by Jodin Morey:

I had the privilege of meeting Presidential candidate and former Alaskan Senator Mike Gravel at the National Impeachment Summit in New York earlier this year. At that time, he was considering his position on impeachment, and his campaign said they would inform me of his position as it was formulated.

Today, I spoke with Gravel’s Press Secretary and received a statement. He said, “Senator Gravel does support impeachment in the event that any wrongdoing has occurred at the executive level of President or Vice President. At this time the senator’s focus is firmly on the Iraq war, stopping the torture, and bringing the troops home now.”

Gravel’s position is further clarified by this statement from his campaign’s website, “Senator Gravel supports a congressional inquiry into whether or not George Bush has indeed overstepped his authority as president and broken the law. The inquiry would focus on the accumulation of any and all evidence that indicates wrongdoing and could then be used in criminal proceedings against the president.”

These statements were made despite his failure, during the recent presidential debate, to raise his hand when asked if he or any of the other presidential candidates were “willing to enter into Congressman Kucinich’s effort to impeach Vice President Cheney.”

George Bush and Condoleezza Rice have stated that they will ignore the Congress regarding the war, and that they plan on remaining in Iraq through their term in office. Also, historically it’s been shown that a President can find funds for war despite a lack of designated war funding from Congress. It’s Impeach for Peace’s position that in light of these facts, the only path towards brining our troops home is through the accountability that is impeachment. So, I applaud Gravel’s statements in support of impeachment, and hope that his focus on bringing the troops home leads him to become an even louder proponent of peace through justice.

Mike Gravel’s Campaign Website can be found at:

http://www.gravel2008.us

-Jodin Morey

Co-founder: Impeach for Peace

Author of the Do-It-Yourself Impeachment