Report from the meeting at Price's office in Durham + Price letter on impeachment

At the meeting with District Liason Tracy Lovett at Rep. Price's Durham office we had two people from the western Triangle and two from Durham.  I think we were all late, and I was last, I think at least partly because I publicized the wrong address for the NC Mutual Building.  I hope the small size was not because of the address error or full visitor parking spaces (another reason why I was late to the meeting).  Basically we were providing comments, since Price was not there.  We discussed the Democrats soon having subpoena power in Congress.  I asked what Price has done (besides the wiretapping letter to Bush), and will do, to implement the suggestions in the Al Gore speech he praised to us when we met with his January 30th in Chapel Hill.  We were not given an answer, but I said that I hope that Price will do more for investigation, and will not be afraid to consider impeachment or censure, if and when Congress 'reveals' the crimes and undercutting of democracy and our liberties by the Bush Administration. 

 

I presented 50 signatures to the DSM petition on paper, 86 from www.petitiononline.com/dsmnc/petition.html (of which I think about 50 are new), and 35 GRIm collected at the Hillsborough town meeting last July, on paper.  I've been circulating the petitions at stores, at a few meetings, and online, rather than more actively circulating it, and it is mostly a one person effort.  We will continue to collect signatures.     

 

Below is an email on impeachment I received from Price's office November 29th.  I don't remember sending an email though.  I think this is not enough, though it could be an improvement, and that the Democrats collectively didn't speak out and vote many times when they should have to oppose Bush's policies.    

 

Dear [southplumb]:

Thank you for contacting me regarding possible grounds for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

I share your concern about the policies of the Bush administration and understand calls for the House to initiate impeachment proceedings against the President and Vice President. I think it is very likely that, among other things, the President exaggerated intelligence findings to strengthen his case for war in Iraq, that he and/or members of his administration authorized the use of torture, and that he violated federal law by authorizing wiretaps on the communications of U.S. citizens without obtaining the approval of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. I have voiced my opposition to these policies as forcefully as I can, and have pushed for investigations into presidential abuses of power. Unfortunately, congressional oversight of the executive branch has been almost totally lacking over the last six years.

When the 110th Congress convenes next January, under new leadership, I am confident that the situation will fundamentally change. We will have aggressive and extensive committee oversight on the broad range of President Bush's policies, and investigations into the many allegations that he and the Vice-President have abused their authority.

As you may know, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who is expected to be elected Speaker of the House in the next Congress, has indicated that the House will not initiate impeachment proceedings against President Bush at this time. She also made very clear that the House will once again be in the business of holding the executive branch accountable for its actions and policies. Rep. John Conyers, the likely chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has similarly indicated his intention to intensely scrutinize Bush Administration policies and the actions of the President and Vice-President.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please continue to stay in touch on this and other issues of concern.

Sincerely,

DAVID PRICE

Member of Congress