Representative Betty Hall's Resolution to the NH House for Impeachment of Richard Cheney
Edited Nov. 24, 2007: Below are Representative Hall's remarks from a press conference, and this posting was edited to include Representative Hall's Resolution for Impeachment presented to the NH House for passage this year.
Until Congressman Kucinich courageously made the privileged motion forcing a vote on his Resoloution 333 to impeach Vice President Cheney in November on the floor of the US. House of Representatives, I still did not know who I would support for President in the primary. But when I listened to the debate on his privileged motion, I knew I had to not only support him but I HAD to endorse him. As a long time State Representative I intended and still intend to pursue impeachment by introducing a "Petition To Commence Impeachment Procedings in the United States Congress for the Impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney" into the New Hampshire General Court.
For the first time in my many years voting none of the candidates in the N.H. Primary in either party seemed to have the leadership qualities matching the long string of candidates I was proud to have supported in the past. None seemed ready to step up and fulfill the Constitutional duties they had sworn to uphold and protect. None seemed ready to reverse the powers that Bush and Cheney have usurped. None seemed ready to get our troops out of harms way, stop the killing of innocent civilians. None seemed ready to stop preemptive war. Some said they were ready, but past performance has shown them lacking. Then Kucinich dramatically used the Constitutional Imperative to Impeach, and the long-standing rules on privileged motions to force a vote. I was inspired by his boldness and persistence.
I have voted in every election. I learned the honor of working at the polls, working for my candidates and running for office in my town and in our great state and country. I was privileged to work for a number of Presidential candidates since the NH Primary became the first primary in the nation. Many of them were successful in their bids. I remember that we helped encourage over ninety percent of the eligible voters in my town to actually cast their ballots in person. We carefully checked and called our voters and provided transportation. We marked and cast our ballots without benefit of voting machines. We count our ballots in public. Many of our towns still hand count our ballots, quickly, accurately and transparently. I believe the exemplary system of voting and counting in New Hampshire is an important reason why New Hampshire deserves to have the first primary.
Grassroots democracy grows easily out of the New England Town Meeting. Running for the School Board or the Board of Selectmen just naturally follows. The next step is serving in our citizens legislature with 400 citizen patriots. There is one legislator for approximately every 4000 people in out state. Serving in the New Hampshire House is like having Town Meeting every day. I know because I have served 14 terms. What a great honor it has been for me. And, Dennis, it is a great honor to stand here with you, my candidate for the Primary--whenever it happens!!!
Imagine if you will, how our nation would be different if our leaders in Washington were all this close to We The People. The Florida 2000 election would have been recounted, Ohio 2004 would have been recounted. The powers that Bush and Cheney have usurped with the help of a compliant Congress would still belong to us. We would still have our friends around the world. I was born in occupied Germany after Wold War I. My Mother joined my Father for several wonderful years working to reverse the ravages of war I was born in an American Military Hospital in Koblentz. My parents made many wonderul German friends and returned to visit many times in the ensuing years. They witnessed Hitler's rise to power and the loss of freedom and democracy before our friends woke up and realized how they failed to speak up and preserve their liberty. They were there when Hitler seized power. My Mother did not speak a word of German but she knew that this was an evil man and said so. Her friends were afraid to speak up.
That is why Dennis and I must speak aout IMPEACHMENT. It isn't popular to speak up. I know. When I spoke in the legislature some people were angry. But we must talk about it. We must learn about it. Impeachment is a tool our constitution gives us. It is like a scalpel to remove a disease in our system. But, like surgeons, we the people must use it to save the patient. And like the surgeon, we cannot wait. That's why we must raise the level of consiousness about the disease and why we must learn from our founding fathers and mothers to care for our most precious patient. THE CONSTITUTIONAL IMPERATIVE is a duty --not an option.
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