UPDATE: Brattleboro Vermont Votes to Indict Bush and Cheney

Measure Passes 2012 to 1795 in Heavy Voting

7:45 pm EDT. Brattleboro becomes one of the first cities, perhaps the first, in the United States to indict President Bush and Vice President Cheney for "crimes against the constitution." The measure listed below, was voted on today in Brattleboro Vermond. Turnout was heavy, nearing 50% and activists were out in strength to help get people to the polls.

The measure is symbolic since neither Bush nor Cheney have nay plans to visit Vermont soon. However, candidate Dobson from Maine introduced a similar measure in Kennebunkport, Maine (see below) which may come up for a vote in the summer.

This was reported to Michael Collins by Maine U.S. Senate Candidate Laurie Dobson who was supporting the election by taking exit polls today in Brattleboro.

Original Article Continues


Michael Collins
"Scoop" Independent News
Washington, DC

The second American Revolution may begin in Brattleboro, Vermont should it becomes the first city in the United States to formally indict George W. Bush and **** Cheney for "crimes against the Constitution." The town votes on the following resolution Tuesday, March 4, 2008:

"Shall the Selectboard instruct the Town Attorney to draft indictments against President Bush and Vice President Cheney for crimes against our Constitution, and publish said indictment for consideration by other municipalities? And shall it be the law of the Town of Brattleboro that the Brattleboro Police, pursuant to the above-mentioned indictments, arrest and detain George Bush and Richard Cheney in Brattleboro if they are not duly impeached, and extradite them to other authorities that may reasonably contend to prosecute them."

Barry Aleshnick is a Brattleboro resident and one of a small group of activists campaigning for passage of the initiative. In an interview on the evening of March 2nd, he said the failure of Congress to act on impeachment inspired the Vermont effort. Aleshnick described how Kurt Daims started the process by developing the resolution. At the outset, "Daims stood alone on streets gathering signatures," according to Aleshnick. Others joined the effort and they're now working together to gain passage in Tuesday's vote.

Aleshnick observed that Bush acts "like he's above the law" when he invades nations for no reason" and engages in torture around the world. The local initiative is one readily available alternative available to citizens to hold Bush and Cheney accountable for "criminal behavior" in the absence of congressional action, he said. Aleshnick is "optimistic about passage of the resolution."

U.S. Senate Candidate Submits Charges against Bush in Kennebunkport, Maine

U.S. Senate candidate Laurie Dobson, (Ind.), charged Bush and Cheney with "crimes against the Constitution" in Kennebunkport, Maine, summer home to the Bush family. Dobson recently attracted national attention by proposing a moratorium on foreclosures, an approach later adopted in a restricted form by Democratic presidential candidates John Edwards and Hillary Clinton.

In her February 26, 2008 submission, Dobson specified the crimes to the Board of Selectmen:" I, Laurie Dobson, am convinced that these individuals have committed war crimes." The action will be considered for a vote at the next town meeting a few months out.

Other State and Local Efforts to Indict and Impeach Bush

On Feb. 19, 2008, a resolution was presented to New Hampshire's House of Representatives calling for impeachment. While the committee voted against recommending it to the full house, 11-5, the bill will be voted on in March. Reports from the hearing indicated a large crowd supportive of the amendment to the surprise of legislators.

The Vermont Senate passed a resolution calling for impeachment that passed 16 to 9 in the state senate in April 2007. This was the culmination of 40 Vermont town governments passing pro impeachment proposals starting in April 2006 when Newfane, Vermont Selectboard member Dan DeWalt introduced and helped pass a resolution calling for impeachment based on the war in Iraq and resulting deaths.

In early 2007, a formal resolution of impeachment was introduced in the Illinois State Assembly. This was based on the rules for the House of Representatives written by Thomas Jefferson. These rules allow state legislatures and grand juries to issue a formal referral for impeachment, one the U.S. House ore Representatives must consider. The rules, Section 603 state that:

"Inception of impeachment proceedings in the House: ... there are various methods of setting an impeachment in motion: by charges made on the floor on the responsibility of a Member or Delegate; by charges preferred by a memorial, which is usually referred to a committee for examination; by a resolution dropped in the hopper by a Member and referred to a committee; by a message from the President; by charges transmitted from the legislature of a State or territory or from a grand jury..." House Rules Manual, Thomas Jefferson

Illinois representative Karen Yarborough offered the resolution which focused on violating civil liberties and torture. It called for the immediate removal of Bush and Cheney. It was referred to committee and killed by the Assembly leadership.

