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Activists in Vermont town want Bush, Cheney subject to arrest
President Bush may soon have a new reason to avoid left-leaning Vermont: In one town, activists want him subject to arrest for war crimes.
Reason #1 being that the water supply is apparently contaminated by lead.
A group in Brattleboro is petitioning to put an item on a town meeting agenda in March that would make Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney subject to arrest and indictment if they visit the southeastern Vermont community.
Dang. How's he going to get his work done now?
"This petition is as radical as the Declaration of Independence, and it draws on that tradition in claiming a universal jurisdiction when governments fail to do what they're supposed to do," said Kurt Daims, 54, a retired machinist leading the drive.
It may be as radical, but it is not as sane.
As president, Bush has visited every state except Vermont.
He's not ignoring you. In fact, upon hearing this news, he has just directed the Navy to design a new inflatable warship, the Vermont Class Dinghy, the magnitude of which will surely stun any sane observer.
The town meeting, an annual exercise in which residents gather to vote on everything from fire department budgets to municipal policy, requires about 1,000 signatures to place a binding item on the agenda.
With this kind of notoriety, it should fetch a pretty good size bid on ebay.
The measure asks: "Shall the Selectboard instruct the Town Attorney to draft indictments against President Bush and Vice President Cheney for crimes against our Constitution, and publish said indictment for consideration by other municipalities?"
Careful, the federal government might counter by making stupidity a crime.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday. The press office did not immediately respond to an e-mail.
Yeah, the press secretary is still trying to compose a straight face.
Support for the measure is far from universal, even in Vermont, where the state Senate voted earlier this year to support impeaching the president. Anti-war rallies are regular occurrences here, and "Impeach Bush" bumper stickers are common.
Must not have cable TV.
"I would not be supportive of it," said Stephen Steidle, a member of the town's Selectboard, which oversees its government.
Hmm. Must have graduated from high school.
"It's well outside of our ability. From my perspective, the Brattleboro Selectboard needs to focus on the town and the things that need to be done here."
Now there's some radical thinking.
Daims has been circulating documents that claim the community acquires a "universal jurisdiction" to take such steps "when governments breach their highest duties."
Huh? Did you mean to say radical, or LSD-induced?
"We have the full power to issue indictments, conduct trials, incarcerate offenders and do all other acts which Independent jurisdictions may of right do," the statement says.
And if your landlord pi$$es you off by knocking on your door, do you declare yourself to be an Independent jurisdiction and go after him, too?
Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell, a Democrat whose office has repeatedly sued the Bush administration over environmental issues, said the move was "of very dubious legality."
Note Vermonters: This is diplo-speak for "you have lost your last marble".
"I have not seen the proposal, and I've done no legal research on any of the issues nor do I need to," Sorrell said. "But at first blush, if this passed, they'd have really uphill sledding trying to have it be legal and enforceable."
Besides, they'd have to deal with the wrath of the Black Presidential SUVs, which could very well lay waste to the town's entire law enforcement system without much trouble.
Posted by: gorb 2007-12-29
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=216096