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Progressive Caucus Newsletter #10
 California -- May 1, 2006 --
PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS NEWSLETTER
Volume #10
May 2006


DEAR PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS MEMBERS, 

Thanks for helping make the CDP Convention a HUGE success for Progressives!

IN THIS ISSUE....
.
PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS MEETING FOLLOW-UP
ASSEMBLYMAN PAUL KORETZ INTRODUCES RESOLUTION OF IMPEACHMENT
PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS MEDIA COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENT
 
 A Stunning Weekend for Progressive Democrats, and Californians
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Two weekends ago at the California Democratic Convention in Sacramento, the Progressive Democratic voice was not a rumble, but a roar. For progressives, the weekend started with the Progressive Caucus meeting on Friday afternoon. Despite the fact that many members were trying to register for the convention downstairs, the room quickly filled with over 350 people, all eager to move the progressive agenda forward. The meeting was packed with action items, including a briefing from Northern California Co-Chair, Mal Burnstein, on the issues of importance in the platform (single payer healthcare, impeachment, Iraq withdrawal language and poverty elimination.) The first draft of the Caucus’ position paper on healthcare was introduced by co-chair, Dr. Jo Olson. The Progressive Caucus fully supports Sheila Keuhl’s single payer healthcare legislation, SB 840. Officer at large, Brad Parker, led an action to support DNC Chair, Howard Dean’s “50 State Plan.” Hundreds of “We’ve Got Your Back” messages will be faxed to the Chair over the next several days in support of the Chair. Harlan Hobgood, first author of the Progressive Caucus position paper;  Withdrawing Us Forces From Iraq; A Policy Framework, Strategy & Action Plan, and Chair of the Caucus’ Foreign Policy and International Relations Committee met with his committee before the meeting to prioritize their efforts in eradicating nuclear proliferation. Vice-Chair Ahjamu Makalani gave an inspiring and charged reflection on the importance of eradicating poverty remaining a front and center priority for all Democrats. Joye Swan, Officer-At-Large, gave an update about the Caucus’ role in moving impeachment forward on the Democratic agenda. Distinguished guest, Representative Paul Koretz, who recently introduced legislation to bring impeachment charges against President Bush, spoke to the Progressive Caucus members about the role of the state legislature in impeachment. Koretz urged the members to meet with each of their state representatives to sign on to AJR 39, in order to see the bill to success.
 
In a surprise move, the Chair of the Rules Committee of the CDP, Garry Shay, took the floor, praised the work of the Caucus and affirmed his vote to support the certification of the Progressive Caucus last year at the Rules Committee Meeting. 
 
The meeting was immediately followed by a grassroots effort organized by the Marcy Winograd for Congress campaign and PDA to perform a mock arrest of Secretary of State Bruce McPherson, in protest of his decision to re-certify hackable Diebold touch screen machines and certify ES&S Inkavote Enhancement for sale in LA County despite incomplete HAVA disability access and ES&S's high failure rate with security and service in other states.
 
Friday evening at the Platform Committee, members of the Progressive Caucus were successful in getting language in the platform about single payer healthcare (amendment introduced by Mal Burnstein), immediate withdrawal from Iraq language (Karen Bernal) and elimination of poverty (Susie Shannon). These individuals, along with several others, stuck around through a five hour Platform Committee meeting in order to move the progressive agenda forward. Special thanks to the members of the Platform Committee who were open to including these ideas and language into the 2006 California Democratic Platform.
 
Saturday morning on the floor of the General Session, first Vice Chair of the California Democratic Party Alexandra Gallardo-Rooker read the following proclamation regarding impeachment recommended and crafted by members of the Progressive Caucus and Sandy Cook:
 
“The California Democratic Party calls for the immediate investigation of the President and Vice President of the United States for committing the following alleged acts:
 
