Press Contacts
David Swanson, 202.329.7847, david@davidswanson.org
Jacob Park, jacob@a28.org

Impeach07 Campaign Launched

A growing network of organizations and individuals has launched a new campaign to pursue the immediate impeachment of George Bush and Dick Cheney through widespread public protest, creative dissent, media activism, education, and coordinated lobbying. Members of the Impeach07 campaign believe that Bush and Cheney have committed high crimes and misdemeanors, including - among many others - misleading the nation into an aggressive war, spying in open violation of the law, and sanctioning the use of torture. The campaign is demanding that Congress Members hold Cheney and Bush accountable through the Constitutional remedy of impeachment.

Impeach07 exists to organize people throughout the U.S. to demand that Congress impeach. Newsweek reported in October that a majority of Americans favor impeachment, and in January that 58% said they wished the Bush administration were over. Impeach07 will draw on this energy to mobilize people from all walks of life. As Howard Zinn, noted historian, has said, "Only a great popular upheaval can push both Republicans and Democrats into compliance with the national will."

Speaking of the significance of Impeach07, Debra Sweet, Director of The World Can't Wait—Drive Out the Bush Regime, said: "To end the war in Iraq, prevent Bush from widening the conflict to Iran, stop the dangerous direction of this administration, Bush and Cheney must be impeached. If we do not demand this now, not only will the death and destruction continue for two more years, but all that Bush has done will be legitimized and we will send a terrible message of impunity. We will not accept war crimes being committed in our name."

On March 17, the anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, Impeach07 will mobilize for a march on the Pentagon to demand: "End the War and Impeach Bush Now!" Throughout the spring, Impeach07 will spread across the country through a variety of projects. April 28 will be a nationwide day of protest in towns and cities across the country. Preparations have begun for a massive outpouring of creative dissent including rallies, concerts, public forums, street theater, and more.

Initial participating organizations represent hundreds of thousands of antiwar, impeachment, military family, peace, youth and women activists and lawyers. They include After Downing Street, Backbone Campaign, Center for Constitutional Rights, Citizens Impeachment Commission, CODE PINK Women for Peace, Constitution Summer, Consumers for Peace, Democrats.com, Democracy Rising, Gold Star Families for Peace, Green Party of the United States, Hip Hop Caucus, Impeach the President, ImpeachBush.org, Military Free Zone, National Lawyers Guild, Patriotic Response to Renegade Government, Progressive Democrats of America, Independent Progressive Politics Network, Velvet Revolution, and World Can't Wait: Drive Out the Bush Regime.

Initiatives being organized include, among others:

Early- to mid-March New impeachment efforts to be announced by prominent persons in a surprising location.

March 2-4 The Town Meeting Democracy Tour, with Cindy Sheehan, John Nichols, and Vermont Iraq war vets, calling for impeachment and withdrawal from Iraq.

March 17 A MARCH ON THE PENTAGON FOR PEACE AND IMPEACHMENT.

March 18-20 Local marches and events.

March 19-April 21 A Make Hip-Hop Not War bus tour promoting peace and impeachment.

April 15-22 We Are Not Buying It, a boycott of major corporations that are profiting from the Bush administration's policies and making a killing off of killing.

April 28 A NATIONWIDE DAY OF PROTEST DEMANDING IMPEACHMENT.

Ongoing National, state, and local impeachment hearings, resolutions, town meetings, and debates, ongoing since the publication of the Downing Street Memos in May 2005.

The Reverend Lennox Yearwood, president of the Hip Hop Caucus, said "While the Bush administration spends hundreds of billions of dollars on an immoral and unjust war, millions of people across America are without basic healthcare, housing, education and jobs. More than a year after Hurricane Katrina, the people of New Orleans remain abandoned by an administration that was criminally negligent of its duty to provide for their well-being. Every day that Congress allows Bush and Cheney to continue to serve sends a clear message to America that they care more about politics than people."

Cindy Sheehan, founder of Gold Star Families for Peace, said "The Impeach07 campaign represents an important alliance of the peace movement with those that support impeachment. Congress's refusal to impeach Bush and Cheney for the lies that got us into Iraq has perpetuated an illegal war that has already cost the lives of my son Casey and 3,146 other Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. By turning a blind eye they have laid the groundwork for the Bush administration to lie us into a whole new war with Iran, which they are obviously trying to do."

Jacob Park, coordinator of the upcoming April 28 nationwide day of protest, said "The time has come for all Americans—especially the members of a Congress which claims to represent us—to decide what they believe in. Do we stand for lying, spying, and torture? Or do we stand for truth, freedom, and justice? Impeachment is a self-evident moral imperative and we hope that all people of conscience will join us in sending Washington a resounding message that to allow Bush and Cheney to continue ruling as self-appointed "deciders" makes a mockery of our most basic values and the very notion of democracy."

Elaine Brower, mother of a U.S. Marine who has served in Afghanistan and Iraq, said "Enough is enough. If we do not demand impeachment of Bush and Cheney for war crimes, the entire world will be facing endless death and devastation. We are allowing our government officials free reign to wreak havoc unless we, the people, get a backbone to stop them."

For more information see the campaign website at http://www.impeach07.org

A list of speakers available for interviews can be found at http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/speakers

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Participating Organizations

After Downing Street
Backbone Campaign
Center for Constitutional Rights
Citizens Impeachment Commission
CODE PINK Women for Peace
Constitution Summer
Consumers for Peace
Democrats.com
Democracy Rising
Gold Star Families for Peace
Green Party of the United States
Hip Hop Caucus
Impeach the President
ImpeachBush.org
Military Free Zone
National Lawyers Guild
Patriotic Response to Renegade Govt
Progressive Democrats of America
Independent Progressive Politics Network
Velvet Revolution
World Can't Wait-Drive Out the Bush Regime