Mayor Rocky Anderson

This conversation recently came up on my flickr account, so I want to share it here. You can probably tell that I sometimes enjoy a little argument, a little bit anyway:

Rocky Anderson

Mayor of Salt Lake City Utah, Accountability Advocate and Powerful Orator

See Video of this Speech: Mayor Rocky Anderson on the Impeachment of President George W. Bush

More information here.

Archived testimony from the day's anti-escalation and impeachment hearings is available by clicking this link.

And, here is a link to a diary on the Daily Kos by Mayor Rocky about his speeches and testimony. Check it out!

Comments

Spoiler_3 says:
Loser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

^Berd says:
why do you say that?

Spoiler_3 says:
Because he is an embarassment to the state, No sitting Mayor should EVER protest against the President of the United states. Maybe on his time, but not on the States time. Thats my money he was wasteing by doing that. Just what Utah needs is another black eye. Does he think that by doing that he is speaking for me as a Utahan? He better not. The man is just another Dumbacrat. and what he was doing wasn't helping Utah it was hurting us. Maybe he could star in Michael Moore's next movie. The man is a LOSER!!!!!!

^Berd says:
I totally disagree with you Spoiler. And I think your comments are unnecessarily rude and insulting - in fact - your meanness detracts from your argument. But that's another story.

Rocky Anderson is a good reason to move to Salt Lake. As an elected leader, Mayor Anderson used the position in office to advocate for accountability on what is likely the most grave issue pressing humankind.

The President of the United States was rightly and reasonably accused of making false statements for the purpose of wrongfully driving the nation to war. This is a crime that has no parallel. This is the worst crime that can be committed.

Mayors everywhere would do well by all Americans, and all people everywhere, to use their positions to speak against the virtually insurmountable wrongs of the Bush Administration (what have we: vainglorious and unprecedented use of signing statements, wrongfully representing threat to national security by a foreign nation in order to justify war, torture, et al.).

Spoiler - Don't you care that our country was wrongfully driven to war? Hundreds of thousands of people have died? Iraq never attacked us. Iraq never posed a threat of attack. - That's the truth. Don't you care about all those people have died? And people are continuing to die.

One of my most profound measures of disappointment with the new Obama Administration is its utter lack of ambition for holding the previous administration accountable, and also the lack of drive for an expedient and just end to the military occupation.

What we need is to get US military forces out of foreign nations. What we need is to get rid of the foreign policy of dominance and conquest. Imperialism is killing more than people, it's killing the USA.

^Berd says:

I also see that Mayor Rocky Anderson has been in the news recently:

www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12941123

Rocky Anderson joins chorus calling for torture investigation
Politics » A letter co-signed by Nader urges Holder to look into Bush administration.

The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 07/29/2009 07:20:56 PM MDT

Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson on Wednesday joined Ralph Nader and 14 other political activists and artists in calling for an investigation into alleged Bush administration crimes.

Anderson's nonprofit High Road for Human Rights Education Project is asking U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate alleged torture, unconstitutional detention and other human-rights and civil-liberties violations by administration officials and cohorts.

"Investigating and, if appropriate, prosecuting perpetrators of these serious crimes," Anderson said in a statement, "is a crucial step to preventing the recurrence of this dark, demoralizing chapter in our nation's history, which has done so much to damage our national security and reputation abroad."

The letter, dated Wednesday, says an independent review is important for the nation's constitutional and judicial integrity.

"No less than the rule of law is at stake," it claims. "Your decisions in this regard will be of historic importance."

Others signatories include rock singer Graham Nash, author and political consultant Naomi Wolf, TV actress Mimi Kennedy and Utah author and naturalist Terry Tempest Williams.

Brandon Loomis

link to photo on flickr

Obama Not Keen to Investigate Bush

It is critical to the future security and well-being of the USA to recognize the importance of holding public officials accountable for suspected violations of the law. If there is reasonable suspicion that crimes have taken place, then it is imperative to investigate and prosecute if warranted. Anything less would betray the justice system, and betray the laws which President-Elect Obama has sworn to protect.

