Date: Sat, 17 Apr 2004 21:58:14 -0400
From: volunteers@l&#
105;sts.votenader
;.org
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Don’t Forget about our Call for an Impeachment Inquiry of President Bush
and Vice President Cheney. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney should be
impeached for two reasons:
1. They led the United States into an illegal, unconstitutional war in Iraq.
2. They misled the Congress and the American people with five falsehoods
that led to war.
If you haven’t signed already, please go to
http://www.VoteNade
r.org/get_involved/impeach.php , to sign the petition now.
All it takes is one Member of the House of Representatives to call for an
Impeachment Inquiry to start the process to investigate. Ralph Nader has
issued a press release urging an Impeachment Inquiry that provides more
details on these points, if you want to read more, visit
http://www.VoteNader.org
/media_press/?cid=15.
<snip>
ShareThis
How the aftermath is panning out isnt making sense to a lot of Americans. Here are some points that have US puzzled, frustrated, confused and enraged. We are all becoming potential vicitms of this administration. It is the FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS CONSITUTIONAL resposibility to protect its citizens, be it enemies, foreign, domestic, and NATURAL.
The Red Cross is not being allowed into New Orleans by the National Guard
(Source: Red Cross website, Katrina FAQ. http://www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,…24,00.html#4524)
and
the U.S. Forest Service offered water-tanker aircraft to help douse the fires in New Orleans, but they needed FEMA to authorize it and FEMA couldn’t get its act together enough to do so
(Source: Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, transcript available at http://www.newschannel6.tv/news/def…hownews&id=8695)
and
they dragged their feet on offers from Amtrak, as well
(Source: Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, transcript available at http://www.newschannel6.tv/news/def…hownews&id=8695)
and
Phoenix, Arizona sent their Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue team, which went to Oklahoma City after the bombing there, and to NYC after 9/11 but they were kept out of New Orleans by the National Guard
(Source: Arizona Daily Sun, http://www.azdailysun.com/non_sec/n…?storyID=114689 and http://www.azcentral.com/news/artic…na-local02.html)
and
Chicago offered more than a hundred police officers, three dozen firefighters, more than 140 health department workers, squad cars, two boats and other equipment but all FEMA has accepted is a single tanker truck of gas
(Source: Mayor Richard Daley, quoted in the Chicago Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/…ll=chi-news-hed)
and
South Dakota found a team of people matching qualifications requested by a sheriff in LaFourche parish but need permission from FEMA to send them in, and haven’t gotten it
(Source: The Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbc…/509030317/1001)
and
Utah offered to take a thousand refugees and sent a plane down full of supplies, but thinks it’s unlikely they’ll be allowed to transport anyone back, in part because they haven’t been able to find anyone to ask for permission and aren’t even sure if it’s the governor’s office or FEMA they should ask
(Source: CBS-affiliated KUTV news of Salt Lake City, http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_245191716.html)
and
the Sheriff’s Department in Loudon County, Virginia sent two dozen volunteer emergency personnel in response to an SOS call from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department near New Orleans, but three hours into their drive found out they would have to turn back because government officials hadn’t given approval to go in
(Source: NBC news, http://www.nbc4.com/news/4932312/detail.html)
and
a group of doctors with experience in violence-racked international missions told FEMA on Wednesday morning that they were eager to send a team to hard-hit areas. FEMA passed them to the Red Cross, which referred them back to FEMA
(Source: The Washington Post, September 3, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy…5090202363.html)
and
the American Ambulance Association wanted to send 300 emergency vehicles from Florida to the flood zone; they were told to get permission from the General Services Administration, and the GSA said they had to have FEMA ask for it, and “as a result they weren’t sent.” (Source: former Senator John Breaux, quoted in the Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy…90301653_4.html)
and
the military says that they have all kinds of supplies but can’t send them without an official request from FEMA
(Source: Newhouse News Service, http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs….94/1077/NEWS01).
Three “state and federal officials” are saying that this is all because Louisiana didn’t ask for help. A Bush official said that as of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency. (Source: Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy…090301680.html). Now, personally, I would have thought that Blanco begging for help on national TV would constitute asking for help. But for those who really need their i’s dotted and their t’s crossed, Blanco declared a state of emergency on August 26th. (Source: the Louisiana state website, http://gov.louisiana.gov/Press_Rele…tail.asp?id=973) Also, she sent a detailed request for specific help to President Bush on August 28th (Source: the Louisiana state website, http://gov.louisiana.gov/Disaster%2…f%20Request.pdf)
Meanwhile, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson offered Blanco help from the NM National Guard on Sunday (the day before the hurricane hit), and Blanco accepted, but the paperwork needed to get the troops out didn’t come from Washington until late Thursday.
(Source: AP, http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=sto…_national_guard)
And there is a stockpile of firefighter gear kept by FEMA that hasn’t been released because the governors of Mississippi and Louisiana haven’t specifically requested it.
(Source: CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/09/…gear/index.html)
And there is an entire mobile hospital, designed and equipped specifically for disaster relief, sitting in Mississippi waiting to be allowed in. (Source: AP, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050904…atrina_health_1)
And according to Jefferson Parish President Broussard — well, I will just quote him directly: “We had Wal-Mart deliver three trucks of water, trailer trucks of water. FEMA turned them back. They said we didn’t need them. This was a week ago. FEMA — we had 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on a Coast Guard vessel docked in my parish. The Coast Guard said, “Come get the fuel right away.” When we got there with our trucks, they got a word. “FEMA says don’t give you the fuel.” Yesterday — yesterday — FEMA comes in and cuts all of our emergency communication lines. They cut them without notice. Our sheriff, Harry Lee, goes back in, he reconnects the line. He posts armed guards on our line and says, “No one is getting near these lines.” Sheriff Harry Lee said that if America — American government would have responded like Wal-Mart has responded, we wouldn’t be in this crisis.” (Source: Jefferson Parish President Broussard on Meet the Press, transcript at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9179790/)
And this is not even close to a comprehensive list.
*
And — I don’t even know what to say. I can’t comprehend the level of callousness it would take not to expedite requests that would get desperately needed boats and rescue workers and guardsmen and doctors to the site of the worst natural disaster the U.S. has ever seen. Or to block them. Or to turn them away. I don’t understand.
FEMA was once a highly effective organization. “I’ve got to pay the administration a compliment. James Lee Witt of FEMA has done a really good job of working with governors during times of crisis,” said Texas Governor George W. Bush when he was running for President in 2000. (Source: the first Bush/Gore debate, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2000. Transcript at http://www.greencity.com/debate1.htm) Bush paid lip service to Witt, but then put FEMA in the charge of a man with no relevant experience, unless you count running the Arabian Horse Association.
I would like to see Michael Brown charged with negligent homicide.
And I would like to see Bush impeached.
Bush was not the one who blocked the aid from getting in. But when you are President, the buck stops with you. When Michael Brown didn’t know about the people trapped at the convention center, Bush should have called him and said, “GET THOSE PEOPLE OUT OF THERE, NOW, TODAY,” rather than cheerleading for the job “Brownie” was doing. Bush couldn’t turn the hurricane back to sea; I don’t blame him for the hurricane. But if he’d called Brown and demanded that they get the evacuation underway immediately, it would have happened. Maybe not that hour, but that day.
On Tuesday this was tragic. On Wednesday this was appalling. On Thursday this was horrifying. Friday, it was criminal. I would like to see it treated as such.
There is a poll on my site right now: Should we impeach President Bush? Currently it is in favor of impeachment.
Here is the link: http://www.apopularitycontest.com/display_poll.php?ID=2245