In 2009, President Obama made a decision to not investigate the Bush/Cheney Administration.

[guillaumeb]

He did this in the interest of looking forward, and to show that he was committed to working with both sides, and bringing both sides together.

The GOP, the leadership and voters, saw this as weakness and Mitch McConnell stated that the only goal of the GOP was to make Obama a one term President.

For the sake of the country, and for the sake of generating enthusiasm among Democratic voters, it is my hope that Biden takes a much different course.

Imagine tasking VP Kamala Harris with forming a special commission to investigate the crimes of the Trump crime cabal.

And imagine a House and Senate pursuing their own investigations.

Imagine the Justice Department conducting its own investigation.

Some, especially in the US corporate media, will counsel caution, and suggest a bi-partisan approach.

Ignore that. When the GOP is in charge, the media never suggests reaching out, and being bi-partisan, and moving to the far right, laughingly called the center in the US.

[msongs]

1. appeasing republicans has a similar outcome to appeasing hitler nt

[guillaumeb]

2. And appeasing sharks.

Or the mafia.

[ace3csusm]

32. Just Like Republicans wanted to burn it all down... Its Democratics time to flush out the fire

starters , otherwise they will succeed the next time they are in power...Their needs to be consequences for their action, I really would like to see what Nunez, Gym Jordan and Lindsay were covering up and the Senators that went to Russia ...

[BeckyDem]

33. Yes.

[doc03]

3. Well traditionally that isn't done but Trump broke

that tradition. If we get the Senate and Presidency I say bring it. I can't imagine how many crimes they would uncover.

[guillaumeb]

6. It could take years to investigate Trump's crimes,

and those of his family and associates.

And the country still needs so much done in so many areas.

We can expect the GOP to obstruct, insofar as they are able, and to complain about Democrats harassing Trump.

If we are lucky, the remnants of the GOP will reject the racists in their Party and actually take an interest in democracy.

[yuiyoshida]

46. In the meantime the Southern District of New York has CHARGES right now against Trump

IF Trump thinks he will be living in Florida from now on, he has another thing coming. More like Riker's Island suite for him.

[guillaumeb]

93. One of my dreams. Including his family. eom

[Hoyt]

4. Think that is a mistake, especially if pushed before election. Biden's campaign is based on healing

the country from the junk trump has done. Campaigning to "lock him up" doesn't convey that message.

Harris should not be bogged down in something like that, either.

We have things to do, and going after trump isn't going to help in that respect. They'll spend the first two years wasting time. I'll be plenty satisfied watching trump age searching for relevancy after getting his ass beat.

[guillaumeb]

8. But the GOP did not see that.

They saw weakness.

If we allow Trump to go unprosecuted for his crimes, what message does that send?

[DonaldsRump]

11. I don't think they need to make a big deal of it now

But I think they MUST do this in earnest beginning on January 21, 2021.

Appoint Preet Bharara as special prosecutor. If we control the Presidency, Senate and House, it makes it much easier.

The acts and failures to act (in many cases amounting to intentional bad acts) CANNOT be glossed over. Otherwise, they will happen again. They must be EXPOSED. Consider it DeNazificiation of sorts.

Biden/Harris are capable of multi-tasking.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

15. Nobody's saying to campaign on this shit. Play nice for the cameras until the election. Then

do what the law requires you to do. You wanna keep playing this bullshit with them. They'll just take it as a cue to commit more crimes. This country needs to grow the fuck up. Israel didn't collapse by going after corrupt leadership all the way up to the top. We don't have royalty here. If a judge, a senator or a congress person can get their asses indicted when they break the law. Then sure as shit should apply to all. "If the president does it, it's not illegal." is some bullshit concocted by a sociopath. And if there's not enough for indictments. Then at the very least. A "truth and reconciliation" type commission needs to be established. I'm sure the next President can walk and chew gum at the same time.

[yuiyoshida]

48. This!

[smirkymonkey]

55. Hear, hear!

[uponit7771]

19. People don't get healing by whistling past wrongs, Obama gave kGOP benefit of the doubt they've lost

... it now.

[meadowlander]

20. It's not about Trump. It's about the lackeys he has installed across government

who will sit there for decades like leeches unless they are systematically removed.

We will never move forward until we have a national conversation about what the role of government properly is and ought to be and what the role of the non-partisan civil service is. We can't do that if we pretend that Trump and Russia (and the Republican party for the past forty years) haven't systemically tried to cripple the proper functioning of the federal government.