How can we move safely and securely forward into the future if with a precedent to let suspected criminals just get away without even the slightest gesture of appointing a special investigator? Really, the investigation phase could probably be avoided, the intolerable abuses of members of the Bush Administration are so obvious and flagrant. If they tried to hide them they would be more likely to be called to account than if they, however audaciously, practice their heinous acts in broad daylight. Openness gives the appearance of prudence. But even a cursory analysis reveals many actions of the Bush Administration to be improper.

Bush and Cheney et al. must be held accountable. Our future well-being and security depend on it!

Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson Speaks about the Impeachment of President George W. Bush

It's Not Too Late to Impeach! Please Call your Congressional Representative

I sent the following note out to some of my contacts today:

I just called the office of my Congressman, Brian Baird, to advocate impeachment. His Washington D.C. office telephone number is (202) 225-3536.

What did I say in specific? Well first I sincerely told the staffer who answered the phone: "good afternoon." Then I asked to speak directly with Congressman Baird: "Is Congressman Baird available?" To which the staffer replied quite rudely: he asked what I was calling about before informing me that Mr. Baird was busy "in a meeting."

I told him that I was calling with a message about impeaching President Bush and Vice-President Cheney.

When he said that Baird was busy, I left the staffer a more detailed message. It went something like this:

I urge Congressman Baird to support holding President Bush and the Office of the Executive, including Vice-President Cheney, accountable for various alleged criminal actions, malfeasances, and improprieties relating to the function of their official duties. We need to hold them accountable if we are truly a nation of laws and ideals, and not a nation dictated by the will of men.

I believe that impeachment will benefit all Americans. I urge the Congressman to sign on as a supporter of Congressman Kucinich's 35 articles of impeachment. Impeachment will be possible with enough support from Congressional Representatives, like Congressman Baird.

Then I said thank you to the staffer for making sure to deliver the message to the Congressman.

Please try it for yourself, call your Representative, Baird or whoever yours is. Finding the telephone number is as easy as looking it up on the Internet. Please do this today or tomorrow. Make sure to speak with a live person - don't leave a voice mail. Remember to first ask to speak directly with your representative. And be friendly. It helps the staffer to listen to your message.

Finally, please talk to your friends about impeachment, and consider sending a message to people in your network asking them to call Congress on behalf of the cause of impeachment.

Sincerely,

RFWW

It's not too late to impeach! Please call your Congressperson! It will only take a few minutes.

Sign the Kucinich Impeachment Petition

Hello - !!! - Have you signed Dennis Kucinich's petition to impeach President Bush? If not, please sign the petition, http://impeachment.kucinich.us/petition/ - hyperlinked: Kucinich petition to impeach President Bush.

It reads:

WHEREAS, in his conduct while President of the United States, George W. Bush, in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has committed abuses of power.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that President George W. Bush has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and Commander in Chief, and subversive of constitutional government, to the prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States and that he be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Signed by me and who knows how many others who are pro-troops, pro-impeachment, pro-justice, pro-peace, pro-nonviolence, pro- rule-of-law, etc....

"I" The Impeachment of George W. Bush

John Yoo is questioned by Prosecutor Walter Jones as Chief Justice John Robert presides, in "I" the Impeachment of George W. Bush, a play by Richard Lasser and Bruce Fein.

This photo was taken during a studio (film) production of the play that is scheduled to air sometime on community access television. I played the role of Michael Scheuer, former head of the CIA bin Laden unite, who was a witness for the prosecution. He was interrogated primarily about the extraordinary rendition program.

I will be adding more photos to a set on Flickr.
[June 29, 2008, here it is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rwhitlock/sets/72157605768293983//June 29, 2008]

Bruce Fein: Does McClellan's Statement Matter?

Bruce Fein says that impeachment is necessary to the cause of full disclosure. The public has a right to know what the Bush Administration has been up to!
link to original video

[June 22, 2008: Bruce Fein says that those members of the Bush Administration who knowingly distorted the supposed threat, and presented false evidence to suggest the existence of a threat, from Iraq are not culpable for crimes (in his opinion) - though these actions and many others are worthy of impeachment.

