Lanny Davis: Indict Cheney

Newsmax ^ | May 17, 2009 | Lanny Davis

[Captain Jack Aubrey]

I have written many times in this space that I oppose any criminal prosecution of prior-administration officials on torture or other issues relating to the Iraq War and the war on terrorism, especially those CIA interrogators who relied in good faith on the instructions of policymakers and the legal opinions issued by Justice Department senior officials. I have agreed with President Obama on the need to look forward, not backward. But I have changed my mind about the need to indict former Vice President Dick Cheney for complicity in illegal torture. [Editor’s Note: Read Lanny J. Davis' columns in The Washington Times. Go here now.] His insistence on putting himself on multiple TV programs and conservative radio talk shows, not only defending torture but offering the defense that it worked, has changed my mind. Not only that -- he went on to attack Mr. Obama as weakening the United States in the war on terrorism because Mr. Obama immediately announced that torture would no longer be allowed. Dem's fighting words. They are also, in my view, reckless and irresponsible. They seem to be laying down a marker that in case, God forbid, there is a terrorist attack, Mr. Cheney can be the first to blame it on Mr. Obama's policies and say, "I told you so." Even more, they seem to be an in-your-face dare by Mr. Cheney to the U.S. criminal justice system: "I am Dick Cheney, I approved violations of the law in the name of the war on terror, and what are you going to do about it?"

[The_Sword_of_Groo]

well, speaking of indictments....if knowing EITs were taking place is the criteria for indicting a government official, Lanny, perhaps you should deliver one to the address below:

Nanci Pelosi
235 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515

[PGalt]

Lanny Davis is scum. It turns my stomach to see Hannity get all mushy and buddy buddy with the guy on his radio and television shows.

Great post in a thread of GRRRREAT posts.

Lanny POS Davis BUMP!

[Always Right]

Allowing Iran to get nukes will lead to more deaths of Jews than anything done by the Germans.

[bushfamfan]

Go ahead and make our day! Stupid thugs need to try it and see where it goes because it’s going to come back on them and then some. I encourage the Demonrats to try something like this.

[rod1]

Someday tell Lanny his own 90s words....its old news. Time to move along. More pressing issues..move along for the women and children.

[The_Sword_of_Groo]

Allowing Iran to get nukes will lead to more deaths of Jews than anything done by the Germans

...which is why BiBi will not let it happen. Unless the US steps up to disarm Iran, I bet he tells the Kenyan to stick his two-state solution where the sun don't shine.

[Flintlock]

Gotta shut ‘im up!

[LeavingNewYork]

There’s nothing to worry about here. Sean Hannity considers Lanny one of his close friends, and I’m sure Sean will convince his bud’ to change his mind.

[Bahbah]

So Lanny takes the big leap into banana republic territory.

What was done was NOT torture and it was NOT illegal. He hasn’t got a leg to stand on so there is no basis for an indictment. This is a purely political attempt to intimidate Cheney and it won’t work.

[Waco]

There’s already been a terrorist attack, remember 9/11. Were the vivtims in the WTC tortured correctly and sufficently for these pigRAT leftys.

[Reo]

Just consider the source......Pakistani Lanny. (Is he still a registered lobbyist for them since the government changed?)

[yankeedame]

That's one of the objectives you idiot so we can hold Obama accountable for dismanteling the security safeguards that kept us attack free for 7 years. Obama must be made that there are consequences for his actions.

Alas, but when the elephants fight it's the grass that get's trampled. IOW,this "lesson" for Obama will be of cold comfort for those whose loved ones died.

[Dawgreg]

Every time I see Lanny Davis on the tv, I have to turn it off. What a vindctive little toad he is. He makes me sick! MOTARD!

[ETL]

Lanny is the lawyer for TaxFree Charlie Rangel? How about an indictment for Charlie?

From the website of the Workers World Party:

"Dear Comrade Kim Jong Il...

With his leadership [Kim Il Sung], the Korean people defeated the Japanese colonial occupation and soon after brought about the first defeat of the U.S. imperialist military machine. ...

