After my meeting Tuesday with Melanie, Speaker Pelosi's Deputy District Director, I am actually encouraged about the prospects for impeachment, while also coming away with a renewed sense of how large the task before us is.
It's a wee bit long, so I've attempted to add a navigation index here, with links throughout the text to bring you back up here if you wish. Hope it works.
The Narrative
Getting There
Meeting Recap
100
Summary and Analysis
To Do
Organizing Resources
What's at Stake
The Narrative
Getting There
To begin, I was preparing up to the very last minute for this meeting. I'd like to take a moment for a special hat tip to CA Nana for catching a couple of typos I had missed in the letter I wrote to leave for Speaker Pelosi. Having everything almost complete, I made a side trip to my school to make use of their three-hole punch. I called a cab on my way so it should meet me at school just as I was finishing the binder with the aforementioned letter and other materials (details below). While at school (five minutes), one friend inquired about the meaning of my orange ribbon. While using the the hole punch for the pages to go into the binder, I replied that it was in reference to Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and the loss of habeas corpus.
Back outside to wait for the cab. And wait. And wait.
10-15 minutes go by, and I'm starting to get nervous that I'll be late. I call the cab company to find out what's going on. They don't know and dispatch another cab. Ok, now the anxiety about being late is growing even more. I call Speaker Pelosi's office just to touch base and leave a message for Melanie about what's going on. Five minutes before I'm supposed to be meeting Melanie, and cab number 2 still hasn't arrived. I call to leave another message with Melanie that I am definitely late, as my cab still hasn't even arrived, and could she call me back if today is still okay or if we need to reschedule. At 11:00, my cab finally arrives. I haven't heard from Melanie yet. Do I take the cab to the meeting, only to be turned away because I missed Melanie's window of availability? Or do I just wait for her return call and reschedule? I took the cab. If I needed to reschedule, I figured I might be able to do that at the Speaker's office if I hadn't heard from Melanie. I also had a thought in the back of my mind that perhaps I wrote the meeting time down early and wasn't late after all. No such luck, but it was a moderately calming thought. My nerves were on edge over the possibility of missing a meeting that was important at least to me.
I get to the Burton Federal Building at about ten or fifteen minutes late. The security check was pretty straightforward - a guard checks my ID and I send my bag through the x-ray. Another guard asked me to turn my computer on when my bag gets through the x-ray. Another couple minutes waiting for Windows to start up. Another twinge of nerves. Going up the elevator and walking through the halls, it struck me how empty and quite the building was. I went up the elevator with a delivery guy with a big laundry bag of something - looked like mail, but I couldn't tell for sure. Focussed on just reaching the Speaker's office, my curiosity wasn't piqued enough to ask. The delivery guy made a comment about having something for Senator Pelosi's office. I told him that she wasn't a Senator, but rather Speaker of the House. Feinstein or Boxer would have to retire for her to be a Senator. We went through a little Abbot & Costello routine that finished with, "How can she be Speaker if she's not a Senator." "The Speaker isn't a member of the Senate, but a member of the House of Representatives. They're two different chambers of Congress." "We're supposed to know all this from high school civics, aren't we." Oh. My. GOD!
Maybe he was teasing. Part of me hopes I'm that gullible.
As we approach the Speaker's office, the receptionist takes the delivery guy in hand and has me make myself comfortable in the reception office. When she returns, I start to explain that I'm late for a meeting with Melanie. She stops me there and says she'll be right back. Melanie comes in and I start by apologizing for being late and asking whether we need to reschedule. She explains that she has time now, and rescheduling would mean putting it off until sometime in September. My nerves are still a little off as we head to her office, but I do have a little internal sigh of relief.
Return to the Intro
Meeting Recap
I had hoped to have a few more constituent's with me, thinking that whoever I spoke to would take what a group said a little more seriously than one person saying it. I wasn't able to pull that together for this meeting though, so I just put together the best solo presentation that I could. Being late and by myself, I started off feeling like a rube, hardly even noticing whether the words coming out of my mouth made any sense.
Melanie may have picked up on this, or may just be used to conducting meetings with constituents in a certain fashion. In any case, she helped me to feel more grounded by asking about my background and what part of the city I was in. She responded by mentioning a prominent business owner in my neighborhood who works with the Speaker's office as a community liaison.
