Dear Friends,
I recently took an action to advance the cause of impeachment, and I want to suggest an action which you can also take in that regard.
I sent an email to the editorial board of The New York Times, asking that they, as trustees of American democracy, perform their Fourth Estate duty by calling for the impeachment of Cheney and Bush. I have pasted that email below for you to read. You can also view it at WashingtonForImpeachment.org at this link:
http://www.washingtonforimpeachment.org/blog/index.php?entry=entry071204-135817. I would like to suggest that you also consider sending The New York Times editorial board an email, demanding that they call for the impeachment of Cheney and Bush. The email address to use is editorial {at} nytimes.com.
I believe that for impeachment to succeed a portion of the main stream media needs to get behind it. Once that happens, impeachment will become like a freight train rolling down a mountainside: unstoppable.
Based on their editorials, The Times recognizes the criminality of the Bush/Cheney administration. Now they need to take that added step of calling for impeachment.
The head of the editorial board for The New York Times is Andrew Rosenthal. Pictures of the editorial board and narratives of their backgrounds can be viewed on this page:
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/opinion/editorial-board.html. If you take this action, I would be interested in reading your email to the Times editorial board. So you can also copy it to me, if you would like
The following are some points you might make in your email, should you send one.
- Bush and Cheney are the most criminal president and vice president this country has ever had to endure.
- It is the job of the media to tell America that criminal leaders must be removed from office for the good of the country.
- Impeachment of Bush and Cheney will go a long way to restoring America's reputation and honor.
- Impeachment of Bush and Cheney will help insure that future leaders of this country will not undermine our democracy the way Bush and Cheney have.
- The rule of law requires that criminal leaders like Bush and Cheney be held accountable for their crimes. Failure to hold them accountable undermines the American system of justice.
- Failure to repudiate Bush and Cheney through impeachment will tend to establish their criminal policies as acceptable in the American political system.
- Failure to rightfully impeach Bush and Cheney will lead to cynicism and disillusionment among the electorate and a weakening of support for our system of government.
Thanks for your support,
tom krebsbach
Dear Mr. Rosenthal,
Though I have sent this email to you, it is intended for the full New York Times editorial board.
Dear New York Times Editorial Board,
It is apparent to me from a number of editorials that have appeared in the New York Times recently that the editorial board of the New York Times gets it. The New York Times editorial board fully understands the corruption and criminality of the Bush/Cheney administration and the harm this administration has done to our democratic form of government.
As you no doubt are aware, the Bush/Cheney administration is operating under the guidance of the Unitary Executive Theory of government, as championed by Vice President Cheney and his counsel David Addington. According to this completely bogus and baseless theory of constitutional government, the president has complete control over the executive branch and is not bound by constraints imposed by congressional checks and balances. Furthermore, the president, as commander-in-chief, is unilaterally responsible for American foreign and military policy and may ignore at his discretion and whim international laws and laws passed by Congress which interfere with his duties as commander-in-chief.
Using the Unitary Executive Theory as a justification, the Bush/Cheney administration has developed and put in effect some very radical and un-American policies. A country which once stood for human rights, now tortures. A country once known for protection of individual rights and liberties, now affords the chief executive the power to declare citizens "unlawful combatants" and imprison them without right to due process of law and a right to trial. A country which once honored the privacy of its citizens, now eavesdrops on their communications without warrant and at will. A country which prided itself on the independence of its Department of Justice, now sees incompetent, partisan hacks being installed to run this department. A country which once criticized the U.S.S.R. for its propaganda, now has an administration pushing off "covert propaganda", created with tax payer money, to local news programs. A country which endowed the people's representatives in Congress the sole ability to make the laws of the land, now sees an administration which determines which parts of laws it will obey and which parts it will ignore.
The seven years of the Bush/Cheney administration have literally been a reign of terror. The crimes that have been committed during this reign of terror far surpass any crimes committed during the Nixon administration. These crimes will not simply go away when Bush and Cheney are out of office. These crimes, unless fully and unequivocally repudiated by America, set legal precedents which have the effect of changing the American system of government. The precedents undermine values we have held sacred since the founding of this nation. This has been made very clear by knowledgeable writers such as Bruce Fein, John Nichols, and Charlie Savage.
The New York Times editorial board understands this, I am convinced. In the November 16, 2007 editorial, "In Contempt", the editorial board pronounced the administration's refusal to let White House Chief of Staff, Joshua Bolten, and former White House Counsel, Harriet Miers, testify before the House Judiciary Committee as illegal. You went on to point out, "Just as important, by ignoring valid Congressional subpoenas, Ms. Miers and Mr. Bolten are dangerously challenging Congress’s power — and the careful system of checks and balances established by the founders." Clearly, this challenge, if not repudiated, undermines our democratic form of government.
In a November 11, 2007 editorial, "Abdicate and Capitulate", the Times editorial board criticized Sen. Schumer and Democrats in general for not standing up to the lawless nature of the Bush/Cheney administration, but rather giving in to the administration by giving Mr. Mukasey a pass into the role of Attorney General. You ended this editorial by stating, "But Democrats have done precious little to avoid the kind of spectacle the world saw last week: the Senate giving the job of attorney general, chief law enforcement officer in the world’s oldest democracy, to a man who does not even have the integrity to take a stand against torture."
The Times was right to point out to the world the spineless nature of the Democratic-led Congress because they have essentially abdicated their paramount duty to "Protect and Defend the Constitution of the United States" from an insidious internal assault by the Bush/Cheney administration.
Isn't it time now that the New York Times editorial board demonstrate that they are more responsible and courageous than the derelict Congress which now disserves this nation? Isn't it time that the New York Times, America's leading newspaper, frankly and resolutely tells the American public what it needs to hear: that for the good of our country and our democracy the Bush/Cheney administration must be completely and unequivocally repudiated through the impeachment of the criminals Richard B. Cheney and George W. Bush?
Please do not say that there is not enough time for impeachment, because without a doubt there is. Please do not say, as the Democrats are wont to do, that the votes are not there. In a country governed by the rule of law, when people commit horrendous crimes, regardless of their positions, they are held accountable. This must especially be true when those crimes have such a deleterious effect on our nation and its form of government. Whether the votes are there or not, it is vitally important for the well-being of our nation and its government that an attempt be made to hold Bush and Cheney accountable for their monstrous crimes. History must record that this generation did not simply stand by idly while Bush and Cheney did their best to destroy our democracy.
I and others will be watching. We know you understand the criminal nature of this administration. We will be watching to see if you are capable of fulfilling the responsibility of the Fourth Estate to act as trustees and guardians of our democracy. We will be watching to see if you have the courage to tell America the truth.
The time to act is short. Do not hesitate.
Sincerely,
Tom Krebsbach (Vietnam veteran)
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