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:
Posted by Will Bunch @ 1:34 PM
Permalink |
26 comments
Those that favor torture should try it out for themselves before advocating it. Seems that most of the people on here that think it's ok support George Bush. Is it possible that these same people would say is isn't ok if it was a democrat that advocated it? Partisan politics should be avoided. It clouds your view of reality. Torture provides unreliable information and it's immoral! It doesn't matter who advocates it, it's wrong!
Actually, to have a saying is not the same as taking credit for the saying, Swiftie. Learn the difference you dolt. And, in response to ILikeIke, I would rather see a thousand deaths than to see us lower ourselves to the tactics of our enemies. We are better than that -- well, at least some of us are.
Wake up ajnd smell the roses morons. You won the election promosing change, not revenge of the turdss. O is not stupid. If he allows the far left to assault the past administration, he could have a very real political problem. First, it has never been made clear what law was potentially broken. You can't make up criminal laws. Second, Bush did not allow any attacks on the US civilians ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD outside of the two war zones after 9-11. If O wants to continue that, just maybe there are things he needs to do that the kook squads don't like. Third, O promised to look to the future and he won the mushy middle because of that. Revenge does not lead to political success. O has enough baggage from his buddies in Chicago and he does not want more. If he is going to get his radical domestic agenda through and hold congress next election, he has to ignore mr.Bunch, bill mahr and the other hot heads. personnally, i would like to see the liberal elitists tear this fragile coalition to peaces.
Polls show that people would like to have the truth revealed about the Bush Administration, and clearly we are not going to get the truth from Bush, now or in the future. I have come to favor a National Commission, although many of those have been flawed in the past. Still, it can go on once appointed without interfering with the governing of the nation, which is what Obama has to be doing.
Comment removed.
'My father had a saying, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."' Wow, so your father was Lord Acton. This I believe is a first at Attytood. A son of a Lord from across the pond taking to the time to comment on one of Will's posts. Impressive.
Walk a mile in the president's shoes and the intelligence community, then judge. If, God forbid a thousand times, another incident had happened during Bush's presidency, you'd be the same of group of people yelling, "He didn't do enough to prevent another attack!!!!." So typical.
Torture is the acts committed by the animals in Mumbai on their innocent victims. Getting rough - or playing loud music - to break the will of a hardened killer bent on destroying this country is not torture. It does not break my heart in the least.
I feel sorry for people whose hatred of Bush and/or hatred of this country so clouds their sense of judgment that they put the non-existent "rights" of non-citizens above the safety and sanctity of this country. Sad.
It amazes me. You really dont think torture is wrong? Or, that all Bush and Co. had to do was go before a panel, one that has never denied a request to wiretap anyone, but felt they were above even that? You really dont see a problem with that? You really dont see that slippery slope -- the possible abuse of power, even if Bush and Co. never did (which I think they did)? With the precedent of power the at Bush has given the presidency, if unchecked, would give any future president the power Nixon only dreamed of having. My father had a saying, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Our country was founded on no one person or group having absolute power, no matter the rightness of their cause. How more unAmerican can you be than to think the President has a right to ignore anyone's civil rights and torture or eavesdrop on them?
I BEG THE DEMS TO DO THIS AND PUT THIS COUNTRY INTO FULL CIVIL WAR.. DO IT NOW
"National Truth Commission". "Fairness Doctrine". "National Public Radio". Good grief - all we're missing is the hammer & sickle.
"Obama doesn't have to do anything but proclaim executive privilege against any Congressional inquiry."...Not with Will Bunch on the case, Will will hold Obamas feet to the fire, won't he?
*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. . . . .
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.
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.
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.
Is that costume in the picture fuscia? Probably from one of your, uh... kinky 'sessions' with TPS.
Yeah, the last time we had a truth commission, all we got was a bj.
Comment removed.
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.
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.
Yeah this keeps me up at night.
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.
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.
Comment removed.
Comment removed.
26 comments | View All | Paginate Comments
About Will Bunch
Will's 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.
E-mail Will by clicking here.
PLEASE COMMENT WITH PASSION...
...but not with racial slurs, potentially libelous allegations, obscenities or other juvenile noise. Such comments will, at our discretion, be deleted in their entirety, and repeat offenders will be blocked from commenting. ALSO: Any commenter advocating killing any government official will be immediately banned.
Thanks.
- Atrios
- Kiko's House
- Suburban Guerilla
- Booman Tribune
- All-Spin Zone
- Philly (Dragonballyee)
- Afro-Netizen
- Rowhouse Logic
- MyDD
- Bad Attitudes
- Billmon
- iFlipFlop
- CorrenteWire
- upyernoz
- Tattered Coat
- Fables of the Reconstruction
- Slacktivist
- Citizen Mom
- The Next Mayor
- Philly Future
- Philadelphia Will Do
- Philebrity
- Young Philly Politics
- Phillyblog
- Welcome to Phillyville
- Phawker
- A List of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago
- Keystone Blog
- Philadelphia - America's Hometown
- BlankBaby
- Above Average Jane
- Phillyist
- Metroblogging Philadelphia
- The Clog
- Josh Marshall
- Daily Kos
- Juan Cole
- Oliver Willis
- Andy Borowitz
- War and Piece
- Wonkette
- BuzzFlash
- Raw Story
- Cursor
- Crooks and Liars
- Swing State Project
- Kevin Drum
- Talk Left
- AmericaBlog
- Hullabaloo
- Mad Kane
- Think Progress
- Jesus' General
- The Carpetbagger Report
- Majikthise
- Echidne of the Snakes
- David Sirota
- Glenn Greenwald
- TBogg
- Fire Dog Lake
- Taylor Marsh
- Matthew Yglesias
- Jon Swift
- Drudge Report
- Beer Leaguer
- The 700 Level
- Dick Polman
- Balls, Sticks and Stuff
- Shallow Center
- Philling Station
- Phillies Nation
- A Citizen's Blog
- The Good Phight
- Romenesko
- Editor and Publisher
- Pressthink
- Buzzmachine
- The Inksniffer
- Media Bloodhound
- Eat the Press
- Mickey Kaus
- Media (Huffington Post)
- Blinq
- The Corner
- Instapundit
- Andrew Sullivan
- Free Republic
- James Taranto
- Blonde Sagacity
- ScrappleFace
- Blogorrhea
Blog Roll
Get it now
Philly.com Promotions
- News | Sports | Business | What's Happening | Restaurants & Food | Entertainment | Living | Marketplace | Jobs
Site Services:
Classifieds:
- Jobs | Cars | Real Estate | Rentals | Marketplace | Celebrations
Partners:
