Obama Would "Immediately Review" Potential Of Crimes In Bush White House

Attytood's Will Bunch has a new interview with Barack Obama:

Tonight I had an opportunity to ask Barack Obama a question that is on the minds of many Americans, yet rarely rises to the surface in the great ruckus of the 2008 presidential race -- and that is whether an Obama administration would seek to prosecute officials of a former Bush administration on the revelations that they greenlighted torture, or for other potential crimes that took place in the White House.

Obama said that as president he would indeed ask his new Attorney General and his deputies to "immediately review the information that's already there" and determine if an inquiry is warranted -- but he also tread carefully on the issue, in line with his reputation for seeking to bridge the partisan divide. He worried that such a probe could be spun as "a partisan witch hunt." However, he said that equation changes if there was willful criminality, because "nobody is above the law."

Read the full transcript of the exchange here.

Comments

[gun]

can i have your attention, folks. you too, obama.

love the candor, would savor the revenge, but saying this now

WHOA!

It's like the Kennedys making threats...

it puts our enemies on alert and gives them plenty of motivation to

1. eliminate the threat -- the worse case scenario,
or
2. bring in the turbo shredders and do everything in their power to
destroy the case.

better to keep this quiet while we sharpen Madame Guillotine...

I'm kidding...

[REAGANRIGHT]

Well it would be a witch hunt, and after last nights preformance in the debate, He lost his only chance!

[LightningJoe]

Coming from you, Mr. REAGANRIGHT, that means... practically nothing.

---
shoot the tv with a REA-GUN.

[mero909]

Bah, I think Obama did alright alright. I listened (thanks YouTube) to the entire debate while working and I didn't feel like Obama was "out of it" or having an "off night". Either way, anyone is allowed to make mistakes or have an off day. Even the President of the US.

[daveyjones]

Hey, I have a lot of problems with the current admin that I voted into office but I'm blown away by the 5th grade level of commentary I read here. If it really makes you feel better to dream of the pres and his staff in shackles so be it. It is not going to happen. The new pres. will be too busy on next year and I don't think the current Congress has demonstrated much ability to accomplish even the things you guys want. Hell, the Dems can't get their primary house in order! When you look back, you trip over what's in front of you.

[b2008]

You just might be right. So much to do and so little time to do it in.

[LightningJoe]

But a fella can dream, can't he?

---
just say no, to tv.

[heal57]

As an American I am so ashamed of the Bush Administration. That they would be capable of torture disgusts me to no end. Going after them is enough reason alone to vote for Obama besides hundreds of other reasons. I wonder how many of those bastards in the White House wear the flag pin on their lapel! Wake up America.

[JohnnieP]

God-willing, When Obama becomes president and we finally have an honest and intelligent commander in chief and administration running the United States, Bush, Cheney and the rest of
the imbecilic thieving liars who either have staffed or currently staff the Bush administration should be
prosecuted to the full extent of the law for their having treated the Federal government as their
personnel country club during the eight years of their criminal enterprise.

[INDIGO11]

You just don't get it do you?
When Cheny ,Bush Sr,Halliburton etc(see list in my previous post) and Obama belong to the same behind the scenes organization/CFR doesn't this tell you anything..­..........­....WAKE THE HELL UP!
It's all a big circus to keep you distracted from the real issue.........they are all criminals.
Obama and his wife have been know to do some pretty dirty deals but like most Americans ..........let's pretend he didn't , let's look the other way.God Help Us is all I can say.
You people love your blinders and your servitude.As they say..........people get the gov't they deserve.
As unwilling as America is too look at the truth,she will surely get another deceiver in the Whitehouse.

[tbone99]

Whats our alternative?

[leftLibertarian]

Impeach the criminals Bush and Cheney.

Lady Justice demand it.

[b2008]

Wouldn't hurt me if they impeached the whole government :) It couldn't hurt!

[yossarion]

I sincerely hope that someone does prosecute all of the traitors in this administration (and their supporters in Congress) and that maximum penalties are applied. Maybe this will make the next bunch of thieves, liars and corporate lackeys that gain power think twice before selling this country out so totally and completely.

[spicegal]

Going after the Bush crime family is good enough reason alone to vote for him.

[BrickSykes]

Remember, Trolls, Obama is just ONE Man...an important man, but, just ONE Man!

The folks you have to really worry about are the ones you can do nothing about: The MANY Democratic Congressmen who will be elected along with Obama in November!! They are the ones who will slice open that Ogre's Head!! The Bushies and Cheneys of the World would really rather have Obama just disappear!! But, they can do NOTHING about the Congress!!

Even if HRC is somehow sorrowfully elected as POTUS, the Democratic Congress will take the last Eight years of American History apart "Brick by Brick" and "Clean" the very last one! America has been under the influence of Criminals for a very long time, and, the American People are going to neutralize a good part of it, starting in January '09!!

Wait and See, Troll-B*st*rds!

Brick

[AmbivalentGuy]

Damn good point.
These investigations should start in the house (should have already started).

It's the legislative branch that needs to prove they deserve our support.

