Bush and Cheney Must be Held Accountable
75Bush Must be Held Accountable for His Actions
The Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Gonzales-Addington-Yoo-Bybee-Tenet approach to interrogation and detention of prisoners indefinitely without trial is straight out of the SciFi movie "Minority Report."
The entire cast of characters should be investigated thoroughly and prosecuted to the full extent of the law for their violations of the Constitution, the Geneva Convention wrt prisoner violations, warrantless wiretaps in violation of FISA , political influence violations in the Justice Department and other illegal actions and improprieties committed by the Bush administration. They must be held accountable. The heat must be kept on President Obama not to let bygones be bygones and sweep this mess under our country's rug!
Russell Tice Interview on Countdown Part 1
Russell Tice Interview Part 2
Minority Report--PreCrime Detection and Punishment
Minority Report Wikipedia
- Minority Report (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pre-crime detection and detention in sci-fi movie "Minority Report."
John Yoo, Professor of U Cal Berkely Law School, a key architect of Bush Toruture Policy
David Addington--Cheney's Torture & Executive Power Czar
BUSH GOT BAD ADVICE FROM CHENEY, DAVID ADDINGTON, ALBERTO GONZALES AND PAINTED HIMSELF INTO A CORNER OVER INTERROGATION AND MILITARY TRIBUNALS
George Bush's training in the minor leagues in Texas didn't prepare him to exercise good judgment on his policy for the interrogation and treatment of prisoners and military tribunals, and now over his proposal to re-write the U.S. Constitution and the Geneva Convention. An excess of hubris and a shortage of brains is a poor combination.
Bush wasn't up to exercising his own judgment and rejecting the bad advice he got from Dick Cheney, David Addington, Alberto Gonzales, et al. His program was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, and now he faces a revolt within his own party from key senators including John Warner, John McCain, Susan Collins and Lindsay Graham as well as from former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colin Powell, who expressed himself eloquently on the issue, emphasizing that we have diminished our stature in the world and put our own troops in jeopardy should they be captured.
9-18 Keith Olberman took some very strongly worded and eloquent shots at President Bush tonight over his response yesterday to a reporter's question about General Powell's letter which questioned whether the U.S. in the eyes of the world is losing the moral basis for its anti-terrorism policies and asserted that Bush's Geneva Convention proposal would endanger U.S. troops held by other countries. Olberman has been on a roll lately. I wonder how long NBC will continue to provide a forum for his strong criticisms of the Bush administration. Go Keith!
9-19 NYTimes--CANADIANS FAULT U.S. FOR ROLE IN TORTURE CASE--A Canadian government commission on Monday exonerated a Canadian computer engineer of any ties to terrorism and issued a scathing report that faulted Canada and the United States for his deportation four years ago to Syria where he was imprisoned and tortured. [Full article linked below.]
9-21 David Broder Washington Post Op-ed
"The country thought Bush was a pleasant down-to-earth guy who wouldn't rock the boat. Instead, swayed by some inner impulse or the influence of Dick Cheney, he has proved to be lawless and reckless. He started a war he cannot finish, drove the government into debt and repeatedly defied the Constitution.
[Broder op-ed linked below.]
BUSH SAYS GOP REBELS PUTTING NATION AT RISK
MILITARY LAWYERS BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE OVER GITMO TRIBUNALS
THE QUESTION OF LIABILITY STIRS CONCERN IN THE CIA
BUSH REBUFFED BY KEY SENATORS OVER TRIBUNALS
QUESTIONS RAISED ABOUT CIA PRISONS
HOW 3 G.O.P. VETERANS FOILED BUSH DETAINEE BILL
TIMOTHY NOAH--POWELL TRUMPS BUSH ON TERROR
THE KING OF PAIN BY PAUL KRUGMAN
David Addington--Key Member of Bush's Evil Brain Trust
CANADA BLAMES U.S. FOR TORTURE OF INNOCENT CANADIAN CITIZEN
NORMALLY MODERATE DAVID BRODER RIPS GEORGE BUSH
Bush and Cheney must be held accountable for their violations of the law, the Constitution and the Geneva Convention Against Torture.
Could not agree more, Ralph. Their obfuscations and lies in attempting to circumvent the law was a disgrace. Torture is unacceptable, whatever the alleged justification, and the US cannot hide from this. Sadly, the full truth may not emerge for many years.
Does the US constitution/laws have parliamentary immunity? (like in India the government officials can't be held accountable for any acts of commission or omission during there official capacity in any court of law unless they were criminal in nature).
I'm pretty sure it doesn't. Although it isn't easy to prosecute presidents, cabinet members and members of Congress it can be done. Same for state officials where prosecution and prison sentences are more common.
super hub! If we can't hold these guys accountable, we will never recover our democracy.
