Investigating Bush Abuses Of Power: 4 Models From The Past

New York Times:

Two days after his re-election in 1864, with Union victory in the Civil War assured, Abraham Lincoln stood at a White House window to address a boisterous crowd of supporters. He spoke of the lessons of the nation's calamitous recent history.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[snellock]

My name is Raymond Collins and post as snellock

[snellock]

I am all in favor of investigating and prosecuting any and all law breakers of the former administration. For more than eight years now this country has been suffering from the culmination of consequences of the pardon of Richard Nixon. I shudder to think of the underlings in the just-past administration who will escape unscathed if Bush, et al do not face the rule of law. H.W. Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz , the neocons, were all underlings unearthed during the Nixon regime who escaped unscathed.

Talk about looking to the future is fine but hey let's learn something from this. It won't get better next time. Check out this probability. Thirty years from now a group of former unearthed, unscathed underlings from the Bush era re-surface. Emboldened by the fact that criminals in the White House go free and armed with 30 years of festering neo-con ideologies, tactics and compassion, these off-spring of the political coupling of Cheney and Rove will come capable and prepared to ooze their way right back into power. If Obama does not want to initiate the process to stop this death march to dictatorship at least he must know to stand out of the way. If, in looking forward Obama refuses to look back, it will be the most unkind legacy he can leave to his grandchildren and everybody else's grandchildren.

[snellock]

There is a ground swell in this country demanding resolution on this issue. Our standing in the world and our own laws and traditions require us to live by the rule of law. If the United States is to heal, move on and prosper; if this country is to regain its rightful position as the leader of nations we must demonstrate unequivocally our intent to live by our own laws.

[snellock]

A truth and reconciliation is not the answer here. There is no way to assess whether the thing worked in S.A. But lordy, if the state of that country is any indication their T&R Commission was a failure and it wouldn't be any more satisfactory here. JP Botha, the last stalwart of apartheid, and Prime Minister prior to de Klerk remains unrepentant and refused to take part in the commission.

Over 7000 individuals submitted petitions and the process took over three years, but the vital difference between the circumstances in the two countries is this: In South Africa, prior to Mandela, apartheid was the law of the land. Cruel, inhumane and immoral act had not necessarily been illegal and the new government, in good conscience could not prosecute old crimes under new laws. Under those circumstances the Truth Commission was the best they could come up with. Do you NOT see the difference? Here we have laws against what the last administration did. What we have is about 10 people cast in the same mold as Botha: unrepentant, idealogical bullies who would have no interest in reconciling with the unwashed masses whom they consider of no more consequence than cannon fodder. And here we prosecute criminals of whatever name or address, right? We look to return to our due processes. South Africans were trying to establish a due process. It is our responsibility to prosecute unlawful acts. Leahy is showboating. What he proposes is pablum, window dressing.

[snellock]

Somewhere between between Leahy's proposed "Shadow Dance with Truth" and the methods used by the Bush/Cheney clique to attain the 'truth' they wanted there must be another way. Hey, I've got it why don't we prosecute them in the good old fashioned American way and then incarcerate them if they are found guilty.

What in the world have these people, the neocons, done that makes Senator Leahy, and anyone else who supports this idea, think that suddenly they are going to tell us the truth? This is a sham and Leahy should be ashamed.

Where is the support for Rep Conyers' plan for investigation and prosecution. A Special Investigation, lead by Rep Dennis Kucinich, could be conducted without detracting one iota from the business of daily governance. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission would be a circus and the focus that it would engender would curtail the ability of the government to do its job.

[WSKI77]

1. Lied to the U.S. Military, and caused the death of over 4000 service personnel (our guys and gals)
2. Outed a CIA Operative which lead to the death of God Knows how many undercover spies
3. Torture, Torture, Torture....notice how only enlisted personnel are accused and imprisoned for torture while the upper chain of command act like they don't know what you are talking about.
4. Aw who cares about all the rest....if the first 3 don't tick you off, your a hopeless christian Republican.

[flacon]

Everyone calm down. You'll not get your pound of flesh here. Obama is too smart to embroil his administration in a witch hunt. There's important work to be done!

[Shaddup]

Yeah, I suppose we can all just ignore it until they start torturing you.

[JEP57]

Please don't waste America's time with this phony indignation over "illegalities" that could have been stopped at the time if there were actual laws being broken. If they have evidence now, they also had it when it could have been used to stop whatever was being done that suddenly needs investigating "now". A local radio talk show host said it best: This is all just an attempt to criminalize differences in political opinion and policy.

[twintwine]

It must be difficult to apologize and obfuscate for mass murderers.

[martinchill]

apparently not.

[bdaved]

Gosh, I guess we could've just skipped all that Nuremburg mess after all.

[skantea]

By my count the author has said President Obama once and Mr.Obama 3 times(and I'm only half way through).
To the authors credit he has also referred to Bush as Mr, but aren't all Presidents, sitting or ex, supposed to be called President each time they are formally referenced (i.e, a published article)? Isn't that how it used to be?

[scooperss]

Frankly, if the dems do nothing now after bush and cheney both admitted to approving torture, then all of them need to go.
It either means they're complicit and don't want that coming out or they really aren't worthadamn.

[skantea]

This article is just a tip off to the uninformed (or slightly less informed).
Bush WILL be investigated by at least three departments by my count.
The committees are already being formed.
The question is what will we be prepared to do when all of the abuses of power have been proven.
Short Answer: Very little.
But it will be an awesome wake up call to the masses that still work to defend him.
Or will it?

[Mikeeee]

This has all come to pass because his daddy, reagan nor nixon were ever impeached and jailed. I'm pretty sure if nixon had been in jail, Iran/Contra would not have happened and neither would 9/11 or the Iraq invasion..

[GingerM]

NOT investigating and prosecuting Bush would guarantee:

Allowing lesser criminals (basically anyone who hasn't been president) to get off scott free -- with no hand slapping, no punishment, and no bad-mouthing of their wrong-doings.

Always insisting that Bush will be seen positively in history - regardless of what you remember clearly about his nightmarish presidency.

Always knowing in your heart that NOTHING anyone does wrong will ever receive the proper justice it deserves, because our president - someone who is always held to a higher standard - was allowed to commit every crime in the book, free of charge.

[katok]

Theirs a reason Pilotws inspect their Aircraft before take-off. It makes no sense to fly an aircraft that is not fit to fly. For you fishermen, if you have wholes in your boat, do you paddle out to the middle of the lake, plugging holes as you go,or doyou make sure your craft is seaworthy before setting out? To not investigate the Bush administration crimes is to ignore gaping holes in our country, and will surely lead to our collective doom. How do we know what needs to be plugged? How bad our the leaks? What priority should be assessed to each transgression toensure our future safety.

Me... I want the pilot to inspect our plane pior to take-off

[iRob08]

If Bush did nothing wrong, then he has nothing to worry about, unless he's worried about fabricated evidence.

[zizyphus]

As our dear Senator Inouye said, "There is a shadow government...." He said that during the Iran/Contra hearings. It is probably still true today, only worse since Bush. I think people are afraid to investigate because they are afraid of having a contract put out on them.

[zendem1]

Planes have been known to fall from the sky.

[Indy 44]

The conspiracy thread rears its ugly head.