Maine Democrats pass impeachment resolution! [UPDATED with photos]

Great news from the 2006 Maine Democratic Convention this weekend in Augusta!

Led by the Waldo County and South Portland Democratic Committees, delegates voted to call for Bush and Cheney's impeachment. The special resolution came at the end of a day of contentious wrangling over the platform, but what a great reward for our patience. The resolution calls on both the Maine legislature and our two representatives (Tom Allen and Mike Michaud, both D's) to demand that the U.S. House of Representatives investigate the high crimes and misdemeanors of George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney and commence impeachment proceedings if warranted.

more below...

I've been liveblogging the convention here and will be playing catchup today. My husband and I were both delegates - it was a first convention for both of us. He also got himself elected to the state central committee yesterday. We heard from two challengers to Olympia Snowe, one of whom - Eric Mehnert - I expect to win the primary next week and you will be hearing lots more about. He's a civil rights attorney and trust me when I tell you he is very compelling on the subject of NSA wiretapping, constitutional law, and the record of Senator "I Call Myself a Moderate But Vote With Bush 82% of the Time" Snowe.

I also chased down our own philinmaine (of NUTS & BOLTS fame)and got him and his colleagues from Hancock County to share more of their great organizing tips.

In all, it was a grueling but great experience ending on a TOTAL high note.

Oh, and our keynote speaker? Just Russell Feingold, who had people on their feet screaming, stomping, and cheering. I was in the front row and got to shake his hand. I told him he had my vote.

***UPDATE: Convention highlights***

Best speakers:

Russ Feingold. I knew I'd love him but I didn't know how much. Biggest applause lines: "It's not just getting the power; it's standing on principle when we have the power." "We have ideas, bold ones. We just have to express them boldly." "Don't be weak and full of fear." "I thought the NSA wiretapping issue was right in the strike zone of what the founding fathers meant by 'high crimes and misdemeanors...." He said that wherever he went, whoever he talked to, whatever the setting, people said the same thing: "When are you guys going to stand up?" After he left the stage, a discussion in my row ensued as to whether his balls are brass or titanium.

Attorney General Stephen Rowe. Even though I'm mad at him for not running against Snowe, I've always liked and respected Rowe for his solid record of achievements and progressive values. But I've never heard him speak the way he did yesterday. He was on fire. He was unbelievably eloquent on loving and supporting the troops, loving this nation, and the myriad ways the Iraq war is wrong. He sounded like he's an anti-Beltway type, too, riffing on polls, pundits, and consultants. He talked about people's hunger for leadership. And he spoke at length on Democratic values, shouting, "Never apologize for our values! Never apologize for being a Democrat!"

Eric Mehnert. Get this man a campaign manager - he's going to need one after next week's primary. He's not a master orator, but he spoke from the heart, without notes, with absolute command and intensity. His themes are fighting injustice and restoring the social contract. He spoke frequently of moral courage. A civil rights attorney, he would absolutely shred Snowe on warrantless wiretapping, habeas corpus, torture, the 750 signing statements....

Best convention achievement: The impeachment resolution, of course.

Best complete and utter Maine mensch: Neil Rolde. Historian, legislator, philanthropist, publisher, founder of Seeds of Peace, did I mention also a nice guy with a genuinely unaffected manner? They don't make citizens any better than this. He introduced Feingold.

Best candidate entrance: Rep. Mike Michaud, on a forklift.

Best excruciating weirdness: Gubernatorial candidate Chris Miller, who spoke at length (and slowly) about the dire state of the planet, then showed a video of himself making the same points (only slower), then showed another video set "in the future," with outer-space sound effects, while a comedy duo on stage portrayed future Mainers realizing that all of Chris Miller's dire predictions had come true. The audience sat in stunned fascination.