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Imperial Bush
A closer look at the Bush record -- from the war in Iraq to the war on the environment

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Will Americans take the exit ramp off the Bush presidency in November?

Behind Colin Powell's Legend
Colin Powell's sterling reputation in Washington hides his life-long role as water-carrier for conservative ideologues.

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Recounting the controversial presidential campaign

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Is the national media a danger to democracy?

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The story behind President Clinton's impeachment

Nazi Echo
Pinochet & Other Characters

The Dark Side of Rev. Moon
Rev. Sun Myung Moon and American politics

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How the American historical record has been tainted by lies and cover-ups

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The 1980 October Surprise scandal exposed

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Editorials


   
Review of 'Case for Impeachment'

By Peter Dyer
September 13, 2006

Editor's Note: Below is Peter Dyer's review of The Case for Impeachment: the Legal Argument for Removing President George W. Bush from Office” by Dave Lindorff and Barbara Olshansky:

Even though in the United States there is a fast-growing grassroots movement to impeach President Bush there has been predictably little response in the Republican-controlled Congress. If, however, the Democrats gain control of Congress as a result of the November midterm elections, a congressional impeachment effort will become considerably more likely.

David Lindorff, author and prominent investigative journalist, and Barbara Olshanksy, attorney and deputy director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, have written a book which could show the way: “The Case for Impeachment: the Legal Argument for Removing President George W. Bush from Office”. (Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Press, New York) The authors’ purpose is “to try to lay out for examination the vast range of presidential crimes, abuses of power, and threats to the Constitution and to the Republic”

The authors have collected and documented in methodical and convincing detail some of the President's most prominent impeachable offenses: lying to start an illegal war; the arrest and detention without charge of American citizens; violation of international treaties including the Geneva Conventions and the conventions against torture; willfully ignoring or violating acts of Congress by issuing hundreds of “signing statements”; violating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution and others.

These offenses are disturbing enough individually, but in their aggregate they demonstrate an appalling and outrageous pattern of contemptuous disregard for national and international law on the part of the very person charged with preserving, protecting and defending the law.

The authors also provide a valuable historical and legal perspective of the impeachment process and make a compelling case  for the impeachment, as well, of Vice President Cheney, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Rice and Attorney General Gonzales.

Although today impeachment still seems unlikely, if that changes, then “A Case for Impeachment” will be a valuable guide. And in the end it may very well prove to be prophetic.


Peter Dyer is a machinist who moved with his wife from California to
New Zealand in 2004. He can be reached at [email protected] .

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