And the way to address it is to shine light and prosecute corruption - not jump straight to "let's move on in the name of healing". That hasn't worked for forty years and it won't work now. It's just a giant middle finger in the face of all the people who voted for Biden in the first place because they are desperate to see actual consequences for wrong-doing, corruption and theft from the public purse at their expense.

[Hoyt]

82. Biden will remove everyone of them, it happens with every change of admin.

[misanthrope]

78. Some of the fractures to be mended

are in our Constitutional integrity. It is fault-ridden right now and the only way to continue to hold it together is to show that there is a price to be paid for the outrageous transgressions that have marked this administration. Without that, future malefactors will only insert their crowbars into those fractures and further the damage.

[Hoyt]

83. Do you honestly think a jury could be impaneled to convict

trump of political crimes. There will always be one or more which wingers to hang a jury.

As far as I’m concerned, the ultimate jury is November 3rd.

[sop]

5. Even if Trump and his henchmen are not ultimately charged and prosecuted,

America deserves a full accounting of all the malfeasance that has taken place over the last four years.

[blm]

10. Exactly. The historic record needs an accurate accounting.

[JI7]

27. I agree about this. I don't think anything will be able to he done about him

and the rest of the shit.

But it should at least all be exposed and put in public record .

[mucifer]

7. Biggest mistake President Obama made IMO was not taking Russian interference more seriously

because he didn't want to look partisan in the 2016 election.

Now we are here and we might not get out of this.

I love President Obama. I know hindsight is 20/20. But, it's so frustrating.

[guillaumeb]

12. I understand Obama's intent, but the GOP as it currently exists

is not interested in a 2 Party system.

[JudyM]

52. McConnell threatened him. We need to never expect integrity from them in response to anything.

And so: strategize and act accordingly.

[Eliot Rosewater]

9. Today's GOP Including Lindsay, Marco and so on are traitors, they work for Russia, not America

If McCain was alive, if Reagan was alive, I dont think they would go along.

What does it say for the people who bow to the single dumbest adult on earth...the single most corrupt adult on earth.

[guillaumeb]

14. We know what it might say.

Many GOP voters belong to the "some of the people can be fooled all of the time" crowd.

Many are racists.

[misanthrope]

81. Reagan would do as he was told

He was more than happy to employ racist dog whistles for his benefit.

[Me.]

13. He Has Already Said He Won't Stand In The Way Of Investigations

[guillaumeb]

16. And that statement is a start.

It might encourage Trump's people to think about cooperating to lighten their own punishment.

[JI7]

25. Stop blaming Trump's behavior on other people who don't support him. He gets away with shit because

majority of white people support him.

[guillaumeb]

36. True.

I do not care at this point if any individual Trump supporter is a racist. They support one.

[thesquanderer]

45. ...but he also won't encourage them. So it will be up to the DOJ/Atty Gen'l...

...who at least again will be independent like they're supposed to be.

[stillcool]

18. I've never understood this stuff...

if the Bush Administration would be charged with war crimes, would the actual victims be compensated someway. Over a million dead Iraqi's, countless Afghani's and Iraqi's tortured. Would all of those victims be able to sue the United States, based on what came out in the trial? If so, who would defend the United States? I'm sure 'national security' would make most evidence 'classified' as is always the case....so what would happen. Nothing?
I think Trump has too much criminal baggage to be able to walk away, but what about the kids in the cages? Is the United States government responsible or is Donald Trump? Would that have national security issues, or have a classified information minefield to wander through? What would be fair compensation to all the victims of the United States? We can't even compensate our own people for what we've done...or is this not about the victims at all

[yuiyoshida]

60. So do you think the relatives of the 175,000 dead should be compensated

From the US government for the damage they did under the Trump Administration... Maybe all the money TRUMP made grifting from the White House would be a nice start, than go after Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and rest if they are charged with misconduct or whatever the law is that they would be charged with. I doubt it will happen, and I don't know what the Democratic Party will do in regards to ALL THOSE AMERICANS who lost their lives.

Some how a Memorial, like the Vietnam Memorial might be appropriate but they should be compensated some how..

[stillcool]

69. they can wait in line..

there's a lot of dead Americans killed by the U.S. Government...people are people. Does one human life matter more than another?

[yuiyoshida]

70. I never said it did...

where you getting that I implied this?

