Attorney General Eric Holder may probe Bush/Cheney torture regime
By John Amato Sunday Jul 12, 2009 5:30amI haven't had a chance to read the whole article, but it seems encouraging.
Mindful of history, Holder is trying to get the balance right. "You have the responsibility of enforcing the nation's laws, and you have to be seen as neutral, detached, and nonpartisan in that effort," Holder says. "But the reality of being A.G. is that I'm also part of the president's team. I want the president to succeed; I campaigned for him. I share his world view and values."
These are not just the philosophical musings of a new attorney general. Holder, 58, may be on the verge of asserting his independence in a profound way. Four knowledgeable sources tell NEWSWEEK that he is now leaning toward appointing a prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration's brutal interrogation practices, something the president has been reluctant to do. While no final decision has been made, an announcement could come in a matter of weeks, say these sources, who decline to be identified discussing a sensitive law-enforcement matter. Such a decision would roil the country, would likely plunge Washington into a new round of partisan warfare, and could even imperil Obama's domestic priorities, including health care and energy reform. Holder knows all this, and he has been wrestling with the question for months. "I hope that whatever decision I make would not have a negative impact on the president's agenda," he says. "But that can't be a part of my decision."
It's the way it should be. The AG should be doing what's right for the country regardless the administration occupying the White House. I hope this wasn't leaked so either it'll get squashed or other important legislation like health care will get dumped on, but we need these atrocities investigated. I've been calling for this for along time now and so has many readers and bloggers on the left as well.
d-day has read the entire article and has much more: Holder Of The Cards
Login or Register to post comments.
Here's how it would play out:
1. DoJ invetigates, finds evidence (d'uh!) of crimes.
2. People charged by DoJ claim their authority comes from above.
3. Authority is kicked upwards until it lands at Bush's feet.
4. Bush claims as president, at war, he can legally do whatever it is he did.
5. Bush's claims directly challenge congress' authority.
6. If pressed, the question would be have to be resolved by SCOTUS.
7. BUT since the loser of such a confrontation would lose whatever authority they claim to have, no one is eager to pursue the case to SCOTUS.
8. A deal is made to punish some low level functionaries. Everyone congratulates themselves on standing up for freedom, democracy, rule of law, etc... and all that bullshit. Congress pretends to have authority over the president, president continues to pretend it is not bound by the law.
And of course none of that addresses the very real possibility that the people in congress who will have a lot to say on how this plays out may themselves be culpable for the crimes being investigated.
2000
Yoo and Gonzalez will be the scapegoats!!
I could see them disbarred but only people who got their hands dirty could suffer anything more than that I think.
The DOJ thinks about perusing the case, but decides it would interfere with obama's agenda and decides not to investigate ... for the sake of the nation of course.
If Holden were truly serious these people would be indicted already. This is nothing more than double talk.
It is pretty non-commital in a political sort of way. He seems to be torn between loyalty to President Obama and a desire to see that justice is served. His desire for attonement for the Marc Rich affair can be used as ammo for the right wing discourse that would ensue.I hope he falls on the side of justice but we will have to wait and see.
His wife sounds like a pistol and I remember seeing her sister on TV at Alabama going up against George Wallace and his crowd of racists. It is a telling fact that she grew up a lot harder in the South than he did in New York. I grew up in the rural south of the 50's and 60's and I can attest to the fact that just your skin color made one Hell of a difference. My family were as poor as most blacks and I picked cotton right along side of them. The fact that I was white made all the difference in the world. I'm sure that was an experience that Holder never had to experience to the degree his wife did. This all ties into my disire to see justice done. I think he should appoint a special prosecutor.
...And flying monkeys may jump out of my ass. They don't have the stomach or political will to do a thorough investigation let alone follow it up with actual criminal charges. I'll be amazed if it's more than a dog and pony show, assuming they do anything at all. Cheney will give them the evil eye and they will all go running for cover under their beds.
Holder and Congress need to do their jobs, or get the Hell out.
Stop worrying about Bush/Cheney/Rice/Rumsfeld/Powell's feelings, they have the compassionate empathy developement of a pack of velociraptors.
Exactly. Even if they're prosecuted they will keep having a ball. They'll keep making money. We need this fixed and the perpetrators don't give damn what people think of them. they don't care what people think at all. they never will, except perhaps, only perhaps when they're in prison behind bars.
The MSM is waffling on about charges against hourly paid employees, as if the lowly workers there had any control over policy dictated from the local county/district/city council that owns/runs the cemetery.
There were similar stories about British local councils doing the same thing a few years ago, using diggers/JCBs to dig up existing graves and piling coffins ontop of each other, ditto the story about bones scattered about the surface.
I would LOVE to see every medical doctor and licensed nurse who participated in torture on ANY level be investigated, indicted and prosecuted for war crimes. Hung if necessary.
Sure, they are "low level" participants/enablers, but the law is the law.
Either we are a land of laws or we are a land of criminals and thugs (Cheney/secret assassination teams):
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/31851...
No licensed medical personal who assisted the torture is fit to hold a license and work in health/medicine.
And also name and shame the scum that did, let the world see their faces.
Yes the Hippocratic oath is about 'easing suffering', but anybody with any ethics or morals, or even a sense for law would have refused to take part, and blown the whistle to the AMA or similar.
These people, these doctors, if they exist, may still be free to practice until they are stopped.
Low level participants can be dangerous to society too.
I believe like most people on these threads that we will eventually discover nothing less than full blown silent coup - committed by a very busy bush-cheney cabal.
i would replace with wolverines being shoved down their throats , we will never even get a dog and pony show , obama is bought and sold ( as are most if not all pol ) , what is more disturbing to me is how the MSM will play " dead eye dicks " death more than MJ's ( which i never watched ) , trials right .
Lets check with sara , she will give us the number to the Dept of Law looking forward as you walk backwards off a cliff .
Change , nickles or dimes , sir ! .
During his fake WH journalist career, he was very experienced at visiting the Bushco WH and probing... the perfect appointee.
250 acres of prime Florida land. Also, on the land are several bridges, sold separately. Interested? Contact Eric Holder, Justice Department, Washington, D.C.
of partisan warfare...
How will we be able to tell?
Round of partisan warfare??
When did "the last one" stop???
Since as far back as I can remember it's been a CONSTANT round of partisan warfare. Heck, dumping Cheney/Bush didn't even make the other side take a deep breath and begin anew!
As far as Holder is concerned, he and Obama had better make sure their own house is clean before they start any "investigation".
According to an article I read by Jane Mayer recently (either Harper's or The New Yorker), torture is still going on.
When Obama went to The White House on Inauguration Day and we all saw the pictures of Obama slapping Bush on the back, I do believe Bush also handed off a tiny "torture baton" to Obama.
Somebody should check Obama's pockets to make sure he's not still holding it.
and finding criminality (resulting in indictments, prosecutions and convictions) would force the Obama administration to rethink it's misguided support of many Bush policies. If they continue after that they too would be open to prosecution.
It's the only way, at this point, to get this country back on some sort of track (that, frankly, it may have never really been on...).
That is exactly why Holden is going to "decide" not to pursue the case "for the sake of the nation". The obama administration are guilty of war crimes too ... and they know it. No real investigation will take place. I'm willing to put good money on that bet.
So there are two seperate justice systems after all - one for the powerful, and one for everyone else?
And that the special prosecutor also investigates Cheney's secret CIA squad (story in today's NYTimes). Cheney seems to be more complicit in some of this alleged wrongdoing than Bush. While the country may indeed be roiling during all of this, it needs to be taken care of or constitutional abuses could happen again.
They ARE happening again. As we type these messages. Some how "we the people" must find a way to bring these criminals to justice. The government has made it quite clear they have NO intentions what so ever of upholding their oath and the law.
I'm sure you're right, and there's obviously lots of very bad people that have commited serious crimes still running around.
Well, they just intimated that they might persue the criminal activities...
So we have to wait a little and see if they do...
we all know that he was the de facto prez...but bush was still his boss
they both need to be rotting in prison
but they probably wont
Cheney didn't care what we called him - in his mind he was supreme leader. he didin't care about titles or the constitution.
