Thanks for the diary, fogiv. Despite the campaign's mild claims to the contrary, it looks as if the crimes of the Bush administration are going to be swept under the rug when Obama takes office.
if crimes have been committed, they should be investigated. You're also right that I would not want my first term consumed by what was perceived on the part of Republicans as a partisan witch hunt because I think we've got too many problems we've got to solve.
More of the "partisan witch hunt" theory. Sheesh. They lied about intelligence to get us into a war. Tortured and murdered innocent people. Violated the Constitution. Outed an agent of the CIA. Politicized the Justice Department and filled it with Heritage Foundation fundies. Filled important posts with incompetent lackeys, resulting in the ruination of New Orleans, mine collapses and miner deaths and 9/11 workers with respiratory diseases.
Aren't we going to hold anyone accountable for the god awful mess Bush got us into?
I'm actually hoping there is some accountability (and still believe there may be).
Strategically, I don't think Obama can telegraph that he'll go after Bush et. al. right now. It would be too much of a distraction, and runs the risk of rallying the republican base. On top of that, he doesn't want to make his campaign look like it's about revenge.
Well for what it's worth.
Nancy Pelosi said no because she said they didn't have the Senate votes. This didn't bother the Legislative Branch when they impeached Pres. Clinton.
Sen. Obama said he wouldn't impeach if he was president cause he didn't want it to look like a witchhunt.
I dunno. Kind of looks like no impeachment. I forget,what %of our tax dollars goes to pay a pres and vice pres 's retirement?
I'm going to go out on a limb and say,"no impeachment".
I, for one, have been disappointed that there hasn't been a bigger push for impeachment. If we can't impeach Bush, what the fuck can we impeach for?!?
That said, there are ways to hold those responsible for criminal actions apart from impeachment.
Could we at least try to get elected first?
Yes, you're right, of course.
I meant no slight, just really, really hoping this is the time. It's been a long trek between drinks.
Well you might want to ask Al Gore what effect a pending impeachment has on a presidential candidate. Democrats should be going after Bush and Chaney now. Kind of like the Republicans went after Pres. Clinton. Only candidate that I'd say would go after Bush after the 08 election would be Sen. Clinton. I don't think she'd care too much if it was called a witch hunt.
Naw I'm thinking Sen. Obama will do the same thing that Rep Pelosi is doing.
I don't think HRC's position on impeachment would be any different right now. Kucinich on the other hand...
Go Dennis. And look at the tremendous groundswell of support for his candidacy... Sigh.
Gotta love Kucinich. I'd follow that guy through the gates of hell. He know's he can't win, and just keeps pushing.
I am ideologically aligned with him and Feinstein more than most other Democrats, but win the presidency? Maybe in a parallel universe, but not here, not now.
Yeah, sort of a brain burp.
Honestly, do you think we are currently playing by the same rules as the Republicans were in 1998? With a restless, intemperate media and the evangelical Right near it's zenith? I'm glad sometimes our nominee has more apparent nous than some of his erstwhile supporters.
I do. I'm no political expert though. See to me they need the Impeachment in the house wheither or not the Senate vote is there. If they don't they won't get to issues that I read about here on mydd. I read on blog that talked about negligent contractors. This was resulting in faulty workmanship that had resulted in a soldiers death. That's wrong. I would think that Impeachment inquiries would bring the negligence of the war to light.
I don't think if Sen. Obama is saying he won't impeach now he will impeach after elected. Do you think that the general populace will be more likely to impeach or just say hey Bush is out of office so who cares now? Besides Sen. Obama would be busy setting up his administration the first year to be bogged down with impeachment.
That's just what I really feel.
Well, I agree that the likelihood of impeachment proceedings against any members of the Bush administration are pretty slim after Obama's inauguration, but similarly I'm guessing that they are suicidal to our aspirations during the election campaign.
There are other ways to exact our revenge, however, through normal legal channels. Indictments on a variety of charges are not out of the question, especially if whistle-blowers felt comfortable in a new political environment. I noticed recently that some of our EU allies have indicated they are considering war crimes indictments against lower level operatives in the Bush administration whom they feel had lied about the Iraq situation prior to the invasion, but they will not be proceeding until after January 2009. They will not be alone in seeking redress, I'm guessing.
LOL Shaun. I hope that they'll investigate the allegations of neglegence by contractors in Iraq. Not as revenge but as a way to keep troops from unnecessary harm and to save tax payer dollars.
take care and again happy holidays.
Frankly I would be disappointed if there weren't a mini-tsunami of whistle-blowers emergent after the inauguration. Let's sick Waxman, Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, on them, I like his style.
YEs, we could start by kicking out the people in charge of the administration and the ones who got us into this mess (some of which would happen to be McCain's foreing policy advisers/staff).
So anyone voting for McCAin is just going to reward the dunces that got us in this mess. (p.s. I ma not accusing you of voting for McCain)