I am confused, because it seems that intentionally misleading the American people for the purpose of launching an act of military aggression should be, and would be, and in my much less expert opinion, definitely qualifying for consideration of criminal prosecution. One only has to look at the outcome. (Well over) 4,000 dead U.S. soldiers (and how many suffering permanent and serious war-related injury?). Over 1,000,000 Iraqi dead and millions more forced to flee their homes due to destabilization and violence.

I agree with Bruce that there is ample evidence to pursue impeachment. This President is so guilty that an impeachment trial could probably be completed in one day. That is, of course, if our leaders took their oath and their responsibility to the Constitution seriously.

But I also think that the President's crimes warrant more serious consequences than impeachment and removal from office. This President's actions are worthy of prosecution for murder. He knowingly and deliberately placed U.S. soldiers in harm's way, resulting in thousands of deaths, for the purposes of an unnecessary (and unconstitutional) war (of aggression.) /June 22, 2008]

Articles of Impeachment Against Bush

More impeachment: From afterdowningstreet.org, we have a great resource to highlight the Kucinich Articles of Impeachment against Bush. http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/busharticles

And here's a set of youtube videos that capture the Kucinich delivery of the Articles of Impeachment on the floor of the House of Representatives:

Kucinich Introduces Articles of Impeachment Against President George W. Bush

Thank you Representative Congressman Dennis Kucinich. I support bringing articles of impeachment against President Bush...



Here are some videos from the Kucinich delivery of 35 serious and well-researched articles of impeachment.

[update June 15, 2008: please see the complete delivery of all 35 articles of impeachment on the floor of the House of Reps. by Congressman Kucinich (via youtube):
http://robwhitlock.blogspot.com/2008/06/articles-of-impeachment-against-bush.html June 15, 2008/]

link to part one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK16IG6jvJY

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:


Part 4:


Part 5:

A Couple of New Blog Posts

I posted a couple new entries over at OlyBlog just now. One is about a visit by Cindy Sheehan to Olympia this past weekend. The other is about 35 Articles of Impeachment, which Congressman Dennis Kucinich presented to the US House of Representatives yesterday. I hand delivered a copy of the Kucinich Articles of Impeachment to my Congressman Brian Baird's office this morning. Baird is currently in Washington D.C., so I asked his staffer to fax a copy of my cover letter and the full text of the articles to him in D.C..

Here's a link to the post about the Kucinich Articles of Impeachment: http://olyblog.net/impeachment-articles-delivered

Here's a link to the post about the Cindy Sheehan visit: http://olyblog.net/cindy-sheehan-visit-olympia

Horror in Baghdad

To think that this violence was caused by an unnecessary and unjustified, illegal and immoral "preemptive" invasion by the USA. The USA was driven to war based on false pretenses. Members of the Bush Administration made false statements over a period of years in order to create an environment where they could launch their invasion. As such the invasion can be rightly understood as aggression.

It is sickening.


...what terror, what horror...

I wish there was a simple and quick solution, and maybe there is, but then maybe there is not.

There definitely are solutions however, though they might not be simple or quick. First order of business must be to hold those who perpetrated this unlawful, unnecessary, unjustified invasion to account. The USA was driven to war based on false pretenses (Center for Public Integrity). Members of the Bush Administration have been making false statements about the threat from Iraq for years. It is time to hold them accountable. Here are three articles on impeachment:

• Elizabeth Holtzman, Impeachment: the Case in Favor
• Scott Horton, The Case for Impeachment
• Lewis Lapham, Uncle Sam

Secondly, the mission priority in Iraq must be reconstruction. Some 70% of Iraqis go without adequate access to clean, safe, potable water (http://www.oxfam.org/...).

Economic stability is necessary for civil society and basic infrastructural remedies will be necessary for economic stability - like fixing the water and sewage systems.

There is a humanitarian crisis in Iraq.

