I just don't buy it

Honorable George Miller:
I just don't buy your reasoning....the Dems have GOT to take the lead in first, beginning going down the road of starting to remove the troops NOW. We need to force the Republicans to vote yea or nay every day...public pressure is building at an amazing rate...were you surprised at the number of strong feelings at our Benicia Toen Meeting? (ok, we'll ignore the rude loudmouth). But, although I at first could undertand your reasoning (needing to negotiate, get the number of votes needed form the Republicans), I now sincerely believe that we need to force the R's by making unwavering stands that they must vote no on and then have to face their constituents and explain why they want to continue this war. The people across the street from our peace vigil every Thursday here in Benicia have no signs because they cannot say, in all good consciousness, that war is good. As we used to say during the Viet Nam war, "war is not good for children and other living beings". I believe we owe it to the people of Irag to help rebuild, but lets stop destroying their country NOW.
Thank you for the town meeting....you are aptient and wonderful man. Why don't you run for President?
Sincerely,
Susan Street
Benicia

Impeach!! Why do you believe Bush will honor any of this Iraq legislation you are trying to pass??

Dear Congressman Miller,

1) Why should I have any faith in the Congressional strategy of passing incremental pieces of Iraq legislation as a means to gradually force Bush to end our occupation of Iraq? Hasn't Bush shown us repeatedly that he feels he is above the law and above Congress in his role as Commander in Chief and can just disregard any legislation that you pass? Isn't Congress just agreeing to play the enabling partner in a rigged game by following that strategy?

Both Cheney and Bush have repeatedly violated our laws and the Constitution. They are attempting to vastly expand the power of the Executive, and weaken and destabilize the coequal checks and balances and separation of powers. The Framers of the Constitution established impeachment as a necessary process to be used by Congress in cases of serious Executive overreach such as this. In the context of their contempt for the rule of law and our Constitution, I have come to believe that the only way we will ever end this war, and prevent an expansion of it into Iran, is through the process of impeachment of both Cheney and Bush.

At your recent Town Hall meeting here in Benicia, you stated you would not support calls for impeachment because it "wouldn't succeed, and would be an 18 month distraction from other important business that needs to be addressed, such as ending the Iraq war."

2) Your claim that there wouldn't be enough votes for impeachment is just speculation, isn't it? That is only true if you don't try. If a Congressional leader, such as yourself, with your immense political stature and influence, would cosign H.Res.333 (Articles of Impeachment of Dick Cheney), don't you think it would open the flood gates and suddenly many other legislators would jump on board?

3) And why should we believe your claim that impeachment would be dragged out for 18 months by appeals. Other impeachment campaigns haven't taken that long have they? Furthermore, seeing the handwriting on the wall, the accused might resign (as Nixon did).

Your claim that impeachment would just be a "distraction" from other more important business that needs to be addressed is very disturbing.

4) Why do you consider it a useless "distraction" for Congress to take action to defend the Constitution against this imperial administration's erosion of our Constitutional separation of powers and rule of law? What could be more important?! Even if Congress doesn't "succeed" in impeaching Bush-Cheney, don't you think it's imperative for them to send an all important message to future administrations who might otherwise contemplate a similar overreaching of their Constitutional powers?

I encourage you to view the recent PBS program on Bill Moyer's Journal (particularly the comments by Constitutional scholar Bruce Fein about the need for Statesmen to stand up in this dangerous hour)
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07132007/profile.html

5) I would like you to explain what you think of their arguments for impeachment, and if you disagree with them, why?

I sincerely hope, Congressman Miller, that you will rethink your position on impeachment and resolve to take the courageous stand of the Statesman that I know you are.

Why can't Dems announce NOW, while there is still plenty of money for troops, that they will not be offering ANY funding bill in Sept?

Please watch this short Kucinich video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDtWCJF7xgY

Kucinich says Congress is not obligated to offer ANY Iraq Supplemental funding bill at all when Bush comes asking for more money in September. (No need to round up votes; no veto.) Congress can put Bush and the Petagon on notice NOW, while there is still PLENTY of money in the pipeline, that there will be NO supplemental war funding bill offered in September, period.

WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT THIS STRATEGY, CONGRESSMAN MILLER??

By putting them on notice NOW, Congress would not be accused of putting the troops in harms way without funding. This would give the Bush administration plenty of warning and time to start preparing and implementing a phased troop withdrawal plan. If Bush fails to take these steps, Congress can begin Impeachment against him for recklessly endangering our country and our troops.

Yes this is showdown brinkmanship, but it puts Congress on the high ground and Bush on the defensive, and it renews the public's respect and trust in Congress. And it's the only way we'll get these maniacs to end the Iraq occupation. The incremental legislation strategy is just playing into their game! You can't use parlamentary rules and procedures with people who have shown they have no respect for the law or the Constitution.

askgeorge

Dear George: What part of this 9-point Peace Plan do you not support and WHY?

Many of your constituents in Benicia/Vallejo have signed a pledge to the following 9-point Comprehensive Peace Plan, and we would appreciate a direct answer from you (on each of the nine points), do you support each one, or not, and why not?
Please reply on your facebook "Ask George" page, and on your "Ask George" MILLER TV. Thankyou.


WE THE PEOPLE DECLARE PEACE!

We call on You to Defund the War & Establish a Comprehensive Peace Plan


1. An end to ALL funding for U.S. military operations in Iraq.

2. Safe and rapid withdrawal of ALL U.S. troops and coalition forces from Iraq, with NO future redeployments.

3. No permanent U.S. military bases or installations in Iraq.

4. Support for an Iraqi-led peace process, including a peace conference to shape a post-occupation transition.

5. Return control of Iraqi oil to the people of Iraq, as well as complete sovereignty in their
economic and political affairs.

6. Support for reparations and reconstruction to address the destruction caused by the U.S. invasion, military occupation, and 13 years of economic sanctions.

7. Establish a U.S. peace dividend for job creation, health care, education, housing, and other vital social needs at home.

8. Increased support for U.S. veterans of the Iraq war.

9. No war against Iran or any other nation.

(More info at: http://www.declarationofpeace.org/ )


(P.S. Congressman Miller, please take a moment to meet us and hear our concerns at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teFFepakrjk )

askgeorge

Regarding the Undressed Emperor's Latest Machinations and the Court Jesters

Greetings,

I've been analyzing the latest act in a pathetic
performance by a desperate Duhbya. What an
incompetent liar. He'll say anything he thinks will
buy him more time. Clearly he's angling for another,
"Pearl Harbor event." If you aren't careful he's
going top get it. Here's why:
Fact: Al Qaeda means, "The Base," in Arabic.
Fact: "The Base," was constructed by the CIA who
armed and trained Osama bin Laden and his cohort.
Fact: The violent overthrow of the duly elected Iraqi
government in 1958 was orchestrated to put the
Baathists in power as a CIA client entity.
Fact: We armed and educated Saddam Hussein and
outfitted him with a coercive intelligence agency.
Fact: We pulled the same stunt in Iran as we pulled
in Iraq.
Fact: We constructed permanent military bases in
Saudi Arabia.
Fact: We're constructing permanent military bases in
Iraq.
Fact: All this is causal in the fomentation the
Islamic Fundamentalist Revolution.
Fact: We're losing our grip on Pakistan and Musharraf
isn't long for leadership there. The ISS is going
into ascent, imagine their finger on the Islamic
nuclear trigger.
Fact: We're losing our grip on Afghanistan. Welcome
back the Taliban.
Fact: The Neo-Cons stated the following for the
record regarding their agenda: "Dov Zakheim, called
for a 'Pearl Harbor' type of incident being necessary
to foster the frame of mind needed for the American
public to support a war in the Middle East that would
politically and culturally reshape the region."
Fact: Bush's imperialist adventure in Iraq opened the
floodgates and invited Al Qaeda into the fray in Iraq
where they had had a zero-footprint previously.
Fact: The philosophy known as, "The enemy of my enemy
is my friend," will prevent the Iraqis from
dispatching the Al Qaeda problem in their country
until the, "Infidel Occupiers," have left their
territory.
Fact: The longer we delay our departure from Iraq the
more organized and entrenched Al Qaeda will become in
Iraq.
Fact: The more entrenched and organized Al Qaeda
becomes the more likely they will execute their next
attack on the continental United States.
Fact: The Neo-Cons backs are presently against the
wall.
Fact: The Neo-Cons would welcome another, "Pearl
Harbor," event as it would allow them to redirect the
American public back down the path of Jingoism to
another ill considered invasion.
Fact: The administration has their Iran attack plans
fully formulated and are itching to put their fingers
on the trigger and launch that offensive.
Fact: The administration is rapidly formulating a
plan to intercede in Pakistan.
Fact: The United States military is already
dangerously overextended and spent, most poorly.
Fact: We have foreign mercenaries; with boots on the
ground in America, acting without legal constraint on
behalf of the Department of Defense.
Fact: If you don't do something about all this soon
it will once again be too late and you will have
failed through inaction just as you have failed
through inaction very consistently since the 2000
election.
Fact: When the Neo-Cons get their, "Pearl Harbor,"
event, they are going to bury you along with what
little is left of the Constitution and the Bill of
Rights.
Fact: We didn't win the Cold War by scaring or
outspending the Soviets. We won the Cold War by being
the kind of a country our opponent's cadre decided
they would prefer to live in.
Fact: We aren't that country anymore!

