By David Swanson

I've done no survey. There are probably a heck of a lot more candidates out there who haven't contacted me or I haven't happened to run across. But I have put together a list, thus far, of 111 candidates for Congress, the Senate, or the White House who support impeaching Bush and Cheney. Here's the list, organized by office and by state / district:

By David Swanson

I'm not going to join in promoting the idea that drunk driving and adultery are political positions worthy of voters' endless scrutiny and titillation, but as long as a congress member as disastrous in his policy positions as Vito Fossella is on the ropes for some dumb reasons, it's worth noting that we have the opportunity to replace him with someone who actually shares our beliefs and might even act on them.

Steve Harrison is a Democrat challenging Republican Fossella in New York's 13th district. Harrison supports single-payer healthcare, opposes further funding for the occupation of Iraq and would bring the troops safely home, would end NAFTA/WTO, supports marriage equality, would abolish the death penalty, and would impeach Cheney and Bush. He has the national endorsement of Progressive Democrats of America.

In fact, Harrison is so good that the Democratic Party leaders in Washington are fishing around for someone less progressive they can run against him. Let's nip that idea in the bud by demonstrating that we can put our money where our hearts are. Go here and give what you can:
http://www.steveharrisonforcongress.com

By David Swanson

The Republican Party as a national mainstream organization began with Abraham Lincoln and ended with Lincoln Chafee. Before and after those Lincolns, the party was not something that most Americans could relate to, was not something that many people could imagine offered any sort of benefit to all people as opposed to particular types of people.

http://www.theurbanjournal.org

Audio clips of tonight's show:
Part 1 Bev Harris of Black Box Voting.
Part 2 Bev Harris of Black Box Voting.
Part 3 Eugene Kaine of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on the War on Drugs.
Part 4 David Swanson of AfterDowningStreet.org on the Neverending Election.

Take 1 Minute to End the Killing:

Congress Members have received thousands of phone calls, and some of them are committing to voting no on Iraq funding. The vote won't happen until next week, so keep the calls coming: Call your Congress Member now at 202-224-3121 and tell them to vote No on the war funding.

More Detail:

Pelosi does not have the votes to pass the Rule, a procedural vote that must pass prior to votes on each of the three amendments (1. war money, 2. a nonbinding "timeline goal," re-banning of torture and permanent bases, redundantly banning a Bush-Maliki treaty without consent of Senate or both houses of Congress, and forcing Iraqis to pay for the reconstruction, 3. other spending including military spending and veterans spending).

She doesn't have the votes because of Republican opposition to the whole maneuver (which will involve amending a bill that's already passed in order to avoid a vote on the whole package - except for the Rule vote), and because of "blue dog" (right-wing) Democratic outrage over spending some $11 billion on something useful when they want to stay focused on wasting over $100 billion on killing. Democrats who do plan to vote No on the war funding have not threatened to vote No on the Rule. But they should if they want to block this thing.

If Pelosi buys off the blue dogs somehow, progressives could still step in and block the war money by blocking the Rule. There may be some progressive resistance to the Rule anyway, because Lee and Kucinich both want to be permitted to bring up amendments. (Lee's would resrict funding to a withdrawal. Kucinich's would ban the use of funds for attacking Iran, Syria, etc.)

So, call your Congress Member now at 202-224-3121 and tell them to vote No on the war funding and on any Rule that would bring it up for a vote! And tell them to make their position clear to the Speaker. Tell them that you will REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER. Make clear to them that voting for either of the other two amendments will be no excuse for voting for the war funding amendment. You can remind them (92 of them) of this letter in which they committed to voting No.

By David Swanson

Tonight, Wednesday, May 7, from 8-9 p.m. ET, I'll have the pleasure of interviewing, with your help, the single most serious, dedicated, and inspiring journalist focused on the integrity of our elections in the United States today, Brad Friedman, the creator of http://www.BradBlog.com

Go to: http://thepeoplespeakradio.net to learn more. Go to http://www.thepeoplespeakradio.net/listen-live to listen live. You'll find instructions there to enter a paltalk chat room where you can post questions. You can also phone in and ask Brad your questions on the air. Call in tollfree from anywhere in the United States or Canada at 888-228-4494 or anywhere else in the world at 877-489-6350. Following the show, the audio file will be posted at http://www.thepeoplespeakradio.net/audio/2008 and you can find there now the recordings of numerous shows with amazing guests. To support The People Speak Radio please donate at http://www.thepeoplespeakradio.net/donate

By David Swanson

It's reached a point that everyone has known for months it had to reach, the point at which even people paid to do so cannot keep it going with a straight face. On Tuesday, Senator Barack Obama picked up approximately 99 new pledged delegates from North Carolina and Indiana, while Senator Hillary Clinton picked up about 85. The final count may move a delegate or two, but these numbers are close enough for the following calculation.

