A couple of odd things happened in the Senate this morning. They started on time, bright and early at 8:30 a.m., and then without a word of debate they voted to urge Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Bush and Vice President Cheney.
Barely anyone was there to witness it (don't worry, your intrepid vt. Buzz team was there), all part of the smoothness of the move. It was done before some members even realized the session had started.
Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin, who earlier in the week reiterated to impeachment supporters that there just wasn't enough time for the Senate to take up such a resolution, ended up introducing the thing himself, along with fellow Windham Democrat Jeanette White. With Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie out of town, Shumlin found a way to make this happen in seconds.
After the vote, I ran into impeachment advocate Jimmy Leas, who was just on his way toward the Senate. Quickly, he dialed fellow supporter Liza Earle on the phone. "It passed," he said. "Tell everybody."
- Terri Hallenbeck
