Tuesday September 9, 2008, 2:26 am

This Kennedy has some very interesting things to say - about impeachment, about the Bill of Rights, but also about the environment (his work as Chief Prosecuting Attorney of the Hudson Riverkeeper & President of Waterkeeper Alliance), the Republicans' support of so-called 'clean coal,' and the disenfranchisement of US voters. Just an excerpt from this interview :

AMY GOODMAN: So, what do you make of Nancy Pelosi? I mean, the fact is, it’s not the Republicans who control the House and the Senate, it’s the Democrats who do. And she says impeachment is off the table. They say just consider the election a way to get rid of the President.


ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR.: Well, I don’t believe it. I think, you know, what I’ve said to Nancy Pelosi publicly and to every Democrat that comes on my show, I say, “Why aren’t we impeaching these people, just as a civics lesson to the American public? You know, we need that. We need to remind people that you cannot trample the Bill of Rights. You cannot ignore your oath of office to protect the Constitution.”


You know, there’s no doubt that they committed a crime. Everybody admits it. When it was FISA, when they—you know, when they illegally eavesdropped, there’s no justification for that. It is a crime, and it’s a high crime. And it’s a high crime that’s prescribed, you know, for—as the basis for impeachment. And they ought to be impeached, just so that nobody does it again. We can’t just keep—you know, if somebody is murdered. You just don’t say, “Well, let it go, and move on. Nobody really wants to deal with a trial and all that problem.” It’s our responsibility as a generation to impeach these people now as a showcase, to show future presidents of the United States that the Bill of Rights is not something that can be trifled with, that the Bill of Rights is not just a luxury that we can no longer afford.


AMY GOODMAN: Perhaps their calculation is they are courting Republicans to leave the Republican Party and vote for a Democrat and that if they polarize the country, that they won’t have that option.


ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR.: Well, sometimes you have to do what’s right. And I think, in the long run, it’s the politically smart thing to do, because I think Americans—you know, and I’ve been prosecuting polluters and suing people for years, and when you sue somebody—when you say bad things about somebody, everybody just dismisses it as criticism. But when it becomes a court case, everybody begins taking it seriously. And at this point, you know, it’s clearly the right thing to do, because you can’t let somebody—all of these people, Nancy Pelosi on down, have sworn to protect the Constitution. How can you protect the Constitution when you’re letting somebody violate it and then just say, “Well, we’re going to let this one go, and then we’ll move on to the next one”?


AMY GOODMAN: Well, we’ve just come into a Democratic convention here in Denver, where the Democrats joined with the Republicans in granting retroactive immunity to the corporations like AT&T that spied on the American people. And now, all the delegates carrying around their bag have that logo of AT&T. They’re helping to sponsor this convention.


ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR.: Oh, I know. Well, I always say that Republicans are 95 percent corrupt, and the Democrats are 75 percent corrupt. And the level of corruption reflects the amount of money, of corporate money, they’re taking. I mean, they’ve got AT&T all over their bags, and they’ve got these clean coal signs that are, you know, up and down the streets, that you get mugged by these clean coal people who are apparently paying for half the convention. So, it’s very disturbing to me, Amy.


AMY GOODMAN: Now, your family is divided, right? Caroline Kennedy and your uncle, Ted Kennedy, for Obama; your family is for—has been for Clinton. What are your thoughts right now?


ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR.: No, everybody is for Obama. You know, the primaries are over. The day the primaries ended, the last primary ended, we all started working for Obama. And, you know, I said from the beginning, we have two great candidates, and I’m happy supporting either one of them. I believed, for my own reasons, that Hillary Clinton had the best chance of winning the election, but I love Barack Obama. And, you know—and from the beginning, I was defending, you know, him against the Republican attacks, even when I was campaigning for Hillary. They started attacking him for not wearing his flag lapel pin. And, you know, this is so ironic and so absurd that that’s the measure of patriotism. You put on a flag lapel pin so you can free both hands to tear up the Bill of Rights, you know, and that’s really what he’s saying, and he should have stuck with it. But anyway, we’re going to work, and we’re going to try as hard as we can to get him elected, because we need this for America.


AMY GOODMAN: You’re involved in a piece in Rolling Stone right now around voting, the issue of voting all over the country. What are your concerns?


ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR.: Well, the Republican Party has put in place a system for suppressing the Democratic vote, particularly African American voters, Hispanic voters and American Indian voters. And there’s fifty different tricks that are using—of legal mechanisms that now make it very, very difficult for those groups to register, then to vote, and third, to get their votes counted. And they’re complex, very sinister, cunning and clever mechanisms that most Americans, almost—most Americans, including most elected officials, don’t even know about. But in the end, they’re going to end up disenfranchising about three million voters, mainly African American, Hispanic, American Indian, senior citizens and elderly, the hard core of the Democratic Party. And so, we’ve done—myself and Greg Palast—I’ve done an analysis, an easy-to-read analysis, which will be published in Rolling Stone, I think in the September 12th issue. I’ve got to go.

