Rep. Conyers please show leadership, start impeachment hearings

The GAO, Congressional and Senate investigative committees, legal scholars from across the American political spectrum, public servants and respected military officers, private journalists, writers, bloggers and filmmakers, the broadcast and print media have all exposed the knowing and willing engagement in continual and systematic violation of our Constitution by the President and Vice-President, under the guise of executive privilege and national security and in open defiance of Congress. From the 2000 election to the falsification of Iran's nuclear capabilities, the Bush/Cheney administration has been committing violations that are deemed well within the criteria of high crimes and misdemeanors and well outside any acceptable limit or practice consistent with a free and Democratic country.

Our Constitution expressly calls for the removal from office, through impeachment, of a President and Vice President who commit high crimes and misdemeanors. Impeachment is mandatory in such an instance, not elective, so it is beyond all reason why you have not commenced impeachment hearings, Rep. Conyers. Speaker Pelosis glaring partisan misuse of power in declaring impeachment off the table signaled the end of any respect for the Democratic led Congress and their ability to rein in Bushs ongoing unitary power grab. With recent revelations of the Speakers own complicity in violating the Constitution, by sanctioning the Presidents illegal use of torture as an interrogation technique, it is now clear that neither you nor this country can rely on the Speaker to do what is constitutionally required. All eyes, and hope, are now on you to choose the right path forward. We have faith that you, Chairman Conyers, unlike Speaker Pelosi, will show true moral leadership, uphold your sworn oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and fulfill your responsibility as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee by beginning impeachment hearings immediately.

Without impeachment, the gross abuse of power and subversion of our system of checks and balances will stand as precedent, conferring upon all future US Presidents the status and rights of a monarch. When intelligent, educated and scholarly people begin to forecast the downfall of our Democracy, which for over 200 years has served as an inspiration and beacon for the world, it is incumbent upon our elected public servants to put partisanship and self interest away and act in the best interest of the country, which in this case is opening impeachment hearings as quickly as humanly possible.

How tragic, if what was remembered as the death knell of our great Democracy was Speaker Pelosis partisan and personal misuse of the Speaker's Office in rendering a decision not to implement the Constitutional remedy of impeachment abetted by a weak and amoral Democratic Congress who chose to follow her lead rather than fill the void and lead with their conscience. Chairman Conyers, begin impeachment hearings, immediately!