A Conspiracy to Defraud the United States

I advocate for the impeachment of members of the Bush Administration. There are various examples of malfeasance that are worthy of, and indeed - that necessitate impeachment. Here's a excerpt from Elizabeth de la Vega's book United States v. George Bush et al.. A trial might look something like this:

[go to original]
...

11. Pursuant to the Constitution, their oaths of office, their status as Executive Branch employees, and their presence in the United States, BUSH, CHENEY, RICE, RUMSFELD, and POWELL, and their subordinates and employees, are required to obey Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, which prohibits conspiracies to defraud the United States.

12. As used in Section 371, the term "to defraud the United States" means "to interfere with or obstruct one of its lawful government functions by deceit, craft, trickery, or at least by means that are dishonest." The term also means to "impair, obstruct, or defeat the lawful function of any department of government" by the use of "false or fraudulent pretenses or representations."

13. A "false" or "fraudulent" representation is one that is: (a) made with knowledge that it is untrue; (b) a half-truth; (c) made without a reasonable basis or with reckless indifference as to whether it is, in fact, true or false; or (d) literally true, but intentionally presented in a manner reasonably calculated to deceive a person of ordinary prudence and intelligence. The knowing concealment or omission of information that a reasonable person would consider important in deciding an issue also constitutes fraud.

14. Congress is a "department of the United States" within the meaning of Section 371. In addition, hearings regarding funding for military action and authorization to use military force are "lawful functions" of Congress.

15. Accordingly, the presentation of information to Congress and the general public through deceit, craft, trickery, dishonest means, and fraudulent representations, including lies, half-truths, material omissions, and statements made with reckless indifference to their truth or falsity, while knowing and intending that such fraudulent representations would influence Congress' decisions regarding authorization to use military force and funding for military action, constitutes interfering with, obstructing, impairing, and defeating a lawful government function of a department of the United States within the meaning of Section 371.

The Conspiracy to Defraud the United States

16. Beginning on or about a date unknown, but no later than August of 2002, and continuing to the present, in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, the defendants,

GEORGE W. BUSH,
RICHARD B. CHENEY,
CONDOLEEZZA RICE,
DONALD M. RUMSFELD, and
COLIN M. POWELL,

and others known and unknown, did knowingly and intentionally conspire to defraud the United States by using deceit, craft, trickery, dishonest means, false and fraudulent representations, including ones made without a reasonable basis and with reckless indifference to their truth or falsity, and omitting to state material facts necessary to make their representations truthful, fair and accurate, while knowing and intending that their false and fraudulent representations would influence the public and the deliberations of Congress with regard to authorization of a preventive war against Iraq, thereby defeating, obstructing, impairing, and interfering with Congress' lawful functions of overseeing foreign affairs and making appropriations.

17. The Early Months of the Bush-Cheney Administration: Prior to January of 2001, BUSH, CHENEY, and RUMSFELD each demonstrated a predisposition to employ U.S. military force to invade the Middle East, including, specifically, to forcibly remove Saddam Hussein.

18. Since 1992, CHENEY has endorsed a "bold foreign policy" that includes using military force to "punish" or "threaten to punish" possible aggressors in order to protect the United States's access to Persian Gulf oil and to halt proliferation of weapons of mass destruction ("WMD"), a term that is customarily used to describe chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons.
...

link to original [read the rest]

Impeachment Video

[for more information about impeachment in WA State, please see Washington for Impeachment]

Kayla, a citizen activist and freelance videographer, talked with a few sign-holders (including me) before last Thursday's hearing about a bill that would request investigations into impeachable offenses committed by certain members of the Bush Administration. Here's the video:

I think I was nervous for some reason. I hope it went over okay.

SJM 8016: Requesting Investigations into Impeachable Offenses

[for more information about impeachment in WA State, please see Washington for Impeachment]

The Washington State Senate Committee on Governmental Operations and Elections had a hearing on a bill that would call on the US Congress to investigate Bush Administration Officials for impeachable offenses. more information: SJM 8016

For video and audio of the January 17, 2008 hearing, point your browser to www.tvw.org and enter "8016" into the search field.

