Does this really surprise anyone? On the other hand...what can be done about this, if anything at all?

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In an e-mailed letter to me this morning from U.S. Senator Russ Feingold in his capacity as the honorary chair of the Progressive Patriots Fund, he stated his intention to introduce two censure resolutions (as his alternative to impeachment) "aimed at holding President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and other administration officials responsible for the destructive path down which they've taken our country...." The following is the complete text of his e-mailed message to me:

"Dear Jesse,

"On 'Meet the Press' this morning (Sunday, July 22, 2007), I announced that I will introduce two censure resolutions aimed at holding President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and other administration officials responsible for the destructive path down which they've taken our country. It's clear to me, and millions of Americans, that the time has come for accountability--on everything from the disastrous war in Iraq, to refusing, time and time again, to follow the rule of law. Members of Congress can no longer stand by and allow the White House to shred the Constitution, and thumb their noses at the American people.

"Over the recent months and years, we've learned that this President, and his administration, have used mistruths, spin, lofty-rhetoric, hyped-up intelligence reports, and scare tactics to drag this country into a war that can only be described as the worst foreign policy mistake in our nation's history. In addition, the administration, in an attempt to justify this mistake, has repeatedly distorted the situation on the ground in Iraq. As a result, the administration has dangerously weakened us in our efforts to fight those who attacked us on 9/11.

"What's equally dangerous is the blatant disregard President Bush has shown for the rule of law on which our country was founded. Last year, I introduced a resolution to censure President Bush for his failure to abide by the Constitution when he implemented his illegal domestic wiretapping program and for misleading the public about whether his administration was following the law. With your help, public scrutiny in this program was raised and the administration couldn't ignore it any longer. Earlier this year, the program was finally terminated and brought under the jurisdiction of the FISA statute.

"Unfortunately, failing to abide by the law is a pattern for this President. From illegal domestic wiretapping, to the President's dubious signing statements, to redefining torture, to the current U.S. Attorney scandal, the list goes on and on. There are so many good reasons for deep frustration so many of you and I feel about the direction of our country.

"As I have said before, I believe the President and Vice President have likely committed what our Founding Fathers would have thought of as 'high crimes and misdemeanors.' However, at this time I do not believe it is in our nation's best interest to put important issues facing our country on the back burner to go through months and months of a divisive impeachment process. Some may disagree with that, but at a minimum we can agree that censure resolutions, holding the President and his administration accountable for the actions I've outlined above, are needed.

"History must show that when confronted with an administration which does not recognize the separation of powers, which continually acts as if the executive branch is above the laws of our land, the American people and their elected officials stood up, in one voice, and demanded accountability.

"I've heard from people in Wisconsin and across the country in recent months on what we can do to hold this administration accountable for its actions surrounding the Iraq war and its deliberate disregard for the law. Please click here (www.progressivepatriotsfund.com/input.html) to read more about my two censure proposals, tackling both issues, and give me feedback on both topics. I need your help to develop these resolutions so all of our voices are heard. I look forward to reading your thoughts and I'll be sure to keep everyone posted in the coming days. I'm going to be looking to each and every one of you for help in developing these resolutions and in pushing them forward.

"Sincerely,

Russ Feingold
United States Senator
Honorary Chair, Progressive Patriots Fund"


I now agree with Senator Feingold concerning a devisive impeachment process and the need, instead, for a censure resolution(s) as a better alternative.

Thank you for your consideration of the aforementioned. I welcome your comments.

Please stop by the site www.savetheinternet.com and sign up to help keep the Internet free! John Kerry posted a great letter there. You can also download a button for myspace and facebook to direct other activists to the site.

Keep the internet free! Help send out the message. You have until June 15th to file comment with the FCC!

Peace,
Margie Murray
VDU newsletter editor
elected delegate from the fighting 41st!

PS: JOIN VDU with Larry C. Johnson - former CIA agent and
Bush media critic. We will be meeting on Tuesday, June 19th at 7pm at the Encino Community Center. It will be set up as a Town Hall forum with lots of q & a from the audience.

I have got to say that after watching the June 3rd Presidential debate on CNN tonight, I have never been more proud to be an ACTIVE Democrat and to live in this great country we call home.   Read More »

THOSE IDIOTS/CRIMINALS IN THE WHITE HOUSE KNEW FROM EVEN BEFORE THE START OF THIS HORRIBLE WAR, THAT IT WOULD COME OUT THIS WAY! ACCORDING TO THE BOSTON GLOBE, AN INTELLIGENCE REPORT THAT IS ABOUT TO BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC CAME OUT IN EARLY 2003 THAT PREDICTED THAT ONCE WE OVERTHREW SADDAM, CHAOS WOULD ENSUE! ACCORDING TO THE INTELLIGENCE REPORT, IT WAS PREDICTED THAT THE END OF THE SADDAM ERA WOULD BE THE BEGINNING OF AN ERA OF TERROR. IT WAS PREDICTED THAT ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS WOULD COME STREAMING INTO IRAQ TO FIGHT AMERICA. IT WAS PREDICTED THAT THE BATHISTS WOULD RISE UP AGAINST THE NEW GOVERNMENT. IT WAS PREDICTED THAT ETHNIC TENSIONS WOULD BECOME A BIG PROBLEM. EVERYTHING THAT IS NOW, WAS ALL KNOWN THEN, AND WE STILL WENT TO WAR! IT JUST DISGUSTS ME!