  1. Misleading Congress and the American public about an unproven and unrealized threat to national security by Iraq in order to justify war thereby violating the federal anti-conspiracy statute and the False Statement Accountability Act.
  2. Ordering the National Security Agency to conduct electronic surveillance of American citizens without seeking warrants from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, as required by law.
  3. Violating the “Federal Torture Act” Title 18 United States Code, Section 113C and the UN Torture Convention and the Geneva Convention, which are U.S. law under Article VI of the U,S. Constitution.
  4. Ordering indefinite detention of accused persons without access to legal counsel, without charge, and without the opportunity to appear before a civil judicial officer to challenge the detention, all in violation of U.S. law and the Bill of Rights.
Sufficient questions have been raised in public discourse, in the press, and on the floor of Congress to warrant an investigation of these and other alleged crimes, misdemeanors, and acts of misfeasance and malfeasance, and to merit an investigation into the propriety of impeachment.”
 
After the proclamation was read, it was adopted by the Democratic State Central Committee enthusiastically amidst the chanting “IMPEACH IMPEACH” by the audience.
 
The impeachment forum hosted by the Progressive Caucus was a smashing success. Nearly 1000 people attended the sold out venue to hear panelists Maxine Waters, Paul Koretz, Bob Fertik, Elizabeth De La Vega and Shayana Kadidal discuss the topic of impeachment, moderated by Air America’s Mike Malloy. Tim Goodrich delivered an inspiring and heartfelt opening, reminding the crowd about the devastating effects the Bush Administration has had on our country. Special thanks to Progressive Caucus Officer At Large, Joye Swan, Karen Bernal, Sophie DeVries, andDan Licht for their tireless efforts in organizing the event.
 
Marcy Winograd, member of the Progressive Caucus, in her bid for Congress against Democratic incumbent, Jane Harmon in the 36th Congressional District, was able to gather 425 signatures to pull the recommendation for endorsement of Jane Harmon off of the consent calendar, and open the endorsement up for a vote on the general floor. Although Ms. Winograd did not win the endorsement, it was a terrific exercise in democracy, serving a reminder to all of our elected representatives that incumbency is a privilege, not a right.
 
This weekends events are an exciting reminder that the power of progressive collaboration can, and will move the Democratic Party, California, and the country forward.

**The Media  Reform Committee of the CA Progressive Caucus**

presents

"They Say/We Say" -- Civil Liberties Under Attack

ADELPHIA---Channel 54

South Bay Cities

Mondays at 7:30 pm, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22, 5/29

Saturdays at 5:00 pm, 5/13, 5/20, 5/27, 6/3

and COMCAST--- Channel 24

Marina del Rey, Mar Vista, Venice, Culver City,

Hollywood, Downtown L.A., Wilshire/Fairfax

Tuesday at 6 pm, 5/23

Host Marcy Winograd interviews

Jeremy Kagan, Producer/Director of the ACLU Series "The Freedom Files"

Film clip features the "Dissent" and "Beyond the Patriot Act" segments

Lila Garrett, of KPFK'S "Connect The Dots" interviews

Stephen Rohde, Constitutional Attorney and

Past President of the Southern California ACLU on

"Patriot Act Renewal--What It Means"

Brad Parker's Commentary on

" Sacrificing Freedom for Temporary Safety"

 

Producer, Linda Sutton.

lindasutton.ca@gmail.com

(please reference show under subject)

 

Additional Credits

Make-Up Artist - Saida Staudenmaier

Theme music written and performed by Brad Parker.

Intro montage produced by Geri Weis-Corbley, DVD Campaigns

for Progressive Democrats of America

 

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Interested in working on the State sponsored Impeachment Resolution? 

      

 

 

 

Assemblyman Paul Koretz of the 42nd AD here in California has sponsored resolution AJR 39, calling for the impeachment of George W Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney.

 

The impeachment resolution references Section 603 of Jefferson’s Manual of the Rules of the United States House of Representatives, which allows federal impeachment proceedings to be initiated by joint resolution of a state legislature.

 

Joining Koretz in support of the Resolution are: Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) as a joint author and Assemblymembers Rudy Bermudez (D-Norwalk), Ron Calderon (D-Montebello), Jackie Goldberg (D-Los Angeles), Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley), Jerome Horton (D-Inglewood) and Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) as co-authors.

 

Please contact your local Assemblymembers and ask them to support AJR 39

 

Get your local clubs to endorse the resolution!

