Posted on 10/13/2008 5:39:24 PM PDT by Red Steel
Tonight I had an opportunity to ask Barack Obama a question that is on the minds of many Americans, yet rarely rises to the surface in the great ruckus of the 2008 presidential race -- and that is whether an Obama administration would seek to prosecute officials of a former Bush administration on the revelations that they greenlighted torture, or for other potential crimes that took place in the White House.
Obama said that as president he would indeed ask his new Attorney General and his deputies to "immediately review the information that's already there" and determine if an inquiry is warranted -- but he also tread carefully on the issue, in line with his reputation for seeking to bridge the partisan divide. He worried that such a probe could be spun as "a partisan witch hunt." However, he said that equation changes if there was willful criminality, because "nobody is above the law."
The question was inspired by a recent report by ABC News, confirmed by the Associated Press, that high-level officials including Vice President Dick Cheney and former Cabinet secretaries Colin Powell, John Ashcroft and Donald Rumsfeld, among others, met in the White House and discussed the use of waterboarding and other torture techniques on terrorism suspects.
I mentioned the report in my question, and said "I know you've talked about reconciliation and moving on, but there's also the issue of justice, and a lot of people -- certainly around the world and certainly within this country -- feel that crimes were possibly committed" regarding torture, rendition, and illegal wiretapping. I wanted to know how whether his Justice Department "would aggressively go after and investigate whether crimes have been committed."
Here's his answer, in its entirety:
"What I would want to do is to have my Justice Department and my Attorney General immediately review the information that's already there and to find out are there inquiries that need to be pursued. I can't prejudge that because we don't have access to all the material right now. I think that you are right, if crimes have been committed, they should be investigated. You're also right that I would not want my first term consumed by what was perceived on the part of Republicans as a partisan witch hunt because I think we've got too many problems we've got to solve.
So this is an area where I would want to exercise judgment -- I would want to find out directly from my Attorney General -- having pursued, having looked at what's out there right now -- are there possibilities of genuine crimes as opposed to really bad policies. And I think it's important-- one of the things we've got to figure out in our political culture generally is distinguishing betyween really dumb policies and policies that rise to the level of criminal activity. You know, I often get questions about impeachment at town hall meetings and I've said that is not something I think would be fruitful to pursue because I think that impeachment is something that should be reserved for exceptional circumstances. Now, if I found out that there were high officials who knowingly, consciously broke existing laws, engaged in coverups of those crimes with knowledge forefront, then I think a basic principle of our Constitution is nobody above the law -- and I think that's roughly how I would look at it."
The bottom line is that: Obama sent a clear signal that -- unlike impeachment, which he's ruled out and which now seems a practical impossibility -- he is at the least open to the possibility of investigating potential high crimes in the Bush White House. To many, the information that waterboarding -- which the United States has considered torture and a violation of law in the past -- was openly planned out in the seat of American government is evidence enough to at least start asking some tough questions in January 2009.
Maybe...maybe....he still will pardon them in his last days....we can hope and pray.
Maybe...maybe....he still will pardon them in his last days....we can hope and pray.
I strongly agree with you.
Its interesting to remember that it was Bush that vanquished us from McCain in 2000. McCain probably would have lost to Gore given his current performance. He would not have chosen a Palin given his recent bruising from the Christian right.
Bush has won all the elections he can win so all the criticism is largely irrelevant. I am interested in his legacy and I do think he has been astounding.
The winning of the two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is astounding to me. I think the tax cuts, Court appointments are also awesome. I think he has many major international points such as a huge counterbalance to China with our new India alliance, the end of Libya as a terror threat, the end of Charles Taylor in Liberia, the emergence of Georgia as a reliable Russian counterpoint, the list really just goes on and on.
I still cannot believe how he stuck it out in Iraq. I think that is a devastating setback to the massive global Anti American war machine. He has rebuilt American deterrence on a massive scale. Sustained massive wars using more than 100,000 US troops are now a serious consideration of our enemies. That was not at all in the cards in the post somalia world pre 911 world.