Here are some more photos from yesterday:

Washington State Impeachment Hearing SJM 8016 2007 - 2008

[for more information about impeachment in WA State, please see Washington for Impeachment]

Senator Eric Oemig has introduced a memorial bill that calls on the US Congress to initiate investigation into alleged impeachable offenses committed by President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Tomorrow there will be a hearing on the Memorial in the Washington State Senate Committee on Government Operations & Elections. This is from the Washington State Legislature:

go to original [link to official information about SJM 8016]
Requesting an impeachment investigation into actions by President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

Here's video of Rep. Wexler discussing impeachment on the floor of the House:


Tomorrow's (Thursday, January 17th, 2008) hearing will be in the Cherberg Building (Capitol Campus, Olympia, Washington) at 3:30 PM.

Impeachment Basics from Phil Burk

[edit 8/18:] In a nutshell, there are a few arguments for impeachment. One is war fraud; deliberate deception about the threat to US security from Iraq. Two is warrantless wiretaps, and three is condoning torture.

For example, in the case of leading the nation to war under false pretenses. Burk describes two possibilities. One is that Bush et al. genuinely believed that Iraq had WMD and threatened the peace and security of the US. Possibility two is that Bush et al. never really believed that, but used the notion of a WMD threat from Iraq (coupled with the fear generated by 9/11) to market and promote the invasion of Iraq.

Unfortunately for the Bush Administration, the evidence suggests possibility two. It seems that there was a clandestine effort to invade Iraq for several years - even before the Bush Administration secured the office of the executive. It is also readily obvious that Bush and (especially) Cheney took advantage of the post-9/11 climate to promote an invasion of Iraq based on the faulty connection between Saddam Hussein and terrorism.

There was no terrorism in Iraq prior to the unilateral decision of the USA to invade. There was certainly no connection between Iraq or Hussein and Bin Laden's "al Qaeada."

But there was oil in Iraq, and there was also all of the Bush Administration cronies who stand to benefit from the exploitation of the Iraqi oil resource. There were also all of the Bush Administration cronies who stood to benefit from years of increased military spending.

It is clear that leading the USA into an unnecessary, unethical, unjust, immoral and (most likely) illegal military action was the wrong thing to do.

Let's make it so our elected officials have consequences for making the wrong decisions. Please, push for impeachment. Contact your representative today.

Holding the Executive Accountable

This is from yesterday's Washington Post:

...
The corollary to Cheney's zealous embrace of secrecy is his near total aversion to the notion of accountability. I've never seen a former member of the House of Representatives demonstrate such contempt for Congress - even when it was controlled by his own party. His insistence on invoking executive privilege to block virtually every congressional request for information has been stupefying - it's almost as if he denies the legitimacy of an equal branch of government. Nor does he exhibit much respect for public opinion, which amounts to indifference toward being held accountable by the people who elected him.
...

It's an excerpt from a column by the former Vice President Walter F. Mondale. Here's a link to the original: http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

Congress Girds for Oversight Procedures

Well, it's about time.

go to original

Congress girds up for return to oversight

Probes include alleged contracting abuses in Iraq and the alteration of scientific findings.

By Gail Russell Chaddock | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

WASHINGTON - Not since the Depression-era Congress of 1932 has Capitol Hill ramped up so quickly for oversight hearings and related legislation – most targeting the Bush administration.

Both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue are hiring more lawyers, and watchdog groups say they are swamped with calls from committee staff asking for advice on pursuing the nearly lost art of congressional investigation.

In its first 100 days, the new Congress launched probes on allegations ranging from contracting abuses in Iraq and the alteration of scientific findings to the misuse of federal resources for partisan purposes. Some hearings, such as those on last year's firing of eight US attorneys, were snatched from the headlines; others are longer-term campaigns to try to uncover any government waste and to expand the public's access to how government conducts its business.

...

