Madison and Dane County impeachment resolution

The Constitution provides for impeachment of high government officials for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." Conduct that undermines the integrity of a public office or is in disregard of constitutional duties or involves abuse of power is generally regarded as grounds for impeachment.

President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney conspired with others to defraud the United States of America by intentionally misleading Congress and the public regarding the threat from Iraq in order to justify a war in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 371.

President George W. Bush violated the United Nation’s Charter and the United States Constitution by launching an illegal "War of Aggression" against Iraq without cause in violation of U.N. General Assembly Resolution 3314, Article VI, paragraph 2 of the US Constitution and U.S. Federal Law 18 U.S.C. § 2441 (War Crimes Act of 1996).

President Bush has admitted to ordering the National Security Agency to conduct electronic surveillance of American civilians without seeking warrants from the Foreign Intelligence Court of Review, duly constituted by Congress in 1978, in violation of Title 50 United States Code, Section 1805.

President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney conspired to commit the torture of prisoners in violation of the “Federal Torture Act” Title 18 United States Code, Section 113C, the UN Torture Convention and the Geneva Convention, which under Article VI of the Constitution are part of “the supreme Law of the Land”.

In all of this, President Bush and Vice President Cheney have acted in a manner contrary to their trust as President and Vice President, subversive of constitutional government to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of Dane County and the United States of America.

The cost of war is enormous in both the loss of lives and in dollars. Thus far the number of Wisconsin troop deaths is 74 and 486 wounded for a total of 560 persons. Dane County’s portion of the cost of the war is over $1.8 billion and the estimated cost for Wisconsin is approximately $6.863 billion.

The Constitution specifies that "the House of Representatives...shall have the sole power of impeachment" while the “the Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments.” To begin the impeachment process, the House of Representatives would refer the investigation to its Judiciary Committee, which reviews the evidence and may conduct hearings. It determines whether an official impeachment inquiry is warranted and, if so, asks the House for permission to proceed. An official investigation follows, with the Committee deciding whether to offer articles of impeachment to the full House. The House then votes separately on each of the articles, with a simple majority needed to impeach the official. Articles of impeachment approved by the House are then presented to the Secretary of the U.S. Senate for trial.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney, by such conduct, warrant impeachment investigations and trial.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Dane County Clerk be, and is hereby, instructed to certify to the Speaker of the House of Representatives a copy of this resolution and its adoption by Dane County, as a petition, and request that this petition be delivered to the Office of the Clerk and entered into the United States Congressional Journal.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Dane County Board of Supervisors urges the United States House of Representatives to begin the impeachment process by referring the investigation to the Judiciary Committee.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and Senators Herb Kohl and Russell Feingold.