Sunday, February 10, 2008

Congressman Wexler Wrote Me A Letter...

...and he needs our help. Please read the letter below. Apparently, AG Muckasey does not intend to enforce a contempt of Congress citation again Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten for refusing to testify before Congress. This is bullshit and we all know it. The letter and follow up links say it all. At the very bottom, please take a moment to sign Congressman Wexler's petition for impeachment and lend your voice to this cause. Otherwise, those dire predictions that DCup (at Jonestown) and SuziRiot were writing about just might come true.

Dear (Spartacus),

Our Constitution is under threat and the most basic principle of checks and balances is being undermined. Not since Watergate has a president so openly disregarded the will of Congress.

During hearings in the Judiciary Committee yesterday, I told Attorney General Michael Mukasey that I called for impeachment hearings because of the stonewalling and blatant abuses of the Bush Administration. He responded by stating that he will NOT enforce a contempt of Congress citation against Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten for refusing to testify before Congress. The video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7M9sjRLCtQ

Alberto Gonzales may be long gone, but the Bush Administration continues its executive overreach with the new Attorney General.

We can debate the need for Impeachment hearings. We can argue its effects on the election or our agenda. But one thing is abundantly clear:

If Congress' right to require testimony is undermined, then our country's leaders - Democrat, Republican, or Independent - will be immune from accountability.

The power of the subpoena - to call officials before us - is one of the most fundamental safeguards in our system of government. To have it effectively discarded - by virtue of the President instructing Administration officials to ignore a congressional subpoenas and not even appear before Congress - is unprecedented. The idea that the Attorney General would willingly defend this position - despite Congress' constitutional right to call such witnesses, is outrageous.

Impeachment hearings could render this moot: The President, Vice President, and all officials under them would no longer invoke executive privilege. There would be no more smokescreens.

In one week, I will be delivering my letter calling for impeachment hearings to Chairman John Conyers. Already, 16 Members of Congress have joined my call, including 3 Judiciary Committee members. I am hopeful for more in the coming days, but it is important for you to reach out to your representative in Congress to express how you feel. You can view the current list of signers, here: http://www.wexlerforcongress.com/news.asp?ItemID=230

I do not know how Congress will react, but I do know this: I will pursue this course aggressively. I will not compromise away the constitutional role of Congress. Your support is invaluable. Please know that I am working everyday to ensure that the Bush Administration is held accountable.

Please continue to support this movement at www.wexlerwantshearings.com.

Yours truly,

Congressman Robert Wexler


15 comments:

  1. Signed that petition! I'm glad to see Wexler is still on this. Now if only the leadership would get behind him!

    Thanks for the link, of course.

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  2. Also, meant to ask if you saw the discussion thread at Jonestown. Wow.

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  3. I'm so proud that he's from my state of Florida. If nothing is going to be done about waterboarding, I fear this will be ignored as well. Here's hoping I am so fu*king wrong.

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  4. Thanks for posting this. I don't see Van Hollen's name on the list of signers, so I'm going to email him right now.

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  5. Wexler is great- thanks for posting this. Very important that we all sign and support this.

    Thanks Spartacus!

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  6. Excellent work Sparty.

    I think it's really cool he addressed you "Spartacus" as well.

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  7. Good for Wexler! I'll definitely go sign.

    BTW, Spartacus, I just realized I didn't have you on my blogroll so just added you to the list!

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  8. For those of you who signed the petition, thanks. I think this is important work that Rep. Wexler has taken up and it's gratifying to know that someone in Congress is fighting to ensure that this country remain a republic of democratically elected citizens.

    DCup - I'm working my way around the discussion thread of your post.

    Fairlane - had Rep. Wexler called me Spartacus, I'm sure someone would have chimed up, "no, I'm Spartacus!!!"

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  9. BTW, Mauigirl, thanks for adding me to your blogroll. I am honored.

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  10. ok, I signed it too. fucking bullshit man.

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  11. Excellent, Spartacus:

    I signed it using one of my US email accounts and my parents' zip so no fundie can find any "foreigners" on the petition!

    I was especially pleased to note that Wexler's also a strong opponent of UIGEA which is my pet issue.

    Also, I'm a little disappointed that Wexler and Cohen were the only Jewish co-sponsors of this. Wexler's got big balls, too, because he's gotten a lot of money from AIPAC and they won't brook any dissent on Bush at all. Where the testes and ovaries of all the other Jewish members of the House disappeared to I haven't the foggiest.

    I was disappointed that Velasquez didn't sign on. That's a no-brainer for her, don't you think? If there are 10 house members more opposed to Bush than she has been I'd be surprised.

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  12. Signed it a while ago, and I am very glad that he is following through. I am less happy that my congressman, Jerrold Nadler, falls into the impeachment is off the table camp. WTF?

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  13. Kelso - I'm not sure where the cajones of the Jewish members of Congress have gone. Could it be possible that they're all nursing on the AIPAC teat? And if that's the case, what does that make Wexler -- the runt of the litter? As for Velasquez, she may be towing the Pelosi line of shut up and take it. Thanks for signing the petition, bro.

    gmb - thanks for signing. Yeah..you would think that Nadler would have signed on, but remember, I live in Pete King's district. Any chance he'll sign on with Wexler.

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  14. Spartacus:

    Although now that Kelso Jr is on to such things as Green Day, Eminem, Tales From The Mets Dugout, Nintendo, "isn't Hillary Duff hot, Dad?" etc., it wasn't that long ago I was reading him the classic childrens' stories and Wexler's the ugly Jewish duckling, I guess. But all us parents know how that story turns out, si o no?

    I agree with PiNYC, Fat Jerry's been very disappointing on this. He was my representative, too, when I lived there and I really like him. It's just like with Velasquez (my parents' rep). Both in very safe seats whose Jewish populations are far to the left of the greater American Jewish community in terms of the Middle East and whose Boriqueno populations are far more Carlos Delgado & Spartacus than they are Herman Badillo.

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