Conyers, Kennedy Join Push For Special Prosecutor

TPMmuckraker   |  Paul Kiel   |   December 17, 2007 03:58 PM


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When news broke that the CIA had kept videotapes showing torture of detainees secret and then secretly destroyed them, Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) was fast out of the gate: the scandal "leads right into the White House," he said, and the need for a special prosecutor was clear.

But that was about it. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) was quick to dismiss the need for one, saying that Congressional inquiries were enough. And the hard-charging investigation led by the House intelligence committee seemed to indicate that might be true. When Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), a member of the House intelligence committee, wrote Attorney General Michael Mukasey to formally request the appointment of a special prosecutor, expectations were low.

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- GuiltyByStander See Profile I'm a Fan of GuiltyByStander permalink

It's a great credit to Dodd and Biden that they are working so hard on this. You don't just ask an assistant to get it handed in. There's a whole lotta persuasion going on. And this shows where Dodd's and Biden's heads and hearts are at.

That's why this two-horse political race is a such a joke.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:17 PM on 12/18/2007
- Grannysue See Profile I'm a Fan of Grannysue permalink

Good luck finding anyone in DC that hasn't been bought off by Jr. and his oil execs.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:04 PM on 12/18/2007
- mrJJ See Profile I'm a Fan of mrJJ permalink

Judge just set hearing for December 21st on CIA tape destruction.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:45 AM on 12/18/2007
- getoffmedz See Profile I'm a Fan of getoffmedz permalink

Sweeping aside the anger and emotion of this vital issue, impeachment, facing our country for a moment.

It is very clear to many that the current administration is counter-productive to our national interests and suits the needs of those who have absolutely no interest whatsoever in the American people, only their own. They are either foreign-based and/or represent but a tiny fragment of the total U.S. population.

Most essential to impeachment is developing a significant body of HARD EVIDENCE. A misfiring impeachment process will only serve the criminals infesting our White House and distract many from other pressing issues. Does this HARD EVIDENCE exist? A faulty impeachment may even embolden enemies of our country.

Do these tapes contain the "smoking gun" for impeachment or are they yet another bullshit DIVERSION?

The future of our country as we know it may very well rest in the hands of this Congress and the next?

Are those in Congress who want to correct, prosecute and punish the evil-doers infesting our White House truly up to the task?

The future of the United States of America depends upon it!

Proceed with caution.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:48 AM on 12/18/2007
- Macready See Profile I'm a Fan of Macready permalink

A special prosecutor is needed and desperately . . . the corruption is in the WH . . . we all know that . . . Jay Rockefeller is a disgraceful coward . . . impeachment is the only remedy for America.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:37 AM on 12/18/2007
- realitytrumpsbull See Profile I'm a Fan of realitytrumpsbull permalink

The torture thing is just a side dish, the
main course is impeachment. The war was as
wrong as a GOP man-date, Halliburton oil services former CEO STILL sits in office
despite being a walking, breathing conflict
of interest, and this highly lucrative war thing is now into its' fifth year, I don't
know, somehow I just see a problem, here.
Oh, and no sign of Osama. So what, they're
starting the Hundred Years' War as a cover
to drill an oil well every ten miles? The
hell with that.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:51 AM on 12/18/2007
- imusintheevening See Profile I'm a Fan of imusintheevening permalink

Don't we have some pressing religious holiday bills to pass?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:23 PM on 12/17/2007
- gappytoofcondi See Profile I'm a Fan of gappytoofcondi permalink

Gee... wasn't Conyers about to investigate the steroid allegations in baseball? I'll believe this when I see it!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:09 PM on 12/17/2007
- SamEllison See Profile I'm a Fan of SamEllison permalink

Our Gang of Four congress want to keep the investigation to themselves to control it. There are guilty people on both sides of the aisle.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:45 PM on 12/17/2007
- mrJJ See Profile I'm a Fan of mrJJ permalink

AG Mukasey has a conflict of interest problem already, and should recuse himself and appoint a Special Prosecutor.

Jose Padilla"s lawyers argued before the Florida Federal Court that Abu Zubaydah was tortured into saying Padilla was an al Qaeda associate. The DOJ dismissed Padilla"s allegations as "meritless," asserting Padilla"s legal team could not prove that Abu Zubaydah had been tortured. Well, it"s clear now that they certainly COULD have, if the tapes of the interrogations of Abu Zubaydah had been made available!

Now here is where Mukasey"s role comes into question. U.S. District Judge Mukasey, now attorney general, was the one who signed the warrant used by the FBI to arrest Padilla in May 2002. Court records show the warrant relied in part on information obtained from Abu Zubaydah"s interrogation. So we have a problem Houston.

The Attorney General can only issue a warrant based upon legally obtained evidence, and confessions under torture are certainly not "legally obtained". So either Mukasey was misrepresented the evidence, and would be liable to be potentially a party in those who were presented with "perjured evidence"; or he knew that torture was used in obtaining the confession and ignored it.

In either case he is unsuitable to run an investigation, as it will, inevitably, involved himself. Thus a Special Prosecutor is necessary... Odds that this will happen? Zero percent.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:44 PM on 12/17/2007
- geobushono See Profile I'm a Fan of geobushono permalink

...and about HR333.....WHAT ABOUT THAT JOHN?
...and the sirius/xm merger?
I don't want this lame ass congress deciding to impeach next december.
Our Constitution demands the blood of these traitors.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:35 PM on 12/17/2007
- nomobull See Profile I'm a Fan of nomobull permalink

surprise surprise

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:28 PM on 12/17/2007
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