After that small talk we get to substance, with Melanie, as a good listener, allowing me to go whatever direction I might like. I was able to follow my plan of briefly bringing up congratulations for the ethics bill and mentioning the energy bill and the differences on CAFE standards between the House and Senate versions. My segue using the FISA mess was not as graceful or articulate as it could have been, but I was able to get to impeachment without totally stumbling over myself.
I was rather surprised that, as I spoke about needing real oversight and accountability of the administration, Melanie continued to be engaged in what I was saying. Her eyes didn't glaze over, she didn't sit back in her chair, and her expression and comments remained open. Going into the meeting, I was pretty sure I was going to encounter an attitude of "Thanks for coming in, the Speaker appreciates constituent input, say what you have to say, I have a lunch meeting I have to leave for in five minutes." Especially since I was by myself. Maybe it was the Ugly Tie (TM) and me in I'm a very Serious Person mode.
I wrapped up a minute or two of talking about the anger, frustration, and disillusionment of the public with the Congress with the need for impeachment because Congress would be able to achieve very little real progress between obstructionist Republicans and the stonewalling Bush/Cheney administration. Melanie then wanted to know if I had an Ask of the Congresswoman. This is where my second, and I think more significant surprise came. "I understand that Speaker Pelosi cannot call for impeachment herself, or sign on to H. Res. 333 politically, but I would ask that she not stand in the way." Melanie's expression at this was one of genuine surprise and she sat back in her chair a bit. She mentioned that the Speaker wasn't standing in the way and that 65 oversight hearings had been held. I pointed out that oversight hearings are not an impeachment investigation, that we haven't seen anyone from the administration held accountable so far, and that the impression being given by taking impeachment off the table was that in fact, Speaker Pelosi was standing in the way of an impeachment investigation. Melanie did bring up that Speaker Pelosi had been quoted in the news saying that if she weren't Speaker, she would probably be pressing for impeachment herself. Around this point, I asked what it would take for impeachment investigations to go forward.
100
Melanie said that the Speaker was merely one of 435 voices in the House. If 100 were to call for impeachment investigations, then they could move forward. I asked if Melanie knew who we might target to reach 100. She responded with a spontaneous smile and said they didn't have a list since it wasn't something they were working on, but that it would soon become apparent.
That pretty much wrapped up our discussion on impeachment. At this point, I thought about 10-15 minutes had gone by. Melanie offered me the letter (pdf) that is sent out to those who contact Speaker Pelosi about impeachment. Then she offered me a couple of pages titled "Energy Independence Day" (pdf) on the energy bill. I thought she was going to talk about it briefly and then dismiss me, but I was surprised again. We actually spent a few more minutes talking about CAFE standards and the differences between the House and Senate versions that were passed. I asked if the Speaker's office had any sense of what would happen out of the conference committee and whether a compromise bill could be put together that would pass both houses. And there's there rub. They have no idea.
Return to the Intro
Summary and analysis
Ultimately, I think I had about 25-30 minutes with Melanie. There were two or three points where I thought we were coming to a conclusion, yet Melanie moved our conversation forward. I never felt that I was being dismissed or hurried so that she could get to the next piece of business, even though I was late. I felt that I was being taken seriously, and not simply as a routine appointment with a constituent to get out of the way. Of course it is the nature of a good politician to make her or his constituents feel welcome, and the Speaker's staff must certainly share these skills. However, I didn't get the inauthentic politician feel that I've seen or felt before in other prominent political figures.
On impeachment, Melanie was honest with me in stating that the Speaker wasn't there yet in believing impeachment was necessary to have accountability from the administration. She does believe that moving legislation forward is the best way to conduct the business of the country. Frankly, I think this is part of a Washington bubble. But I was encouraged to perceive a couple of points where the bubble can be breached.
First, apparently the Speaker's office does not believe she is standing in the way on impeachment, and she did indeed say she might be among those advocating for it if she were not Speaker. Perhaps if she continues to offer these kinds of signals, some of her colleagues who are not in as prominent political positions might step forward on impeachment. I think we should continue to entice her with whatever honey we can to encourage her to do this within the Democratic caucus as often as possible. Especially those of us who are her constituents in San Francisco.
