Noteworthy

With admiration for all her good work, and being on the cutting edge of progressive change--from Congresswoman Barbara Lee, D, Oakland:

"Congresswoman Lee is a co-sponsor of H. Res. 1258 and H. Res. 333, meticulously documented resolutions of impeachment of President Bush and Vice-President Cheney for high crimes and misdemeanors. The people's trust in their political leaders and institutions is the lifeblood of democracy. Nowhere is that trust more essential than when it comes to deciding whether to go to war. Several of the articles in HR 1258 document President Bush's abuse of the public trust in his decision to launch an unnecessary war in Iraq. Other articles in the resolution explain how the President wrongly abridged the civil liberties of individuals in America under the guise of fighting the War on Terror. She is also co-sponsor of H. Res. 333, which similarly documents the ways and means in which Vice President Dick Cheney's misconduct in office warrants impeachment and removal from office."

Congresswoman Barbara Lee's Newsletter, Summer, 2008.

The House impeachment resolutions, co-sponsored by Barbara Lee, were introduced by Rep. Dennis Kucinich. And, according to today's Washington Post, this administration is putting the infrastructure in place to turn local law enforcement into mini-FBI agents collecting data on ordinary citizens, and conducting covert surveillance, for long after he leaves office. In other words, thanks to passage of the USA Pariot Act, the expanded powers of domestic surveillance, and "terror" (read: dissent) profiling, aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

It's imperative to remember that November isn't just about electing a new president, but there are some crucially important congressional seats up for grabs, too. January, 2009 must mark the beginning of undoing all the nightmares of this presidency, including the Military Commissions Act which grants immunity from war crimes charges to executives who laid the groundwork for torture in detainee interrogations. Yes, Musharraf, in Pakistan, isn't the only one demanding immunity----Bush's notion of "pre-emption" applies not merely to his foreign policy, but to covering his butt in the face of what Ashcroft, and other high level operatives including Rumsfeld, knew were illicit covert operations both inside, and outside, the United States. Good housekeeping starts with electing a new President, but it doesn't end there. It ends with each and every one of us taking responsibility for the default in judgment, and command, that has been the White House and Congress in the past decade, as well as working for progressive change.