Norm's opening notes on impeachment for Thursday July 19, 2007

Here are what Norman Goldman said in response to my previous post on his six reasons to impeach Bush. They are adapted from his original notes for the show he did on July 19, 2007.

Thank you, Plunderer, for posting this!! What follows is a stripped down, somewhat edited version of the opening on today's show, edited MOSTLY for space considerations. also edited partly to clean up typos (i didn't know this would be a PUBLIC document!) and once to add a callers's VERY ASTUTE observation that the 4th Amendment was violated (in addition to the 5th and 6th) with the "extraordinary renditions" and Jose Padilla. So, here goes:

IN ORDER OF MOST IMPORTANT FIRST, MY NUMBER ONE REASON IS THE WARRANTLESS WIRETAPPING. THAT’S A DIRECT VIOLATION OF HIS OATH OF OFFICE AND A DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE 4TH AMENDMENT – AGAINST UNREASONABLE SEARCHES AND SEIZURES. AND WHAT’S WORST ABOUT THE THING IS NOT THE SECRETIVE NATURE OF IT – THAT’S AN IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE RIGHT THERE…..KNOWINGLY COVERING UP AN ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL ORDER TO WIRETAP AMERICANS WITHOUT WARRANTS – BUT EVEN WORSE IS THAT, ONCE EXPOSED, HE SAID HE WAS GONNA KEEP DOING IT!! NOW THAT’S DEFIANCE, ARROGANCE AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL CONDUCT ALL ROLLED UP INTO ONE.

THE SECOND GROUND IS GUANTANAMO BAY, SECRET PRISONS, AND EXTRAORDINARY RENDITIONS, A EUPHEMISM FOR KIDNAPPING. BUSH SEIZED PEOPLE RIGHT OFF THE STREETS, TRANSPORTED THEM TO SECRET PRISONS OR TO THIRD PARTIES AND TORTURED OR KNEW THAT TORTURE WOULD OCCUR. NOW, TORTURE, WHETHER AT GUANTANAMO, ABU GHRAIB, THE SECRET PRISONS OR THROUGH THIRD PARTIES, LIKE EGYPT, IS A VIOLATION OF THE 8TH AMENDMENT BAN ON CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT. GUANTANAMO BAY IS A VIOLATION OF THE 4TH, 5TH AND 6TH AMENDMENTS, REQUIRING INDICTMENTS, CHARGES AND A TRIAL. AND, BASED ON JOSE PADILLA ALONE, BUSH SHOULD BE KICKED OUT OF OFFICE. THIS MAN, MR. PADILLA, IS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN ARRESTED ON U.S. SOIL AND THROWN INTO A MILITARY STOCKADE FOR 4 YEARS WITHOUT CHARGES, LAWYERS OR A TRIAL. THAT’S AN IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE ALL BY ITSELF.

THE THIRD GROUND IS LYING TO CONGRESS AND THE PUBLIC TO OBTAIN AUTHORITY TO GO INTO IRAQ. THIS IS A VIOLATION OF THE PUBLIC’S TRUST. IF THIS ISN’T A HIGH CRIME AND MISDEMEANOR – THE CONSTITUTION’S STANDARD FOR IMPEACHMENT – THEN THERE IS NO SUCH THING. HALF A TRILLION DOLLARS AND THOUSANDS OF LIVES, BOTH AMERICAN AND IRAQI. THAT’S NOT JUST IMPEACHMENT, THAT’S INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMINAL STUFF.

MY FOURTH BASIS IS RECENT: ORDERING WITNESSES TO DEFY VALID CONGRESSIONAL SUBPOENAS TO TESTIFY. THIS SETS UP BUSH AS A KING, A DICTATOR, ISSUING EDICTS FROM ON HIGH. THAT’S A VIOLATION OF HIS OATH TO PRESERVE, PROTECT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION SO CONVICTION ON THAT CHARGE IS WARRANTED.

MY FIFTH GROUND FOR IMPEACHMENT IS THE SIGNING STATEMENTS. ONCE SIGNED, A CONGRESSIONAL BILL IS LAW. PERIOD. THE SIGNING STATEMENTS ARE THE SAME AS A LINE ITEM VETO – AND THE SUPREME COURT HAS ALREADY SAID THOSE ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL – SO MR. BUSH CANNOT SELECTIVELY DECLARE PARTS OF LAWS ILLEGAL, UNENFORCEABLE OR UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THE EXECUTIVE HAS A DUTY TO ENFORCE THE LAW. PERIOD. FOR VIOLATING THE CONSTITUTIONAL SEPARATION OF POWERS AND HIS OATH OFFICE, I ASK FOR IMPEACHMENT AND CONVICTION.

FINALLY, WE HAVE NO BID CONTRACTS IN IRAQ. WE HAVE BILLIONS SQUANDERED, STOLEN OR LOST. THIS IS PUBLIC CORRUPTION AND THAT’S A HIGH CRIME. SINCE WE HAVE IRREFUTABLE PROOF OF THIS STOLEN LOOT, I ASK FOR YOUR VERDICT OF GUILTY IN THE TRIAL OF GEORGE W. BUSH.