The second point of opportunity is on the perception of the Democratic leadership to be making genuine progress on legislation and oversight hearings. Here, either legislation will get passed making real steps forward or it will be blocked or watered down. Oversight hearings will either lead to administration officials actually being held to account or only to more stonewalling as the administration attempts to run out the clock. To my mind, genuine progress on legislation and rolling back administration abuses would be good things. But I do not believe that's what's going to happen. If bills that pass are nothing more than band-aids and window-dressing, then I believe more and more constituents will give their representatives the message that the real business of the country cannot move forward until the Bush/Cheney administration is held to account for its abuses. I believe genuine progress will require impeachment, and Cheney is the first target I would suggest.
On the competing energy bills and CAFE standards, it's a bit of a crap shoot. My concern is that the conference committee won't resolve the differences with a compromise that can pass both chambers, and progress on energy legislation will be lost. Hopefully my fears are unfounded, but Melanie was not able to say anything to allay my concerns.
I left Melanie by saying I did not want to just be someone else conveying an impeachment message. They've been hearing enough of them that it seems they're going tone-deaf on them. As I mentioned above though, there did seem to be points of opportunity to get past the Washington-bubble or tone deafness. Rather than just be another impeachment messenger, I wanted to convey my perceptions that people are afraid, they feel out of control, and they don't feel that there representatives are standing up for them. I wanted to offer that the Speaker might have more to lose by failing to impeach than by moving forward with an impeachment inquiry.
Return to the Intro
To Do
I came away from my meeting with Melanie with three clear To Do items:
- ID Targets
- Evaluate & Critique claimed successes & failures
- Recruit & Mobilize
ID Targets
I was given a clear goal, 100, of representatives needed to sign on to impeachment for an impeachment hearing to move forward. We need to go out and find those representatives. Call, write, and set up appointments with your representative during this recess. Find out where he or she stands on the question of impeachment. Have they already signed on to H. Res. 333? (Listed here by State, last name, and district number.) Ask how we can help them get more of their colleagues on board. Are they on the fence, but persuadable? What information or arguments to they need to be persuaded? Are they opposed to Bush and Cheney, but not in favor of impeachment? Find out what it would take to change their mind. Don't give up. EmilyD was influential in getting Ellen Tauscher to change her position with regard to impeaching Gonzales. Whether your rep has a (D), an (R), or an (I) following their name, we need to establish who are most likely persuadable. I think we especially need to find moderate Republican targets who are persuadable.
Contact your CongressCritter (House)
Find your representatives contact info at Congress.org or via the House Directory (less user friendly in my opinion).
Here are some diaries about contacting our representatives if you need ideas. I've been asked how I was able to get an appointment with Speaker Pelosi's Deputy District Director; I called and asked.
Did I Get My Blue Dog Congresswoman to Change her Mind? by EmilyD
impeachment-a letter to my representative by dcookie
Letter from my Rep and why it makes me so ANGRY! by DaveBear
Seeking Recess Meeting w/ Rep, Input Requested by forbodyandmind (me)
Enough SF: Taking Action, Seeking Help by forbodyandmind (me again)
Evaluate & Critique
We need to evaluate and critique the claimed successes and failures of the 110th Congress. We need to understand the strengths and limitations of these claims in a way that we can easily convey to other voters, and also to representatives who come to us with arguments against impeachment based on "successes" talking points. Below are some references to help us define what we're looking for. I think we need to look at the first 100 hours and the first 100 days, and honestly evaluate the consequences of legislation that has passed, failed, and/or been vetoed.
What a Democratic Congress Achieved by Steny Hoyer Monday, August 13th
The Gavel Blog by Jesse Lee (Speaker Pelosi's blog)
What Others are Saying: The Accomplishments of the 110th Congress
First 100 Hours From the Washington Post - In it's entirety below, because it's short.
- Implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 commission.
- Raising the minimum wage.
- Halving the interest rate on college student loans.
- Rolling back subsidies to big oil companies.
- Stopping any privatization of Social Security.
- Committing to no new deficit spending.
- Authorizing the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare.