[stillcool]

72. I guess because you went straight to..

victims of Covid...as though others did not matter. Sorry if I misunderstood...usually means I need a time-out

[yuiyoshida]

73. yeah time to chill

I am loading a pipe right now, this shitshow has gotten my nerves askew. Time for some Cannabis.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

21. I think that Congress should largely take a lead on things and start oversight hearings

And Biden, Harris, and all new Executive Agency heads should demand that any and all witnesses called before Congress appear, as well as encourage whistleblowers to come forward and report any potential malfeasance and/or misconduct to them or the appropriate IGs and let those processes play themselves out to whatever end(s) is determined to be appropriate, including criminal charges and prosecution if warranted.

[JudyM]

95. A special commission to investigate and wrap it all up for Congress would be great.

Efficiently focused. Congress is going to be swamped trying to quickly undo whatever damage they can and stop all the bleeding on so many fronts.

[Martin Eden]

22. Healing America includes restoring the rule of law

The decision whether to prosecute Trump and associates should be entirely based on the necessary pursuit of justice.

[JI7]

23. White People would never have accepted Obama investing Bush

and there really wasn't anything to investigate. No candidate running brought this up.

White people just need to stop voting for shitty candidates and stop blaming black people for it.

[BannonsLiver]

28. +1

[New Breed Leader]

77. Right. Expecting us to clean up their messes.

Tired of it.

[Solomon]

87. Thank you. The revisionism going on in this thread is ridiculous.

[Mr. Ected]

24. This is the most important OP I've read in months

I only wish there were more important things for Democrats to do should they win this election. But there's not. Just like toppling Trump and his fascist inclinations transcends party politics, so, in fact, is investigating, trying and convicting those that broke laws while ostensibly serving the American people. We should make it abundantly clear that, before we institute Democratic ideals and policies, we enforce our Constitution and bring dignity and honor back to American soil. We are so tarnished at the moment, and the world suffers with and in some cases because of us.

We have to be sure that the message is: WE ARE NOT INVESTIGATING YOU AS DEMOCRATS. We are investigating you as American citizens who have flown way too close to the sun for the past four years and we must NEVER again allow this to happen. The people must learn to differentiate political witchhunts with no legal basis, such as Benghazi, from veritable, provable crimes. For four years we have suffered and lived in fear. If the sum total of Biden's accomplishments is undoing the damage that the MAGATs inflicted upon us, it will have been a successful run.

[StevieM]

26. I'm more concerned that the Bush/Cheney administration made a decision to not investigate Ken Starr.

It is amazing how many crimes he got away with.

[Lucky Luciano]

29. Not Biden's call. An impartial DOJ should make that call.

[rpannier]

57. But he could make it clear that he thinks they should take a close look at it

After the election.
And after Trump is off the property

[Lucky Luciano]

61. Sure...I hesitate setting the precedent of investigating political enemies, but...

...something has to be done. Any reasonable DOJ would investigate...as would any reasonable Congress...and Biden should not gum up the works (which he won’t).

[tiptonic]

30. Manhattan Project

First order of business, if Biden wins, should be a "Manhattan Project" type program, to rebuild our justice department. Started by rehiring all the DA's, 'Benedict donald' fired, after he stole the election.

[Ferrets are Cool]

31. Agree 100% x 1000

[Trumpocalypse]

34. Yet they denounced Obama

as the most divisive President ever.

[guillaumeb]

43. They always project. eom

[Pepsidog]

35. It must be done.

[Snackshack]

37. This simply cannot happen...

This time. IMO that was one of President Obama’s biggest mistakes. Not holding at the very least people who tortured accountable, that and not hold the big banks accountable. Half of the reason we are seeing people do the things they are doing is because they saw what Bush Jr & Co. do and get away with it.

If Biden wins (by all accounts he should) then he absolutely needs to start commissions to investigate trump & co over the last 4 years. If he doesn’t then that is it for the Democratic Party. They already seem to be just laying low not doing much waiting for the voters to save them in Nov...if Biden wins which I am not very confident about. If the election is free and fair Biden wins by a landslide but the GOP simply cannot afford to lose because real investigations will devastate them. The voters have to vote in historical numbers for Biden to win. The margins must be double digits. Any county that is close will be challenged and fought over in court most likely all the way to SCOTUS who handed Bush Jr the presidency.

[Mr.Bill]

38. This goes back much farther than Obama/Bush.

I've said this here may times and I guarantee I will say it many more times.

We are where we are now because Richard Nixon did not die in prison.

[guillaumeb]

39. Nixon, and Reagan and Bush Sr. after Nixon.

When criminal behavior is overlooked, the criminals become bolder.

