SR council to debate Bush impeachment

Barely a month before the first votes are cast in the 2008 presidential primaries, the Santa Rosa City Council is slated to debate whether impeachment hearings should begin.

The council agreed to take up a community group's resolution calling for the removal of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, primarily because of their handling of the Iraq war.

A similar measure was approved last year in Sebastopol but Santa Rosa council members expressed little enthusiasm for the subject, which is on tonight's agenda.

"This isn't our game," Mayor Bob Blanchard said Monday. "It's not a local issue. We don't punch the buttons on this."

Councilwoman Jane Bender said she would listen carefully to the arguments but doubted she would vote for the impeachment resolution.

"There is a huge concern from a lot of citizens about Bush and Cheney," she said. "However, I have grave reservations about city councils wading into federal issues. I don't think that's what we were elected to do."

The Sonoma County Resolution to Impeach Coalition approached the council in September, seeking its support for the ouster of Bush and Cheney. The group collected more than 2,000 signatures, which were presented to the council.

The resolution says the war in Iraq was started on false pretenses and accuses the Bush administration of "malicious and negligent" management of the government and undermining the reputation of the United States.

"If we allow what has occurred -- which we consider to be a threat to our constitution and government -- if we allow that to stand, basically it's a precedent that says we don't have any boundaries as to the diminishing of civil liberties and freedom," said Anna Givens, a member of the coalition.

Givens said a petition sent to Washington from the city carried more weight than individual petitions sent to representatives, and she hoped the council would approve the resolution.

Although there's less than 14 months left in Bush's term, Givens said the allegations are so serious that impeachment is warranted.

"Many of us believe that even if it were to occur the day before this administration should leave office, it should still go through," she said.

The coalition's resolution is near the end of the council's agenda and isn't expected to be heard until at least 7:30 or 8 p.m.

In addition to Sebastopol, Arcata, Santa Cruz and San Francisco have passed similar impeachment resolutions.

You can reach Staff Writer Laura Norton at 521-5220 or laura.norton@pressdemocrat

.com.