Vermont Towns Back Bush Impeachment

Voters Support Resolutions To Investigate Administration On Iraq Policy; Approve Withdrawal Of U.S. Troops

(CBS/AP)  Temperatures below zero outside didn’t cool passions indoors at Vermont town meetings yesterday. At communities across the state, citizens came to debate and vote on local matters — and the Iraq War.

CBS affiliate WCAX correspondent Darren Perron reports that voters in 35 towns passed non-binding resolutions to investigate and possibly impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Twenty towns voted in favor of immediately withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq.

Nine other towns either voted no or declined to take up the impeachment resolution.

Organizers of the initiatives say these tiny New England towns have sent a big message to Washington and the rest of the country.

But critics of the impeachment and withdrawal resolutions said it's not a local matter to be decided at town meetings along with firehouse budgets and property taxes, and the discussion took away from issues that the forum is designed to deal with.

"This is an inappropriate venue," said Bill Miller of Jericho. "Town Meeting is to decide town issues. We should stick to that."

Clearly, the resolutions were the reasons some voters showed up in the first place. They considered Town Meeting the perfect venue to vent their frustration with the Bush administration and its Iraq policy.

"A chorus (of people) want this nightmare of a war to be over," said Peter Lackowski.

In Middlebury, Gov. Jim Douglas was the Town Meeting moderator. He at first tried to block a vote on the two resolutions, reasoning that they were brought up under new business, meaning no vote could be held, according to the Rutland Herald and Times Argus.

He changed his mind when voters made clear they wanted to weigh in on the resolutions, both of which were opposed by wide margins.

"It became clear that no one was going home until they had the chance to discuss the resolutions and vote on them," said David Rosenberg, a political science professor at Middlebury College who attended the meeting. "And being a good politician, he allowed the vote to happen."

In Calais, Vt., moderator Gus Seelig asked the crowd of about 125 people to keep it civil. "We're not going to attack our neighbors," he said. "They're still going to be our neighbors when we're done here today."

Marion Gray, 60, the stepmother of a service member killed in Iraq, called it "treasonous" to spend taxpayer money on impeachment proceedings, and said the United States had more to lose by pulling out.

"If we don't finish the job there, it's going to be finished here," she said. "They will follow our troops home."

Moments later, Cynthia Johnson, 51, who had petitioned for the resolution, stood up from her pew near the back. "It is our responsibility here, at Town Meeting, in this forum, to question the things that are happening."

So it went, back and forth.

Ray Lemay, 66, whose son is a U.S. Navy officer, said the polling place was where such grievances should be addressed. His voice halting, he looked toward Gray, who was across the room. "I'd hate to see my son in the same boat as Mrs. Gray's. But if it happens, it happens. It was a good cause."

Several speakers said they objected to the notion that war opponents don't support the troops.

"It is not treason to question our government," said Tom Treece, 40. "This has nothing to do with the troops. It's about what the administration is doing. We all support the troops, but they're being used."

Supporters said that while this week's votes should get the attention of Vermont's Congressional delegation, all three members — Senators Patrick Leahy (D) and Bernie Sanders (I) and Rep. Peter Welch (D) — have said they do not support beginning impeachment proceeding against the president, though they are in favor of investigating Bush administration policies — and all three are in favor of at least a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Gray said it was supporters of the measure who were being used. She said Calais' passage of the resolution — in a 94-22 vote — would have no effect.

"It goes nowhere, folks," she said. "Neither forward nor backward."

[coffeehead-2009]

vermont is "old America" - ya know , "forefathers, land of the free, constitution"....

They need to catch up to the "NEW WORLD" and
just accept what is given and taken. Pfft.
laws are for the peons - what do they think we are a "democracy" - besides he didn't commit adultry or anything. And the book of 1000 lies and patriotic americans die?
Well that is allll in the name of "national security" and our all out effort to find.....
Bin laden?

[agnim]

"That would be Condi. She's the secretary in charge of BJ's.

Posted by RandalDS at 10:36 PM : Mar 07, 2007"

I was forgetting her. No one else would be prepared to stoop that low. LOL

[randalds]

What would the cont of impeachment be based on?
what law has been violated?.......

Hmmm..
Secretly moving monies from Afghanistan to Iraq to initiate his war of choice would be a start.
Bypassing the FISA courts to spy on US citizens, holding American citizens in military custody without bringing charges, any serious investigation into the criminal organization running this country would reveal a plethora of illegal and immoral actions.

Posted by omega39 at 11:09 AM : Mar 07, 2007

And one of these would be an open and shut case as the idiot himself confessed on national TV that he authorized spying without a warrant, when he does not have the power to do so. In effect he confessed to committing the crime and it's a felony, so off to club fed with him! An impeachment's not good enough, only prison is.

[randalds]

Yes to Impeachment of President and Vice President! But remember, we wouldn't have these buffoons in charge if it weren't for the stupid Electoral College. Let's clean up the mess and then, correct the problem, by eliminating the Electoral College!
Posted by dcamp2909 at 12:16 PM

-----

Spot on, man!
Posted by scott4261 at 01:20 PM : Mar 07, 2007

I'll third that! The Electoral College has long outlived it's purpose. Besides over the years the number from the smaller population states has increased in a disproportionate number as compared to the more populous ones, giving them more weight then they deserve. Dump the whole thing in favor of a straightforward popular vote.

[randalds]

Right!
Just who would give him a BJ, the twins by mistake when they also get drunk? LOL
Posted by Agnim at 05:03 PM : Mar 07, 2007

That would be Condi. She's the secretary in charge of BJ's.

[pakaal]

sero5 wrote: "The aftermath of 9-11 shows how difficult for our government to get reliable, timely intelligence on terrorists and other countries with aspirations for nuclear weapons."

Actually, we did have reliable, timely intelligence. Unfortunately, Cheney and Rumsfeld set up the "Office of Special Plans" and put Doug Feith in there to whip up some "intelligence" that was more favorable to their plans.

sero5 wrote: "We could have gone to war with Iraq even with Kerry as president."

Possible but doubtful. It's much more likely that Kerry would have stuck with targeting those responsible for 9/11 and helping Afghanistan get back on its feet. No one but the guys who had a preset plan to invade Iraq would have done so - there wasn't any evidence that Iraq was any part of the 9/11 attack.

[sero5]

It does not matter who won the presidential election in 2004 or even 2000. The aftermath of 9-11 shows how difficult for our government to get reliable, timely intelligence on terrorists and other countries with aspirations for nuclear weapons. We could have gone to war with Iraq even with Kerry as president.

[agnim]

"Agnim...good point, but Bush never lied about a Blow j o b.

Posted by david1737 at 02:59 PM : Mar 07, 2007"

Right!
Just who would give him a BJ, the twins by mistake when they also get drunk? LOL

[david1737]

Repubs. show that they are truly hypocritical.

Oh my god! You mean Bill Clinton got a BJ. Quick bring Impeachment hearings!

Bush:

Walter Reed
Abu-gharieb
Git-mo
Secret CIA prisons
Torture
Outs a spy
Hurricane K
Wire taping
data mining
No WMD
No Yellow Cake
No connection to 9-11

Repubs say how dare Vermont even think of impeachment.

[klingon69]

Dcamp;
You are so right about the electoral college. When it was created, it served a valid purpose. Now, with our technological abilities, why not put it to the popular vote nationwide instead of allowing each state to give their votes to one candidate or another. What about those states that the candidates are too close. BTW, let's do that with all new laws, ordinances, taxes...etc.