Workers World Party values our close, comradely relations with the Workers Party of Korea very highly. We are proud to have known Kim Il Sung as a great leader and a comrade in the international communist movement. ..."

With comradely solidarity, Sam Marcy Chairperson, Workers World Party" (1994):
http://www.workers.org/marcy/cd/sam94/1994html/s940721.htm

___________________________________________________________

Workers World
55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news
http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php

International Action Center
55 W 17th St #5C
New York, NY 10011
212-633-6646
iacenter@action-mail.org
ndomtickets@safewebmail.com
www.iacenter.org
[http://www.iacenter.org/polprisoners/dom-2007.htm]

Troops Out Now Coalition
55 W. 17th St. #5C
NY NY 10011
www.TroopsOutNow.org

____________________________________________________

Photo of Charlie Rangel at the podium of a March 19th, 2005 Workers World Party/Troops Out Now rally in Harlem, New York. The occasion marked the 2nd anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. The photo comes from the ("We are proud to have known Kim Il Sung as a great leader and a comrade in the international communist movement. ...") Workers World Party website.

Also appearing at this "peace" rally with the demonRat Charlie Rangel, now chairman of The House Ways and Means Committee, were Saddam Hussein lawyer, Ramsey Clark and convicted terrorist enabler/attorney, Lynne Stewart. Clark, with Workers World Party, started up that other 'peace' group, A.N.S.W.E.R. Clark also heads the International Action Center and was actually once Attorney General of the United States under democrat LBJ.

Source for the photos: Workers World Party website (workers.org)
http://www.workers.org/march19/index2.html

[ETL]

Former Abu Ghraib Brigadier General, Janis Karpinski, AND chief Bush administration 'torture' investigator, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers, are both endorsers of revolutionary communist org/movement

FYI: The org "World Can't Wait" is a known front for the Revolutionary Communist Party. The RCP, on their website, calls for the violent overthrow of the U.S. government. Former Abu Ghraib Brigadier General, Janis Karpinski, is listed as an "endorser" of the "World Can't Wait" movement on the WCW website.

House Judiciary Committee chairman/chief Bush administration "torture" investigator, democrat John Conyers Jr of Michigan has also given his endorsement to the Revolutionary Communist Party movement/organization, "World Can't Wait--Drive Out the Bush Regime" (they'll probably be dropping the "Drive Out the Bush Regime" portion of their name soon).

Click on the WCW link just below and see: "Endorsers of the Call to Drive Out the Bush Regime Include". Conyers' endorsement appears right after Ward Churchill's. Al Sharpton's, Maxine Waters and Jesse Jackson's are further down the list. Former Black Panther, Illinois congressman Bobby Rush, is on the list as well. (the BPs were Maoist revolutionaries/domestic terrorists). Janis Karpinski's name appears several after convicted cop killer/Black Panther, Mumia Abu-Jamal's.
http://worldcantwait.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2538&Itemid=2
___________________________________________________

Endorsers of the [World Can't Wait] Call to Drive Out the Bush Regime Include:

James Abourezk, Aris Anagnos, Rocky Anderson, Anti-Flag, Edward Asner, Russell Banks, Ed Begley Jr., Harry Belafonte, St. Clair Bourne, Gabriel Byrne, Margaret Cho, Ward Churchill, Paulette Cole, US Rep John Conyers Jr., John Densmore, Jesse Diaz Jr., Michael Eric Dyson, Steve Earle, Niles Eldredge, Daniel Ellsberg, Eve Ensler, Laura Flanders, Jane Fonda, Martin Garbus, Senator Mike Gravel, Andre Gregory, Sam Hamill, Suheir Hammad, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Jr., Mumia Abu-Jamal, Rickie Lee Jones, Sarah Jones, Brig. Gen. (Ret) Janis Karpinski, Jonathan Kozol, Rabbi Michael Lerner, US Rep. Cynthia McKinney, Robin Meyers, Mark Crispin Miller, Tom Morello, Viggo Mortensen, John Nichols, US Rep. Major Owens, Grace Paley, Harvey Pekar, Sean Penn, Michelle Phillips, Harold Pinter, Michael Ratner, Mark Ruffalo, US Rep. Bobby Rush, Susan Sarandon, Richard Serra, Jeff Sharlet, Rev. Al Sharpton, Cindy Sheehan, Martin Sheen, Nancy Spero, Gloria Steinem, Lynne Stewart, Serj Tankian, Sunsara Taylor, Studs Terkel, Gore Vidal, Kurt Vonnegut, Alice Walker, Naomi Wallace, US Rep. Maxine Waters, Cornel West, Ann Wright, Howard Zinn, and thousands more who have already joined us.