Such a decision would roil the country, would likely plunge Washington into a new round of partisan warfare, and could even imperil Obama's domestic priorities, including health care and energy reform.
Watch out for falling rightwing talking points. Yikes! The EARTH will stop SPINNING! The UNIVERSE will COLLAPSE!!
You just can't make this shit up.
Morality and law before politics. Theres assorted little pieces of paper describing the people's human and civil rights, this includes others who steps willing or not onto US territory, or the territory encroaches onto them. And not forgetting the international laws and the Geneva conventions.
A world without ethics, morality and laws is a nasty thing to behold.
Whenever a corporate media outlet deals with the topic of war crimes and punishment they have to throw in a weak little republican threat. Dems have the 60 vote senate and dominate the house. The Dem president has all the tools to do anything he wants. Democratic power scares the holier than thou assholes who own the media, that's all.
Some of Murdoch's scummier newspapers and private investigators maybe with help from head office and some retired/active duty MI types, were hacking/bugging/looting mobile phones and electronic accounts of thousands of celebs, politicians and others in the UK.
I suspect MI5 had a hand in this, it smacks of outsourcing by the spooks or a faction working for another agenda.
Worse than Watergate. If there was any justice News Corps would cease to exist, and the owners/execs would go to prison.
That would be one of the best things to happen for the UK and the US. Let's hope there will be justice for this vile business man who in his arrogance feels he can violate laws and people's rights, not to mention an entire country's liberal traditions.
were to pursue this, would it not force him to pursue all laws broken by more than just Bushies admin, including Obama's bombings in Pakistan with predator drones? Is that not against international laws as well? Is not the continued killings in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, open up his presidency to the same broken laws?
Seems like a can of worms, that will remain unopened. You can't charge one Administration with war crimes, without charging all with war crimes, including those Dems and Reps that supported this entire clusterf*ck. Then 911 would have to be reopened, for there is evidence there of wrongdoing as well. It would cost billions and take years if not decades. Although it should be done, and should have been started in January right after the coronation ceremonies, the delay alone predicts the outcome. Nothing will be done.
no.
The AG can select just some people that broke laws, and not all? Kind of like going after Charles Manson, but leaving the Boston Strangler? If Holder was genuine and not just blowing smoke, there will be many politicians nervous, including Dems. It would probably be the end of Holder's career.
you hate America?
o behold. Sun, 07/12/2009 - 07:14 — Ferrofluid
Spoken elegantly!!
It's is WAY past due, that there is a massive clean up in aisle Washington Ron.
and the cats are fed and not bugging me...
My "Baby Daughter" kitty is so mean until I feed her that she'll attack my ankles on the way into the kitchen and draw BLOOD until she's fed!!! I have scars to prove it! But I love her anyway.
Just be sure you don't die alone...
that's the joke at work and with my friends, if you disagree about anything, like what pizza we should order or who will win the all star game, you hate america or you are with the terrorists!
Its observable in all walks of life here in the US, plus a few other countries to lesser degrees of success.
the elite hate common Americans? Why do they kill us and blame it on someone else? Why are they killing and starting illegal wars? Why do they believe they have a God given right to control our lives?
Those on C St are chosen.
Manson was a nasty noisy smelly HIPPY who wrote bad music and collected middle class teenage girls into his murderous harem, the Boston Strangler paid his taxes and cleaned up after his poodle when on walks.
I er, never really thought of it that way. So, Dems have nothing to fear from an investigation then, because they have umpteen excuses as to their innocence, such as:
Not enough votes
Playing a skillful game of checkers
Playing a skillful game of poker
Know of supersecret stuff after they assumed power
Really spineless
The CIA lied to Pee-losi and only the blogs and internet users knew, and not Congress Critters.
Heehee. Got it.
They smile and wear shiny expensive suits, and laugh at people who publicly call them out (Rumsfeld at that dinner for example).
with Stephen Colbert.
Notice half the audience were approving and laughing, some were spouses, but a lot were insider people who relished their chance to vent (against the rotten system) through laughter.
As they did in the case of the systematic Abu Gharib abuses, a few moronic grunts will get some justices, the officers and the CIA/contractors walk away laughing and collecting their pensions and onto their next job/mission.
