Comment

Comment by Becky Spence on January 6, 2013 at 4:24pm

Dont call her ma'am ...thats senator to you lol

Comment by Mark Twain on January 6, 2013 at 2:29am

just checked  the petition 25,443   only needed 25,000

Comment by Jeff Gardner on January 4, 2013 at 4:05pm

There are certainly problems with the impeachment process.  But other than the Salmon Chase affair, all of them stem from the people not being vigilant.  There is no process, other than election, that politicians and judges fear more than impeachment.  Yet they do not lose sleep over it because they are confident that an ignorant and apathetic American people won't usually lift a finger against them.

Yes, just one senator if I remember right.  But that isn't the point.  Threats of impeachment action frequently cause change.  One guy in the Carolinas has secured the resignations of five federal judges this way.  A filed impeachment petition was enough to secure the resignation of a fed magistrate here when I could get no action any other way.  If you think that all other people so situated don't sit up, take notice, and be a bit more respectful when they discover that their pensions are at stake, think again.  I can't think of the last time a recall petition removed someone from office.

Whilst you address important points in this discussion, it comes down to this:  22,691 people patriotic enough to click a button on a website will be less patriotic when it comes to doing real action.  A few hundred properly drawn impeachment petitions against anyone, a senator includes, would create quite the uncomfortable stir and harness results.  But, it would take an evening's work and a few dollars.  And for most Americans, this is simply asking too much.

Comment by ATUM RA on January 4, 2013 at 3:47pm

Jeff, drawing up an impeachment petition for those politician in the House to make a decision on whether or not to proceed to hearing is like asking them all to be accountable to the same politics as usual agenda that they all adhere to. That is mental masturbation. Their all guilty of something that you are going to write in your petition, so they will be less than motivated to proceed.

Recall may be much more expensive and require alot of ground work, but it will be much more effective. At least we have a fighting chance at getting another criminal out of office using that method.

Do you know how many Senators total have ever been impeached? If I remember correctly; it is only 1 ever.

Comment by Jeff Gardner on January 3, 2013 at 7:19pm

Terrific.  Now, let's see how many of those 22,691 folks will commit to paying for the legal reqs for a recall petition, pay for distributing and PR, pay for gathering signatures, pay for the recall election.

Ten bucks for an impeachment petition.

Comment by ATUM RA on January 3, 2013 at 6:51pm

Upon further investigation a recall may be the most appropriate action for citizens to take in order to remove a Senator. Recalls allow citizens to remove and replace public officials from office before the end of a term.

Recall differs from another method for removing officials from office--impeachment---in that it is a political device while impeachment is a legal process. Impeachment requires the house to bring specific charges, and the senate to act as a jury. In most of the 19 recall states, specific grounds are not required, and the recall of a state official is by an election. And BTW California is a recall State.

Develop a petition based on your state's requirements. Participate in the recall election. Once the petition signatures have been counted and validated, a recall election is set.

Jeff, you are right in that We do have a 1A right to petition our government, however in this case I do not see any evidence that We can do this ourselves [without congress] through impeachment measures, but Our proper channel for petition in this matter as legal form would be by recall [action taken exclusively by the citizens].

Comment by Jeff Gardner on January 3, 2013 at 4:34pm

Nope.  The dirty little secret is that impeachment proceedings can ONLY be initiated by an American citizen.  It is indeed a petition as you say.  But it is petition as legal form, submitted to the people's representatives.  Through it (at least in theory) We, the People always retain the right to force govt to answer.  A petition to the executive is little different than a subject groveling to his king - and the king can entertain or ignore at his whim.  Big difference.  This is why there was a differentiation in 1A between the right to free speech and the right to petition.

Comment by ATUM RA on January 3, 2013 at 3:47pm

Whatever impeachment package you are writing about Jeff, is only a petition or a plea to the House of Representatives to act. It is no more of a sovereign act from a citizen than signing the White House petition.

Impeachment proceedings against a U.S. Senator can only be brought by the House of Representatives. After hearing the charges, the Senate deliberates and conviction requires a two-thirds majority.

Article I, Section 5, Clause 2

"Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member."

Comment by Jeff Gardner on January 3, 2013 at 10:36am

No, do NOT sign it.  Doing so presents the strong appearance and presumption that everything else she/they do is legitimate, reasonable or authorized.  There are a thousand better reasons for impeachment.

Moreover, petitions are for subjects, not sovereigns.  To the 22,691 who have signed this as a no-effort attempt to say they did something, do something REALLY important:  submit an impeachment package.  Any citizen can do it --- but, alas, it takes a bit of time and coin.  22,691 impeachment packages would get action.  Petitioning a socialist to punish a socialist cause is no more than an exercise of mental masturbation.

Comment by ATUM RA on January 3, 2013 at 10:24am

Click on the following link a White House petition calling for Feinstein to be tried for treaso.... and sign it. 22,691 have signed it so far, and we only need 2,309 more signatures to receive a response from the White House.

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