Below is today’s brief column in the Los Angeles Times where I joined other writers on how each of us believes President Obama can earn the Nobel Prize, here. For civil libertarians, Obama’s selection is the ultimate triumph of hope over experience. My suggestion is probably predictable for people on this blog.
Appoint a prosecutor for war crimes
Jonathan Turley
To truly earn the Nobel Peace Prize, President Obama needs to transform himself from a barrier to a beacon when it comes to human rights and international law.
The most obvious start would be to fulfill our obligations under treaties and international law to appoint a special prosecutor, without limitations, to investigate and prosecute any war crimes committed by U.S. officials. Obama already has acknowledged that waterboarding is torture and that torture is a war crime, yet his administration is blocking investigations that are the prerequisite to justice. Obama has promised CIA employees as a group that they would not be prosecuted for torture for following orders, despite the long-standing finding from the Nuremburg trials that “just following orders” is no defense for a war crime. Appointing a special prosecutor would show that Obama will not continue to circumvent principle for politics. He could further demonstrate his commitment to international law by dropping his opposition to the release of photographs and other records showing our abuse of detainees.
Doing the right thing often demands decisions that are neither popular nor easy. If Obama wants to show that the peace prize is more than the superficial triumph of a cult of personality, he can start by showing that his own country is willing to pay the price demanded by the law of nations.
Jonathan Turley is a law professor at George Washington University and has served as lead counsel in various major national security and constitutional cases.
Jay,
I thought the stuff he did this year was for his beatification.
AY, and VT,
Thanks to all of the above for the catch and the responses to bdaman. Sorry about the unintentional merging!
Vince, I sure did, here’s another one for you.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/sarahpalin/3405336/Sarah-Palin-blamed-by-the-US-Secret-Service-for-death-threats-against-Barack-Obama.html
I started to go down this road yesterday, but couldn’t.
Folks, we are at war with a society that does not give a damn about our Constitution or international law for that matter. I guess when that time does come when a terrorist organization informs our government beforehand that a weapon of mass destruction will be detonated unless “we” release known terrorists from prison, many of you herein will have no reason to suspect such will occur. And, after it does occur, no matter whether “we” release those terrorists from prison or not, many of you will find that they planned on doing so at the outset and blame “someone” for not doing “something” to prevent such a horrific attack. I read this blog every day, including comments, and would like to write if for any reason else, I support torture for just such a reason.
BHO already earned it. Anything he does now is for next year’s NPP.
Professor,
Bravo!!
Jonathon,
What a dreamer you are:
I could not think of better company to be keeping. Thank you for the compliment.
AY and VT have merged. AVYT — aveytee against bdaman.
rafflaw,
VY, VT or AY or Both?
VY,
Good Catch! Back to the drawing board bdaman.
Mr. Vince T.,
I did not know that. Thank you.
Also, I forgot that the Brits booted all but a handful (about 100) of the hereditary peers from Lords about 10 years ago. Unless “Lord” Monckton is one of that select few, he is just a private citizen, not a legislator in the upper House of Parliament.
That Clause in our Constitution prohibiting grants of titles of nobility was one of the smartest things the Founders ever did.
And, Lords is no longer the supreme court for the UK. Since October 1, 2009, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom replaced the Law Lords of the House of Lords as the highest judicial court.
AY, I posted to confirm your point about the League of Nations. It had to be ratified by the Senate, just like the UN treaty.
Some problems are global. The isolationist, like Robert A Taft, could never figure out that it would take an alliance to win the Cold War. The fool voted against NATO. Eisenhower was so appalled that he ran for President to keep Taft out of the White House. Taft was wrong, and we won the Cold War.
Just once it would be nice for bdaman to come back and say that he learned something here. But he never has.
Mr Vince T.,
I knew that when I was playing with him. That is why I guess he went away. I wanted him to define what it is that he wanted to be answered. To be honest, I got tired on the birther and tenther issue. It became a waste of time to read them. What is scary is people actually believe some of the crap that about the COBL and if bdaman is really black like he says that he is, I believe that he is more dangerous than the grand dragon of the KKK. At least you know a some snakes that bite you are poisonous. With him, it is scary that he has been that brained washed. But then again look at Thomas the Oreo.
Sorry if that offended anyone. It just burns my britches when Thomas has done more to destroy Civil Rights than any other black man sitting on the Sct before him. I would like to think that I am not a racist but I do have my cinders that get me going and this man is one of them. Now with that said, I would not want my daughters to marry him. Not because he is black but because of his beliefs and he happens to be a black man. Humm does that make me racist.
As usual, bdaman’s posting is not even related to the thread, but is just another hijacking of the question raised by JT.
Bdaman has just pasted up another pathetic false troll posting.
The internet is rife with dozens of identical postings, all saying the same thing; “a treaty President Obama is poised to sign at this December’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. This treaty will effectively cede U.S. sovereignty to a newly created global government agency.”
This charge is false.
Article VII of the Constitution says:
“This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.”
A treaty is not valid and binding on the United States until it is ratified by a two-thirds vote of the Senate. Article II, Section 2.
So all Treaties mad under the authority of the Untied States become part of the supreme law of the land, but not by virtue of the President’s signature. He must act with the “Advice and Consent” of the Senate, and the Senate must ratify all treaties.
So save the debate for the Senate, please.
Everyone can read more about the Supremacy Clause in the Constitution Annotated:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/pdf2002/016.pdf
So we all can now answer Lord Monckton’s statement that the treaty, once it is signed, takes precedence over the U.S. Constitution. That statement is false. No treaty that is merely signed by a President takes precedence over the Constitution, but a ratified treaty, just like a duly enacted law, becomes part of the supreme law of the land.
But the treaty must first be ratified by the Senate.
The august Lord should go back to the House of Lords, don his mink and ermine, and return to subjects of English and British law, since he seems woefully ignorant of the U.S. Constitution. You can read all about him on wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Monckton,_3rd_Viscount_Monckton_of_Brenchley
You might wonder how “Lord” Monckton came to be a lord. Well, it was not by merit, as with the Life Peers in the House of Lords. He got his title as a hereditary lord. Just like all other hereditary peers, he made it to the House of Lords when his father died.
He is like Sarkozy’s son. When he got his job, he said “Thanks, Dad.”
rafflaw,
Me too, have you seen buddha? I have not had anyone to oppose my views, ok, give me shit.
bdaman,
Are you checking for further directions from your commander in chief or are you waiting for someone who has not taken you bait before? Either way I will chime in and listen for the bell to ring. Ever been to a carnival on the midway? I am waiting, I have my sledge hammer ready, willing and able.
My name is Seth and and my other brother is dead who am I?