Do me a favor; Wake Up and face your only logical
choice: Be Statesmen; Do It Right; DO IT NOW! Put the
Neo-Con animal to sleep. I DO MEAN euthanize it
immediately. It's cancerous; it's traitorous; it's
Un-American.

To Do List:
-Get us OUT of Iraq NOW!
-Impeach Cheney.
-Impeach Duhbya.
-Repeal the Patriot Act.
-Staunch the bleeding from our free-trade wounds; Free
Trade is poorly disguised corporate fascism, a
manifestation of the race to the bottom and unworthy
of America.
-Disassemble Homeland Security and redistribute the
various agencies that were uprooted to comprise it
back to their respective parent entities
-Roll back the FCC's rulings for the past 30-years and
legislate replacement regulations that disallow
concentration of ownership while breaking up the media
monopolies.
-Regulate how much gross profit a News organization
may make in a year. Two point five percent is
probably about right.
-Require that television act in the Public Interest;
provide News a minimum of Two hours per day.
-Provide block-time free of charge to balloted
candidates at election time along with equal time
provisions to ensure a level playing field.
-Cut off lobbying at the knees to tear 'Big Money' out
of politics.
-Entrench Net Neutrality; an Amendment to the
Constitution is in order, as the Net Neutral Internet
is the only Free Marketplace of Ideas left in this
nation.
-Repair the damage done to our educational system over
the past 35 years so that we are once again educating
generations of independent thinking problem solvers
and adventurers.
Note: Mankind is a dangerous phenomenon that requires
drama and conflict to excel. Herein lies our primary
dilemma: what to do about it? Fortunately the answer
is simple!
1. Conquer Outer Space: We have to get some of our
genetic material off this planet before we lose that
capacity; So, Do It!
2. Conquer Renewable Energy/Global Warming: The
phenomenon most likely to derail human progress is our
pathetic insistence on clinging to a technology that
is dangerously obsolete. Obliterate it in favor of
the future.

When you've completed these tasks pat yourselves on
the back and take a well-deserved Two-week vacation.
Then, GET BACK TO WORK! I'm not paying you to lounge
around destroying our Nation through inattention to
detail. There's much to be done. Now that you're
statesmen I expect you to put your shoulders to the
wheel and make the right decisions on behalf of the
Citizens you represent. Remember: The business of
America is, "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of
Happiness." Business comes in a very distant second
for consideration on this scale.

P.S. Britain's reallocation of the legitimate
Palestinian State's territory to Israel in collusion
with the United States created an open wound that must
be equitably redressed before a legitimate peace can
ever be reached in the Middle East.

Laurens Lincoln Battis III
Fairfield, CA

Sincerely,
Larry Battis

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- B. Franklin, 1759

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect
everyone who approaches that jewel." --Patrick Henry