ALL THOSE AMERICANS LOST THEIR LIVES FOR A WAR THAT WAS NOT ONLY UNJUST, BUT ONE IN WHICH WE KNEW THEN (IN THE BEGINNING) THAT BY GOING TO WAR, WE WOULD BE CREATING MORE TERROR THAN LESS. IN THE END THE ONLY ONES TO BENEFIT FROM THIS WERE BUSH AND HIS CRONIES. AT LEAST THEN, THEY COULD MAKE SOME MONEY OUT OF THIS. ALL THOSE HALIBERTONS, EXXON/MOBIL, AND OTHER COMPANIES OWNED AND OPERATED BY BUSH-CHENEY AND THEIR CRONIES WON, WHILE EVERYONE ELSE SUFFERED. AND THEY KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN. THEY ACTUALLY KNEW.

ALL THAT TIME WHEN THEY WERE WRAPPING ON THAT WE WOULD BE WELCOMED AS LIBERATORS AND FRIENDS, THEY KNEW THAT WE WOULD NOT BE. THEY KNEW WE WOULD FAIL, AND THEY TOOK US TO WAR ANYWAY!


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GOD, I HATE THE PRESIDENT! I AM STEAMING MAD RIGHT NOW. CAN YOU TELL?

Every time George W. Bush comes out and gives absolute public support for somebody working for him, that person is inevitably out of job in a few days. It happened to Mike Brown, former head of FEMA. Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29, 2005. Bush came out in public support of Brown a few days later, and Brown was gone by September 12, 2005. It happened to Donald Rumsfeld, former Secretary of Defense. Bush, in an admittedly blatant lie to the entire country, told reporters on November 1, 2006, that Rumsfeld would not be replaced and would be with Bush until the end of his presidency. On November 8, 2006, the day after the election, Rumsfeld was gone. The same thing apparently has happened to Paul Wolfowitz. Last week, Bush supported him 100%, even in the midst of this bizarre World Bank scandal. Seems, though, that Wolfowitz will be resigning in June. Alberto Gonzales should start packing his bags, because George Bush has given him his total support in the midst of the scandal involving the firing of numerous attorneys in the Attorney General's office. The Senate is ready to enter a symbolic no confidence vote on Gonzales, and it really is only a matter of time before Gonzales will not be able to function at all. I give him 2 weeks at most. Why can't we get Bush to give his entire cabinet, and Vice President Cheney, a big public announcement of total unequivocal support, and maybe they will all quit by July 4th, and we can really have a great celebration!! Come on George, I dare you! Your hollow words of praise are truly a curse on anyone and anything they touch.

Dear all,
I thought I should share this link with all of you. It is a link to a letter signed by Mr. Alberto Gonzales ENTIRE graduating class from Harvard Law School asking for him to resign from his position as Attorney General.


Enjoy!!!

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Will the White House ever learn? Do they have any respect for anybody? I guess not. According to the Boston Globe (and I am sure other papers as well), Mr. Comey (former undersecretary for the Department of Justice) testified on Capitol Hill yesterday that in March of 2004, he rushed over to a very sick John Ashcroft's hospital room (with permission from John's wife) to warn him that then White House Chief Council and then White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card were on their way over to seek legal aproval to reauthorize the illegal warrantless wiretapping program.


At the time, Ashcroft was recovering from major surgery, and his wife had barred any visitors in order not to upset her husband. Yet Andrew Card and the despicable Alberto Gonzales came anyway.

According to the article, many players at the Department of Justice were rethinking the program, and were starting to think it illegal. These players included FBI director Mr. Mueller, Mr. Comey, and Mr. Ashcroft. When Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Card came to the hospital, Mr. Ashcroft said as much. Acting Attorney General (in the absense of Mr. Ashcroft) at the time was Mr. Comey, and he had already ruled it illegal.

The sad part is however, in the Bush Administration's panic after Comey's decision, they had to harass a sick man. These people have no soul. They have no conscience. They are spineless. They are criminals.

In the end, the Bush Administration reauthorized the warantless wiretapping program even though Justice had ruled it illegal, and according to Albeto Gonzales, it ended in 2006. Whether that is to be believed, I will leave that open for debate, but the point is, that the Bush administration went to far [again] in harassing a very sick man.

Well, it appears that the lesson ole Georgie learned from the November "thumpin'" of the Republican party is that Americans want lots more troops in Iraq. The word is out that Bush is ordering at least 20,000 more troops to be deployed to Iraq ASAP. These won't really be new troops. Folks who were supposed to come home will be ordered to stay put, and those scheduled to be sent in the future will be sent sooner.

How can so much stupidity be concentrated in one person? A temporary (using the term loosely) increase in troop levels will mean nothing, and it certainly isn't what the country was hoping for when it ousted scores of Republicans in the November elections. Bush is planning a big press conference soon to explain his new strategery. He should just repeat what he said in a press conference last June, when he was asked if the tide was turning in Iraq: "I think -- tide turning -- see, as I remember -- I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of -- it's easy to see a tide turn -- did I say those words?" That makes about as much sense as anything else he's ever said about Iraq.