If any of you have reviewed the torture legal opinions over at ACLU site, I'm sure you are as outraged as I am that one of the facilitators of these torture memos is a Judge in our United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On April 14th, the LA County Democratic Party passed the resolution that follows. I recommend we pass a similar if not identical resolution as soon as possible.

RESOLUTION TO IMPEACH JUDGE JAY BYBEE

Passed Unanimously by LACDP, 4/14/09

Whereas, 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.

Al Gore was in Seattle last night for a book signing and I was at the rally outside: giving out buttons, stickers, bumper stickers -- getting signatures on our "Draft Gore" petition and talking to the crowd.  I worked my way from the back of the line towards Town Hall and who was at the front of the line going in the door?  John Pearce!  The event was sold out in a half hour!  Lucky Dawg!

Andrew over at NPI live blogged the event and there was a nice article in this morning's P-I about the event.

Lucky, lucky John!

 Here's the heart breaker quote:

 . . no one paid attention to me when I said that the issue of peace and people dying for no reason is not a matter of “right or left”, but “right and wrong.”

We lost a great leader yesterday.

When I've participated in peace demonstrations here in my hometown, I've noticed aggressiveness in comments from people who don't agree but I thought the number of them had decreased. A friend who participated in this last weekend's"Women in Black" demonstration said that the aggressiveness has reached new depths -- aggressive cursing, yelling of their death, being called crude words -- that she's thinking of staying home. One man had a sign that said "God Bless Bulldozers"  How does someone muster that much hatred?