2007 legislature: Impeachment bill faces early hurdles

By Steve Terrell, The New Mexican

Two Democratic state senators on Tuesday introduced a resolution calling for impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, accusing the pair of misleading Congress over the Iraq war, torturing prisoners and violating Americans' civil liberties.

New Mexico's Legislature would be the first to pass an impeachment resolution.

But even though Democrats are in command of both chambers, the impeachment measure ran into immediate trouble.

Senate leaders immediately assigned Senate Joint Resolution 5 -- introduced by Sens. Jerry Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, and Sen. John Grubesic, D-Santa Fe -- to three committee hearings.

That many committee assignments generally is thought of as the kiss of death for legislation. Not only are there three chances to kill a measure before it gets to a floor vote, it also increases the chance that time will run out in the 60-day session before a measure can make
it through both chambers.

No Republicans in the Legislature support the memorial, supporters acknowledge.

"We're not taking it seriously," Sen. Rod Adair, R-Roswell told a reporter. Noting the three committee assignments, he added, "I think that's an indication of what the (Democratic) leadership thinks of it.

Asked what he thought about the merits of the impeachment memorial, Adair said, "I don't want to dignify it with a comment."

Even if the measure does get through the Legislature, it's far from certain whether the state's congressional delegation would take up the resolution to begin impeachment proceedings.

Senate Democratic Leader Michael Sanchez couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.

The resolution calls upon the state's congressional representatives to instigate impeachment proceedings and would instruct New Mexico's secretary of state to formally transmit the resolution to the speaker of the U.S. House.

But the impeachment resolution is not openly supported by either of New Mexico's congressional Democrats.

"Sen. (Jeff) Bingaman doesn't think it would be in the best interest
of our country to initiate measures to impeach President Bush, though
he has a number of concerns about aspects of the administration's
domestic and foreign policy agendas," Bingaman spokeswoman Jude
McCartin said Tuesday. "Sen. Bingaman thinks our policies should be a
reflection of our priorities as a nation and that all too often
(Bush's) priorities seem inconsistent with our nation's values."

Rep. Tom Udall on Tuesday didn't close the door on the memorial. He
said he would closely monitor the resolution in the state Legislature.
"These legislators speak for many of my constituents," he said. Udall
said he hopes to talk with those supporting the resolution.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, has said that "impeachment
is off the table."

The state Democratic Party last year added a plank to the party's
platform calling for Bush's impeachment. However, state party leaders,
including Gov. Bill Richardson, haven't gotten behind the idea.

Both Grubesic and Ortiz y Pino spoke Tuesday at a news conference on
the resolution attended by several dozen impeachment supporters, many
of whom have been active in the peace movement and election reform.

"I'm an American who believes that allowing real soldiers to die in
their Hummers in Iraq so rich Americans can drive their Hummers here
and play soldier is wrong," Grubesic said.

Ortiz y Pino said he was initially reluctant to sponsor the
resolution. He noted that some people say there are too many other
pressing issues for the Legislature to debate impeaching the
president.

But he said, "Everything we do in this legislative session is being
done under the shadow of policies at the national level that are
taking away from human needs and converting it to warfare, paranoia
and oppression."

Bruce Berlin, a longtime Santa Fe peace activist, said he believes the
administration's "misuse of public information and deception over
global warming should be a cause for impeachment. "Impeachment is the
moral high ground," he said.

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com