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

[Troubledwawa]

That was a level headed response by Senator Obama. Distinguish between dumb and criminal activities, and pursue legal action against the criminals.

Justice, what a concept.

[kimbakristin]

I remember Obama saying in a speech a while back that, upon entering office, he'd have his staff review all decisions made by the Bush administration to pinpoint any violations of the Constitution, international treaties, etc., and then develop a plan to reverse the damages. But I hadn't heard anything about it since. It's a tall order, but a worthy one that should be discussed more.

[peacekitten]

he should start with the signing statements.

[ErikW65]

As a Constitutional scholar, you just KNOW Barack's going to try to fix that crap!

[ILliberalPedagogue]

And right after that, lollipops will rain from the heavens. Yaaayyyy !!!

[LivingStardust]

The ones paying you, troll? They are not getting value for their dollar, but what should you expect from fascists and their supporters: They are so obsessed with money that they can't even think properly about it.

[Outsideadog]

The Constituition...yes. The hecks and balances of the Constitution in terms of the equal power of the Executive, the Judiciary, and the Congress. President Bush would simply be remembered as the President who broke his oath of office, in that he failed to protect the Constitution. It has been quite clearly, a Dark Age for the U.S. Constitution.

But given the way that the office of the Vice President has been abused (and the evidence and witnesses are legion), and a whole 'other level' of government, operating secretly, has been operating for the last seven years, perhaps a fresh amendment of the Constitution is called for. It would specifically limit the powers of the Vice President. It might be remembered as the 'Cheney Amendment' and his name would go down in history...in infamy. No need for criminal prosecutions, and the world may well return to where it was prior to 9/11, and terrorists would be prosecuted as international criminals to be rounded up by Interpol.

[Questioning61]

This is the same guy who said he's going to sit down with extremist regimes in other countries and try and work things out going forward? He's going to make them look like they're more acceptable than our leader?

[GoLeftGoDeep]

your leader ... he ain't ours

[lindaqqq]

No, He's going to make our leader look just like one of them.
A facist dictator who has committed crimes against humanity and our constitution (you know, that goddamn piece of paper)

[moderationsmuse]

Another person quoting the thing that Bush never said. Your lie is showing.

[Gem4Obama]

Questioning 61:

Wasn't it JFK that said: "Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate"? The Bush regime has instillled such fear in that 27% who believes every word he and Faux News says.

The Bush years are a sad commentary. But there's a NEW Sheriff in town and HE WILL NOT FEAR to negotiate peace. If you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem...so step aside kid and let a MAN do his job!

[ILliberalPedagogue]

I think he should give up the Panama Canal in the name of good world citizenship.

[Annette]

Not my leader, I am not following a man seeped in blood up to his elbows. A man who leaves American soldiers in cockroach infested facilities, a man who cannot wait to veto a new GI bill because if the military personnel have other options the military wil not retain them. Then there is his signing statements, his invasion of a country who was no threat and who had taken no action against the US. Torture. Possible election fraud?
Nope not my leader.

[kevenseven]

Al Gore is president.

[terrorfied]

What was Controlled Demolition Inc doing inside the World Trade Centers 1 and 2 on the weekend of Sept 8th and 9th 2001?!!! Why was the most clandestine demolition company in US history with over a 60 year record of doing military and government explosions and detonations worldwide doing "work" inside the WTC's just prior to 911? That is the only question Obama needs to ask. As Senator....Clinton has refused to ever allow ANYONE to ever answer that question.

[Canthandlethetruth]

You know why that has never been asked? Was it just me watching TWO PLANES HIT THE TOWER or are my own eyes part of a republican conspiracy? What a crock of crap...but for this site I guess this can be dscribed as keen insight huh?

[ErikW65]

Yeah, the planes were just props, decoys. Oh brother. The jet fuel didn't melt the stell skeletons at all! BS.

[kevenseven]

That is a woo woo.

[Waitaminute]

Jet fuel don't and can't get hot enough to melt steel. Especially, not hot enough to heat the building evenly, so it will fall EVENLY down.Thats a fact. Former steel mill worker.

What fools you are, to think a freaking plane with jet fuel hitting a building as well constructed as these, would cause them to fall within a few hours and within two hours of each other. Most of the jet fuel was burned off on contact. Did you bush suckers notice all that freaking fire on contact.

[nogimmicks]

Obama will not pursue that either. Are you kidding? These people will destroy any single individual on their path.

[syllepsis]

I will vote for the candidate who will dare to prosecute the crimes of the previous Administration.
I am bitter as hell.

[AlphaDoc]

If I were still on the fence, this certainly would have pushed me over to the Obama side. The criminality in our current administration NEEDS to be investigated and the guilty punished.

