The Other Conyers for Congress in 2008?
House Judiciary Chair Rep. John Conyers of Detroit has lost friends in the activist community since reversing his position and backing off his calls for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
It seems like a political lifetime ago since Conyers introduced House Resoultion 635 asking for an investigation of possible impeachable offenses by Bush and Cheney. During his congressional campaign in 2006, Conyers won the votes of Detroit impeachment activists by implying that he would continue his pursuit of impeachment proceedings.
But after his election, when the chair of the House Judiciary Committee was in his grasp, the Congressman bowed to pressure from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and parroted her decree that “impeachment is off the table.” He has failed to place H.R. 333, Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s introduction of articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney, on the House Judiciary Committee calendar.
Last week another Conyers from Detroit gained national attention by making a stand in favor of Bush/Cheney impeachment. Detroit City Council member Monica Conyers, John’s wife, introduced a resolution that would recommend that Detroit’s congressmembers introduce articles of impeachment against Bush and Cheney.
As WDET reported:
The Council resolution has no legal weight.
But it does have a well-known name attached to it – Council Member Monica Conyers…whose husband John chairs the congressional committee that actually HAS the authority to seek impeachment.
A spokesperson for Monica Conyers – Chief of Staff Sam Riddle – says the vote underlines the fact that the nation went to war under false pretenses…and someone needs to be held accountable.
“The lies of George Bush have killed too many of our young men and women. It has to stop. It has to stop now. We’re sending a message from Detroit to the Congress of the United States. That includes Congressman Conyers as well as Nancy Pelosi. I believe they’ll get the message.”
But that message puts CONGRESSMAN Conyers in the unenviable position of having to publicly disagree with his wife.
He has already stated publicly numerous times that…with all the issues facing the nation…he does not want to tie-up the Congress with impeachment proceedings against a president who will soon leave office anyway.
This has prompted activists to increase the pressure on Conyers to do what he promised during his campaign. One comment on impeachment website AfterDowningStreet.org:
MONICA CONYERS FOR CONGRESS 2008???
JOHN CONYERS,JR.,IS SITTING ON H.RES. 333 (KUCINICH)
BLAME JOHN CONYERS,JR., FOR NOT SCHEDULING H.RES.333, ON THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CALENDAR (THE IMPEACHMENT OF CHENEY). CONYERS SHOULD BE VOTED OUT OF OFFICE FOR HIS INERTIA AND HIS STATED REFUSAL TO PLACE H. RES. 333 ON THE CALENDAR.
DETROITERS, PLEASE RUN A VIABLE CANDIDATE AGAINST HIM IN 2008.
WOULDN’T IT BE NICE, IF MONICA CONYERS WERE TO RUN AGAINST HIM?
