Jane Mayer: Panetta Favored Truth Commission-Til It Was Clear OBAMA OPPOSED ANY Bush Investigations

[kpete]

The Daily Beast's Scott Horton interviews Jane Mayer about her article, in which Mayer elaborates on several points, including: (1) Panetta originally favored a Truth Commission but backed down when it became clear that Obama (backed by political adviser David Axelrod) opposed any investigations into Bush crimes; and (2) John Brennan -- as his opponents continuously maintained -- "wasn’t just neutral, he was a supporter of using coercive interrogation techniques. He drew the line, according to his friends, at waterboarding prisoners, which they say he opposed. But otherwise he supported many of the coercive approaches that Obama has banned."

more:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-06-15/panetta-torn-between-past-and-present/full/

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. Here's the New Yorker piece that Mayer wrote:

It's an eye-opener. And, yes, we're screwed:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/06/22/090622fa_fact_mayer

[PopSixSquish]

3. Perhaps Not

From the article...

"A prosecutor appointed by the Justice Department , John Durham, has convened a grand jury in Washington to weigh potential criminal charges against C.I.A. officers who were involved in the destruction of ninety-two videotapes documenting the interrogations of Abu Zubaydah and other detainees.

Zubaydah's lawyer seems to think the prosecutor is serious. And the public at large would have heard nothing about this seeing as grand juries are secret.

I have long thought that the President and his advisors want all of this to come out but they don't want to be the ones doing it. Any appearance of politics around this and the GOP and their MSN minions will go crazy and nothing will be accomplished. I'm not saying this will go anywhere but I take the good news that there is a prosecutor on the case...

[Tangerine LaBamba]

4. I hope so, but given what I'm watching

as the Obama administration takes shape and continues the Bush policies, bailing out the money people and letting common folks fail, letting the GOPigs dominate everything every damn time, I have no reason to believe that anything meaningful is going to come out of Washington ever again.

I would hope the grand jury would do the right thing, but, beyond that, I'm not optimistic. It's all too difficult to prosecute, too difficult to prove.

I'm just tired of hoping and being disappointed. I'm tired.............

[PopSixSquish]

6. And Therein Lies the Problem

It's all too difficult to prosecute, too difficult to prove

The history of the world is full of such things...

[Tangerine LaBamba]

8. Yes,

the laws are really written in favor of the government. To wit, Patrick Fitzgerald's attempts to bring Rove to justice, but hobbled by having to work under a law drafted by Victoria Toensing.

Clever, isn't it?

[chill_wind]

17. 8 pages and very recommended reading.

Lots of insights in there many of us suspected but didn't fully have, and many more that too many DUers will refuse to entertain or confront.

[slipslidingaway]

2. knr nt

[DontTreadOnMe]

5. If this is true...

then it looks to me that Obama is more concerned about "his" Presidency legacy, than "doing" the right thing in the name of Justice.

[Old Codger]

7. His Legacy???

If it keeps going as it has so far it will hinge mainly on the fact that he was the first black president and he proved that we are equal, he will stay with the politics as usual theme throughout his term which makes him equal to a lot of his predecessors, it may be his only term from what I see so far... waiting and hoping still but not hoping a lot.

[madrchsod]

9. he`s no lbj...

although i was against his war his social programs make him the most influential politician and president since fdr. will the kid measure up to lbj? i guess we`ll see

[Senator]

10. It's true ... and it IS his legacy.

Driving the torture getaway car.

--

[nashville_brook]

11. i don't know if legacy is the word i'd use, but he's definitely putting something before justice.

such a disappointment.

[Senator]

12. K&R

[TacticalPeek]

13. What a revolting development this is.

Panetta should know better.

[Echo In Light]

14. K&R Same as it ever was

[robertpaulsen]

15. K & R. Sometimes the truth hurts. Change is just a jingle in their pockets.

:kick:

[chill_wind]

16. Here's the depressing money quote from Panetta, in one sentence:

But by late April Obama had vetoed the idea, fearing that it would look vindictive and, possibly, inflame his predecessor.

“It was the President who basically said, ‘If I do this, it will look like I’m trying to go after Cheney and Bush,’ ” Panetta said. “He just didn’t think it made sense. And then everybody kind of backed away from it.”

[liberation]

18. Why do I get the distinctive feeling, that the Dem brass is more interested....

... in not hurting the sensitivities of the right-wingers, than they seem to be in defending the constitution and the interests of the American citizens.

Can you imagine if State Attorney's dropped prosecutions on the basis that having to comply with the rule of law may "anger" or be "inconvenient" to the defendants? Or is Obama interested in perpetuating the precedent of the office of the president being above the law, so he can use that tool as part of his grandmaster chess skills?

[chill_wind]

19. I can't say. I was hoping for something a little more complex

and sophisticated than "I don't want to be bothered pissing off Dick and George", myself.

[liberation]

23. True... I am just clinging to the last straws of the whole "hope" meme.

I just "hope" there was more to that exchange, as in "well, eventually I would love to get to it... but there are all these economic fires I need to put out, so just use your discretion" or something on those lines. The fact that Obama, a supposedly constitutional scholar, seems to be more concerned regarding the sensibilities of the previous administration over constitutional and legal concerns... that is to say the least, rather distressing.

[dorkulon]

25. Ann Coulter is a constitutional scholar

Knowing and caring are two entirely different things.

[earth mom]

20. Politics as Usual. Disgusting!

:puke:

[Libertas1776]

21. That is a little

interesting, doesn't want to irk his predecessor. Maybe he doesn't want to investigate his predecessor in the same way Obama's successor might invesigate him. Why? How many illegal things does Obama plan to commit? All I can really say anymore is...WHO THE HELL DID I VOTE FOR? :shrug:

[liberation]

24. I dunno what you voted for...

... but I sure as heck I didn't vote for a big "do not disturb" sign for Bush's and Cheney's vacation homes in the Maldives.

[chill_wind]

26. You and me both, brother. n/t

[The Hope Mobile]

22. Infuriating! nt