We cannot fathom how deeply this leader has changed our world for the better.
The only way they’ll get me or my family is over my cold, dead body.
And a few of them will go with me.
This would be monumentally stupid. No i wouldn’t put it past them, but most normal people are not going to be happy that Nobama is spending 10 hours a day trying to indict karl rove or W.
So this is an area where I would want to exercise judgment -- I would want to find out directly from my Attorney General -- having pursued, having looked at what's out there right now -- are there possibilities of genuine crimes as opposed to really bad policies. And I think it's important-- one of the things we've got to figure out in our political culture generally is distinguishing betyween really dumb policies and policies that rise to the level of criminal activity.
I cannot believe that there is a normal American stupid enough to vote for a candidate that could say such raving, looney tunes swill as Senator "Coke-head" Obama does here.
This is Cynthia McKinney or Dennis Kucinich territory, not the territory of a serious candidate for President.
They are. There are multitudes of decent hardworking people who will vote for the Democrat.
Why? I don’t have the answer for that one.
I have wondered why Bush don't do more. Guess he's afraid the media might make him out to be another Nixon for trying to get the bad guys.
Too politically correct to go after the communist messiah.
They better get over their politically correct mindset.
Eventually evil will be stomped.
I noticed they claim "anything and everything philly"
FWIW I searched their site for entries containing Philip J. Berg. Nothing pertinent to the lawsuit against "Constitutional scholar" ZerObama and his fraudulent attempt to gain the presidency while being Constitutionally unqualified.
You are Soooooo correct!
The Roman Republic fell and gave way to Imperial Rome when Caesar came to power. One of the tactics used toward the end of the republic was for newly elected leaders to charge previous leaders with crimes committed while in office. This had the effect of ensuring that no leader "stepped too far out of line" ideologically or politically with the beliefs of mainstream. Many late consuls did not act decisively to protect the republic for fear they might be prosecuted.
This is one of the tactics that Obama is threatening to use. A prelude to a socialist empire?
Wolverines
Yes, a blanket pardon for anyone in his administration...screw the Obamaniacs...somehow I doubt a pardon would stop their partisan investigations however as the only way they can distract the populace from their governing lunacy is to keep the investigation of those evil republicans in the Bush White House who kept us safe and without terror attacks for the past 7+ years.Hate to break it to you but thanks to Jorge terrorists don't need to attack us. Osama's probably in a mud hut somewhere watching reruns of Sanford & son in arabic singing "Viva Mexico!" and applying for subprime mortgages. Jorge has been the best ally he's ever had.
I just don’t understand McCain’s campaign. Obama clearly opened up the pathway for McCain to suggest that he could endict the current members of congress for corruption. Obama wants to run against Bush? Fine. McCain runs against 9% Nancy’s Congress.
But McCain has no fight in him, would prefer to reach across the aisle and pull back another stump.
“Another”?
They’re still stuck in the first one!
I’m been hammering this report, Steel.
Too many FReepers [and in GOP] think that Barack [He Who Must Not be Named] Obama is made of teflon.
I’m not so certain that BO was ever truly teflon coated. But even if he was, your thread will remove it.
Wakeup Call:
Moderate ‘New Tone’ could land Republicans in JAIL!
Even if Bush wants to keep his administration ‘new tone’, what about the staffers, aids, cabinet members, and his entire Executive Branch? I don’t think they are going to take threats of this kind sitting down. When they hear about this, if they have any loyalty toward President Bush, they will defy his ‘new tone’ of ‘roll over’ and ‘play dead’. It’s time for leaks to BURY THE DNC.
Remember Sandy Berger, the Sloppy Sock Bandit? Talk about crimes!
Not only will this public statement spread fear among republican leaders, it’s going to piss them off. BO blew it with such an announcement.
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