Tuesday September 9, 2008, 10:01 am
I agree with Kennedy. However, most of us here have signed countless petitions, wrote letters and made phone calls demanding, begging, pleading with Congress to impeach these criminals. Congress has everything they need from us to do so. It is out of our hands, unless we all march to the White House and risk our lives.

Thanks for this article, Jill.

Tuesday September 9, 2008, 5:59 pm
I think the Impeachment will come Retro-Actively - I think Perlosi & whoever else is too scared to do it till the threat is neutralized. That's what those aAnthrax attacks after 9/11 were for, putting Democrats & Media in their place.. Congress is planning further investigations (they don't believe the FBI any more either!) & I think that will force a re-think on Impeachment, but not until After the Election.
They kee saying they want a big enough majority to be veto proof.. yet they hardly Ever bother to FORCE a Veto - "ooooo, he'll veto, why bother" is crap!!!

Tuesday September 9, 2008, 6:10 pm
Thanks and noted Jill, I am still trying to shake that nazi's in Iraq story, training for ....???????!?!?!

Tuesday September 9, 2008, 6:13 pm
It is a sickening situation with all theat G.W.B. has done to this country and the joblessness and the value of the U.S.A.'s currency and that of our
British allies currency.
G.W.B. surely deserves to be impeached along with Charges on Cheney.
There is no charactor and surely no honesty in any of G.W.B. administration and his Govt. officials or agencies with a republican
for the corporation admonistration.
And to heck with their privacy rights and jobs.
Govt for the corporations and their profits legal or illegal doesn't matter to to G.W.B. and to hell with the people.

Tuesday September 9, 2008, 6:59 pm
The Republicans sent the anthrax around should be common knowledge as well as who really is responsible for 9/11. Govern by fear is an old Communist method of governing(Remember Joe from Russia?) As far as impeach those shiters it is too late now. They should be tried for murder and treason as soon as Obama is swore in as the new Presidentas well as all their cabinet members that aide them. Think about it.

Tuesday September 9, 2008, 7:32 pm

Thank you Jill. I personally doubt that Pelosi will ever willingly agree to impeachment. She
has too much to lose personally. I believe it needs to be done, and like most here, I have signed petitions and made phone calls, I just don't think it will ever happen though. Too
many things now stand in the way of it.

Tuesday September 9, 2008, 7:56 pm
They need to recall Pelosi first. She has really let this country down, as has the rest of congress.

Tuesday September 9, 2008, 9:36 pm
Thank you Jill..Sadly, noted.

Wednesday September 10, 2008, 12:08 am

Pelosi was/is a major disappointment, a total hypocrit !

This summer, while promoting her book, ironically (it seems to me) entitled "Know Your Power," which 'celebrates' disrupters, as she says, refering to such 'glorious disrupters' as our founding fathers, she had security physically remove any real disrupters, ie people simply trying to engage her on the issues :

Inside Nancy Pelosi's book signing in Philadelphia. Her remarks on Iran, Iraq - impeachment? And, what did this reporter ask that caused her to be escorted out of the building? -

Link to article: Nancy Pelosi Book Signing: Know Your Power, Just Don't Speak Truth to It



Nancy Pelosi Book Signing: Know Your Power, Just Don't Speak Truth to It

Wednesday September 10, 2008, 12:13 am
thanx for posting its good to see that honor & common sense has a genetic component (@ least w/ the kennedys )

Wednesday September 10, 2008, 12:15 am

Kucinich Press Conference on Delivering Petitions to Pelosi Demanding Impeachment
Submitted by davidswanson on Wed, 2008-09-10 03:40. Activism Congress Impeachment
Wednesday, September 10, 2008, at 1:00 p.m. in room 2456 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

Be There!


Kucinich Ramps Up Impeachment Efforts Against Bush

Wednesday September 10, 2008, 12:56 am
I wrote a letter to every member of Congress and sent a copy to Pelosi with a little added 'zing' saying that the one thing that Democrats like me and Republicans can agree on is that she is an embarassment to her party and the American people and a hypocrite. hehehehehehehe

Wednesday September 10, 2008, 2:06 am
TY Jill, they are all guilty in my opinion, even the ones who let them get away with it, I am not sure if they have ever read the Constitution, if they have, they did not understand it.

Wednesday September 10, 2008, 2:14 am
I'm still advocating for them all to be trialed for crimes against humanity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncBPB5odB8A&feature=related

Wednesday September 10, 2008, 10:52 am
AND the Republicans still have a lead over the Democrats. GO FIGURE that one out. The last paragraph from Kennedy referring to voting blows my mind. How can this happen again?