By pursuing a purely objective investigation it would be like opening a very rotten Pandora's Box of War Crimes.
Once the lock got popped off the box it would be like watching the scene from "Ghostbusters" where the NYC mayor DEMANDED the traps be shut down....
Great scene. Ysbaddaden?? Where are you??
figures
What on Earth is a "troofer"?
what i hate , i have become
The thought of filling their boots with cement and throwing them over the side , leaves asking myself is this me ? , my only answer is yes if it could be done before all of the destruction they have caused .
There are 10s of thousands of people involved in the torture and illegal action movement, its SOP for CIA/GOP insiders.
The only way to punish them and stop/reduce it happening in the future is applying the law and setting examples in court. Of course this would paralyze the US system to a degree, and many would attempt to flee the country. But if the law is the way to operate and live the system, then so be it, let the circus begin.
Disband the CIA. Close it down. Fold it into the FBI and formulate new laws & rules for totally open and transparent intelligence gathering (yes, the are not mutually exclusive).
We all know what happened to JFK, and Carter got dirty tricked by the CIA in 1979 ! after he sacked 800 CIA officials.
GHWB supposedly was flown to and from Europe in a CIA SR71 spy plane, to meet the Iranians negotiators, to delay the early release of the Embassy hostages. The rest was Raygun history.
"The C.I.A. should be torn into a thousand pieces and scattered to the wind."
And the bullets flew in Dallas.
That's why C.I.A. stands for "Coup d etat In America".
I sometimes worry about my attitude towards the right. I will think why do you feel so much ill will towards them. I will convince myself that maybe I should be more forgiving and try to see things from their point of view. Then I will see or read the latest bull shit thing they will do or say and it will flip me right around and I then know why I dislike them so much. At the end of the video about the fat pig sow Minute woman Brandy something or oinker, there was a Martin Luther King quote I liked. It said ..In the end we remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends. I for one will not be silent and I want to be a friend to all of you and them, but only death will silence me. Compromise is not in the equasion and silence is not an option or an answer.
That allowed the unmentionables to setup Dachau and the other nasty places.
may may may
Is he waiting to see what the Republican reaction is? because the reaction will be irrational.
hegemony. (Was anyway)
God knows this Country could use some Good News.
He needs our support. The more this is in the media, the more the outcry from ordinary Americans for justice will grow. The pundits will have to admit this isn't about right or left, it is about right or wrong.
is going to need a helluva collection of Febreze to get rid of the stench!! Buy shares!
best to stop chennnyy from ever being tried is to cut off his health insurance
.
didnt think of that , only because its not an option for 99% of us , oh well back to pounding sand down a rat hole .
established the idea that a society could benefit hugely just by lying to itself, or simply pretending. We decided that inflating our national self-esteem was more important than paying attention to reality.
I have never embraced that ridiculous notion, and never will. I have been invited to leave this country and "move to Russia" more times than I can count, simply because I've been addressing the stupidity of myriad idealogues since I was a mere sprat.
I NEVER thought I would live to see the day when the vast majority of our "leaders" would prove to be a bunch of spineless wimps. I must admit that I didn't appreciate the relevance of the ginormous Pnnzi scheme we blithely call capitalism until I witnessed 9/11 (just find me one single person who can explain WTC 7) and Enron (Darth Cheney's pawprints are all over that one, too). Now, I know that we had all better get our collective heads out of our collective asses about our economic behavior, or our hedonism will continue to yield ever increasing piles of acrid shit.
okay, a mite off-topic..but doesn't it take a 'few days' to wire a building so it can be 'pulled'...and they decided a FEW HOURS BEFORE it ....um....collapsed....to 'pull it'?
that is the question that gets ignored the most...
Is that your explanation?
Two things:
1) doesn't explain how WTC 7 collapsed into its own footprint hours after the towers fell.
2) why am I not surprised?
"....just find me one single person who can explain WTC 7.."
Ummm...Larry Silverstein??
them swords in an areana , and the winner can be the dog catcher ( one term only and no bennies )
Trial by Alligator has a nice ring to it, and the media/public would love it.
