Even though it's been eight months or so, interest in my question-and-answer with Barack Obama at the Daily News offices back in April -- in which he discussed the possibility of criminal prosecution for crimes committed by the Bush administration -- continues to rise as his presidency approaches. Here, my new online friend Ari Melber at the Nation cites the interview in urging the incoming president to name a special prosecutor to probe the White House greenlighting of torture:
The Obama transition team is taking questions again at Change.gov, throwing open the site this week for citizen input. The first run of this experiment was a mixed bag. The platform was open and transparent, but the official answers felt more like old boilerplate than new responses. When the submitted questions parrot toics in the traditional media, of course, the exchange can feel like a dated press conference. But here's a vital question that few reporters have ever presented to Obama:
Will you appoint a Special Prosecutor (ideally Patrick Fitzgerald) to independently investigate the gravest crimes of the Bush Administration, including torture and warrantless wiretapping?
That question ranked sixth in voting last time -- out of over 10,000 submissions -- but the transition team only answered the top five questions. Now that Vice President Cheney confessed his support for waterboarding on national television, flouting the rule of law, the issue is even more urgent. Activist Bob Fertik, who has submitted the question twice, explains how you can vote to press this issue on the transition team:
Vote, by all means, although I appreciate the political issues facing Obama, who right now needs to rank the economy No. 1 and everything else No. 37 if he is to succeed. There are ways that don't require the direct involvement of the Obama White House -- either an aggressive congressional probe or a kind of National Truth Commission -- that could do the initial fact-finding. That delays the tougher decisions on prosecution for a while, but either way there needs to be a public investigation, so let's get that in gear.
Will you appoint a Special Prosecutor (ideally Patrick Fitzgerald) to independently investigate the gravest crimes of the Bush Administration, including torture and warrantless wiretapping?
That question ranked sixth in voting last time -- out of over 10,000 submissions -- but the transition team only answered the top five questions. Now that Vice President Cheney confessed his support for waterboarding on national television, flouting the rule of law, the issue is even more urgent. Activist Bob Fertik, who has submitted the question twice, explains how you can vote to press this issue on the transition team:
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
If he does it should be anybody but Patrick Fitzgerald. You can't have an all star prosecutor. It's not like he's the only one who can be independent and thorough.— SteveMG- Comment removed.
Nothing like a little Bush Derangement Syndrome to end the year. Will, did you ever think in that Q&A session Obama was just telling you what you wanted to hear? Melber seems to be your typical leftist, asserting in his question that it's some sort of metaphysical fact that the administration comitted crimes. So many, in fact, that we need to focus only on the gravest ones at this time. Naturally he presents no evidence that anything the administration did was criminal at all. He just feels it, so it must be true. Happy New Year, all. I'm going to Disney World for a week with the family and live in the world of make believe. Who knows, I may like it and decide to become a lefty. Bye.— jmc- Yeah this keeps me up at night.— doorspj24
jmc, I suspect you're right about Obama telling Bunch what he wanted to hear. I suspect Obama, being the antichr..er, messiah and all, will find BushCo's precedents on torture very handy.- Oh and jmc, now that you mention it, my politics did start to stray leftward after my high school trip to Disney World 30 years ago. Be careful.
- Comment removed.
- Yeah, the last time we had a truth commission, all we got was a bj.
- Is that costume in the picture fuscia? Probably from one of your, uh... kinky 'sessions' with TPS.— E Plebnista
- Plebby, I guess that would be Cheney's defense? It's not torture, just bedroom fun. We lefties should be more tolerant of sexual deviancy, I suppose.
- msl; how can Obama take the 'moral' high ground after allowing Gates to remain defense secretary? Obama apparently does not feel as strongly about the subject as say, you and will.— E Plebnista
- Pleb, who in his right mind would give up the unbridled power to eavesdrop on, detain, and even torture enemies, foreign and/or domestic without accountability to anyone but himself? Obama doesn't have to do anything but proclaim executive privilege against any Congressional inquiry. Believe me, Republicans will curse Bush for much more than losing the election for them.
- *yawn* And the left ridiculed McCain for his "League of Democracies" line? Perhaps Cynthia McKinney could head the National Truth Commission? She had some pretty interesting ideas about 9/11, if I recall. Barack is too politically smart to touch this issue - relevant only to the deranged left - with anything besides a ten foot pole. I'm sure that whatever mealy-mouthed answer Obama gave to Bunch will change the second he sits in the Oval Office and realizes his overwhelming responsibility of preventing another terror attack. Keep dreaming, Will, keep dreaming. . . . .— ILikeIke
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About Will Bunch
Will's new book: Learn about it here and purchase it here.
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
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