You can have a person come to your town in Maine to present a program on impeachment!
We will send credible, experienced discussion leaders with answers to questions.
The presentation includes the short video "How to Impeach a President"
from the Center for Constitutional Rights.
There is no charge (but we would appreciate an effort to "pass the hat" for our costs.)
To schedule a presentation or for more information, please contact

Dud Hendrick, 348-2511
email Dud by clicking here

Standing Room Only at Belfast meeting on January 11!

(photo courtesy of V. Kelly Bellis)

Here are some guidelines to help you think about sponsoring an event in your community.
Consider combining elements of either of these and tailoring it to what you perceive would be most effective. Gathering people together is the best thing to do now - it's powerful and effective.

Holding a Speak- Out
Goals: to publicize popular opinion on impeachment and withdrawal from Iraq; to empower citizens to express themselves; to provide an opportunity to increase solidarity in the community; to disseminate information on the Maine Campaign to Impeach; to gather signatures for the petition for impeachment.
The Speak-out is a free and open forum in which citizens can articulate their feelings about withdrawing troops from Iraq and the Impeachment of Bush and Cheney. The withdrawal issue has been wedded to the impeachment issue for two reasons: it is more commonly understood and is a galvanizing issue that is less controversial than impeachment. It can also be demonstrated that impeachment is necessary to stop this war, evidenced by the recent escalation policies that ignore popular opinion. The Belfast Speak-out was based on two questions: "Should US troops withdraw from Iraq?" and " Should President Bush and Vice President Cheney be impeached?"

Key elements:
Ideally, legislators are invited to attend or send staff members from both state and federal levels. ( dummies or empty chairs with their names will do in their absence as a little theater device) Press coverage is necessary to publicize the event. The event should be placed on media calendars at least 2 weeks in advance. Posters ( available on maineimpeach.org) distributed Hand-outs: Some material is available on the website ( the "palm cards" from Dud Hendrick are especially effective); or contact workshop presenters. Copies of the petition should be circulated during the speak-out and sent to the address on the bottom ( see website) People should be encouraged to submit written copies of their testimony to be presented in a packet for legislators (send to Dud?) The Maine Campaign to Impeach strategies should be explained as part of the introductory remarks People are allotted 3 minutes to speak and time keepers are needed A moderator is necessary to oversee the proceedings A "donations" basket may be necessary to circulate to cover costs of renting the space, etc. Cable TV, videographers, and other local media-makers should be encouraged to record the speak-out. ( In Belfast, we were lucky to have a videographer willing to edit the 2-hour event down to one hour and make dvd's that will be used to present to the legislators) It was effective to have the speakers face the audience with a microphone.

Holding Impeachment Workshops
Goal: to effectively mobilize the energy of those who want to become active in the Maine Campaign to Impeach Bush and Cheney.
The Impeachment workshops are designed to clarify the strategies being used in the Maine Campaign to Impeach and to activate those who understand that impeachment is necessary and possible, but who may have unanswered questions, and would like to know how they can help the effort.
The Workshop program includes a short video ( 20 minutes), from the Center for Constitutional Rights, on "How to Impeach a President," followed by a presentation covering some research done by Campaign to Impeach members on what evidence might exist for articles of impeachment by the State Legislature and Congress. Questions and answers and a discussion about impeachment--its meaning and what Maine people can do to address the issue, will follow. Tactics will be described, such as the "Feet on the Street" petition drive, the Call-in day, fundraising, advertising, lobbying and other actions. A sign-up sheet wil be circulated, along with the petition, for future contact information. People willing to be responsible for local leadership will be identified and asked to arrange for follow- up meetings, using the sign-up sheet, in which local activities can be organized to carry out the goals described in the workshop. Signers will also be added to the listserve for the movement when a copy is sent to the list-serve keeper.

For more information: (click to email) Dud Hendrick, 348-2511; Nancy Galland, 567-4075;
Richard Paget, or Gary Higgenbottom.