It would be a throwback to 'traditional values' too, so the Repugs couldn't object too much.
how about a swiming pool 3'deep filled with piranhas , and rusty swords for the con-testants
..............Now if had something to do with a Democratic President and a sex scandal........
nah, that could never happen to one of 'the party of the family values'...
cnn ran a story about somone that was killed who knew obana and said he was bi .
I'll believe it when I see it. Too many "may", "what if" and "could be" walking around these days.
Because under US law it would be criminal for him to not bring charges against the people who authorised the felony and capital offenses of torture and torturing people to death. Same goes for those who forged documents and instigated a domestic propaganda program to take this nation into an illegal war of aggression.
He's already breaking the law. Watch ... you will see that nothing will come of this. Like I said before if they were truly serious charges would have been filed long ago. They are doing nothing more than blowing smoke.
all the crimes the Bush/Cheney administration committed, just enough to put them away for the rest of their lives.
will be world-wide shunning of these criminals.
Same treatment O.J. got after he walked away from Nottingham Ave. in Brentwood that night in his bloody Bruno Maglia shoes.
Sure, there are always a few nuts who will ask for his autograph, another blonde Nicole "look alike" who likes playing with fire, but generally I think it would be pretty sad to go through your whole life knowing that the majority of ordinary people who deal with you hate your guts and think you should be DEAD or locked up until the end of your life.
And how many war criminals attended, people who could have been arrested by some countries police and put on trial at the ICC !
. . sadly
sadly thats the truth
... at AskDOJ@usdoj.gov ... I just did. You can too.
Dear Sir,
I just read in the news that you might "probe Bush-era torture." Yes! Please do! These are crimes against humanity. They must be investigated and both those who ordered the torture and those who performed the actions must be brought to justice.
I don't care what President Obama says about "not looking back" -- these crimes were done in our name. There is no statute of limitations on murder, and there shouldn't be on torture either.
Please be strong and stand up for justice.
Dear Attorney General Holder,
First of all, congratulations on becoming Attorney General! You have been honored to receive this distinguished position.
That having been said, I am now going to implore you to do your job as America's "Top Cop" and pursue a "formal" investigation into the war crimes that have been committed by top U.S. officials since 9/11/01.
Your investigation should be quite simple I would think. The whole world has already witnessed plenty of evidence. Sadly that is just the proverbial "tip of the iceberg". Here's one example of "the tip" that I am quite certain you and President Obama have seen:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/31851...
Sadly, for the world, and those who have lost their lives and been psychologically and physically tortured, the rest of the rotten evidence most likely lies at the part of the iceberg none of us ordinary folks are privy to. But you and President Obama DO know the rest of the story (to borrow from Paul Harvey).
The whole world needs to know the rest of the story Mr. Holder. Especially the American People. After all, we did pay for all the crimes that were committed. Which means, in a sense, we are guilty too. Guilty of trusting those we placed in charge of our country and Constitution. "To preserve, protect and defend", right? And I need not tell either you or President Obama that the treaties we have signed, according to the Constitution, become "the highest laws of the land".
Please. Make the American People proud. Make the citizens of the world proud. Show the world and the American People what "truth, justice and the American way" really are.
Because we all know it isn't about illegal wars/murder/destruction/maiming/torture and private, illegal assassinations.
Respectfully yours,
Abbybwood, R.N.
The Berkshires
I made it clear he was not fooling anyone ... we know he has no intentions what so ever of upholding the law ... if he did ... he would have indicted these criminals long ago ... I told him it would be nothing more than another dog and pony show like the 911 commission.
I'm going to let these people know we are no so easily fooled.
quit stalling, and DO YOUR JOB!
Does holder have a wide spread?
In answer to mr. cheney's Torture/ Murder/ Treason I prefer a NUREMBURG 2.0 to see the top 25 in the same dock ,I mean if you could limit it to that few.
I never seen a TREASON trial in my lifetime ,cheney's will be interesting as a back up choice.
