Speaker's Office Denies '10,000 Letters' Impeachment Rumor

Speaker's office denies '10,000 letters' impeachment rumor
Jason Rhyne
Published: Thursday November 15, 2007

The office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Thursday denied an internet rumor suggesting that Rep. Pelosi would pursue an impeachment measure against Vice President Dick Cheney should she receive 10,000 handwritten letters in favor of the measure.

"The Office of the Speaker denies it," a Pelosi source told RAW STORY.

The rumor appears to have stemmed from a Sunday blog post at Thinking Out Loud, which claimed to have received a tip that Pelosi would reconsider moving forward with a recent impeachment resolution against Cheney brought by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) -- but only if she received enough handwritten letters demanding it.

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The rumor has quickly taken hold at other blogs and websites, including the popular Democratic Underground.

"Today 'there’s rumors on the Internets'...that Pelosi will reconsider her no-impeachment stance – IF – she receives 10,000 HAND WRITTEN letters supporting the impeachment of Dick Cheney," read one DU post on Tuesday."So, if you really want to see Congress – especially the Democrats – start acting like the co-equal branch of Government that they were intended to be – PLEASE write to Pelosi today."

"It's obvious patent nonsense," pro-impeachment activist David Swanson told RAW STORY. "It's a sort-of rumor that's taken various forms for the past year and a half." Swanson's own website, AfterDowningStreet.org, carries a reference to the Pelosi rumor, although he says he didn't author that particular entry and didn't realize it had been included in the post.

Although untrue, Swanson adds that the hearsay was still beneficial to the cause of those advocating for the impeachment of Cheney. "It's one of these false rumors that's actually very helpful," he added. "There's a burst of people sending (letters) and that's good"

at Pelosi's office. Doesn't matter if the rumor is false-she'll soon find out how many of us are demanding impeachment!

letters, that would probably shake her up.

and you know what? I hope she gets deluged

Funny that people have to send letters to congress asking that the constitution be protected and defended (or is that sad?).

even if she got a million letters?