Obama Will Not Prosecute Bush And Cheney

[Dangerman]

I just hope Obama changed his mind soon.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21438.htm

We must persuade Obama to indict these bastards and send them to jail.

[MarjorieG]

1. More important to expose illegalities and dangers to Democracy, fix problems, than try-

unsuccessfully to indict. Voters, people who still have some soft spot for Bush, must know the failures of this kind of deregulation and upending of our Constitution-without their feeling we're going backwards, spedning time being needlessly vindictive in face of bigger problems, etc, etc.

Obama and the bully pulpit, the mic, without as much media filter, is a golden opportunity the GOP don't often give us.

And as post-Clinton years proved, didn't take long for prosperity to go to people's heads, ready to make stupid decisions in trusting Bush. A lot of pushing fear helped.

We can't repeat these mistakes ever again, although we didn't learn from Vietnam, Enron, etc. Preventing stolen elections also would help.

Frank Rich, who bashed Kerry unceasingly in 2004, more than Bush, wanting a second act for his book, finally has taken this election where it needed to go, and continues. Must read today for putting Blago in perspective for accountability and guilt.

[OneBlueSky]

14. there are at least four compelling reasons to indict George Bush . . .

1. by not impeaching/indicting Bush, the U.S. is saying to the rest of the world that all our talk about respecting the rule of law and living by that rule is nothing but lies . . . and if we'll lie about that, we'll can't be trusted not to lie about anything . . . our credibility in the world community will be worse than it already is, which is near zero . . .

Obama can be serious about starting to reverse international distrust of the U.S., or he can mouth a bunch of platitudes and take no meaningful action to instill that trust . . . the choice is his . . .

2. by not impeaching/indicting Bush, the U.S. is saying to its citizens that all that stuff about the law applying equally to everyone, regardless of their status, is just so much meaningless blather . . .
Obama can try to prove that equal justice under the law actually means something, or he can ignore the greatest criminal conspiracy in the history of our nation and let the perps walk . . . the choice is his . . .

3. by not impeaching/indicting Bush, Obama would leave the door open for every U.S. president who follows Bush to conduct himself/herself in the very same manner as Bush, doing anything he damn well pleases with absolutely no fear of consequences . . .

Obama can begin to restore the balance of powers among the three branches of government, or he can accept and live by Bush's notion of a "unitary executive" that is answerable to no one -- not the Congress, not the courts, and certainly not the American people . . . the choice is his . . .

4. by not impeaching/indicting Bush, Obama is saying that he is part and parcel of the corporate/government oligarchy that rules this nation rather than someone who will stand up to the powers that be by doing things like restoring citizen authority over corporations . . .

Obama can ingratiate himself to the movers and shakers responsible for the economic mess, the foreign policy mess, the healthcare mess, the environmental mess, and all of the other messes, or he can engage them head-on on behalf of the American people who put him in office to do just that . . . the choice is his . . .


Obama says he is about change . . . well, in this nation at this time in history, change is about holding those who got us into these ungodly messes accountable for their actions (and, where appropriate, inactions) . . . to not do so is nothing but business as usual -- and if there is one thing we don't need right now, it is business as usual . . .

I've said all along that the real test of how Obama will govern will come when he has to take on the corporations that are largely responsible for every crisis we now face . . . if he instead hops into bed with them, any change we see will be modest, incremental, and of little consequence in the overall scheme of things . . . instead of a single payer national healthcare system, we'll have a slightly modified version of the current system that serves as an ATM for HMOs and insurance companies . . . instead of pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq, we will see a partial withdrawel, with enough troops remaining to pretty much prevent any true self-governance by the Iraqis . . . instead of a real focus on global warming and other environmental disasters, we'll see things like carbon swapping and "clean" coal and offshore drilling and flourescent light bulbs . . .

in short, Obama can provide us with real change, or he can provide us with the appearance of change . . . the choice is his . . .

[MarjorieG]

21. Obama will change how he operates, and explain how different and why.

Do you want all four years to be spent trying to convict (unsuccessfully) or proving, showing blame, changing how we do business. Too many crises can't wait for what is still unclear/unnecessary to many voters. Big leap to educate when losing jobs, homes, food...

Let's agree to disagree. Difficult to differ on righteous indignation based on truth and preferring a different tactic.

[Radical Activist]

2. So this is an opinion piece, not a headline.

Your subject line suggests that Obama announced something to that effect but he hasn't. That's always irritating.

[leftofthedial]

3. more important to sing kumbaya, let repukes still run things in the important departments

and feel all warm and squishy about bipartisanship

than to seek justice or, gawd forbid, actual change.

I can't wait for the great S'Mores toasting! It will be a glorious day for Amurka.

Then when Jebbie and Sarah take over in 4 or 8 years, there will be NO standards at all for executive abuse of power.

[bettyellen]

4. i never assumed he would, nor that any candidate would

[John Q. Citizen]

9. I know. None will stand up for the rule of law when it effects the ruling class.

[earth mom]

5. Obama could & should have made a stand months, no, years ago-along with Kucinich. nt

[glitch]

6. Of course not, there will be an independent prosecutor to do that.

Obama has enough on his plate.

[bvar22]

7. The Dems won't do anything except protect the system $$$$$.

Too many High Ranking Democrats either supported the War, enriched themselves from War Profiteering, or are complicit by their "secret" approval of War Crimes. Obama will replay the script written by Bill Clinton.....The Criminals will go FREE and get to keep their LOOT!