If guilty strip them of their citizenship and lock them away in Abu Grahb , Now.
i can imagine the helter skelter that will explode in the far right's collective reptilian brain if holder ever appoints a special prosecutor to go after the torture issue. i believe that holder is waiting for sotomayor to be confirmed as the success of many issues relating to said investigation will eventually hinge upon scotus rulings .
Bump the number of SCJs to 11 or so, outnumber the Reptiles by a comfortable margin.
Okay, turn your head and cough...
To ysbaddaden:
Do you mean "turn your head and cough" while mumbling the world bullshit under your breath?
... The Department of Justice can't investigate this. As the torture memos clearly show, DOJ has a conflict of interest as an organization. It can't investigate itself.
Of course, Holder knew this from the moment he read the torture memos. And months later, we get to read this fluff piece in the hope we'll learn that the Attorney General might even do his f$&%in' job.
If the Justice Department can't investigate itself, then obviously they cannot appoint an independent panel to do the investigation either, right?
And since so many Congresspersons were involved from day one, the Congress cannot appoint an "independent" panel either.
So where is this all left? The International Criminal Court? We're not a signatory to it.
What is the answer fiver? Any lawyers out there?
I wonder what Glenn Greenwald and Jonathan Turley think the "proper process" should be, legally speaking?
The DOJ can't investigate/prosecute because the DOJ itself is implicated in the crimes. An outside, independent prosecutor is required both by DOJ's internal policies and by the Rules of Professional Conduct of the DC bar.
I'm unaware of any members of Congress who have been implicated, but in any case, the Congress itself is not implicated. Congress could appoint a special prosecutor if it wished through legislation. Holder, as a lawyer and Attorney General, is obliged to avoid his institution's conflict of interest.
And you don't need to wonder what Greenwald and Turley think. They're both on the record as calling for a special prosecutor.
As an organization? I don't think so. There were individuals involved in this who aren't necessarily there any longer.
But the vast majority of DOJ employees still are. As a hypothetical: say John Yoo had three assistant attorneys working with him and eight paralegals. Those employees are still there. Which DOJ lawyer can we trust to conduct or assist on the investigation? Which staff can that lawyer use? We don't know (until the investigation is complete). At the very least, there is an appearance of impropriety which means there is a conflict of interest and DOJ must bow out.
Talk is cheap, Holder. We are waiting for your actions. Either you care about the law, or you care about your career.
For years I have been calling the Gutless, Spineless American TRAITOR cheney just that a TRAITOR as well as those who backed and enforced his policies. It is time to end the political Racist Nazi Committee (RNC) games of misdirection, lies and manipulation it is time to Prosecute this TRAITOR and his colleagues. Once this piece of human FECAL matter falls the "FAMILY on C street falls". Myself until this CRIMMINAL is behind bars I will not participate in any Judicial process or cooperation, since it will be made clear that money talks and Bullshit walks. So any Criminals out there you have nothing to worry about till this piece of GARBAGE cheney is in jail with his cohorts.
U S Constitution, Article III
Section 3. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.
So technically I think this might fall under sedition which is defined by West Law as:
Conduct or language inciting rebellion against the authority of a state.
Insurrection; rebellion.
Here's how the insiders see it...
"..Such a decision would roil the country, would likely plunge Washington into a new round of partisan warfare, and could even imperil Obama's domestic priorities, including health care and energy reform. Holder knows all this, and he has been wrestling with the question for months."
Roil the country? That's a lie. What that sentence is, is a threat of future republican investigations when they return to power. Partisan warfare? Who cares? Imperil domestic priorities? How? No real explanation, just an inference or threat to retalitate?
Better not investigate or the republicans will get real mad and start obstructing legislation...like they don't already.
Continuing from the end of the quote:
Holder knows he's ethically bound not to let these political considerations influence him. Yet he has to "wrestle for months" over the decision of whether or not to be ethical.
And if you don't see the possibility you're as insulated from reality as you think the Villagers are.
What I think you're missing is that there are an awful lot of centrist independents who are willing to admit that what Bushco did was illegal, but they are willing to forgive that administration for having acted in good faith: Hey they were doing what they thought they needed to in order to protect us. Those who actually voted for Obama didn't necessarily do so because they wanted to see Bushco prosecuted, but just to get beyond the failed policies- mainly economic- of that administration. If, for any reason, the government slows to a trickle and then stops, if the economy falters and plunges even more sharply, then those who aren't true believers will start looking for someone to blame. They'll be thinking 'Justice be damned' when they're hungry, when they start losing their homes.