[ChiMan1]

Wishin You Were "SpeakingTruth2Power", since you must spend all your time at HuffPost,
you aint speakin No Truth 2 Nobody . . It's called "Preachin 2 the Chior" back slappers unite.

[peacekitten]

did you have a point with this comment?

[mattwin]

As an avid and intellectually superior thinking McCain supporter, he listens quite carefully to anything the Chior says.

[getoffmedz]

What's a "chior?"

pk - no point. He's just bitter because he voted for Bush/Cheney, TWICE.

[Senzasord]

By the way, on the concept of pardon, if you check out Article II of the constitution it states that the president shall have the "Power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States." Under our system of jurisprudence you are innocent of any offence until you have been charged, tried and convicted. The idea that Bush or any president can issue a blanket pardon for anything one of their henchmen might have done (Ford-Nixon) has no basis in law.

I will vote for the candidate who says that "My administration will refuse to recognize blanket pardons of people who have never been charged with any crime or offense." Just in case Bush tries to issue a pardon for all of his cronies in crime.

Justice must prevail.

[peacekitten]

great moniker, btw.

gerry ford opened a truly dangerous pandora's box with his pardoning of nixon. the privilege has been so badly abused by the right wing that congress should consider placing some restrictions on that power.

i agree with you that justice must prevail. this is after, and always will be, a nation of laws and not of men.

[milo9]

Yea! Accountability what a concept.

[williamg]

Obama responds with new ad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc73eM0E3Fs&eurl=http://thepage.time.com/

[UltraClassic]

Hillary '08

I say, go for it. Air the place out. If the Obomania people come up with anything, it will have to stand the light of day. They will either find something, or nothing or have egg on their collective faces.

Hillary '08

[williamg]

Imagine that, Hillary people siding with Bush.

[kevenseven]

Well. I'm shocked.

[Ozarks]

Yes, Claude Rains .as Vichy Police Chief, said to Humphrey Bogat, after Claude shot the Nazi General " I am shocked , shocked Bogey" ( can't remember character name) in movie "Casablanca" Claude then said "I must round up the usual suspects"

[GoLeftGoDeep]

everything Obama does stands the light of day ... unlike Clinton's claims of sniper fire at Tuzla, early opposition to the Republican Iraq war, supporting NAFTA then saying she opposed it from the beginning,

I used to support Hillary but she lost and now she's willing to take down the Democratic Party's and Obama's shot for the White House ... like a spoiled kid stamping her feet because her self-proclaimed coronation didn't come off as she wanted ... I have come to despise both her and Bill ... a complete 180* in four months.

[ldsrapha]

Yes, this is what I would expect of a Hillary supporter, seeing as her husband pardoned all his biggest DONORS the day before he left office. Sounds about right. .

[peacekitten]

and how exactly, do you think that compares to george the first handing out 26 pardons with regards to iran/contra just as he was leaving office, considering that most of those same criminals are the same criminals we are now having to deal with?

[nofltwlt]

Looks as though Obama just became the odds-on favorite. Will Hilary follow? Will McCain?


This is enough to get my vote.

[BlueBoomer]

Ditto...ad infinitum!

[who38]

and mine

[tdterry1999]

HA HA i needed a good laugh

[kevenseven]

Color you......cynical?

[tomcat27834]

For this REPUBLICAN, I feel that a "review" would be appropriate and in the best interest of our republic. The world needs to see that the leader of the free world, the United States of America wil not tolerate a "secret run" goverment from within, as we had under Bush/Cheney. As only Cheney could appreciate "lets see the dark-side" of how Bush/Cheney operated.

Wanna bet its not pretty ?

[transendentilist]

Not even Forrest Gump would take that bet.

[ddlrid]

way to go, tomcat!

[ideasmatter]

Thanks tomcat. This shows me there are Republicans President Obama can work with, even if there are policy differences.

[amanda85]

"The world needs to see that the leader of the free world, the United States of America"

Just for the record, the free world has never elected the US as its leader...

[uvymopkq]

It has just been reported the Obama was arrested for DWI

[kevenseven]

Hahahaha. Funny guy.

He has not been behind the wheel of a vehicle in a year.

He has constant SS protection. They drive him everywhere he goes.

[ILliberalPedagogue]

Hey, just like Hitler :)

[Ozarks]

Yea, but even with all that protection, the idiot still managed to almost choke himself to death with a french fry.

[SmootyBooty]

Post a link or STFU...

[SmootyBooty]

By whom, pray tell?

[Gem4Obama]

Uh...Cheney, Bush and Laura were also...and your point is????????

[ErikW65]

Googled it; nothing.

[fourex]

Bush will not have to comment as his surrogates Hillary and John will carry the criminal's cloak.