Let it go, Dems
Democrats in the House now want to subpoena Bush, Cheney, et al. with a federal investigation to find out if they broke any laws in the name of national security, according to an AP story today. Isn’t it time to put all the hatred away now that your guy is in there? This is not only childish and vengeful behavior directed at a man that legitimately was doing what he thought was right to protect this country, but its so public that it will damage your chances at the next election. If the public sees you diving into this rabbithole with all your new power, you will rightly be perceived as running only on Not-Bush, which has no shelf life past inauguration day.
Do yourself a favor and stay away from the urge to throw a man in jail because he disagrees with you about the War in Iraq and terrorism.
Chump edit: That behavior would also hardly reflect the healer/uniter rhetoric we heard so often from Barack Obama, should he sign off on it.
Chris said,
January 14, 2009 at 1:51 pm
War crimes are war crimes, Democratic president or not. I would hope that if Obama and his administration were suspected in 8 years time of the same things Bush et al. are suspected of, the same would happen to them.
Neither the President, nor his cabinet, are above the law. They never have been. They never will be. The way to heal is not to let criminals get off without paying their dues.
regulusred said,
January 14, 2009 at 2:14 pm
I wonder, do you believe that President Bush has committed war crimes? If so, I’d like to hear about them.
Personally, I would give any President license to protect the country, and quite a bit of leeway in doing so. I’d have to see something far worse than the farthest left-wing Bush Derangement Syndrome sufferers are claiming.
Warrantless wiretaps? Secret prisons? Faulty intelligence? Waterboarding?
These are pretty tame, and more than okay by me. I’m convinced its saved many American lives. I actually hearken back to 24 on FOX. Jack Bauer does all kinds of illegal shit to stop terrorists, but it saves us in the end.
Put it this way: I would torture a known terrorist/financier if I thought it would save innocent lives of any kind. If I was personally tasked with the safety of a people, I’d feel license to go much farther to do the job.
I’m just sayin’.
Chris said,
January 14, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Yes, as a matter of fact, I do think that Bush is a war criminal, and you’ve hit many of his crimes on the head. The difference is, of course, you seem to think that war crimes are tame.
Warrantless wiretaps? That’s the sort of thing one would expect from the former USSR, not the current USA. But this one and faulty intelligence are fairly tame, as you say, and neither is a war crime.
However, secret prisons and waterboarding are not to be written off. The United States, as recently as 1947, tried, convicted and executed a man for authorizing waterboarding. What part of that is tame to you?
Furthermore, the very fact that a prison has been made secret is evidence of its illegality. You can claim “national security” all you want, but there is no justification for secret prisons. Unless, of course, you’re the Bush administration, and you need to hide your tracks.
“Put it this way: I would torture a known terrorist/financier if I thought it would save innocent lives of any kind. ”
Eye-for-an-eye: how very biblical of you. Unfortunately, you fail to realize that it makes you no better than the very terrorists you claim to be against. It’s just what I would expect, however, from someone who bases their opinions on Jack Bauer.
regulusred said,
January 15, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Come now, Chris. There is a stark line between deriving opinions from 24, and using the show to illustrate a point of view I have. I know that you know this, or I’ve misoverestimated you, to stretch a Bushism.
I am better than terrorists, and I know it. I would never torture anyone unless they planned to kill my countrymen. I would do what I must with surety, but not happiness. They don’t desire anything but the death of a people