From Athol Daily News
Written by JANET HOLDEN

THE AYES HAVE IT - This postcard was distributed to voters leaving the special town meeting in Wendell Wednesday, where voters unanimously adopted a resolution to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney. Photo by Holden

61 Yes, No One Opposed

WENDELL — The town has spoken.

Sixty-one registered voters at a special town meeting Wednesday voted unanimously to adopt a resolution to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney.

A copy of the resolution, initially signed as a petition by Wendell voters in the summer of 2006, reads as follows:

Whereas, George W. Bush and 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; and

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

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

Whereas, George W.Bush and Richard B. Cheney acted to strip American citizens of their constitutional rights by ordering indefinite detention without access to legal counsel, without charge and without the opportunity to appear before a civil judicial officer to challenge the detention, based solely on the discretionary designation by the President of a U.S. citizen as an “enemy combatant,” all in subversion of law; and

Whereas, in all of this George W. Bush and Richard B. 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 Wendell. Massachusetts and of the United States of America; and

Whereas, petitions from the country at large may be presented by the Speaker of the House, according to Clause 3 of House Rule XII;

Be it resolved, that George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney, by such conduct, warrant impeachment and trial, and removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States;

Be it resolved further, by the Town of Wendell, that our senators and representatives in the United States Congress are hereby requested to institute in the Congress of the United States, proper proceedings for the investigation of the activities of George W.Bush and Richard B. Cheney, to the end that they may be impeached and removed from such office; and

Be it resolved further, that the clerk of the Town of Wendell is hereby instructed to certify to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, under the seal of the Town of Wendell, a copy of this resolution and its adoption by the Town of Wendell, as a petition, and request that this petition be delivered to the office of the clerk and entered in the United States Congressional Journal. The copies shall be marked with the word “petition” at the top of the document and contain the original authorizing signature of the selectboard chair.

The section of the petition dealing with the torture of prisoners was inadvertently omitted from the special town meeting warrant, and had to be voted as an amendment to the article, as it was part of the original petition.

Charles Smith spoke on inclusion of the amendment, saying it gives grounds for impeachment.

“”I believe the fundamental principles of law should be upheld and that they are a part of the liberties found in our Declaration of Independence, as in ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ These are the basic liberties of the people,” Smith said.

Robbie Wexler explained how Senators and Representatives were reluctant to vote to impeach Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandal. “It was only possible by a grassroots campaign. That’s what got it done,” he said.

Wexler, who had prepared a speech for the impeachment resolution, accused President Bush of huge abuses of power and of shredding the Constitution. He said he considered Bush to be a war criminal.

“We must exercise our right to hold them accountable,” Wexler said.

A resident who refused to identify himself to this reporter, said,

“President Bush is a scumbag and I hate him. We all hate him. But I don’t think impeachment is the right move politically. The people don’t want more static at the Federal level. Further down the line, investigations will show what has been going on. People who urge impeachment will just make more of a conflict.”

John “Klondike” Kohler said, “We can score with the rest of the world be calling Bush and Cheney to the carpet It’s a matter of respect.”

Joe Diemand said he had never been in favor of war in Iraq.

“I’ve seen what happened in Korea and Vietnam, and I see it happening again. Our status as a country is that we are invaders. It’s like when the British invaded this country a little over 200 years ago. We have lost our rights as individuals. We no longer have the same freedoms we had 35 years ago, and we need to go back to those basic rights and freedoms,” Diemand said.

Gloria Kegles said she favored impeachment as a deterrent to future administrations. “It’s important for future presidents to see that what is happening now can’t be allowed to continue,” she said.

“Impeachment gives the feeling of reining in on the theory that America can do no wrong,” Jonathan von Ranson said. “There is a sense of national conceit and self-centeredness epitomized by Bush and Cheney.”

Terry Kohler got an ovation when she said she wanted to be able to tell her children and grandchildren she would not let fear keep her from doing the right thing.

“I am concerned about the soul of our nation. I have written many letters and gotten no response. I have friends who write to me from other parts of the world and ask what we are doing. I tell them I don’t know,” Rosalie Watson said.

Smith summed up the feelings of the attendees when he said,

“Only when a small town does something extreme does it get noticed by all. If Wendell doesn’t speak up loud and clear, we won’t be listened to.”

Other warrant articles, which were all recommended by the finance committee and passed, included:

• The transfer of $5,000 from the Foundation Reserve Fund (FRF) to the Veterans’ Memorial Fund for masonry work and plaques.
• The transfer of $5,000 from the FRF to the town hall expense account for replacement of a furnace installed during the past week.
• The transfer of $3,375 from the FRF to the fire truck debt account to pay costs associated with interest on the fire truck loan.
• The transfer of $57,933 from the insurance proceeds fund to the library construction account. The insurance money was for tornado damage, and will be used for reframing and other construction costs.
• The transfer of $4,500 from the FRF to cover the costs associated with Wendell’s required matching portion of the Smart Growth Technical Assistance Grant. The planning board applied for the grant with the Town of Pelham to study forest conservation by-laws and to work with a consultant to draft a by-law the State can use in the future. The town’s share of the grant is $3,000 and the State’s share is $3,400.
• The transfer of $11,793.21 from the FRF to the Massachusetts Highway Chapter 113 Fund for highway costs not reimbursed by the State.
• The transfer of $17,600 from the FRF or other available funds to the highway department account to pay for costs associated with the clean up of tornado damage.

The Foundation Reserve Fund originally contained $57,000; of which $49,660 was used.

Voters also granted an easement to Verizon for location of a telephone pole for the new town office building on Morse Village Road.

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