Measure H Puts Bush's Impeachment To Voters

In the last six years, President George W. Bush has never set foot in Berkeley—his anemic 7 percent of the vote in Berkeley in 2004 places the city among the least Republican in the country.

But come November, Berkeley voters may drive the final nail in the coffin of their relationship with the administration by supporting a ballot measure calling for the impeachment of Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

The vote is purely advisory—only the U.S. House of Representatives has the power to impeach—but proponents of Measure H, which the Berkeley City Council unanimously approved for the ballot in June, say they hope its passage will encourage others to consider whether Bush and Cheney have committed “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

The measure cites violation of international law, unwarranted domestic surveillance and the use of misleading evidence leading to the invasion of Iraq as grounds for impeachment.

“The feeling was that what we need in this country is not just statements, but a public discussion about our constitution,” said Steve Freedkin, chair of the Peace and Justice Commission and a co-author of the measure.

Some council members who opposed efforts in the past to weigh in on international issues endorsed this measure.

“We’re always doing something kooky, so I’m often suspicious at the start,” said Councilmember Betty Olds. “But Bush is just so terrible, you feel obligated to not just talk about it.”

Several cities across the country—including Champaign-Urbana, Ill. and San Francisco—will also vote on impeachment measures this fall, which proponents hope will increase public awareness of the issue.

Although the measure has no organized opposition, some residents say they are inclined against supporting it because they believe Berkeley is neglecting more important priorities.

“I feel that this is lazy politics. It’s bumper sticker sound bites,” said Berkeley resident William Blomquist, who signed the opposing argument to Measure H on the voter information guide. “I think the real issues are crime, commerce and education.”

But proponents argue that Berkeley must be at the forefront of controversial stands, as it has in the past.

“The truth is Berkeley is a trendsetter,” Freedkin said. “(Other cities) ridicule us, then they adopt what they ridiculed.”

During the 1980s, the city was among the first in the nation to call for divestment from South Africa in opposition to apartheid, which led the way for other cities to take action, Freedkin said. The city was also among the first to ban styrofoam cups and implement curbside recycling, both of which have become commonplace.

But some critics of the measure say while they oppose Bush and the war in Iraq, the city is overreaching.

“I support the cause,” Blomquist said. “But I believe we already have a system in place and that system, if used properly, should address these issues.”

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