As Congress considers President Bush's request for another $100 billion for Iraq, 68% of Americans want Bush to bring U.S. troops home within 6 months, according to a Democrats.com telephone poll of 628 adults conducted from May 1-4, 2008 by ICR ( http://www.icrsurvey.com ).

The poll marks a 14% increase from 54% in September. Most of that increase (11%) came from those who want Congress to require Bush to use existing funds to bring our troops safely home, bringing that total to 51% - a majority of Americans.

Broken down by party, 85% of Democrats want our troops home within 6 months, as do 78% of Independents. By contrast, only 32% of Republicans want our troops home soon.

Democratic support grew by 15% since September, and Independent support grew by 20%. By contrast, Republican support was unchanged.

The new poll differs slightly from last September's poll because Congressional Democrats have proposed giving President Bush $70 billion more than he requested in order to avoid another unpopular funding vote before the November election.

The new poll asked: "President Bush wants Congress to spend 100 billion dollars more in tax dollars this year to keep U.S. troops in Iraq." The comparison data below is only for the identical questions, with last September's data immediately below in italics.

HERE ARE THE RESULTS:
http://democrats.com/iraq-poll-2

By David Swanson

Obama and Clinton each picked up 2 pledged delgates in Guam this weekend. Obama now has 1,493 pledged delegates. Clinton has 1,334 pledged delegates. Of the remaining 404 delegates yet to be pledged, Clinton would need to win 282 of them to beat Obama. That's a victory of 70 percent to 30 percent. There is not a single political reporter in the country who considers that a remote possibility, and yet every media outlet covers this "race" as if either candidate could win.

The Dave Congalton Show - April 23, 2008, in San Luis Obispo, California.

mp3 Podcast.

From http://www.920kvec.com

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi to Answer Your Questions Online
By David Swanson

Shirin Ebadi (Persian: شیرین عبادی - Širin Ebâdi) is an Iranian lawyer, human rights activist and founder of the Children's Rights Support Association in Iran. On October 10, 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women's and children's rights. She is the first Iranian, the first Shia and the first Muslim woman to receive the prize. She is currently visiting the United States, and is focusing her energies on opening lines of communication and preventing war between the United States and Iran.

Here's a chance to ask Ebadi questions about Iran and the United States that are on your mind. I'll be interviewing her live, and she'll be taking your questions, between 3 and 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 1, 2008.

Go to http://www.thepeoplespeakradio.net/listen-live to listen live. You'll find instructions there to enter a paltalk chat room where you can post questions. We will not be taking questions by telephone during this interview. Following the show, the audio file will be posted at http://www.thepeoplespeakradio.net/audio/2008

Here's one of the best radio shows there is: http://www.theurbanjournal.org

Here's the audio clip.

By David Swanson

I have the distinct displeasure of being misrepresented in Congress by Virgil Goode, a man best known outside Virginia's Fifth District for having thrown a fit when Congressman Keith Ellison asked to be sworn in on a Koran instead of a Bible. Goode defeated a fine Democratic candidate, Al Weed, in the past two elections, with 64% of the vote four years ago and 59% two years ago. He did so in part by purchasing television ads accusing Weed of supporting "amnesty" for "illegal immigrants," and "socialized medicine," and by making false accusations against Weed.

By David Swanson

There is a widespread myth that an impeachment cannot happen in the space of the nine months Bush and Cheney are scheduled to remain in office. But I'm unable to find any past impeachment that took as long as nine months. It's messy comparing one impeachment to another, as they are complicated and varying processes. But a few things are clear: most impeachment efforts achieve important results quickly, without actually achieving impeachment (think Elliot Spitzer or Alberto Gonzales); it is not uncommon for impeachment efforts to begin later in an administration than where we are now (think Andrew Johnson, Herbert Hoover, Harry Truman); while preliminary investigations of the sort that have been done on Bush and Cheney for the past year and a half can be dragged out for months, impeachments tend not to last long; and while Senate trials can be delayed and dragged out for many months, impeachments in the House tend to be short-lived events.

By David Swanson

Obama has 1,491 pledged delegates. Clinton has 1,332 pledged delegates. There remain 408 delegates to be pledged, plus 19 that have been pledged to Edwards. Clinton would need to win by a gap of 39 percent to catch up to Obama - not the "huge win" of 9 percent that she had in Pennsylvania.

By David Swanson

"Jacked: How 'Conservatives' Are Picking Your Pocket (Whether You Voted for Them or Not)" is a short book by Nomi Prins that makes an excellent education for those remaining Americans who still do not understand that right-wing politicians take from those who work and give to those who live in luxury off the sweat of others.