Of the various efforts to start impeachment proceedings, the Illinois resolution had the best chance by invoking the Rules of the House or Representatives. These rules contain an injunction which makes clear that a "proposition to impeach is a question of high privilege in the House and at once supersedes business otherwise in order under the rules governing the order of business." (House Rules Manual, Thomas Jefferson)

Current Action Stems from anti Patriot Act Effort - 400 Cities Say No Tyranny
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/13239

I live there, and this measure was both stupid and a waste of time. Not a selectboard matter, time should be spent on something productive. This is a non binding motion and has not no legal weight what so ever........Maybe you should get your facts straight along with all the other liberals........Oh, thats right, point the finger when you all just make the facts as you see fit.

I really don't think it matters, he's on the way out. Forget about Bush/Cheney and look to the future, whatever that might be.


I have a bad feeling people will go for the ultimate feel-good candidates (Clinton/Obama ... they gonna put them together, just watch) without actually thinking about the real issues and what the nation actually needs.


I encourage people to vote intelligently. Please don't vote Democratic JUST because you feel the republican party did a horrible job these last 8 years, alternatively don't vote Republican because you think the Democrats would do no better and are using cheap shots to gain votes.

Also, don't be afraid to vote independently because "It throws your vote away", that's a train of thought that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy if you let it.

Please, don't look at political parties this year, look at what you think each candidate can do and cannot do for the good of the nation.

I live in vermont as well. I am not a bush/cheney fan. this however is a waste of time. Other issues should have been discussed and voted on. It will take much more than little burlington VT to impeach bush/cheney. the best it does is send a message to bush/cheney that burlington vermont does not agree with there decisions/philosophies. Neither probably cares considering neither one of them has even visited vermont in the last 8 years. this vote was a waste of tax payer time and money.

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madman...... I read the first sentence of this riduculous post and decided to check the truthfullness of it. Here is the first sentence of your anti-American thread.

Measure Passes 2012 to 1795 in Heavy Voting


The measures passes 2,012 for it and 1,795 against it in heavy voting. The town has approximately 15,000 citizens. Since when is a turnout of 3,807 in a town of more than 15,000 citizens considered heavy voting, particularly when only 2,012 voted for it. There is lunacy and lying in this town and article. Additionally, why aren't you terminating this thread, particularly when livelif tells you he lives there and is giving you the real scoop on it.

Since you are so thrilled with the above, why don't you move there?

wow, liberals take over and come out in droves showing heavy support.. all the while wasting the time of a small town community.
whats the matter couldnt get this measure put on the ballots of a state? its cool though, really a "w" in the win column is just what ya'll needed to solidify the truth right?

no offense to your town of brattleboro but the fact that these people were able to get enough signatures to even place this ridiculous notion on your ballot is kind of funny, wheres the common sense up there?

the smirkingchimp theres a news source of substances

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armydoc4u......

The smirkingchimp is a news/commentary website from the Left-Wing. It lists itself as "The Evolution of Evil/The SmirkingChimp," which says it all in a nutshell.

Its logo is "Ask not at whom the chimp smirks; he smirks at you," which is a rip-off from Hemingway's quote "Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." However, considering madman has been guilty a multitude of times of plagiarizing, it is fit that he would copy/paste from a website that openly admits to that form of deception.

Oh, I decided to do some plagiarizing myself ...... here it is

"Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for your Democratic sorry asses."

goes to show

who can be distracted from the

news that really matters

and effects you

enough get diverted to the crap

then things get slipped threw that

should not even be considered

let them eat cake

Well, the main course is going to be crow!

the problem is those that get

distracted and do not realize it

effect us all

there downfall will lead to the

downfall of us all

that is the scary part

the bad apples as it were, spoiling the barrell.

and some are even rotten to the core...if you know what I mean..

You all complain a lot. He put an article down, article was proven by a resident and several other individuals to be a complete waste of time, let the thread go. As it may be, it is a good step if not a really, really small one. Waste of time indeed, but freedom of speech is not.

no puns intended Im sure.

AGREE!

Vermont isn't that the same state where a judge has given at least 2 different child molesters probation? You're right madman bunch of free thinkers up there.

Funny how the Liberal Socialists think that something done by one little podunk community out in the sticks all of a sudden changes the constitution and the law of the land.

The fact remains that there are alot of Americans who see that the Bush/Cheney are going to get away scott free of all the illegal activities they have inflicted on America and elsewhere since being in office.

A little movement in the right direction is better than none.

How funny, that Bush wanted Saddam to pay for his past indescretions and he wants to slide scott free for his

keep dreaming

kind of ironic is it not

to use freedom of speech argument

to tell others to quit speaking