by D. Cupples | An activist group is pushing for a town policy that would subject President Bush and Vice President Cheney to indictment for "crimes against our constitution" if they set foot in Brattleboro, Vermont.
Not all Vermonters think of our president as a criminal. At the same time, the perception of him as a criminal doesn't seem restricted to Vermont. When I was in London, for example, someone had left a poster near Parliament that included a picture of President Bush and the words "war criminal." About the Vermont situation, CNN reports:
"A group in Brattleboro (Vermont) is petitioning to put an item on a town meeting agenda in March that would make Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney subject to arrest and indictment if they visit the southeastern Vermont community.
"This petition is as radical as the Declaration of Independence, and it draws on that tradition in claiming a universal jurisdiction when governments fail to do what they're supposed to do," said Kurt Daims, 54, a retired machinist leading the drive....
"The town meeting, an annual exercise in which residents gather to vote on everything from fire department budgets to municipal policy, requires about 1,000 signatures to place a binding item on the agenda.
"The measure asks: 'Shall the Selectboard instruct the Town Attorney to draft indictments against President Bush and Vice President Cheney for crimes against our Constitution, and publish said indictment for consideration by other municipalities?' (CNN)
Even if the measure passes, it may have no practical effect (aside from legal difficulties), as President Bush has reportedly never visited Vermont during his presidency -- and he hasn't expressed interest in breaking that precedent.
Still, the group is sending a strong message.
Memeorandum has other bloggers' reactions.
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