By David Swanson

California's 24th District is grotesquely misrepresented by Cheney-Bush rubber stamper Elton Gallegly, who is ready to start his lobbying career on K Street but who was talked into running again by the Republican Party. People are energized to unseat him, and three Democrats are running in the primary. One of them stands out, and is standing next to me in the attached photo: Mary Pallant.

Pallant is for single-payer health coverage:

"The only way you can be sure to get great affordable health care is to go to prison or go to Congress because the government subsidizes both. But assuming you and your family don’t want to do either, we need to understand that it is almost impossible for us to continue on the current path we are on of rising insurance premiums, less coverage, 1000’s uninsured here in our district. Single Payer will return the care back over to your doctors and hospitals and away from administrators sitting miles away in a cubicle making decisions about your health and well being. Single Payer is comprehensive coverage for all and will greatly reduce the financial burden on businesses and families who struggle to pay insurance premiums."

She's for withdrawing from Iraq completely:

"It is time to bring our troops home: combat, support and private contractors. Mary wants all bases closed and turned over to the Iraqi Government and the rebuilding efforts must be turned over to the people of Iraq. We must also set aside adequate funds to rebuild what has been destroyed while calling upon the neighboring countries to be engaged and involved members of the rehabilitation process to stabilize, revitalize and formalize Iraq and its political structure."

She's for shifting our priorities:

"The 2 to 3 billion dollars a week we are spending in Iraq will get a much better return on investment if we invest here in our infrastructure, create green collar jobs, boost manufacturing, and assist with the sub-prime loan debacle. Wages have stagnated over the last several years, our dollar has declined, while our debt has risen to record levels. We are in an unsustainable downward spiral and we must act fast. We have witnessed the impact here in the district with falling or stagnate home sales, Amgen laid off 100’s of employees, Countrywide’s fall to near ruin, which affected 100’s of people who live here in Ventura County. The cost of goods and services has far outpaced inflation. For America to be a beacon of hope again in the world, a model of democracy, we must restore our middle class and become strong and secure again here first. It begins in our own back yard."

This is an easy one. GIVE MARY SOME MONEY.

By David Swanson

Remarks delivered in Oakland, Calif., on April 24, 2008.

It's wonderful to be here in the Bay Area and to discover that wherever Nancy Pelosi gets her ideas from, it's not from her constituents. But I have some bad news for you. Last night I spoke in San Luis Obispo on why we should impeach Dick Cheney. The night before that was a speech in Ventura on why we should not dump another $178 billion into the occupation of Iraq and why we should impeach Dick Cheney. But on the drive up here from San Luis Obispo I had a long conversation with someone who began to change my mind. I confess that I had, prior to today, not given proper consideration to how impeaching Dick Cheney could backfire, namely by turning Dick Cheney into a figure of sympathy.

By David Swanson
Remarks delivered in San Luis Obispo, California, on April 23, 2008

When I started giving speeches about Iraq and impeachment three years ago, I liked to list the major impeachable offenses for Bush and for Cheney, but as the list grew it became rather cumbersome. It got to the point where adding another crime to the list would bring to mind four others I needed to add, and then someone would discover a whole new field of criminality and report it in the news while I was on the airplane to the speaking event. And if I left out somebody's favorite crime from the list, there would be hell to pay. So, I've decided to switch gears. I didn't do this last night down in Ventura, but starting tonight I'm going to give you my top 10 reasons NOT to impeach Dick Cheney.

"Are Peace and Impeachment Possible? Strategies for Saving our Constitution, Economy, and Environment"
By David Swanson
Remarks delivered in Ojai, California, on April 22, 2008

I'm going to talk for a while and then take some questions, and maybe even some corrections, since unlike the Pope and George W. Bush I do make mistakes. Our president, as far as I know, has never admitted a mistake. And of this I am sure, I have never publicly done anything as brave as what members of IVAW do in admitting their mistaken roles in Bush's crusade. Some of them have said that that has been harder than anything they did in Iraq, and I believe it. They deserve our gratitude and our support.

By David Swanson

Here is the perfect Mother's Day gift for your mother, your mother in law, your grandmothers, and in fact for the men in their lives as well - who ought to be shamed into action. Joan Wile has published a book called "Grandmothers Against the War: Getting Off Our Fannies and Standing Up for Peace." As far as I know, this is her first book. It is very much an account of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. If more people did the same, we would put an end to war.

By David Swanson

A new collection of essays edited by Mark Crispin Miller called "Loser Take All: Election Fraud and the Subversion of Democracy, 2000 - 2008," tells the story better than any single source I've seen yet.

"The only kinds of fights worth fighting are those you are going to lose, because somebody has to fight them and lose and lose and lose until someday, somebody who believes as you do wins. In order for somebody to win an important, major fight 100 years hence, a lot of other people have got to be willing - for the sheer fun and joy of it — to go right ahead and fight, knowing you’re going to lose.