The 100 Hour Agenda from the DCCC
http://www.house.gov/... - see Pelosi's take on the 100 Hour and 100 Day agendas. They're is also available here as a 4-page pdf. I was going to quote them in full, but I have a feeling some eyes are glazing over at this point even without those stimulating bits.
Recruit & Mobilize
We need to recruit. Join an Enough protest or start one of your own. Participate in Orange Fridays. Join a demonstrations September 15th and September 21st.
It doesn't matter if you're alone to begin with. You can read up on the Enough campaign in the diaries here. Several DailyKos members, including yours truly, have gone out on their own.
Enough: Going Solo
Diarists talk about protesting alone
How was your "Enough!" rally? by Nancy in LA
Todays Enough Protest Week Two by Wino
Todays ENOUGH Protest Week three by Wino
Todays Enough protest week four by Wino
Enough SF - Solo Edition by forbodyandmind (still me)
and a few more soloists from comments: KayCeSF, donjo, DonnaZ, and ljm
Return to the Intro
Organizing Resources
When we talk to our representatives or even when we're protesting and recruiting, we should be organized and informed.
The Binder (With thanks to Tigana for the Fair Use graphics for the cover.)
I put together a presentation binder to leave for Speaker Pelosi. The first item in it was a letter that was eight paragraphs - a little over a page long, single-spaced. The text of my letter can be seen at the end of An Impeachment Roundup for Nancy Pelosi.
In the next section of the binder, I copied the following diaries with permission (stretched for the last one), and cited the authors' screen names and the permalink addresses of the diaries.
I Cry Every Day by FlArmyMom
How about a bill called "Restoring our Constitution"? by clammyc (permission given in the body of the diary for general use)
"Because he can" by clammyc (Hope I didn't overstep myself by using based on the previous permission.)
I would like to request permission to use the following diaries in another version of the binder for recruitment purposes. Pondite, Nightprowlkitty, and walkingdeer, please let me know in comments or at the email available in my profile if it's ok to reprint your diaries in support of the impeachment cause.
Rev. Dr. King shows us the way on impeachment? by Pondite
Pain by Nightprowlkitty
The radicalization of an apolitical person by walkingdeer
Other Binder Contents
Editorial cartoons - those that I could, I copied from the internet and printed prior to seeking permission. I am now seeking permission specifically to reprint them in this binder for recruitment and educational purposes. As I receive permission to use individual cartoons, I will make them available.
I copied the following columns and articles from the web, again prior to seeking permission.
Impeach Cheney by Bruce Fein
'Supporting the troops' means withdrawing them by William Odom
Bush justice is a national disgrace by John S. Koppel
You could also use Keith Olbermann's Special Comment, though I didn't for the version of the binder that I left for Speaker Pelosi.
Nichols: The people can lead with push to impeach by John Nichols wasn't available in time to be included for Nancy Pelosi, but I have now added it.
[Update] Added on the suggestion of Empower Ink: Barbara Jordan's Judiciary Statement on impeachment from July 24th, 1974.
The last items in the binder were a printout of the current status of impeachment resolutions as reported at ImpeachPAC.org and the impeachment FAQs put together by Cape Cod Peace and Justice (pdf).
I've put other thoughts about getting organized in a previous diary here, which also happens to be my first rescued diary. ;)
Return to the Intro
What's at Stake
For the past several months, at least, the Bush/Cheney administration has been gradually ratcheting up the rhetoric with regard to Iran. From what media coverage there is, it seems that Cheney is the one pressing this case.
See:
BREAKING: Hi ho hi ho it's off to Iran we go by jkb246
The Washington Note, May 24th
Cheney Attempting to Constrain Bush's Choices on Iran... by Steven Clemons
The New York Times, June 2nd
Rice Plays Down Hawkish Talk About Iran by Helene Cooper
Why the hell the administration is so determined to energize and empower terrorists is completely beyond me. What would happen with China and Russia in the event of any attack on Iran? Aside from cementing their abuses in place if they are not called to account, the Bush/Cheney administration, led by Cheney and his minions certainly seem to be doing everything they can to set the table for WWIII. It's time to set a different table.
Return to the Intro
Thanks to Archangel, who posted this in comments in another diary.
I'M MAD AS HELL! AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!
STAND UP! STAND TOGETHER! ENOUGH!