Berkeley council puts measure
on ballot seeking impeachment
of Bush and Cheney

By Jeff Shuttleworth, Bay City News Service

June 29, 2006

BERKELEY (BCN) - The Berkeley City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to place on the November ballot an advisory measure asking the city's residents to declare whether they favor the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

Although other local governments have passed resolutions urging impeachment, Berkeley officials say they're the first to put the issue directly to voters.

The cost of placing the measure on the Nov. 7 ballot is estimated to be about $10,000.

The Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission recommended the measure to the City Council.

Although former Iraqi General Georges Sada wrote in his recent book "Saddam's Secrets" that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction for many years, the commission alleges that Bush and Cheney's claims that Iraq had such weapons were "proven false" and were an intentional effort to mislead Congress to justify an unnecessary war in Iraq.

The commission also alleges that Bush and Cheney have pursued unlawful surveillance programs and permitted torture of detainees suspected of links to terrorism.

Republican Party officials couldn't be reached for comment on the ballot measure.

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