It is time for Citizens of the World to take the responsibility.

I will donate $500 to ANY organization that will place a Bounty on Bush/Cheney to be paid to anyone who provides evidence or testimony that leads to their indictment, arrest, or the issuing of an International Arrest Warrant.

A small, transparent trust located in a neutral country like Switzerland could administer the fund. If the BOUNTY is promoted internationally, it would quickly grow to Mega-Millions.

The fund would also be tasked with running full page Wanted For War Crimes ads in major Global newspapers every 3 months until the Bounty is awarded or depleted.

I believe that such a fund would be wildly popular worldwide, and provide the administrators an opportunity to make a little money.
I have neither the resources or skills to institute such a fund, but like I said above, I am willing to donate $500. I also believe that there are at least a million more worldwide (extreme minimum) who would also be willing to donate....that adds up to some serious money.

Wanted
for
WAR CRIMES


A $500 Million Dollar Reward will be paid to any individual, organization, or country that provides concrete information leading to the arrest, or the issuance of an Internal Arrest Warrant for War Crimes committed by George Bush, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, or Donald Rumsfeld.

It is clear that the Opposition Party (Democratic Party) and the US Justice Department will do NOTHING to hold the criminals accountable.
A private organization representing Citizens of the World would have better results.

Even if Bush/Cheney are never arrested, a Mega-Million Dollar International Bounty would certainly keep them looking over their shoulders, curtail retirement travel plans, AND serve as a warning to future "Unitary Executives".

It would also put a nice ribbon around the Bush Legacy.

[zonmoy]

24. will this group provide the evidence you seek.

Final Verdict Released
Submitted by administrator on Wed, 2006-09-13 01:27.
Commission Finds President George W. Bush and His Administration Guilty of War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity

The Commission of Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity Committed by the Bush Administration released its final verdict on Wednesday, September 13, 2006.

Find the full text of the verdict in PDF form here.

An unprecedented Commission of Inquiry has found the President of the United States and his administration guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The five-member panel of jurists unanimously found the administration’s actions “shock the conscience of humanity” in five areas – wars of aggression, illegal detention and torture, suppression of science and catastrophic policies on global warming, potentially genocidal abstinence-only policies imposed on HIV/AIDS prevention programs in the Third World, and the abandonment of New Orleans before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina.

A delegation, headed by 27-year CIA veteran Ray McGovern and former US diplomat and retired US Army Reserve Colonel Ann Wright, will deliver the verdict to the gates of the White House at noon today following an 11AM press conference.

http://www.bushcommission.org/

[DainBramaged]

8. This upsets me (like I'm not easy to upset)

[robinlynne]

10. excellent and disturbing article.

[undeterred]

11. Obama will not be persuaded.

If we want justice we have to prosecute them ourselves.

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. Did you think he would?

:shrug:

[Juche]

13. Democrats are complicit

If you prosecute Bush for the war, or torture or spying you will eventually open up the democrats who helped pass that legislation or looked the other way. I think Pelosi knew about waterboarding back in the beginning of this decade. So its not going to come from the democratic party. The only real hope IMO is the international judicial system or maybe the domestic judicial system. There will be no accountability in the congress or executive.

I am not saying its ok, but I think as long as that fact stands Bush will be protected. I am sure he designed it that way so that all the levers of accountability would go down with him if he got persecuted.

[ThomWV]

15. In-credible

[conspirator]

16. file it under NS for No Shit nt

[Lord Helmet]

17. the evidence may make it impossible to not prosecute them

[Festivito]

18. Same mistake Clinton made. History to repeat self.

I hope.. he wises up.

[UTUSN]

19. No. He won't. n/t

[autorank]

20. Obama won't. DoJ can and US Attorneys can and Local DA's can

According to Schumer, Fitzgerald is staying on in Chicago. What does that mean? When the scandal expands to
target someone who really could have sold the Senate seat (Blogo couldn't do it) and Blogo and the next guy
roll over, then we'll see things circle back to DC and Rove.

Obama doesn't prosecute. In fact, it would be inappropriate for him to call up Holder and say, 'hey, go after
BushCo, all of them.' So Fitz can do whatever he wants, as can any US Attorney.

Of more interest, DA's can prosecute Bush for murder according to one of the best prosecutors ever to try a case,
Vincent Bugliosi. It wouldn't just be one DA it could be two or 20. In that case, serial pardons would be a
travesty of justice and there would be no reason to suspect they'd be forthcoming.

The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder: An Interview with Vincent Bugliosi - Part 1 Aug. 8, 2008

[alfredo]

26. Obama is just an executive, he isn't in law enforcement. He can't tell

who to indict or who not to indict. It is up to law enforcement. There are scores of people waiting for bush to leave office, and there is nothing Obama could do, even if he wanted to, short of a pardon.

[Zhade]

22. If so, I wouldn't vote for him again, and I'd be done with this fucking country.

NT!

[bertman]

23. If this possibility alarms you, as it does me, please go to this website and sign up to

help ensure that our President-elect does not shirk his responsibility.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/changeiscoming/

[newtothegame]

25. Of course it won't happen...

Then again, nominating a Democrat who would prosecute was never the point (we would have nominated Kucinich). Instead, everyone was so obsessed with being part of a "historical" election.

[Ilsa]

27. I guess throwing shoes is the only recourse see for justice. nt