 

If you are interested in hosting an Impeachment Forum in your area, please contact Joye Swan at (818) 445-6565

 
 
Assembly Joint Resolution to Impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney

 

WHEREAS, The Rules and Manual of the House of Representatives of the United States of America, officially titled Constitution, Jefferson's Manual and Rules of the House of representatives, contains the fundamental source material describing procedures in the House of Representatives; and
 
WHEREAS Section 603 of Section LIII of Jefferson's Manual provides that impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives may be set in motion by charges transmitted from the legislature of a state or territory; and

 

WHEREAS, The State of Florida and the former territory of Mississippi have established precedent by transmitting charges to the House of Representatives, which in each case resulted in an investigation by a committee of the House of Representatives, and in one case, impeachment proceedings against Judge Charles Swayne of Florida; and

 

WHEREAS, The actions of George W. Bush in the office of President of the United States of America and Richard Cheney's in the office as Vice President of the United States of America have repeatedly and intentionally violated the Constitution and other laws of the United States of America, causing the people of the State of California to call into question the integrity of President Bush and Vice President Cheney and to believe that the official actions of President Bush and Vice President Cheney have constituted high crimes and misdemeanors; and

 

WHEREAS, George W. Bush in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, committed a felony under Section 1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code by conspiring to exceed his constitutional authority to wage war, in that on March 19, 2003, by his order the United States of America invaded the sovereign country of Iraq in direct defiance of the United Nations Security Council and by doing so, violated Article 2 of Chapter 1 of the Charter of the United Nations and Principle VI of the Principles of the Nuremberg Tribunal; and

 

WHEREAS, George W. Bush and Richard Cheney conspired with others to defraud the United States of America by intentionally misleading Congress and the people of the United States regarding the threat from Iraq in order to justify a war in violation of Section 371 of Title 18 of the United States Code by the following conduct:

 

WHEREAS, George W. Bush has admitted to ordering the National Security Agency to conduct electronic surveillance of civilians of the United States of America without seeking warrants from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, duly constituted by Congress in 1978, in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of American and Section 1805 of Title 50 of the United States Code; and

 

WHEREAS, George W. Bush and Richard Cheney may have committed espionage, fraud and obstruction of justice through their involvement in the cover-up of the leak of Valerie Plame Wilson's identity; and

 

WHEREAS, In all of this, George W. Bush and Richard Cheney have acted in a manner contrary to their trust as President and Vice President, respectively, subversive of constitutional government to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the Great State of California and of the United States of America; and

 

 
 
WHEREAS, George W. Bush and Richard Cheney, by such conduct, warrant impeachment and trial, and removal from office;

 

Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That our Senators and Representatives in Congress of the United States of America be, and they are hereby, requested to cause to be instituted in the Congress proper proceedings for the investigation of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney, to the end that they may be impeached and removed from such office; and be it further

 

Resolved, That the Secretary of State of the State of California be, and hereby is, instructed to certify to each Senator and Representative in the Congress of the United States of America, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, under the great seal of the State of California, a copy of this resolution and its adoption by the Assembly and Senate of the State of California, and the copies shall be marked with the word "Petition" at the top of the document and contain the original authorizing signature of the Secretary of State of the State of California.

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GREAT PROGRESSIVE LINKS:

www.dahrjamailiraq.com

www.ustourofduty.com

www.progressivecaucuscdp.org

www.californiafordemocracy.com

www.unitedforpeace.org

 www.pdamerica.org

www.afterdowningstreet.org

 www.oldamericancentury.com

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check out our website at: www.progressivecaucuscdp.org 

 email us at: progressivecaucusCDPinfo@hotmail.com
 

or call: Jo Olson - Southern California Chair (714) 454-9566

or

Mal Burnstein - Northern California Chair (510) 527-1798

voice: 788 888 8888

Health Care, Education, Free Speech, Constitution, Election Reform, Living Wage, Human Rights, Separation- Church & State, Civil Liberties, Peace, Environment, Media Reform, Equality, Reproductive Rights, Accountability

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