http://worldcantwait.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2538&Itemid=2
___________________________________________________

World Can't Wait--Drive Out the Bush Regime is a Maoist-revolutionary movement organized by the Revolutionary Communist Party. Scroll down the list that appears (after clicking link) to find the World Can't Wait organization (rwor.org is the website of the Revolutionary Communist Party):
http://rwor.org/a/rwlink/links.htm
___________________________________________________

From David Horowitz's FrontpageMag.com /DiscoverTheNetworks.org:
Profile: World Can't Wait (WCW)

*Revolutionary communist movement that stages protests against the Bush administration

*Organizes college and high-school students

*Founded in June 2005 by Charles Clark Kissinger, a longtime leader of the Revolutionary Communist Party

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7213
___________________________________________________

The RCP calls for the armed overthrow of the U.S. government...

From the website of the Revolutionary Communist Party (revcom.us or rwor.org) :

"Create Public Opinion, Seize Power: We are preparing minds and organizing forces for the time when there is a major crack in the system, whenever it comes and wherever it comes from: an opening that makes it possible to bring the future Revolutionary Army of the Proletariat (R.A.P.) into the field and wage a revolutionary armed struggle that actually has a chance of winning.

And we have said that building our party itself is the most important part of organizing forces for revolution. This is true now, and it is true looking forward to the creation of that future R.A.P. and the waging of that armed struggle.":

http://revcom.us/a/v20/1000-1009/1000/barw.htm
___________________________________________________

On Oct 5, 2006, Democrat Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers Jr, the same guy who is leading the 'investigation' of the Bush administration, gave a friggin SPEECH to the World Can't Wait--Drive Out the Bush Regime organization, the "anti-war" for the Revolutionary Communist Party!
http://www.worldcantwait.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3801&Itemid=69
___________________________________________________

Voice of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA [Maoist]
[Revolution] Interview with Bill Ayers, Revolution #63, October 1, 2006:
"On Progressive Education, Critical Thinking and the Cowardice of Some in Dangerous Times"
http://rwor.org/a/063/ayers-en.html
___________________________________________________

"This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English..."

___________________________________________________

From the GatewayPundit, June 02, 2006...

Debunking the Deranged Charges by Media Darling Col. Karpinski

Let's see... the media needed to find someone to play along with their Haditha madness so who better than the... discredited, delusional, blaming, angry, and paranoid Colonel Janis Karpinski of Abu Ghraib fame who has mysteriously moved from villainess to hero in the eyes of the mainstream media.

Well, maybe not so mysterious since Karpinski is now a crowd favorite for the Far Left enthusiasts.

Karpinski with fellow extremist and Castro supporter Harry Belafonte at the January "International Commission of Inquiry On Crimes Against Humanity Committed by the Bush Administration"

Colonel Karpinski is a definite crowd pleaser with the anti-war crowd for her strange attacks on the military and Bush Administration.

More here:
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2006/06/debunking-deranged-charges-by-media.html
___________________________________________________

And here...

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2006/06/profiles_in_moo_5.html
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********************************************************* *********************************************************

Judiciary Chairman Conyers Issues Report Documenting Bush Abuses, Calling For Further Committee Investigation, Blue-Ribbon Panel, and Criminal Probes

For Immediate Release
January 13, 2009
Contact: Jonathan Godfrey, Lillian German

(Washington, D.C.) -- Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. released a nearly-500 page report documenting numerous abuses and excesses of the Bush administration. The report, titled "Reining in the Imperial Presidency: Lessons and Recommendations Relating to the presidency of George W. Bush," contains 47 separate recommendations designed to restore the traditional checks and balances of our constitutional system. Recommendations include calls for continued committee investigation, a blue ribbon commission to fully investigate administration activities, and independent criminal probes.

