The Massachusetts Impeachment Coalition

Impeachment activists urge Olver (D-MA) to respect the voters

by Susie Patlove, Darcy Sweeny, Tom Plaut.



Over the past year, 24 town meetings in John Olver’s (D-MA) Congressional District voted on issue of impeachment by margins as high as 339 to 1. Some towns called for Congress to investigate the possible grounds for impeachment. Others asked that their resolutions and vote be included in the Congressional Record.

On July 5 representatives from 15 of these towns met with Congressman Olver in Amherst to urge him to act now on impeachment. We gave five specific reasons to impeach:

To protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic,

To prevent dangerous precedents and rein in the unitary executive, warning future presidents not to start where George Bush left off,

To re-establish openness in government,

To avoid the extreme danger of a nuclear or other disaster if the current administration stays in power, and

To heal this nation, our veterans and the world.

We rebutted the reasons frequently given by Congressman Olver and his Democratic colleagues to take no action:

Impeachment won’t work – we don’t have the votes.

Everything can change rapidly as it did during the Nixon impeachment investigations.

Hearings will take energy from needed legislative work.

During the Nixon impeachment investigation Congress raised the minimum wage, passed the endangered species act, and began to draw down troop numbers in Vietnam.

The impeachment process will prevent us from stopping the war.

We believe impeachment proceedings will stop the war. They will make clear that the cause of the war was lust for oil. The threat from WMD’s and our interest in liberating Iraq were lies.

Impeachment will unite the Republicans behind Bush and divide the nation.

On the contrary, impeachment will unite the country against Bush and his Congressional supporters.

If we let Bush hang himself, the Democrats will win in 2008.

There may be no elections in 2008.

After hearing that Congressman Olver was definitely against beginning impeachment proceedings at this time, Cory Bazinet a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq said, “In view of your comments I will not read my prepared statement. I have only one question for you, what will it take for you to change your mind and to cosponsor H.R. 333?”Olver was taken aback. He finally answered that he would be for impeachment if he were convinced that it would be useful.

A lively but respectful discussion ensued. At the close of the meeting the group urged Congressman Olver to use his voice and his vote to save the Constitution and our country.

(Original Article)

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