Most of this hub was published 2 1/2 years or so ago. Our Gitmo policy reminded me of "Minority Report."
Just want to remind you guys that Bush was ELECTED by American nation in 2004, AFTER troops were in Iraq already, Abu Graib went public, and detainees were placed in Gitmo...
Blaming Bush NOW is the easiest and absolutely unproductive path...
Um, no. Bush stole the election. Fact.
Good point, Lita. In any event, it would be a mistake to simply shrug off the constitutional and criminal behavior of the Bush administration, treating it as an aberration as if the president is above the law as in Watergate and the Iran Contra scandal. To restore the rule of law and prevent repetition of Bush's misconduct, his abuses must be confronted. The fact that Bush was re-elected in 2004 is shamefull, but all the more reason to investigate thoroughly and let the chips fall where they may. I would like to see Fitzgerald appointed as a special prosecutor.
War crime is an international issue, so the election has little to do with it. That is like saying that the Balkan warlords should not have been prosecuted at The Hague.
At least Cheney, Rumsfeld, and some of the others will have to be careful about where they go on overseas vacations.
Sufi,
You are missing my point, and Ralph got it :)
And Balkans are not at all that straight forward. They prosecuted one side, but to the best of my knowledge the other side was no better...
Lita,
Is America a flagship democracy? Even to the extent that it tries to implement it's own model all over the world by all means including force? How come someone could steal elections in a flagship democracy? We are told that under democracy majority elect those whom they want. If the result is so devastating, either democracy is not a flagship and is severely flawed, or the American majority wanted exactly what they elected...
Misha- I think for many of us here, the US flagship has become seriously flawed. It's happening here, yep. Not as bad as the former USSR, but bad enough. I'm not that enthralled by romantic notions of my government, or the so-called 'majority,'but I am an American culturally.
So there is something more important to work on, right Lita? :)
Aside from just prosecuting war criminals, who they no doubt are.
Obama can walk and chew gum at the same time. The economy is number one. While he's working on that a Congressional Committee or special prosecutor can be turning over Bush rocks and watching the worms crawl out. I could be a distraction, but perhaps not a big one because Bush is not very popular among GOP congressmen.
You actually will find agreement among the Obama admin., I think, Misha, at least last time I checked... I actually followed you over here and thought I'd put in two cents. I'm not sure what I think of the central argument. I'd have to put in more thought, tho the instincts to prosecute are the right ones.
Since Bush first was ushered into office illegally in 2000 (by the Supreme Court rather than by the electorate), it has been a lot easier to see American war crimes from outside the US. It is a matter of record that the Constitution was ignored when war was declared (presidents cannot declare war without congressional approval, although the Supreme Court weighed in on Bush's side, indicating that both Congress and the UN were sidestepped in the declaration of war on Iraq in the first place). Once that was achieved, it was apparently smooth sailing into ignoring the Geneva Convention.
At least -- that is my understanding of events.
Mine too.
I understand all that--but maybe if Ralph can tell me--I believe the Obama Admin. has given no indication that they are interested in pursuing prosecution against Bush/Cheney.
I haven't been my usual news junkie, as I've had a lot of writing projects.
I found this http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2009/01/obama_w -- and this
http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/11/hbc-9000386
hope they help!
Thanks, Lita ant Teresa. Obama doesn't sound like he's pushing for in investigation of the Bush administration apparently illegal activities. However, this matter is not entirely up to him. Congressinal committees can also conduct investigations. Depending on what they turn up, it could be hard for Obama's attorney general, Eric Holder, not to prosecute. He's sworn to uphold the Constitution which might well require prosecutions. Somebody gave the green light to violate the FISA law which is a 5-year felony. In case you missed it a National Security Agency investigator, Russell Tice, appeared on Olbermann's show last night and the night before and said that NSA has every phone call, fax, email and credit card bills on every American, whether or not they had made calls outside the country. This was a violation of the original FISA law. Olberman played a video of Bush claiming that only international calls to known or suspected terrorists were tapped. Not so says Russell Tice who also said the surveillance focused on reporters.
Just finished reading the two articles Teresa posted. And I remember this NSA thing now!
I'm thinking now that Obama will indeed pursue the issue--off handedly. The first article's author seems to think Obama will be corrupted by power and therefore, will not pursue... I believe Obama is deadly as a politician and will wield power in a way that will advance his solid principles, therefore, he will pursue.
This is the first president in my life time I have ever fully respected, might I also say.
Lita, watch the two Russell Tice interviews. I just posted them near the top of this Hub.
I hate to sink to the level of malicious invective, but I'm so glad that little Keebler elf is gone and I loved the "wave" at the Mall on Tuesday when everyone gave his departing helicopter the finger.
