(We’re going to be hearing a lot about this. I wanted to make sure that the resolution was in order, but apparently so. It is a moral outrage to have this man sitting in judgment of anyone right now. – promoted by David Dayen)
The torture memos released yesterday are a call to action. President Obama has done all he needs to do to enable us to rise up and demand accountability from those who directed and enabled torture. It’s time.
Tuesday night at the monthly meeting of the largest county Democratic Party in the nation, Los Angeles, the vote was unanimous on a resolution calling for the impeachment of Judge Jay Bybee, author of the famous “torture memo” — aka “the Bybee memo.”
Unanimous. LACDP spoke with one loud, clear voice on this. Next week, we’ll be working this resolution at the California Democratic Party Convention in Sacramento. And I hope Democrats (and Republicans, too) will join together in crafting resolutions calling for accountability. It’s time to dismantle the Bush Administration’s torture policy, and bring its facilitators to account.
The resolution urges impeachment for the man who signed the memo advising the CIA that torture is sometimes allowable under U.S. law, Jay Bybee. Thanks to yesterday’s document release, more people than ever are learning who Jay Bybee really is. He’s the guy who first signed off on CIA torture.
Resolution and more after the jump.
Torture isn’t allowable under U.S. law, of course, no matter what some lawyer in the Justice Department may say. We all know that. And it’s time to make some folks accountable — perhaps especially Judge Jay Bybee, who now sits on the Federal Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Impeachment is the only way to touch him, because he’s appointed to that cushy seat in San Francisco… for life… thanks to George W. Bush.
Beyond the memo released yesterday, here’s some background on Bybee and torture:
* The “torture memo” of August 1, 2002 was signed by Jay Bybee when he was at Justice. It’s now commonly called “the Bybee memo” — and it was the first deliberate step taken to legitimize “enhanced” interrogation by the Bush administration. Sen. Feinstein famously grilled Alberto Gonzalez about the memo at his confirmation hearings.
* In 2003, Bush appointed Bybee to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. At his confirmation hearings, he “stonewalled,” refusing to divulge any legal opinions he may have rendered while at Justice.
* Our CA Sens. Feinstein and Boxer both voted against his confirmation, March, 2003.
* The “Bybee Memo” was leaked to the Washington Post over a year later, summer of 2004. No one knew of Justice Bybee’s role in drafting torture memos until long after he’d been confirmed. He now has a seat for life in San Francisco.
* A compelling argument for impeaching Justice Bybee was recently made by Bruce Ackerman of Yale Law School.
We’ll be pushing for this resolution to be voted out by the entire California Democratic Party at our upcoming convention in San Francisco.
Here’s the resolution. If you agree with it, on the merits, please do all you can to push forward similar resolutions around the country.
It’s time we all spoke together, with one voice, to end torture!
RESOLUTION TO IMPEACH JUDGE JAY BYBEE
Passed Unanimously by LACDP, 4/14/09Whereas, the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the people a right to petition the government for a redress of grievances; and,
Whereas the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment, the supreme law of the land under Article VI of our Constitution, requires the prosecution of those who authorize torture, waterboarding is torture, and both former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Richard B. Cheney have admitted to authorizing waterboarding; and,
Whereas former Assistant Attorney General, and current Federal Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Jay Bybee signed the “Bybee Memo,” or “Torture Memo” of August 1, 2002, which advised the C.I.A. that “cruel, inhuman or degrading” treatment was at times allowable under U.S. law, and authored, co-authored and signed other memos on “extraordinary rendition” and “enhanced interrogation,” more of which are being currently revealed to the American public as the new administration brings them to light; now,
Therefore be it resolved that the Los Angeles County Democratic Party urges that the United States House of Representatives begin impeachment proceedings against Judge Jay Bybee of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, charging him with facilitating the authorization of torture while employed by the United States Department of Justice; and,
Therefore be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution with its original authorization be sent to the Office of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, and that copies of the signed resolution be sent to each member of the California delegation to the United States Senate and House of Representatives.
(Cross-posted at DailyKos.)
At least on the CDP convention vote, what can we do to help move this along? Who will have votes on the CDP resolution (like, elected representatives?) or the ability to move it along?
Does it make sense for those of us outside LA to contact the members of our county party committee about pushing for a local resolution similar to the one in LA?
When you say you will be “working this resolution at the California Democratic Party Convention in Sacramento” do you mean it is known someone will actually be introducing such a resolution, or are you still looking for a way to get one introduced?
Yes, please… it would be great if others would submit this resolution to their own county Democratic committees for adoption.
This resolution will be considered by the CDP Resolutions Committee next week, and we’ll be working to get it considered on the floor of the convention. It’s not automatic — we’ll have to get it voted out of committee, or raise the necessary signatures to see it through.
If you’d like to help, please plan to attend the Resolutions Committee meeting in Sacramento on Friday. They’ll be considering all the various resolutions from across the state, and choosing ten or so of them to go on the consent calendar.
Thank you!