Why am I running?

June 28, 2008

Dear Fellow Citizen,

My name is Adam Sullivan. Until recently, I was just another citizen of New York’s 8th Congressional District. Now I am running for Congress as a challenger to Jerrold Nadler for nomination in CD8 by the Democratic Party. And I need your help.

You may legitimately ask why I would challenge Congressman Nadler, a representative with a long liberal voting record. While this is true, Nadler has failed us all where it matters most.

The issue—Impeachment

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Some months ago, I joined a New York City impeachment group in lobbying Congressman Nadler to support Rep. Robert Wexler's call for impeachment hearings and co-sponsor the Articles of Impeachment introduced in the House by Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio.

You see, Rep. Nadler holds a unique position on the House Judiciary Committee as chairman of its Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. I believed that my Congressman would do the right thing and use this influential position to begin impeachment hearings, once he realized that his constituents wanted him to do so.

I was wrong. Although Congressman Nadler has stated publicly that he believes the President and Vice President have both committed impeachable offenses, he refuses to support any efforts to bring impeachment or to co-sponsor the Kucinich resolutions. A meeting with Mr. Nadler, in person, proved equally fruitless.

He gave a number of reasons, but they did not satisfy me. He didn’t really convince me that he believed his own reasons. If Bush and Cheney have committed crimes or violated the Constitution, then they should be impeached, no ifs, ands or buts.

After all, the Constitution itself is at stake.

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Rep. Nadler has broken his Oath of Office

The Framers wrote the word “impeachment” into the Constitution six separate times. It is the check given to Congress to correct Executive abuses of power. Impeachment is one of the checks and balances that makes our Constitution a living document, one that describes a body of government which can self-correct.

So, what if Congress does nothing? It sets a precedent which allows subsequent administrations to continue the same abuses of power. This is a death sentence for the Constitution, and that is no exaggeration.

Congressman Nadler not only serves as Chairman of this Constitutional subcommittee, but he has sworn his Oath of Office at the beginning of each of his eight terms. In that Oath, he swears “to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” By refusing to pursue impeachment, he has broken his Oath.

Since he is my congressman, I take this personally. If he breaks his Oath of Office so easily and so willfully, I can no longer believe anything he says. He may be a liberal and a progressive, but that means nothing to me if I can’t trust him.

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An Alternative--Sullivan for Congress

I am challenging Mr. Nadler for the Democratic nomination because the citizens of the 8th CD deserve better, as do all Americans.

To you, I make one promise: I will never break my Oath of Office. I will to the best of my abilities, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies foreign and domestic, and I will represent the citizens of New York to the best of my abilities.

But I need your help. Rep. Nadler is deeply entrenched in Washington and in Democratic politics. While we have already seen signs that our campaign is rocking his boat, we have an enormous task before us.

In order to reach the people of New York City and the national media, we need private support from pro-impeachment advocates. With your help, we can put pressure on Nadler to fulfill his Oath of Office by running this Democratic primary challenge.

Our sworn representatives in Congress are meant to be the servants of the Constitution, and of the people of the United States. Your campaign donation can help to restore the ideal of government of, by and for the people.

Power to the People,


Adam Sullivan

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