And you're stopping very short. Obstructing legislation? You're right, they're already doing it. But what if it escalates? We're already seeing the lone wolves, but what if the Dominionists who dominate the Air Force fire up they're brethren in the other branches of the service and decide to throw a little coup? What if car bombs start going off in the parking lot during the high school football game?
Make no mistake about it: This is a fucking powder keg. Approach with extreme caution. Tread lightly.
The choices are; Tread or ?
Right into a situation that explodes.
Even in the best case scenario, if you rush it you end up with what you got in the Plame Affair: Scooter Libby. That's it. And all Libby was convicted for were charges dealing with hindering the investigation; he wasn't indicted for violating the Espionage Act for having a hand in outing an undecover intelligence agent.
meanwhile all eyes are on the DOJ.
Oddly, the president's chief of staff and the attorney general are on opposite sides of the torure debate. More odd than that, is there shouldn't even be a god blessed debate. The law comes first and Cheney and Bush Co. broke many laws and should be prosecuted.
Why does Rahm Emanuel hate America? He's a friggin lying sack of SHIITE. He should be fired. And if Obama does nothing on the torure issue, he should be impeached! It is that simple.
Why is Obama such a pussy? Why does a constitutional lawyer and professor allow such crimes to go unpunished? Political expediency? Worried already about his legacy? Why?
... alive?
They will bring out Oliver North and he will be the one responsible for everything, again! Hell, it shut everyone up when it was the Reagan criminal gang.
I wonder if Rahm was whispering in Bill's ear to drop the investigations.
About all of the overturned convictions from Iran-Contra because the accused had been given immunity to testify before Congress, then were tried with that same testimony. There was no untainted evidence left to use to prosecute.
Especially when both sides are the same side.
If you want the rule of law, you have to accept the rules of evidence, no?
Line 'em up and make them take the Fifth - one after the other after the other. Give immunity only when it can lead to the prosecution of a bigger fish.
A smoke screen to divert our attention from a lack of governmental accountability for more recently surfacing criminal actions?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090712/ap_on_bi_...
Just the run-of-the-mill cognitive dissonance that occurs in modern society.
And I'll bet ya five bucks that if you had the readers at C&L list their top ten priorities, prosecuting Bushco would be at the top of the list, and the case you linked wouldn't even be found on most lists.
52,000 rich Americans defrauding the IRS could hardly be news to most Americans.
Thinking about giving some thought to possibly maybe pursuing potential criminal charges doesn't sound like much of a reason to celebrate to me. This feels more like a veiled threat to put political pressure on the Republicans if they actively derail some other important part of the Obama agenda--like health care reform. I just have this sneaking suspicion that if the Republicans backed down on their vocal opposition to health care reform, Holder might 'suddenly' realize that a criminal investigation into the former administration is 'not in the best interests of the country.' Not that I'm cynical or anything...
Glenn Greenwald - The Holder Trial Balloon: Abu Ghraib Redux
More at link.
It's probably not as grim as the Post article makes it.
Investigate, Charge, Prosecute, bring to Trial, Convict, Sentence, Jail (or in the case of high Treason) Execute.
ALL of them. All. Democrats included if that is where the investigation leads.
I don't know what the DOJ maybe means, but i hope they're not looking for aproval from the Republicans - i doubt the Republicans will even be a viable party after this is over...
"we need these atrocities investigated. I've been calling for this for along time now and so has many readers and bloggers on the left as well."
Most of us agree with you. So why isn't it happening?
IT Will Not Happen Unless WE
make lots of noise.
SIGN THE PETITION
Demanding both a
Commission of Inquiry
and a Special Prosecutor at ANGRYVOTERS.ORG
http://ANGRYVOTERS.ORG
Forward this url to your friends
We can't let them bury these crimes.
Over 250,000 signers so far
Join them and call yourself a patriot
Login or Register to post comments.