Capitol protestors campaign to impeach Bush
ABC.net (AU)
By Michael Rowland
April 26, 2007

American anti-war activists and other opponents of the Bush Administration are trying to drum up a nationwide campaign to impeach the President.

A rally at the US Capitol overnight attracted a diverse coalition of administration critics, all united in the view that George W Bush has abused his powers and lied to the American people.

One of the key speakers was Cindy Sheehan, who has been railing against Mr Bush ever since her son was killed in Iraq.

"The only solution to end this war is to impeach them, impeach the liars, impeach the murderers, and get our troops home," she said.

Joining the array of East Coast liberals at the rally was Rocky Anderson, the Mayor of Salt Lake City, in solidly Republican Utah.

"I think impeachment is an incredibly appropriate and important remedy at this stage in our nation's history," he said.

"We're not the kind of nation that goes around kidnapping, disappearing, torturing people, that engages in aggressive war in violation of our constitution."

Despite Mr Bush's unpopularity, most Americans do not seem to support the call to impeach him.

Mr Anderson says he thinks that is starting to change.

"I was on the other side until not too long ago, [thinking] it's a pretty radical remedy and that's probably not the way we ought to go, and we don't need that kind of divisiveness," he said.

"I am completely turned around on this. People more and more are coming up to me and saying, 'You know, you're absolutely right,' - even Republicans, long-time Republicans, are saying, not only is he hurting our party, this man is destroying our country."

Also at the rally was Daniel Ellsberg, the man who, by leaking the so-called Pentagon papers in 1971, helped trigger the downfall of president Richard Nixon.

"The impeachment clause was actually written into the constitution with officials like Bush and Cheney in mind," he said.

Democratic leaders in the US Congress are not willing to launch impeachment proceedings, but at least one congressman has broken from the pack.

Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kuchinich has filed impeachment papers against Vice-President Dick Cheney.

"Who stands with me? The Washington Post today glibly suggested no-one, I'm all alone," he said.

"Well let me tell you, no-one's with me but the people on this."

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