Elective despotism.

[mmonk]

That is all we are left with if those in power are above the law but you are still subjected to it. All you are doing is choosing your dictator every election.

[FrenchieCat]

1. You didn't vote for Denis Kucinich.

[mmonk]

2. Is that all you can say?

[FrenchieCat]

4. No....but it is true.

"The president has stated that it is not his administration's intention to prosecute those who acted reasonably and relied in good faith upon legal advice from the Department of Justice. As I understand it, his decision does not mean that anyone who engaged in activities that the Department had not approved, those who gave improper legal advice or those who authorized the program could not be prosecuted. The details made public in these memos paint a horrifying picture and reveal how the Bush administration's lawyers and top officials were complicit in torture. The so-called enhanced interrogation program was a violation of our core principles as a nation and those responsible should be held accountable"-- Russ Feingold
http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/04/russ_feingolds_reaction.php


John Dean on Hopes for Future Bush Prosecution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dpr9KxXnXk

President Obama strikes a wise balance in coming to terms with the torture of terrorism suspects.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/04/16/ST2009041603954.html

[mmonk]

5. What is true?

My original statement? If so, I'm glad you agree.

[PBS Poll-435]

3. I totally agree

Lycra is NOT the new spandex.

[Joe the Liberal]

6. Yea pretty much. n/t

[asteroid2003QQ47]

7. K & R

[asteroid2003QQ47]

8. Would anyone here willingly walk in the President's shoes? eom

[cali]

9. this is deeply simplistic

we don't yet know whether the architects of torture will be held accountable through the legal system. Even if they are not, it doesn't mean a de facto despotism is in place. Do you believe that's the way it is in France, for example?

[geek tragedy]

11. Paranoid rants about Obama aren't just for rightwingers anymore.

On this site there is a portion of the Glenn Beck Left.

[geek tragedy]

10. Obama=dictator. Are you Glenn Beck? n/t

[Zynx]

12. You just called Obama a dictator. That requires more than a flippant statement to back it up.

[AtomicKitten]

15. .

wrong place, sorry

[HamdenRice]

13. They are not being made above the law. Problem is, you don't know what the law is

What your post really should say is:

"That is all we are left with if those in power are above the law as I wish it were, but isn't but you are still subjected to it."

Try to understand what DUers like jberryhill -- a practicing lawyer -- have written about DOJ opinions being affirmative defenses.

Obama is simply stating the law as it is. If you don't like it, fine. But advocate for a change in law, don't claim the law isn't being followed.

[Cha]

14. Bullshit..quit

your whining..buck up.

[Danger Mouse]

16. Both you and the tea baggers see Obama as a despot.

Why don't you go all the way and proclaim Obama to be the second coming of Hitler?

[DevonRex]

17. Oh good grief. Go join the freepers and try to impeach or something.

[Danger Mouse]

18. Together they can find a common purpose.

:D

[DevonRex]

22. Heh. Sort of like the fundies, who hate the Mormons, joining with the Mormons

to outlaw gay marriage and abortion, no?

[AtomicKitten]

19. Just today a DU'er argued that LW dissent is very different from RW dissent.

Your hyperbole parallels the teabaggers (refer to picture below). Is that really what you want to say or are you itching for confrontation? Pushback on this kind of stuff is inevitable (although perceived as oppression by some) and I'm wondering if you understand why.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

20. In what respects Charley?

Series, has Obama said that investigating the shrub admin is off limits? No. While he's taken the CIA rank and file off the hook, everything else is still on the table as far as I know. Shit, rushing into investigating * and his cronies could be worse then not doing it at all. If it looks like a witch hunt like monica-gate, then we only end up in a worse situation then we already have. Obama becoming a one termer and Bushy looking like a martyr. Patience is a virtue ya know?

[TheKentuckian]

21. Turning Bush into a martyr would be worse than throwing the entire mess

under the carpet by a distance of 100 trillion lightyears, at least.

Discretion remains the better part of valor. It is the people that must demand accountability. Right now, most are considerably less intense about this than even folks like myself and until that changes to some degree then going balls to the wall on this is ill advised and actually dangerous. We need a super majority of the American people to see this as clearly legitimate or there will be a considerable risk of backlash that goes well beyond just Obama's administration and no its not even close to worth it.

I've always believed it far better that the guilty go free than punish the innocent, knowing full well that would allow the potential for the guilty to repeat their offenses. Logic shouldn't change due to scope. This is what is behind my opposition to the death penalty and I think fairly applicable to the subject at hand too.

[Yukari Yakumo]

23. uh-huh.... Do us a favor and *please eat granite*. {nt}

[Hutzpa]

24. lol

:rofl: it that the one with the pizza topping?