, please remember to tip the waitress!
Is it possible to impeach a president after leaving office?
I’m very disappointed in Conyers–I think he’s just paying lip service.
The only logical explanation(s) I have for Conyers’ behavior is:
* The Bush administration has been spying on the Dems and dug up their dirt
* Bush may have threatened Pelosi (probably at the blue tie meeting) that he would do something crazier and drastic if she permitted impeachment hearings. Did she declare impeachment off the table after this meeting or before?
* Age/delusional thinking has caught up with him.
- Tom
EPU’d but i say it anyway…..
Bush’s answer to Conyers (were he to even bother). “Go ahead, make my day.”
fuckwad loves to defy the will of congress, especially when it’s not united against him.
it’s his idea of bein’ tough.
Late to this party….
“If Bush goes into Iran, he should be impeached?” oh, he said it as a statement. The fucker shouldn’t be impeached for invading Iraq? What is it – something with consonants? N Q ?