[Mr.Bill]

44. Yes. Never forget how many pardons had to be issued to the Reagan Gang.

Pardons signed by George H. W. Bush and engineered by then AG William Barr. And make no mistake, that's what he's been brought on board to do here if Trump loses. Or even if he wins, actually.

[guillaumeb]

40. Nixon, and Reagan and Bush Sr. after Nixon.

When criminal behavior is overlooked, the criminals become bolder.

[JI7]

47. Nixon dying in prison would have made racism go away ?

[Mr.Bill]

56. Who said that?

I was referring to Presidents getting away with crimes in the White House. That's kind of what the thread topic is.

[JI7]

58. They get away with it becsuse majority of white people want them to

[Mr.Bill]

59. I seriously doubt that.

More like not enough people believe any crime was committed, which is a somewhat logical conclusion when no one is charged, indicted, arrested and convicted. That has to change.

[JI7]

63. Majority of white people have voted for every republican for president since passage of civil rights

Obama lost support among whites that he never got back when he mentioned how blacks and hispanics are unfairly targeted by cops after the professor gates incident.

White people should stop voting based on their racism.

[Lucky Luciano]

84. Was that really a major turning point in white support for Obama?

Didn’t know that. Do you have any interesting article on that topic?

Will look around myself too.

[JI7]

85. I think it was from reading something from Ta-Nehisi Coates

I don't remember the exact article but I'm pretty sure it was from his writings.

[radius777]

88. +1. Civil Rights and Dems' embrace of it

caused racist whites to drain out of the party and into the GOP, whose criminality is overlooked as long as it functions as the 'bodyguard of Western(white) civilization'... it's also why the cops are not held accountable.

Antiracist whites are to be commended, but they are vastly outnumbered by racist whites.

[RANDYWILDMAN]

67. What a Bunch of cowards, i'm still not whole from this

if we keep thinking the GOP will reform itself, we are defining insanity and making our side feel bad for not healing the country. They wrecked it let them pay the price....

[Polybius]

75. Life in prison would have been a bit too much imo

10 years would have been enough.

[Mr.Bill]

79. For trying to use a government agency

to cover up trying to steal an election? Besides, ten years would have pretty much been life after a trial and appeals.

[CaptainTruth]

41. I've said many times that not investigating Bush/Cheney for war crimes was a big mistake.

I've felt that it sent the message that a president could do whatever they wanted & get away with it ... & here we are.

[guillaumeb]

42. Exactly.

The GOP sees it as weakness, and predators exploit the weak.

[JI7]

49. They get away with things because majority of white people support it

I don't know why people want to look away from those who vote for these people and why they do so .

[Mr.Bill]

64. They vote for them

because got away with being a criminal.

[JI7]

65. Black people don't vote for them. white people support Trump even now

even will they take responsibility instead of blaming those who don't support bigots ?

[TomSlick]

50. I take a more nuanced approach.

It would be troubling for the winner of an election to prosecute the loser - it's normal in a banana republic but not in an established democracy. Prosecuting Trump would establish a dangerous precedent.

On the other hand, the criminality of the Trump crime family screams for prosecution.

I recommend moving cautiously. A Biden DoJ should prosecute members of the Trump family only for serious crimes and only if supported by overwhelming evidence. Of course, a Biden DoJ has no control over state prosecutors.

[LiberalLovinLug]

51. Based on history and precedent

Nothing will happen.
Too many common big donors in the establishment of both parties who's names may come up.
Trump will go on building his cult. Tweet garbage every day. Maybe start his own media empire with Russian money. Maybe even run again in 2024 if he's healthy enough.

Mitch and Lindsey will get re-elected and carry on as if they did nothing. Pushing GOP agendas.

Prove me wrong Joe. Prove me wrong.
please.

[paleotn]

53. Justice and the judiciary

Congress can hold hearings, but for the most part those are political in nature. It can be politically damaging, but nothing more. They can't prosecute. Justice, on the other hand, can investigate, charge, prosecute and the judiciary can send people to jail. That's what I want. Rule of law demands it.

[CanonRay]

54. This has to happen.

No pass for these monsters who are destroying our country

[zentrum]

62. Different time now. Bigger crisis.

Should be all hands on deck to manage Covid response and save economy. People are more desperate—must expand medicare, raise minimum wage, have a plan for student debt, etc etc etc. Spending millions on more investigations will backfire. That was then. This is now.

The mistake Obama-Biden made was in bailing out the big banks and not the average family.