[incontempt]

by Brick...

[LightningJoe]

Love to see it, but I don't think America is sane enough to confront this problem with the thorough house-cleaning it begs for.

We're too tv-fantasy­-besotted. Too out of touch with reality. We flee to the solace of our glass teats every evening, after a day spent avoiding the realization that our labors are going to make our rich masters even richer, and that there is no way out of that maze, under our established dog-eat-dog economic system. Our minds are too finely balanced, between hair-trigger outrage, and tranced-out anesthesia for the pain of it all.

True sanity is the only way out, but by now it hurts too much to confront the reality of our situation, so we continue to abuse drugs of all kinds, to escape the impending truth.

So don't wait for sanity to strike Washington, when we can't do it ourselves. They are our representatives, after all.

---
(szzsstt !) ...This is your brain, on television.

[MCmahon]

Look I hate to leave the Bush Administration off the hook but won't Obama will have enough to do without going back in history and stirring up old Bush business.

Good riddnace to Bush.

If Obama is the nominee- With his inexperience he better get an experienced Cabinet because here are his campaign promises:

Let's just get on with fulfilling all those Election promises starting with better schools, roads, an end to the war, and end to poverty, an increase in minimum wage, alternative sources of fuels, healthcare for all, a tax on oil companies windfall profits, improving race relations, removing lobbyists from Washington, creating green jobs, making the Bush tax cuts permanent, decreasing corporate taxes, improving America's standing in the world, modifying trade agreements like NAFTA, winning the war in Afghanistan, sending more HIV drugs to Africa , dealing with immigration, taxing companies that outsource U.S. jobs and this is just the beginning

Obama does not have the experience to get this type of agenda accomplished. We need a president with proven leadership, experience , determination and strength. We need Hillary in '08.

[leftLibertarian]

Crimes have been committed and justice demands that Bush and Cheney be tried in a court of law.

Their deliberate lies started a war very costly in lives, money, and our way of life.

To let these criminals off the hook is an insult to justice and sets a bad example.

[JohnTalbutt]

He is an expert on the Constitution. The very document violated by Bush. Hillary failed the bar exam on first try and her husband is disbarred. She can't run a campaign. She voted for the war.

Hillary, I don't think she can get the job done.

[tbone99]

Obama Bush has admitted his knowledge and complicity, so has Condi - Will you uphold the law?

http://condimustgo.com/?utm_source=rgemail

[ErikW65]

Reduced to ad hominem name calling? How juvenile.

Some day you'll grow up and support something or someone, and at that point, you and your candidate will be suseptible to the kind of mud slnging and innuendo that you are providing this blog with.

Have you ever volunteered for a candidate for any elected office?

I've worked and volunteered for progressive, third party candidates, I've registered hundreds of voters as a notary public, gotten out the vote on election day, and questioned Republican and Democrat opponents at town meetings. Sen. Obama has participaqted min these kind of activities as well. Have you?

Or do you just throw virtual mudballs from the left, at the candidate furthest to the left? In my opinion, you and your ilk are political anti-pragmatists, like Ralph Nader.

[tbone99]

I wasn't calling him a name , I ommitted a comma, whoops.

Yes, I have worked for a couple of candidates.Must I provide a resume to post on Huffpo.
For some reason I had the impression it was an open website.

[chappelforpres]

For this alone, he should be president.

[MichaelTempler]

somebody has to be held accountable for the things they do in government

it shouldn't be very hard to find evidence and I bet with a democratic presidency career governmental employees will be able to open up.

my main concern is in the awarding of government contracts particularly military contracts.

HALLIBURTON -investigate every contract

[ErikW65]

I'm getting a kick out of these provocateurs trying to pull Sen. Obama to the left, or into some conspiracy theory about 9/11. This, right before primaries in PA, IN, and NC? Oh sure.

I'm glad Obama isn't stupid enough to take strategy advice from the likes of any of you guys!

[tbone99]

You're right-I suppose he'll stick to his volunteer lobbyists for advice, i guess that one man, one vote thing doesn't really cover all the bases.

[elpollo]

Are you referring to the conspiracy theory that these 19 Arabs pulled it off? Oh - sorry. That's the ***official*** conspiracy theory.

[leftLibertarian]

Erik:

This is no conspiracy theory about 9/11. This is about starting a war based on lies. Bush and Cheney will be given a fair trial.

[centristvoiceofreason]

HuffPost's Pick

If a fair trial is in order, there will be a lot of dissapointment on these posts. In order to lie, one must knowingly state something that isn't true. This President firmly believed (as did 90% of the free world, the former President, his wife, etc.) that the weapons were there. After all, the gassing of the Iranian army was not staged at MGM. As regretable as it may be, there is no crime in being wrong or even stupid. History will tell future generations if the Iraq war was right or wrong, but today's Democrat front-runner knows that investigating an ex-President for being foolish will cripple his administration and the rest of the country along with him. At least I hope to God he's got that part figured out...

[ClosetExtrovert]

NOW you're talking. I might vote for you afterall.