Getting There
Paralyzed with fear? On October 11, 2007 Ralph Nader talked at the Democracy Rising fundraiser where he referenced remarks by Congressman John Olver.
Nader said, “… Rep. Olver vehemently refused to move for impeachment, and then expressed his opinion why. He stated that if the Democrats move on impeachment, he believed this autocratic administration would begin air attacks on Iran, declare a national emergency, impose marshal law and cancel 2008 elections.”
Here’s the clip: http://youtube.com/watch?v=rIO-tCPSfHA listed as Ralph Nader: “Things Are a Lot Worse than We Thought!”
Well … it’s one of the scariest video clips I’ve seen in quite awhile so I looked into it a bit more. Olver met with impeachment activists on July 5th.
As reported on AfterDowningStreet.org
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/24358
and
The Amherst Bulletin
http://www.amherstbulletin.com/story/id/53619/
He (Olver) is deeply concerned whether we will actually have an election in Nov. ’08, as he believes this administration will likely strike Iran from the air, declare a national emergency, and cancel the ’08 elections.
An AfterDowningStreet.org blogger on July 7th followed up on the story:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/24358
Verify it for yourself!
Submitted by Highlander
I just got off the phone with a representative at congressman John Olver’s office 1st district of Massachusetts. I was informed that Olver did express his concern about an attack on Iran and the possibility of suspending the 2008 general elections. They made it clear that this was a “worst case scenario” but NOT a prediction.
On July 5th Olver said he could envision the United States attacking Iran, Bush declaring martial law, and suspending the 2008 elections. Two days later Olver’s office “clarified” Olver’s remarks. Olver was talking about a “worse case scenario.”
Olver did not say that impeachment would be The Trigger that would make Bush attack Iran, declare a national emergency, institute martial law, and cancel the 2008 elections at the July 5th meeting.
But … In October and November it was all over the Internet-Tubes:
http://www.buzzflash.net/story.php?id=32413
Today’s Spotlight by Kevin Zeese shines on Congressman Olver
http://politics.propeller.com/story/2007/11/12/crisis-in-the-us-plan-b/
All the articles said essentially the same thing.
Congressman John Olver told twenty of his constituents at a private meeting in Massachusetts on July 5, 2007, that he could not support a movement to impeach Bush. According to an attendee, the reason the Congressman gave was that, “The President would declare a national emergency, institute martial law, and suspend the 2008 elections.”
So who came up with the “Impeachment is The Trigger” scenario?
Ralph Nader.
Ralph Nader wrote an article about Olver’s July 5th meeting published on October 12th, 13th, and 14th by Common Dreams, Counterpunch, and on Nader’s website.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/10/13/4512/
http://www.counterpunch.org/nader10132007.html
http://www.nader.org/template.php?/archives/1226-Dodging-Impeachment.html
Betraying Their Oath of Office
Impeachment, Cowardice and the Democrats
By RALPH NADER
… The last question to Cong. Olver was from a young veteran back from Iraq and Afghanistan. “What could we possibly do to bring you around to our way of thinking,” he asked?
Cong. Olver’s response, after several seconds of silence, was “You have to prove to me that impeachment will not be counterproductive.”
(Nader writes)… Maybe the Democrats think that Bush and Cheney are such wild and crazy guys that a serious impeachment drive in Congress would provoke the two draft-dodgers to launch a military emergency, strike Iran or otherwise generate a crisis, based on their continual fulminations about the “war on terror,” that would engulf the Democrats and throw them on the defensive for 2008.
Nader’s “What If” sentence in the article about Olver’s remarks morphed into Nader telling everyone at a fundraiser that Congressman Olver thinks that impeachment will trigger war, martial law, and suspended elections.
It’s not hard to come up with Bush-Cheney-Fascist Ghost stories to scare us all silly. Read the news and Every night is Halloween Night at the stroke of Midnight …
Sure … it’s scary to think that impeachment would trigger BushCo into madness for Iran and here at home … But isn’t Olver’s initial statement even scarier.
Rep. John Olver is deeply concerned whether we will actually have an election in Nov. ’08, as he believes this administration will likely strike Iran from the air, declare a national emergency, and cancel the ’08 elections”
According to Olver the trigger of Impeachment isn’t necessary. War and domestic oppression will happen within months. But according to an Olver staffer … that’s not a prediction … Just a Worse Case Scenario.
Just the musings of a Congressman. About the possible actions of the President of the United States. Nothing to worry about.
Paralyzed with fear? Getting there …
November 28, 2007