"Even after scores of hearings, investigations, and reports, we still do not have answers to some of the most fundamental questions left in the wake of Bush’s Imperial Presidency," Conyers said. Pointing to allegations of torture and inhumane treatment, extraordinary rendition, warrantless domestic surveillance, the Valerie Plame Wilson-leak, and the U.S. attorney scandal, Conyers continued, "Investigations are not a matter of payback or political revenge – it is our responsibility to examine what has occurred and to set an appropriate baseline of conduct for future administrations."

In addition to the set of recommendations, the report contains a foreword by Chairman Conyers and detailed discussions of: the administration’s legal approach to presidential power; the politicization of the Department of Justice; the administration’s far-reaching assaults on individual liberty (including torture, extraordinary rendition, and warrantless domestic surveillance); the misuse of Executive Branch authority; the administration’s retribution against its critics; and the administration’s excessive secrecy, noncompliance with congressional oversight, and manipulation of pre-Iraq War intelligence.

http://judiciary.house.gov/news/090113_1.html

The full report [487 pages on pdf]:
http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/printers/110th/IPres090113.pdf

[ripley]

“What about an indictment for Charlie?”

Impossible. A left-wing politician can do no wrong.

IMHO

[kabar]

Forewarned is forearmed. It is Cheney’s obligation as a citizen to speak out if he believes that this nation’s security is being compromised. This isn’t about politics or partisan advantage. It is about national security.

[nathanbedford]

It is surprising that for such a smart fella, Lanny Davis evidently does not recognize how transparently political his demands for prosecution are.

First Davis tries to ascend to the high ground: "I oppose any criminal prosecution of prior-administration officials on torture ...." But all the reasons and considerations supporting this judgment are now to be junked because Dick Cheney has the temerity to criticize the Obama administration: "he went on to attack Mr. Obama as weakening the United States in the war on terrorism because Mr. Obama immediately announced that torture would no longer be allowed." What is wrong with that? Lenny Davis says "Dem's fighting words." Worse, if there is a terror attack Barak Obama will look bad as a result of Dick Cheney's warning.

So for purely political purposes, attorney Lanny Davis who acted as a television shill to shield Bill Clinton from his felonies, now wants the former vice president of the United States indicted so his new boss will not look bad.

And what is the crime? Violation of this statute as described by Mr. Davis himself:

The 1994 federal law making torture illegal defines torture as "any act that causes severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, intentionally inflicted on a person for such purpose as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession."

It is constitutionally impermissible to prosecute someone under a statute so vague that it is unreasonable. This statute is obviously unconstitutionally vague because it criminalizes "any act" which can be "mental" which causes "suffering." Hell, my wife should be doing 10 to 20 right now. Any nagging wife trying to get information out of her husband has committed a crime. The statute is unconstitutionally broad.

Lanny Davis blithely subjected the country to the most mindnumbing contortions to justify the criminal behavior of Bill Clinton at a time when we had objective proof that he was a felon. How do we know that Bill Clinton committed perjury? This we know, for the DNA tells us so.

Now Mr. Davis wants to prosecute patriots because they exercise their right of free speech, because they go before the country and warn of a security threat. Lanny Davis wants to prosecute that because it makes Obama look bad.

I cannot imagine a quicker and surer way to undermine the rule of law in America not to mention a better or surer way to undermine good government.

[skimbell]

"...I have changed my mind about the need to indict former Vice President Dick Cheney for complicity in illegal torture..."

BFD! Lunny Davis is a worm. Who give a chit what he wants? Why in the hell would anyone think that Lunny's changing his mind about anything was a matter of any consequence?

[windsorknot]

No controlling legal authority.