Wednesday September 10, 2008, 11:15 am
Judy...Because the neocons have a solid network of dark forces throughout our system, controlling almost every aspect of politics, media and the voting mechanisms. However, we also have light forces working on our behalf. Hold good thoughts, keep persevering, do what you can for a positive outcome, and it is still possible with all going against us, to rid ourselves of these criminals. Never give up hope and focus on the outcome you want.

Wednesday September 10, 2008, 4:58 pm
It angers me that not just Bush and Cheney, but the entire administration just seems to be power-hungry, amoral criminals. Alberto Gonzalez, Scooter Libby, Donald Rumsfeld, John Ashcroft....it seems futile now that the election is near, but they can't get away with their disaster of an administration!

Wednesday September 10, 2008, 7:38 pm
WE The People are being played for the fools we are, for believing in their lies - without questioning; for putting up with their spending - and more lies; and for NEVER calling them on ANY of IT. VOTE THEM OUT! DO NOT "reward" them with another term! Do Not fall for the empty promises!

This government of OURS is SUPPOSED to work FOR US - BY THE People, NOT from those WE elect to do their JOB! Perhaps it's time for a voters uprising!

Oh, and please stop wasting time on this impeachment BS! That ship sailed YEARS ago and now it's nothing more than wasted energy, that those who really rule want! Just another damned distraction from the issues!

WAKE UP PEOPLE! THEN PAY ATTENTION!

Wednesday September 10, 2008, 8:24 pm
This government of OURS is SUPPOSED to work FOR US - BY THE People, NOT from those WE elect to do their JOB! This is what I always thought.. but this President seems to think hes a one man everything.. citizen,President,Congress & everthing else that has to do with what HES SUPPOSED to be Doing FOR us.. he does for himself with out any ones agreement.. he don't need anyone approval HES THE CHIEF >> HONCHO.. & he says to China & other countries how WE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE will NOT TOLERATE there way of life.. & Cheney is another telling Russia that WE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL NOT STAND for there going into Giogia.. WHOA WAIT A SECOND did either one ask US AMERICAN PEOPLE what we thought before saying WE this & WE that ?? geesh if either got us nuked who do you think would survive & the ones that wouldn't... it wouldn't be US THE AMERICAN PEOPLE..& thats the ones that will get it for THESE COUNTRIES think because our President & his croonys have put us right in front with them. I for one do not war I for one do not agree with what either one is saying we agree what they say.. as if we are puppets & we have to go along.. wished IF we got nuked they would be the ones getting it for its not us that have asked for this at all.. but WE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE will pay the altimate price.. OUR VERY EXISTENCE.. because of them.. IMPEACH .. IMPEACH.. I have said this for the last 8 years.. but oh well.. hope we make it till Jan .. & if McCain don't get it maybe we might survive yet.. if he does.. theres no use of living anymore.. there won't be anything left on Earth.. I love the Kennedys they come from my neck of the globe :-))

Thursday September 11, 2008, 12:56 am

It's true what Marion says, about people having signed petitions, written letters, made calls -- all to no avail ! But no one ever said it was easy to wrestle power from those that hold it !

Of course, they are not going to be reponsive. People thought a Democratic victory in both Houses was going to change the situation...and again they were frustrated.

Many Dems have been afraid to act. Was it the Anthrax mentioned in comments above or fear of being deserted by voters come November ? They've continued financing the Iraq disaster & even voted for the illegal spying immunity for the Telecom companies ! Even Obama voted for this: I'm dismayed & I wonder why he/they supported this.

But not all Dems have supported the B agenda and/or kept silent -- look at what Kucinich is doing.
And he isn't completely alone or isolated: Many proponents of impeachment spoke eloquently at
The House Judiciary hearings into Executive Power and Its Constitutional Limitations (that is the link to the YouTube playlist of the complete hearings)

If Kennedy is calling for impeachment now, maybe it is not the dead issue we have assumed. Have people been re-energized by the July 25 hearings ? If you listen to them, your faith and motivation return.

On my Kucinich impeachment petition post, two people have said that there is not statute of limitations on impeachment, so Bush/Cheney can even be impeached after they leave office.

If they are impeached when they leave office they will not ever be able to hold public office again, and they lose their government pensions, which means the tax payers don't have to pay for their retirement pensions. And that's a good thing.

Thursday September 11, 2008, 10:20 am
"If they are impeached when they leave office they will not ever be able to hold public office again, and they lose their government pensions, which means the tax payers don't have to pay for their retirement pensions. And that's a good thing."

Yes Jill, that IS a good thing. It would send a message to anyone else who would think to do what these criminals have done and make them think twice. While Bush and Cheney have all the money they will ever need, it is POWER and CONTROL they crave. Impeachment would be the best thing to teach them a lesson. I suspect this will be tabled until after 2009 so as not to distract from the election, wars and the economic crisis we face.

Friday September 12, 2008, 9:12 am

If we have to wait for the economy to get sorted out, I'm afraid it'll be tabled too long to make any sense to anyone !