Why Obama is letting the Bush-era criminals off the hook: just a theory

[pilsner]

The torturers and murderers in the CIA aren't going to be prosecuted.

Some Bush appointed U.S. Attorneys are still on the job including Leura Canary, who prosecuted Don Siegelman. Political prisoners remain in jail in America.

The U.S. probably pressured the Spanish government to back-off prosecuting the torture memo writers.

The Obama admin extended sovereign immunity regarding state secrets.

The list goes on and on...

Why? My theory is that President Obama has been put on notice that there will be another 9-11 type attack if he holds Bush admin officials accountable.

Yeah, I know it's a depressing thought but Obama is between a rock and a hard place if it's true.

[cliffordu]

1. ...Paranoia strikes deep.....

Into your life it will creep...

Starts when you're always afraid,

step outa line the man comes and takes you away....

[Jeep789]

2. Or perhaps he just believes what he said

I'll take him at his word. His reasoning sounded perfectly logical to me even if I do(heartily) disagree. And he hasn't excused the administration just the CIA officers that were following orders.

[pilsner]

4. But why on earth is

someone like Leura Canary still a U.S. Attorney?

My guess is because busting open the Don Siegelman case would go straight to Rove and maybe even higher.

There has to be a reason that Obama and Holder are allowing Siegelman and others to be run over by the bus.

[Jeep789]

5. That I don't know and I do wish someone would ask him about it.

Maybe he just hasn't gotten to it yet. I certainly hope he does do something about the Siegelman case.

[OmahaBlueDog]

3. It's possible, but

there are other, more plausible reasons.

a) As I said in another thread, these would be damn difficult to prosecute
b) Prosecuting an ex-President sets a precedent that could lead to a quantum leap in political nastiness
c) It's equally possible they were all secretly pardoned
d) I had an interesting conversation with someone in DC. While understanding that the buck stops with Dubya, the consensus is that Cheney & staff were the real bad guys. However, since the Veep theoretically has little or no power, making th case to prosecute Cheney,Libby, et. al. is going to be a tough sell.
e) I think from a bare-knuckle politics standpoint (read: 2012), Plouffe & Axelrod probably want to put the last 8 years in the rearview mirror and build this administration on its own positive accomplishments, not reliving the past 8 years.

I will now piss you off further. I'll wager that the President, at some point, will name Dubya "Ambassador at Large". Outwardly, it will seem like a feel-good story; the reality will be that Diplomatic Immunity will accompany the bestowment, so as to allow George to travel without fear of arrest.

[pilsner]

7. Really?

>>a) As I said in another thread, these would be damn difficult to prosecute

Not according to Jonathan Turley.

And, regarding the politics of it all---people vote for strength. Upholding the Constitution is a duty that exhibits strength.

[OmahaBlueDog]

8. Mr. Turley is speaking of evidence and legality

I'm speaking of getting 12 people in a jury box who'll all go along with it.

[ThomCat]

6. Or, it could be that he's just a politician protecting other politicians.

After all, he knows that after he leaves office he is set for life as long as he has spent his career making friends instead of enemies. So he's not about to stir things up.

[global1]

9. If That Is The Case - All He Would Have To Do Is Tell The American People That.....

Bush admin officials are blackmailing him and he's not going to let them do that - he would out them - thereby putting them in the situation that if something does happen - we all know who did it.

I had a different theory. What if he said - if you and your party cooperate with me - I won't prosecute. I don't think that this is what is going on - but its just as plausible as your theory.

[napi21]

10. Another theory is that if he goes after the wrong people, he'll be killed.

They were talking about that on Malloy's show tonight. Mike said that's what happened to JFK. Even though he was told not to, he went after them anyway, and we all know what happened. To quote Mike, "The Bush crime family are all torturers, killers, and vindictive b'tds who will stop at nothing to save their own asses." It's a conspiracy theory for sure, but has as much credibility as any other one does.

[MagickMuffin]

11. I have drawn the same exact conclusion, Obama doesn't want to be JFK'd

That seems to me to be the most logical conclusion. The CIA has some nasty players amongst their mist and Cheney and Haden would make sure that Obama got his "due" by way of a "Lone Gunman" and of course we already have the Right Wing fanning the flames of hatred and bigotry. So, the "stage" is set up already.

And who knows what lengths they would go to to retaliate. Obama's daughters, his wife. The playing field is large enough for anything to happen.

[cali]

12. take it to the dungeon. n/t

[droidamus2]

13. Probably not

I don't think any threats have been made. I think Obama's decisions on this (are they all final he could just be putting them off) are much more pragmatic. President Obama has a good number of things he wants to accomplish in his first 4 years. He is smart enough to know that if he starts indicting the Bush criminals that will dominate discourse in this country for as long as it goes on (just look at how the OJ trial dominated the airwaves). Is that right? In a perfect world no these people would be held accountable for what they have done. In a pragmatic world sometimes you have to forget the past to make progress in the future.

[pilsner]

15. A special prosecutor would make the indictments

not Obama.

[droidamus2]

16. Understood

Who makes the indictment doesn't change the fact that big trials like this would dominate the news media for months if not years. Part of President Obama's success is in being able to use the media or when necessary circumvent the media to get his message out. If the media and the internet are preoccupied with the 'big trial' then it will be that much more difficult for the President to get backing for his agenda.

[Echo In Light]

14. "impeachment is off the table,"

It's a basic sense of institutional collusion preventing the want or will of sabotaging hallowed structures that need be preserved at all costs as to not disrupt those deeply seated in shadowy corporate power. In other words, the corporate/state nexus would never put up an "electable" candidate who honestly intends to change the long standing order of how business is conducted. Just isn't done, and for what should be obvious reasons.

So, just as "impeachment is off the table," those directly and indirectly involved in any number of VERY serious crimes from Nov 99 on never actually have to worry about any of that activity being brought to light in a manner that would result in apropos consequences. The tip of the iceberg can be exposed given the magnitude...but only enough to offer the illusion of a self-correcting system that punishes the "few bad apples," but never seriously threatens the overarching systems in place.