[Peace-discussion] Re: Bush Executive Order: Criminalizing the Antiwar Movement
Richard Duffee
richard.duffee@gmail.com
Mon, 23 Jul 2007 16:18:08 -0400
Hi,
This is pitched primarily to people in Connecticut. Please excuse my
rush in not editing it to pitch it for other states, but I have to get
back to calling before the Congressional offices close:
I'm taking a break from calling to tell you more about what is going
on today and ask for your help. So far I have called Connecticut's
five congressional offices and the offices of 40 members of the Out of
Iraq Caucus who have not yet signed H Res 333. I have 22 to go. I hope
you will start calling them. Under the circumstances, we have the
right and obligation to call ANY or ALL of them, though we must
expect, in general, to have our calls counted most by our own
congressmen.
Among Connecticut congressional staffers, all 5 offices have been
gracious. Larson's, Courtney's, and Murphy's offices asked me to call
more often and get other people to call.
Representative John Larson (D - 01) 202-225-2265 202-225-1031
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Representative Joe Courtney (D - 02) 202-225-2076 202-225-4977
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Representative Rosa L. DeLauro (D - 03) 202-225-3661 202-225-4890
http://www.house.gov/delauro/IMA/issue.htm
Representative Christopher Shays (R - 04) 202-225-5541 202-225-9629
http://www.house.gov/shays/contact/index.htm
Representative Christopher Murphy (D - 05) 202-225-4476 202-225-5933
http://www.house.gov/formchrismurphy/ic_zip_auth.htm
More than a dozen staffers of the 44 I've spoken to have been audibly
enthusiastic. No one has been rude.
Maurice Hinchey's staffer said Maurice backed several impeachment
bills in the 109th congress and hadn't signed on to Kucinich's bill
because he believed it might INTERFERE with efforts to impeach. She
said that the reason was that the wording of Kucinich's bill made it
appear that he was trying to BYPASS impeachment proceedings by
claiming that the conclusion of Cheney's impeachability had already
been reached without a hearing by the Judiciary Committee or the
House. I don't believe Kucinich intended this, but, as a lawyer, I can
understand that it is a plausible perception. I used to live in
Hinchey's district. I think Hinchey is in earnest. So please keep an
open mind. If someone says, "Well, impeachment, sure, the
congressman/woman is with you, but not by means of 333," please ask,
"What means does he/she favor?" and then "Why?" and let us know.
Because law is tricky and convoluted, there is plenty of room for
debate like this among people who are equally honest and serious.
There is no reason you should say what I say. It's best for you to say
only what you feel most strongly and can think most clearly. But if
you want to know what I've been saying to these staffers, it's this:
"I'm Richard Duffee. I'm calling you from Connecticut. I'm a lawyer.
I've come to the conclusion that it is my ethical obligation to demand
impeachment because, to become a lawyer, I took an oath to defend the
Constitution against domestic enemies as well as foreign ones. On July
17 the White House put on its website an Executive Order that, in
Section 1 B small Roman numeral ii and iii gives itself the power to
block the property of any person whom it unilaterally and secretly
declares to be likely in the future to give assistance to a person who
in the future may do something the administration believes may tend in
the future to destabilize Iraq=97as though the Administration had not
destabilized Iraq in the first place. No administration in US history
has ever given itself such broad powers to crush political opposition.
By this act, in the context of a great stream of acts preceding it, I
believe Bush and Cheney have in fact proclaimed themselves to be
inveterate enemies of the Constitution, and that it therefore becomes
my ethical obligation to demand their impeachment=97as well as
Congressman/Congresswoman ___'s obligation by virtue of the oath
he/she took to enter office.
Please ask him/her to examine the wording of the Executive Order of
July 17 in detail and see if he/she does not reach the same
conclusion.
This is a far greater step toward dictatorship than any Nixon ever
took, let alone Clinton or Andrew Johnson. If we do not impeach now,
whoever comes to office in 2009 will inherit the same dictatorial
powers. We do not have the right to allow this. We are obligated to
pass on to our children a Constitution in at least as good a condition
as the one we inherited.
I hope you will pass on this message."
They always say they will, of course, and at least 60% of them sound
like they mean it. So please call. A lot of people=97including our
friends Steve Miller and Sal Liccione=97are risking their liberty in
Conyers' office right NOW for us and our country. We owe it to them to
give them what little assistance we can.
And please ask everyone else you know to call.
Thanks,
Richard Duffee
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=3DOut
_of_Iraq_Congressional_Caucus# Members states that the following are
the Co-founders of the Out of Iraq Caucus (updated July 21):
1. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Chair, =09cosponsor H Res 333 6/12
2. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), =09=09cosponsor H Res 333 6/7
3. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.14), 202-225-5126, www.house.gov/conyers =09
4. Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.15), 202-225-4365, rangel.douse.gov
5. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), =09=09cosponsor H Res 333=096/7
6. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), =09=09cosponsor H Res 333=095/1
(7. Rep. William Delahunt (D-Mass.10), 202-225-5658 fax,
www.house.gov/delahunt
SORRY, THIS IS A FAX NUMBER.)
8. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga. 5), 202-225-3801, www.house.gov/johnlewis
The remaining members of the Caucus (for the 110th Congress) include:
1. Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii, 1), 202-225-2726,
www.house.gov/abercrombie
2. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.2), 202-225-2906, tammybaldwin.house.gov
3. Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.31). 202-225-6235, becerra.house.gov
4. Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.3), 202-225-0123, www.house.gov.corrinebrown
5. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.23), 202-225-3601, www.house.gov/capps
6. Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.8), 202-225-5111, www.house.gov/capuano
7. Rep. Julia Carson (D-Ind.7), 202-225-4011, juliacarson.house.gov
8. Rep. Donna Christensen (D-VI), 202-225-1790,
www.house.gov/christian-christensen
9. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.)=09=09cosponsor H Res 333=096/6
10. Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.)=09=09cosponsor H Res 333=095/1
11. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.9), 202-225-3265, cohen.house.gov
12. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.7), 202-225-4741, www.house.gov/cummings
13. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.7), 202-225-5006, www.house.gov/davis
14. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.4), 202-225-6416, www.house.gov/defazio
15. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas 25), 202-225-4865, www.house.gov/doggett
16. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.)=09cosponsor H Res 333=09=096/30
17. Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.17), =09cosponsor of H Res 333=09=097/12
18. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.2), 202-225-4001, www.house.gov/fattah
19. Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.51), =09cosponsor of H Res 333 =097/12
20. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.4), 202-225-5931, www.house.gov/frank
21. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.7), 202-225-2435, www.house.gov/grijalva
22. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.4), 202-225-8203, luisgutierrez.house.gov
23. Rep. Phil Hare (D-Ill.17), 202-225-5905, hare.house.gov
24. Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.22), 202-225-6335, www.house.gon/hinchey
25. Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.12), 202-225-5801, holt.house.gov
26. Rep. Michael Honda (D-Calif.15), 202-225-2631, honda.house.gov
27. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas 18), 202-225-3816,
www.jacksonlee.house.gov
28. Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.2), 202-225-6636, www.house.gov/jefferson
29. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Tex 30), 202-225-8885,
www.house.gov/ebjohnson ?
30. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio 11), 202-225-7032,
www.house.gov/tubbsjones
31. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio 9), 202-225-4146, www.house.gov/kaptur
32. Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.13), 202-225-2261,
www.house.gov/kilpatrick
33. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio)=09=09sponsor of h res 333
34. Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.1), 202-225-2265, www.house.gov/larson =09=09
Larson is the ONLY CONNECTICUT REP in the Out of Iraq
Coalition. Disgraceful!
35. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.9), 202-225-8273, www.house.gov/lynch
36. Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.)=09=09co-sponsor of H Res 333=096/30
37. Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.3), 202-225-6101, www.house.gov/mcgov1ern =
=09
38. Rep. Michael McNulty (D-N.Y.), 202-225-5077, www.house.gov/mcnulty fax=
?
39. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.14), 202-225-7944, www.house.gov/maloney
40. Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.7), 202-225-2836, www.house.gov/markey
(41. Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.5), 202-225-3411, www.house.gov/meehan
MEEHAN LEFT OFFICE ON JULY 1 AND WILL NOT BE REPLACED UNTIL OCTOBER.)
42. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.7), 202-225-2095, www.house.gov/georgemill=
er
43. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.4), 202-225-4572, www.house.gov/gwenmoore
44. Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.8), =09=09co-sponsor H Res 333 =097/10
45. Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.38), 202-225-5256, www.napolitano.house=
.gov
46. Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.2), 202-225-5601, www.house.gov/neal
47. Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-D.C.), 202-225-8050, www.norton.house.go=
v
48. Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.8), 202-225-0699, oberstar.house.gov
49. Rep. John Olver (D-Mass.1), 202-225-5335, www.house.gov/olver
50. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.6), 202-225-4671, www.house.gov/pallone
51. Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.10), 202-225-3436, www.house.gov/payne
52. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.3), 202-225-3452, www.rahall.house.gov
53. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Cal.34), 202-225-1766,
www.house.gov/roybal-allard
54. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.1), 202-225-4372, www.house.gov/rush
55. Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.39), 202-225-6676, www.lindasanchez.house.=
gov
56. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.3), 202-225-8351, www.house.gov/scott
57. Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.16), 202-225-4361, www.house.gov/serrano
58. Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.32), 202-225-5464, solis.house.gov
59. Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.13), 202-225-5065, www.house.gov/stark
60. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.2), 202-225-5876, benniethompson.house.go=
v
61. Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.6), 202-225-8020, www.house.gov/tierney
62. Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.10), 202-225-5936, www.house.gov/towns
63. Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.12), 202-225-2361, www.house.gov/velazquez
64. Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.33), 202-225-7084, www.house.gov/watson
65. Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.)=09=09cosponsor H Res 333 5/10
So far, only ONE non-member of the Out of Iraq Caucus has cosponsored
H. Res. 333:
1. Hank Johnson=09(Georgia)
So we might as well focus on the 63 Caucus members who are not yet sponsors=
.
=09=09
On 7/23/07, Michael Canney <chicoverde@cox.net> wrote:
>
> The GP-US should join with others (UFPJ, ANSWER, etc.) in responding to
> this latest outrage by the Bush-Cheney regime, including seeking a legal
> opinion clarifying the scope of this Executive Order and how it could be
> applied to peace activists and the antiwar movement.
>
> Michael / FL
>
> Bush Executive Order: Criminalizing the Antiwar Movement
> By Prof. Michel Chossudovsky
> Global Research, July 20, 2007
> http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=3Dva&aid=3D6377
>
>
> _______________________________________________ Peace
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