Ha! I missed that one.
Isn't that nice--because I worked for a news organ. & lived with a' foreigner,' I may have been spied upon... !
Actually, Naomi Wolf in about October wrote a piece for Huff post about how her mail was always being lost, her phone tapped, etc. The elf was so low-level in many different aspects, I fully believe it.
They're probably scanning HubPages for subversive activity.
Lots of us here--I wouldn't doubt it.
Ralph- I have been reading whether President can issue pardon to anybody before he/she vacates office.
"The Constitution (Article 2, Section 2) gives the President the power “to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States except in cases of impeachment.” This power is exercised by Presidential proclamation."
I was going through the list of famous pardons:
1) President Gerald Ford to former President Richard Nixon on September 8, 1974, for official misconduct which gave rise to the Watergate scandal.
2) Jimmy Carter's grant of amnesty to Vietnam-era draft evaders.
3) George Bush (Sr.) pardons of 75 people, including six Reagan administration officials accused and/or convicted in connection with the Iran-Contra affair
4) Bill Clinton's pardons of convicted FALN terrorists and 140 people on his last day in office - including billionaire fugitive Marc Rich
5) By contrast George Bush (Jr) seems to be the most cautious in this regard http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northame
Yes, the power of the president to pardon is virtually absolute. Wrt Bush being cautious I heard or read a comment that he is a very cold person with little inclination to pardon anyone. He and Gonzales broke the record in Texas for executions.
Also, I read that there is more to the Marc Rich pardon than what has been spoken about publicly. Apparently, Rich was a great friend of Israel and had been doing some secret work for them with the result that Israel put heavy pressure on Clinton to issue a pardon. I'll see if I can retrieve that information.
Here it is Joe Conason's article in Salon entitled "The Real Reason Bill Clinton pardoned Marc Rich":
"The prime minister of Israel, Ehud Barak lobbied Clinton on behalf of Rich because Rich had long been of intelligence and financial service to Mossad, carrying out intelligence missions in countries hostile to Israel where he traveled on business." According to Conason Holder was aware of this but was instructed not to mention it when he was criticized by Arlen Spector for his role in the pardon.
Ralph- Thanks for this thought provoking hub and also for enlightening me on these issues about which I am so ignorant. I am really glad to interact with learned people like you who have so much range and depth of knowledge in so many areas. Once again thanks for the education that I am receiving here at hub pages from the likes of you.
You are absolutely right! Impeach, Bush, Cheney, and all of their accomplices! Jail to the thieves and war criminals!
Ralph and correspondents, I can't thank you enough for keeping this story going. I saw Carl Levin live on Rachel Maddow's show, the evening of the day Cheney said he intentionally authorized waterboarding. Levin said he was shocked, though perhaps not surprised, and had every intention of seeing Cheney prosecuted for war crimes. I have not yet seen Carl's name in connection with any real movement in that direction. The skinny seems to be that he is hoping for Obama to follow through. If what I read is correct, the UK executed Japanese officers who used waterboarding during WWII. I still have photos of Abu Ghraib. How can we hold a position of moral superiority when we wink at our own war criminals? And in the present ethical circumstances, if one of our service people is captured and tortured, who in the world will feel moved to say "That's not fair?"
Hi, Tess. I missed Levin's appearance with Maddow. Levin's our man. One of the very best!
While I know that this comment is somewhat past due, I just wanted to express something that truly relates. Bush and the old White House administration were able to get where they were because the rot is deep in the Government. Just look at the Lame Duck policies that occurred. While the economics plummeted (coincidence?) during the turn over, what did the Senators and Representatives do? I personally could not bring myself to vote as I felt it was a choice between the lesser evil. I could not in moral conscience support either. The better choices lost early in the race (coincidence?).
As beautifully crafted as the Constitution was - it is now failing. It probably began to fail when George Washington retired from office and the rest of the rabble ignored his wisely made suggestion to not have parties.
I wait, I watch, but my confidence in our country's Government is lost. I doubt we can recover if we continue as we are now.
I agree. And they wouldn't have made it to the White House but for the theft of the Florida election from Gore by the GOP Attorney General or elections commissioner and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Just one question. Are you going to beat the same drum after Obama and Biden destroy what little rights we have left? Doubt it. And please, how long are you guys gonna keep beat that 'Stole Florida' horse?
I doubt that Obama and Biden will commit crimes as Bush and Cheney clearly did. If they do they should be held accountable. Well, it's a fact that Gore won the popular vote and Katherine Harris and the strange unprecedented U.S. Supreme Court decision frustrated the will of the American people with disastrous results for the country.
Wake up dude. They already have.
For example?
rauelb 5 years ago
wtf