Activists in Vermont town want Bush, Cheney subject to arrest

[Richard]

MONTPELIER, Vermont (AP) -- President Bush may soon have a new reason to avoid left-leaning Vermont: In one town, activists want him subject to arrest for war crimes.

A group in Brattleboro is petitioning to put an item on a town meeting agenda in March that would make Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney subject to arrest and indictment if they visit the southeastern Vermont community.

"This petition is as radical as the Declaration of Independence, and it draws on that tradition in claiming a universal jurisdiction when governments fail to do what they're supposed to do," said Kurt Daims, 54, a retired machinist leading the drive.

As president, Bush has visited every state except Vermont.

The town meeting, an annual exercise in which residents gather to vote on everything from fire department budgets to municipal policy, requires about 1,000 signatures to place a binding item on the agenda.

The measure asks: "Shall the Selectboard instruct the Town Attorney to draft indictments against President Bush and Vice President Cheney for crimes against our Constitution, and publish said indictment for consideration by other municipalities?"

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday. The press office did not immediately respond to an e-mail.

Support for the measure is far from universal, even in Vermont, where the state Senate voted earlier this year to support impeaching the president. Anti-war rallies are regular occurrences here, and "Impeach Bush" bumper stickers are common.

"I would not be supportive of it," said Stephen Steidle, a member of the town's Selectboard, which oversees its government.

"It's well outside of our ability. From my perspective, the Brattleboro Selectboard needs to focus on the town and the things that need to be done here."

Daims has been circulating documents that claim the community acquires a "universal jurisdiction" to take such steps "when governments breach their highest duties."

"We have the full power to issue indictments, conduct trials, incarcerate offenders and do all other acts which Independent jurisdictions may of right do," the statement says.

Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell, a Democrat whose office has repeatedly sued the Bush administration over environmental issues, said the move was "of very dubious legality."

"I have not seen the proposal, and I've done no legal research on any of the issues," Sorrell said. "But at first blush, if this passed, they'd have really uphill sledding trying to have it be legal and enforceable."

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/28/v...index.html

[Sily]

Dear Mr. Kurt Daims,

I think I love you.

Sincerely,
Sily Wily

[crystalsun]

Hey I just read on the very accurate UK website www.worldreports.org/ that Henry Paulson has been shot dead in the corrupt power struggles going on in the US administration.
Of course when it eventually gets into the mainstream media, you will be told he had a heart attack or something of that ilk.
Paulson was brazenly robbing the American people of billions (maybe trillions) of dollars under instruction from the criminal Bush family.
Believe me the subprime issue is a smokescreen for the huge financial problems about to hit the US.
I'm with the people of Brattleboro. They are obviously thinkers.

[archangel_josh]

Wow - thanks for the link...checking it out now.

I too, am with the people of the town. And you know what, Bush and Cheney know that the law is real and they'll never visit the town.

-Josh

[Sily]

Hey Josh..... 1 down, 49 to go...... :big grin:

[Sily]

Update:   Link to story

Vermont towns indict Bush and Cheney for 'crimes against our Constitution'

Despite George Bush's rock-bottom approval ratings and his status as a favourite target of Democrats, the president has eluded attempts to hold him accountable for alleged misdeeds — except in Vermont.
During yesterday's Vermont presidential primary, two small towns in the famously liberal state also approved resolutions indicting Bush and vice president Dick Cheney for "crimes against our Constitution".
No specific crimes are mentioned, but organisers of the anti-Bush effort have referred to perjury, obstruction of justice and war crimes related to the Iraq conflict. The resolutions ask town attorneys in Brattleboro and Marlboro to draft indictments without outlining how to enforce them, giving the charges little practical consequence.
"I have not seen the proposal, and I've done no legal research on any of the issues," Vermont attorney general William Sorrell told the Associated Press before yesterday's vote.
"But at first blush, if this passed, they'd have really uphill sledding trying to have it be legal and enforceable."
That did not stop residents of the two New England towns, where the indictments passed by 18 votes in one public meeting and more than 200 votes in a separate ballot race. Vermont is the only state in America that Bush has yet to visit, according to published tallies.
Meanwhile, a more serious effort is underway in Vermont to rebuke the Bush administration's war policy, as several local legislators push for a vote on legislation recalling the state's national guard troops from Iraq.

[archangel_josh]

I'm so glad that at least someone is standing up and taking action!

-josh