"Impeachment Investigations," Nation, Land and Humanity

I attended a rally and hearing yesterday in support of Washington State Senate Joint Memorial (SJM) 8016, which would, if passed by the Washington State Legislature, call on the US Congress to begin a thorough and uncompromising investigation of actions by the Chief Executive, and the Vice of that office, that could lead to impeachment...

You can find a photo album of the event here.

After thinking about yesterday's events, the rally and the hearings, I have realized that they were a very profound experience for me.

During the hearings, I listened to the testimony of the expert witnesses and my fellow citizens as they urged the Senate Committee to adopt this bill (SJM 8016). The testifiers told their truths and then thanked the Senators for their work and for listening.

I felt a great sense of pride for being not only a Washingtonian, but also, an American. But the reasons for my feelings of pride were not the usual feelings of pride in country. They were only due to the courageous and grave actions of my fellow citizens, and a few of my elected officials, to confront the wrongs of my government. My fellow citizens and elected officials came together to discuss the very serious and dangerous time we live in. A time when the actions of the office of the Chief Executive are contrary to what is good and right, as well as contrary to both domestically and internationally recognized legal agreements.

As I listened to the testimony I realized that to investigate the president is the right thing to do, and without question. There is no way, indeed, to justify not investigating the actions of this man. These are actions which have cost us so dearly - so much in economic strength, as well as in human life and moral principle.

To turn a cold shoulder and say that there are more important things to do is an extraordinary breach of responsibility and would set a grievous and dangerous precedent.

As I listened to the convincing testimony I thought about how great it was to be among my fellow citizens and to be taking part in this momentous activity - and I was sure that the passage of this important memorial was an eventuality which I could look forward to with great certainty!

To be honest, there was some doubt (yes I am jaded by the horrors committed by my government - in my name,) but the doubt was very minimal (at the time.) After all, the testimony was truthful and accurate and highly persuasive.

So, with some doubts in mind, I couldn't help but think about what might happen if this memorial doesn't gain approval in the full Senate and isn't, subsequently, forwarded to the US Congress with the express importance of approval of the Washington State Legislature. What if? Indeed, what then, I asked. And that set me to wondering, and maybe even worrying a little.
"What then" is where I am still. What if Bush escapes after 8 years without being impeached, or even investigated, for the grievous and heinous trespasses upon civil rights, upon privacy, and indeed upon the very fabric of humanity itself - what then?

A very real question came to me then. I asked myself, do I want to be part of a nation that has no respect for humanity, no respect for civil rights, no respect for the very Rule of Law that has ordered civil society for hundreds of years? Do I want to live under tyranny and oppression? Well, of course not!

Well then, what can I do? What can I do to avoid being part of and contributing to this government? Well, I could move. I could go North, I could go to Canada. I could go South to Mexico, or Central - or South America. I could go to Europe. Yes I could, probably, if I put my mind and energy toward it. The government, which belongs to me has betrayed me, and I have very good reason to reject and abandon it.

But there is more to it than that. As much as I disagree with the government that belongs to me, I feel kinship with the Land that I belong to. Indeed, I feel a belonging to this land, not only Olympia, or Washington State, but the whole of America (much of which I have had the opportunity to visit in travel.) I was born an American (in Minnesota, specifically) and I belong to this land - but I do not belong to the government - no, it is the government that belongs to me, and it is supposed to be here to serve me.

But it is not serving me. And by allowing the government to run rough shod over me, over humanity and over the land - I am not doing justice to that which I belong.

I won't leave. I belong to the land! I will stay and I will resist the onslaught of tyranny, oppression and fascism.

I will rise up and with a clear voice armed with the truth, I will defend myself, my fellow human beings and the very land, to which I owe this life.

cross-posted at OlyBlog and Daily Kos

Impeachment in Washington State

The impeachment ball is rolling in Washington State.

Senate Joint Memorial (SJM) 8016 requests an investigation into actions by the President and Vice President. It is scheduled for a public hearing beginning at 3:30pm on March 1st. Prior to the hearing there will be a rally on the Capitol Steps at 1:00pm.

I hope to see you there!