Even more July 4th photos

Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD-8) gives “thumbs up” to impeachment supporters. He reportedly told one supporter that the Libby commutation is making him consider supporting Rep. Kucinich’s Cheney impeachment resolution, HR 333. As chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Rep. Van Hollen is one of the most influential progressive Democrats on Capitol Hill.

(click “july4” for other posts in this series)

More July 4th photos

by Michelle, takomabibelot, and others as they become available…

Lisa Moscatiello, Katie Bergstrom
By Michelle Bailey

Impeachment is patriotic: Takoma Park July 4th

Thomas Nephew as Minuteman along
Takoma Park July 4th parade route.
The sign’s fine print says: “call your
reps * attend council meetings *
takomaparkibc.wordpress.com.”
(Space for the table generously
provided by MD Delegate Heather
Mizeur and spouse Deb Mizeur.)

What’s more, it’s fun. Yesterday I got up, put on my (rented) Minuteman duds and headed over to Maple Avenue for a morning and early afternoon of pro-impeachment petition gathering and action at Takoma Park’s traditional July 4th parade, together with my friends from Takoma Park, MD Impeach Bush & Cheney.

As even more people are thus now aware, our city council has scheduled a vote for July 23d about whether to send a pro-impeachment resolution to Congress.

And as local politicians from our city council, the county council, the Maryland legislature, and the House of Representatives are now even more aware, there’s a lot of support for impeaching George W. Bush and Richard R. Cheney around here. We’ve gathered hundreds of impeachment support petitions, and lawn signs have sprouted throughout town — including along the parade route; it seemed like every fourth or fifth Maple Avenue house — and quite a few Carroll Avenue ones — had one of our handsome green “IMPEACH THEM” signs.

I’m happy to report that popular support is reciprocated. State delegate Heather Mizeur and her spouse Deb Mizeur were kind enough to let us plant a lawn sign on their parade-front lot and use a patch of their lawn for a sign-distribution and petition gathering table. County councilmembers Valerie Ervin and Duchy Trachtenberg even asked for signs and waved them from their parade cars, while state Delegate Sheila Hixson, county councilman Marc Elrich , and city councilmembers Joy Austin-Lane and Colleen Clay (to name a few) all signaled “thumbs up” when they saw us.

Impeachment supporters Michelle Bailey, Katie
Bergstrom, and Thomas Nephew, Takoma Park
July 4th parade

And while Congressman Chris Van Hollen was perhaps understandably reluctant to talk with some guy in a costume, my friends Michelle Bailey and Lisa Moscatiello say he gave a “thumbs up” sign of his own when he saw them near the beginning of the parade route.

Perhaps more important, by the time Congressman (and DCCC chairman) Van Hollen finished his July 4th parade in Takoma Park, I think he had reason to conclude this really is important to and strongly supported by a lot of his constituents.

For example, speaking to the latest self-dealing, scofflaw outrage from the White House, one house along the Maple Avenue parade route had a huge banner hanging from the porch roof saying “Commute Our Sentences: Impeach Bush & Cheney.” I had a chance to talk with State Senator Jamie Raskin shortly after the parade;* he thinks Bush’s commutation of Libby’s perjury sentence has the potential to “blow the doors off” reluctance to consider and pursue impeachment.

From Raskin’s lips to Speaker Pelosi’s ears (figuratively speaking!); while she famously claimed impeachment was “off the table” before last year’s general election, I hope her own outrage over the Libby commutation will cause her to reconsider.

=====
CROSSPOSTED from “newsrack blog.”

* Raskin’s remarks about impeachment at Montgomery College earlier this year are an excellent resource for anyone on the fence about this issue, I think. It wasn’t a prepared speech, but it was a clear 20-25 minute discussion of impeachment, why it’s warranted, and how to (try to) frame the debate. The video at the link also has a question and answer session after Raskin’s remarks.