By GottaLaff
On Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Jonathan Turley talks about Obama's surrogate and adviser Cass Sunstein's allegations that, if elected, Obama wouldn't hold Bush to account for the last eight years of crimes. 7/22/08
Setting legal precedent is more important than bipartisanship, at least when it comes to maintaining the integrity of the U.S. Constitution.
By allowing BushCo to get away with the overwhelming number of despicable ways they spit in the faces of real patriots and the rule of law, Obama would be setting this country up to accept the destruction of democracy as the new normal.
Michael Isikoff:
Despite the hopes of many human-rights advocates, the new Obama Justice Department is not likely to launch major new criminal probes of harsh interrogations and other alleged abuses by the Bush administration. But one idea that has currency among some top Obama advisers is setting up a 9/11-style commission that would investigate counterterrorism policies and make public as many details as possible.And then what?
The commission would be empowered to order the U.S. intelligence agencies to open their files for review and question senior officials who approved "waterboarding" and other controversial practices.And then what?
Obama aides are wary of taking any steps that would smack of political retribution. That's one reason they are reluctant to see high-profile investigations by the Democratic-controlled Congress or to greenlight a broad Justice inquiry (absent specific new evidence of wrongdoing). "If there was any effort to have war-crimes prosecutions of the Bush administration, you'd instantly destroy whatever hopes you have of bipartisanship," said Robert Litt, a former Justice criminal division chief during the Clinton administration.At what cost? Since when does Congressional harmony take priority over due process and accountability?
The idea of such [9/11] panels is not universally favored among Obama advisers. Some with ties to the intelligence community fear the demoralizing impact on intelligence officers, said one source who had discussions with Obama aides about the idea. But during the campaign, both Obama and Eric Holder, slated to be nominated as attorney general, sharply criticized the use of torture and the legal rulings that permitted them.While it's understandable that Congress will have its hands full (understatement) with Very Important Matters, it's hard to believe that war crimes (among other legal atrocities) don't also fall under that category.
Ignoring the abuses committed by the Bush administration is tantamount to tacit approval. See video.
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