Conyers On Prosecuting Bush Team: "Stay Tuned"

Rep. John Conyers, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is still invested in prosecuting members of the Bush administration once they leave office.

In an interview on the "Bill Press Show" Friday, the Michigan Democrat floated the notion that the Bush team's illegal wiretapping, torture, detention, and other practices could land some members in an international tribunal.

"I don't want to get too speculative on that, because it's still under review," said Conyers on the radio show. "Now, remember, violation of the federal criminal code doesn't end because you leave office. If a crime has been committed and there seems to be reasonable evidence that it did get committed, there's nothing for a person to be prosecuted... Leaving office doesn't free you up from what you may have done wrong ... Anyone that leaves office, including [the] President ... there's the World Court ... They have tribunals ... This thing is not over with. As they say: Stay tuned."

Conyer has made similar proclamations before. The feisty, long-serving Democrat advocated impeaching Bush but was dissuaded from the notion by Democratic leadership.

Nevertheless, his comments touch a sensitive nerve for many progressives. What, exactly, should the incoming administration do to right the wrongs of the Bush years?

Both Conyers and Barack Obama have insisted that any unconstitutional act will be reversed in the early years of the forthcoming administration. But Obama has walked far more lightly on the topic of holding Bush and his team legally accountable for their policies. In an interview with the Philadelphia Daily News during the heat of the Democratic primary, he said he would ask his new Attorney General to "immediately review the information that's already there" and determine if an inquiry is warranted.

But, as reporter Will Bunch noted, "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.'"

Comments

[kylennblack]

If Conyers can nail these criminals he'll be my hero for life. Go John!

[dilligentobserver]

http://www.pubrecord.org/politics/604-conyers-calls-for-probe-of-bushs-torture-policies.html

Conyers Seeks Probe of Bush Crimes

In one of the first acts of the 111th Congress, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers proposed legislation to create a blue-ribbon panel of outside experts to probe the “broad range” of policies pursued by the Bush administration “under claims of unreviewable war powers,” including torture of detainees and warrantless wiretaps.

[jinxed]

[But, as reporter Will Bunch noted, "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.'"]
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A witch hunt is what the Republicans perpetrated on Bill Clinton using Ken Starr as special prosecutor and grand jury leaker. I'm sure it won't take million of dollars and 6+ years to find evidence of criminality. The new AG should have evidence within the first week of inquiry. If President Obama does not follow through on prosecution, IMHO the citizens of this country AND the world will make him or it will be relegated to the Hague. It will come down to a choice to either cleaning up our own mess or letting the world do it for us.

[jstoneob]

If anyone actually believes that there will be any prosecutions of anyone involved in the wrong doings of the last 8 years simply because Obama was elected, you should take your head from the lower part of your body. There were to many Democrats that just allowed these crimes to happen, hell some of them like Feinstein actually assisted. Do you seriously think they will charge themselves? They don't want any of the facts out in the open for all to see. Obama is new and hopefully more honest than most, but he is an insider now and that changes everything. Wait and see, keep hoping, but wait and see what actually gets done.

[greyseal in tampa]

Pelosi would have to be tried as an accomplish. And I'm OK with that.

[LynnW49]

Thank goodness for John Conyers, a Democrat with spine.
"But Obama has walked far more lightly on the topic of holding Bush and his team legally accountable for their policies." If Obama keeps mistaking 'bridging the partisan divide' with condoning immorality, destructiveness of the rights of others (a la smaller potatoes like Rick Warren, and huge potato heads like Bush), and illegality, then we are in for a long haul of the sort of moral relativism which has nearly destroyed our country over the last two decades. Wake up, Dems; wake up, Obama. Try to become vertebrates like Conyers.

[23000Days]

Because Obama is not making unnecessary noise on this subject cannot be taken as anything at all, other than that he feels this is not the time to show his hand.

[FreedomAgain]

I hope international gets involved, we obviously don't have the power to handle our own here in the US.

[redraspberry]

I agree. Anything that happens in the US Congress of courts will be a white wash. Let the intentional criminals be prosecuted in international court. Then anywhere they go they will be wanted men. It will also eliminate the potential of a possible Bush pardon.

[GJR227]

Agree. We will be too busy 'looking to the future' then address our criminal acts. It will take the International Court in the Hague or another international body to bring Bush & Co to justice.

[bayarea000]

yea, yea,yea. dems are all talk. not a spine among them!!!!

[Sonny50]

I look forward to another Conyers spectacle like his Waco fiasco.

[Helzapoppin]

whatever, Conyers. you've been saying that for 8 years.

[moveover]

Thank God for the fringe lunatics. You entertain the rest of us! lol

[Stilts9]

Quiet on the set!

John Conyers is thinking about doing something!

[Okieborn]

Puleeeze Rep. Conyers !!!
GO FOR IT !!!!
This Great Nation Needs Healing and Turning Our Heads Just Won't Work, (Not This Time ) !!!!!

[fairwitness]

Conyers = Perpetually Disappointing. Tough-talking, and any day now he'll DO something (unless his bosses tell him not to...).

Bullshit, I say--he'll do nothing...­again.

[LHoney]

"Bush team's illegal wiretapping, torture, detention, and other practices could land some members in an international tribunal" - Oh, please, they will probably find a couple of clerical people to send to prison forever...

[LDnearthesea]

Blagoyovich gets impeached in a matter of a few days! Hey Pelosi, get off your fat ass and dlet's give Bush/Cheney a going away present!