Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond (R., Mo.), the vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has told The Washington Times that Eric Holder privately assured him that there would be no prosecution of Bush officials for torture or unlawful acts. The story is reminiscent of last week’s statement by Gen. Michael Hayden that he was assured by President Obama that there would be no investigations or prosecutions allowed for war crimes committed by the Bush Administration. I discussed this story and the recent ACLU demand for the release of the torture and surveillance memos on this segment of Countdown.
Sen. Bond says that Holder secured his vote with the promise and the story has added to concerns by civil libertarians that the Democrats are playing another game of bait and switch on the issue: pretending to consider prosecution while privately assuring Republicans that no one will be held accountable.
While Holder denies the statement (and Obama denies the statement to Hayden), these concerns would be put to rest if the Administration would simply say that any alleged crimes will be investigated and, when the evidence warrants it, any accused criminals will be prosecuted. War crimes are not matters of discretionary politics. The fact that they are still not making that simple statement adds credibility to such accounts.
For the latest story, click here.
See what you think of this:
“David Davis said a High Court ruling on Wednesday alleged that Binyam Mohamed, a UK resident held in the Guantanamo Bay camp in Cuba, had been tortured.
The judges also said the US threatened to withdraw intelligence help from the UK if details were released.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7870049.stm
Patty C 1, January 29, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Buddha Is Laughing 1, January 29, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Patty,
I think because we’ve just had an 8 year long lesson that somethings are too important to be too patient with.
——-
Let’s see what happens this next week or two, OK? 😉
—–
At about the time we were so rudely interrupted, Jerry Nadler was making his remarks re ‘Blubber’s Brain’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oi_oh4K35U
Keith talks to Jerrold Nadler about Karl Rove’s claim of executive privilege and whether he will appear before Congress on Monday.
Global Warming is a hoax.
Nyahh!, Nyahh!, Nyahh!. That’s all you’ll get from me troll person. Bron does swan song, GWIAH shows up. Coincidence? Who cares same boring drivel based on slavish devotion to propaganda. If it was born in Russia it would sprout the Pravda line. Though Nazi Germany and Goebbel’s news would be more to its’ liking. I admire the restraint of my co-commentators here in not responding to the new troll? I will follow suit.
To the Trolls :
I suggest you take a cue from Dick Armey and simply, “Give it a rest.”
lol,
This ought to really get them twisted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/29/judd-gregg-commerce-secre_n_162378.html
60 seats in the Senate.
GOP… pst! Hey. You napping on the history book!
Give up the guilty now and we’ll let the rest of you pigs stay at the trough. Otherwise, I’m for dissolving your criminal organization in toto. Your survival as a political party is NOT guaranteed by the Constitution. I say open the electoral system to any party than can get enough signatures to float a candidate. Have 12 parties. Have 100. Have 200. None of them GOP. Sure, the Dems would be the big dog in the room for awhile, but once the pack shaped up we’d have a nice robust democracy that REQUIRES COOPERATION TO WORK THAT IS NOT REQUIRED IN A TWO PARTY STRUCTURE. See what YOUR collective lessons in stonewalling and obstruction taught? That two parties is no real choice at all. There is NOTHING TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. This isn’t about “criminalization of policy differences”. This is about putting criminals in your ranks out of business and making them pay for what they have done to this country. OUR country. Not your personal property, government employees. You work for US. And WE have been WRONGED by YOU, THE HIRED HELP. Forget that at your peril, because our memory will not fade until justice rolls across this land like thunder and the ideals of this great land are restored – a beacon of liberty, the pathway to the stars. Camelot? Perhaps. But who is Arthur here? Understand that Arthur didn’t return to power to save the kingdom. He returned to justice and humility to save the kingdom. If you, be you Democrat or Republican, know this lesson, then you can help restore the kingdom, restore the dream that is America, and perhaps save your honor as well. All knights. Or will you take the path of Morgan le Fey? The path of me, Me, ME!
This is the hard reality you face. And somewhere in your black little hearts you know that this is your choice – turn in the PNAC/Neocon crew and survive as a wounded and limping political party or continue to act like greedy swine until something really terrible happens. Something they’ll make movies about if anyone survives, make a holiday, tell the future children as a cautionary tale. Nice choice, eh? Either way you get to be known as “The Party That Destroyed America” so why not save some face and do the right thing. Respect the rule of law. Turn them over. Act like the angels of our better nature and put the common good ahead of your own careers and pocketbooks. Or continue to protect traitors, thieves and tortures under the delusion you clowns are fooling anyone paying attention.
Suck it up, buttercups. The gravy train is coming to the station. You’ve been busted. The choice is how much damage will you inflict on yourselves and others on the way out. It’s a wing dinger of a choice, but it’s YOUR CHOICE.
But now, lay your head back down on that book. It’s time for Little Nemo to return to Slumberland. Go back to sleep. Maybe you’ll absorb some history by osmosis.
Nighty night, PNAC. Go back to sleep, Big Brother. It was only the wind, Little Trolls.
We the People got this covered.
Jill,
I find your words:They are telegraphing the fears of their masters. So true, comic and tragic. Fear has a heavy grip.
global warming is a hoax
RATINGS SOAR…(For Fox) NIGHT OF 1/28/09… VIEWERS…
FOXNEWS OREILLY 3,891,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 3,234,000
FOXNEWS BECK 2,706,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 2,399,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 2,155,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,381,000
CNN COOPER 1,259,000
CNN KING 1,220,000
CNN BLITZER 1,190,000
CNNHN GRACE 1,135,000
MSNBC MADDOW 1,098,000
******************
“Idol” (10.1 rating/25 share, 26.9 million viewers)
It my estimation, your average Idol watcher is about 20 points higher on the IQ scale than your basic Fox watcher, giving one hope for the Republic. Just goes to show you that nobody cares about the neocons when we can see Simon & Paula yuck it up.
Buddha and rafflaw,
I find them somewhat encouraging. They wouldn’t have to disrupt talk of war crimes if they weren’t afraid. They are telegraphing the fears of their masters.
raff,
I was kind of expecting this. When you vanquish a persistent, and I’ll have to say, rare, actual PNAC card carrying troll, they’ll try to squat. Pure cut and paste amateur disruption techniques. I believe it was you or mespo who mentioned Nixon’s glorious tradition of “rat f–king”. It’s the equivalent of throwing a tantrum. Dollars to donuts it’s our boy B or a cohort. It also shows theirs was a paid display or they are psychotic. For a PNAC supporter, I do realize the two are not mutually exclusive. Personally, I think it’s funny. Raw desperation from evil people makes me giggle. I’m peculiar that way.
bush cheney war crimes always equals trolls.
Buddha Is Laughing 1, January 29, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Patty,
I think because we’ve just had an 8 year long lesson that somethings are too important to be too patient with.
——-
Let’s see what happens this next week or two, OK? 😉
Buddha,
You are right. We have waited too long already for the rule of law to be honored in this country. That kind of experience does tend to make us anxious for things to happen asap. I see the Von Troll family is back at their nonsense.
Patty,
I think because we’ve just had an 8 year long lesson that somethings are too important to be too patient with.