This video shows the news conference held at the New Mexico state capital of Santa Fe This Press Conference documents the introductory speeches of Senators Gerald Ortiz y Pino and John Grubesic after Senate Joint Resolution 5, Impeach Bush and Cheney was read twice on the New Mexico Senate floor and referred to committee. Leland Lehrman organized the Press Conference and introduced the citizen speakers.
Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pinon said, "...I resisted because of some of the very reasons that people have said to me we shouldn't be doing this. And I'd like to run down those right now and try to deal with them in some fashion.
First, people say there's way too many pressing issues facing the state and the nation to be tying up valuable legislative time with something as crazy as an impeachment resolution in a state legislature. My response to that is everything we do in this legistative session is being done under the shadow of policies on the national level that are taking resources from human need and converting it into warfare, paranoia, and oppression. And that's a terrible state for the country to be in.
mosimage}
"We want to fund education because the Feds are not able to fund 'No Child Left Behind' with the full funding they promised when they passed it. We want to fund health care because the fereral government is not able to come up with resources to meet the health care needs of the people. We want to fund housing because the federal government isn't able to do that. The resources and being diverted from true need, genuine need to Iraq, to Afghanistan, across the globe and being wasted in horrible bloody fashion. We simply cannot carry out the business of the legislature with that shadow, that pall hanging over us. So, my point is: We have to deal with this. And the way we deal with this as legislators is what I thing Senator Grubesic will explain which is that there is a legal basis for a state legislature to act..."
Senator John Grubesic said, "I was asked earlier 'why do this?' And my response was 'why not?' I am doing this because I am an American that believes that torture is wrong. I am an American that believes that imprisoning people without proper trials is wrong. I am an American that believes that allowing real soldiers to die in their Hummers in Iraq, so that the rich American here can drive their Hummers and play soldier is wrong. I am an American citizen that believes that the American constitution is a sacred document and that the Bush Administrator clearly does not share this sentiment. What we did when we dropped this resolution this morning was we created a ripple. Your voice to going to turn it into a tidal wave, hopefully. Silence is betrayal, I believe. And we all have to come forward and make sure that our voices are heard..."
Sen. John Grubesic, Rules Committee Vice Chair: (505)
986-4265,
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
If you live in New Mexico, please send
state Senators a message something like this (change and expand as you
like):
I'd like to encourage you to please cosponsor, along with Senators
Ortiz y Pino and Grubesic, the resolution to petition the U.S. House of
Representatives to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney. If
we go into the next presidency having established that a president can
lie us into war, spy on us in violation of the law, detain without
charge, and torture, we will be throwing away the democracy we've
struggled to keep and expand for over 200 years. We all have a solemn
duty to work for the impeachment of men who have made our executive
branch of government into a monarchy. You are in a position to play a
key role in making this happen. Please do the right thing. Make the
choice you would want your great grandchildren to be proud of.
This campaign will not succeed without financial assistance.
You can send money via paypal to
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or by check to:
Leland Lehrman
163 Old Lamy Trail
Lamy, NM 87540
Leland is leading this effort. He is the editor of the Sun News and
publisher of Mother Media.
Leland Lehrman can be reached at (505) 982-3609.
You can also contact Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino's aide Desi
Brown: (505)256-0668,
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
