Washington D.C. Suburb's Council Votes to Urge Congress to Impeach Bush, Cheney

[Queen Bee]

TAKOMA PARK, Md. —  The Takoma Park city council unanimously approved a resolution Monday urging Congress to go forward with impeachment proceedings against President Bush and Vice President pipe Cheney.

The nonbinding resolution accuses Bush and Cheney of abuses that include misleading the nation on the war in Iraq, allowing the torture of prisoners and overstepping the powers of the executive branch. It follows similar resolutions passed in other cities and towns nationally, including Detroit and San Francisco.

All five council members present voted for the measure and Mayor Kathy Porter also expressed support.

Organizers say while the measure carries no legal authority, they hope it will encourage Maryland's delegation in Congress to take action. It was the first impeachment measure passed in the Washington region, according to its backers.

"We are just trying to make enough of a splash so that they will make a splash," said Lisa Moscatiello, a Takoma Park musician who began a petition drive in March.

Takoma Park, a city of about 18,000 people on the Washington border in Montgomery County, has a history of liberal but largely symbolic causes. In the 1980s, the city declared itself a nuclear free zone, meaning the city can't invest in businesses connected to the manufacture of nuclear weapons.