[apnu]

66. Obama is amazing and frustrating.

He's amazing because he has the strength to keep reaching to the other side no matter how many times they spat in his hand. And they spat in his hand 90% of the time. But he kept doing it, bless him for it.

I don't have that kind of stomach, so it frustrated me to no end to watch him calmly reach out, knowing he would get spat on for it. I always wanted him to throw a chair or something at some point. But he knew if he did that, he'd be giving them exactly what they wanted. I found Luther the Obama Anger Translator so cathartic.

Obama has more integrity and character than most of America put together.

[dhol82]

68. Biggest mistake of the administration history!

Totally led to what we have now.

[stillcool]

71. oh good...you must know..

if the Bush Administration were accused of war crimes, would the victims be compensated? The over one million dead Iraqi's, and all the Afghani's and Iraqi's tortured. What kind of evidence would be allowed? The government always has 'national security' issues in a court of law, as well as 'classified information'. Since the U.S. Government is who committed the crimes, how would they be held accountable? I guess individual agencies of the United States Government would be prosecuted? But whatever the remedy would come from the government?

[dhol82]

76. Nah, I just wanted Bush and Cheney tried in The Hague.

War criminals. That’s what they were.
Well, maybe not dumbya - he was just the patsy. But Cheney! Hell yeah. I wanted him at Abu Graib!
You have a problem with that?

[stillcool]

92. no problem with the Hague..

I can not see how the U.S. Government could prosecute any administration with war crimes. If it were attempted it would be a total sham, because that is who we are, and it is what we do.
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Blum/Torture_RS.html

[dhol82]

94. Oh god, yes!

[ecstatic]

74. Nancy could have impeached in 2007

but chose not to.

[JI7]

80. there wasn't enough support for impeachment. Bernie Sanders opposed impeachment also

[jimlup]

86. Obama recognized his mistake by the beginning of the 2nd term

He was naive in assuming the other side was moral and decent. They weren't.

[D23MIURG23]

89. Biden and/or congress should investigate the Republican party for RICO violations

Bring down the entire criminal enterprise.

We don't need a Russian Mafia state, we need at least two parties that are trying to govern in good faith.

[NNadir]

90. The Trump Administration makes the Nixon people...

...look like a convocation of saints.

These people, if we are to restore and entrench the rule of law, need to die in prison. While this certainly includes Trump, Barr especially needs to be in the Federal clinker for life.

I'm not certain the VP should oversee the prosecution but we do need a rebuilt Attorney General's office to prosecute in full adherence to legal procedure.

[Marthe48]

91. I'd like to see impeached traitor go down

I have seen nixon pardoned, reagan excused, bush/cheney excused. If there are no teeth in the laws we follow, there won't be any incentive to stop sending lousy criminals to represent us. Everybody doesn't live a criminal life. Everybody isn't a hypocrite. Everybody doesn't mock and bully others. Everybody else doesn't do it. We keep putting posters in schools, sermons in church about acceptable behavior. But when it comes to crooks abusing power, they keep getting a pass. When I saw ed meese get the presidential medal of freedom last year, I was disgusted. Criminals rewarding criminals.

I hope that Mr. Biden creates a special investigation to lay out specifics on every criminal activity committed by impeached traitor and his henchmen and then refers the specifics to appropriate courts at whatever level will pursue the information.
I hope the states that have cases in front of their AGs go forward with those cases, and bring new charges.
I hope corporations and individuals who have been harmed by impeached traitor and his henchmen bring cases.
I hope that the World Court, and any other entity condemns impeached traitor for his part in the deaths of our soldiers, civilians in other countries, and the deaths of (it will be over a million by November 3, 2020) millions of people.

I hope that all the harm impeached traitor has done to people, the environment, and the structure of our government will be undone.

Finally, I hope that all of the flaws, real or imagined, that evil men chose to find in the Constitution of the U.S.A. are repaired and the document we are all sworn to protect becomes stronger in its protection of we, the people.

[guillaumeb]

97. Very nicely said.

If the rich and connected are exempt from the law, we do not have equal justice under the law.

[Marthe48]

98. We don't have equal justice and it is a constant struggle

to make the entitled fall off their high horse. And so many people don't understand what others have to live with every single day.

Thank you for your kind words.

[pecosbob]

96. Definitely a mistake not to have gone after all the malefactors

This is why we now have federal department heads that are actively dismantling their agencies in full view. This is why our system of checks and balances no longer functions. This why children are dying in cages at the border and why protestors are being kidnapped off our streets by private military contractors.

I run a market. If I let people start to take advantage it only escalates.