July 24, 2007
by Steve Osborn

I sent a letter of to Senator Murray - calling for impeachment, and, as usual, I got an automated reply filled with weak excuses and talking points. Man, I'm so tired of these drones!

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Senator Murray,

Once again you have sent me your computer generated letter (below) regarding impeachment, as you do regarding your lack of aggressive stance on ending the wars. Your computer said:

"Thank you for contacting me about impeachment proceedings for President Bush or members of his Administration. I appreciate hearing from you about this serious issue.

"As you know, Congress may remove the President, Vice President, and any Civil Officer of the United States from office through the impeachment process. According to the Constitution, the House of Representatives may "impeach an official on charges of "Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes "and "Misdemeanors" (Article II, Section 4) to remove the individual from office. Only two sitting Presidents have ever been impeached: Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. No sitting President has been convicted and removed from office.

"Recently, Washington state legislators in Olympia introduced resolutions that called for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. State Senator Eric Oemig (D-Kirkland) was the sponsor of this resolution, Senate Joint Memorial 8016. However, since State Senator Oemig's resolution was at the state level, it would have had no binding impact on the impeachment proceedings at the federal level. The State Legislature adjourned without taking action on this legislation. In addition, Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has introduced House Resolution 333 (H.Res. 333) in the U.S. House of Representatives, which calls for the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney. The U.S. House of Representatives is the only legislative body with the authority to begin impeachment proceedings of the Executive Branch.

"I share your serious concerns and frustrations with the direction that President Bush and his Administration have been taking our country, both at home and overseas. I am troubled that Congress has been denied a chance to hold hearings and to bring accountability to this Administration. Now that Congress is under new leadership, we finally have that opportunity, and Congress is using the oversight process aggressively to get the facts to help our country move forward. We have held more oversight hearings of the Administration's handling of the Iraq war in the first few months of the Democratic control of the Congress than the Republicans did since the war began.

"I believe the best way to alter the direction that our country is headed in is to focus on fixing the current problems. At both the state and federal levels, there are many issues that require our attention, discussion, and action, and will require the President's active involvement. I am concerned that progress on health care, education, and veteran's care would all be put on hold and would not be fixed if Congress solely focused on impeachment proceedings.

"Be assured, I believe that the Congress must hold the Administration accountable for their actions and decisions, and I look forward to the upcoming hearings and investigations that are occurring in the 110th Congress.

"Thank you for sharing your views on this matter with me, and I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind as the actions of President Bush and his administration are reviewed.

"I hope all is well in Camano Island. "

(Article Continues Below)

Yeah?  Thanks.  This is NOT a computer generated response.

Whereas, We the People of the United States, having elected a Democratic majority for the purpose of ending the Cheney/Bush war on Iraq and Afghanistan, returning the Constitution and Bill of Rights, intact and functioning, to the Halls of Government, returning habeas corpus and civil rights to the United States, and impeaching the criminals who have looted our treasury, committed war crimes against humanity, and who have succeeded in trashing our Constitution, which they swore to protect and defend, and

Whereas, We the People of the United States, having run out of patience with a government run by one self serving party with two names, which is only concerned with courting the wealthy to get money for the next election, and

Whereas we have seen that the so called change of power only put self serving, business as usual, bureaucrats with a different letter behind their names into office, doing little for the people or the country, but much for the wealthy and influential, while paying lip service to their real duty to the United States of America and its people.

Therefore be it resolved that We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, do hereby resolve to remove the members of the one party with two names from office, to be replaced by representatives who will put the welfare of the people of the United States, the true needs of the nation and the welfare of the world over the desires of greedy corporations and the powerful wealthy. The search will be hard, but worth it. You timid do nothings are on the way out!

I am sure that, as with all the real concerns of the people, this will never reach you, but the effects will, eventually. Millions of us are fed up. To quote from the old movie "Network,"

We're mad as Hell and we're not going to take it anymore!"

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I'm sure somebody in Murray's email department snickers and deletes, but I do hope that we can get some candidates who are not chained to the wealthy, and who are not going to get sat down by senior members who say, "Now this is the way it is...don't rock the boat and you can draw your pay forever." and go along to get along. By the way, I also sent a letter to Congresman Larsen, and in response, I received almost the exact same response - including the part about how he is not sure that the president has done anything illegal!

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Stephen M. Osborn [send him email] is a freelance writer living on Camano Island in the Pacific Northwest. He is an "Atomic Vet." (Operation Redwing, Bikini Atoll 1956, ) who has been very active working and writing for nuclear disarmament and world peace. He is a retired Fire Battalion Chief, lifelong sailor, writer, poet, philosopher, historian and former newspaper columnist.