Earlier this week, I told you about the likely battle raging behind the scenes over future criminal probes of the Bush administration, which -- if pursued -- could even land a few of the president's men and women behind bars. Today, Charlie Savage of the NY Times, who won a Pulitizer Prize for writing about the frightening growth of presidential authority during the Bush 43 years, takes up the issue (including a shout-out to Attytood's Q-and-A with Barack Obama last April).
Topics of open investigations include the harsh interrogation of detainees, the prosecution of former Gov. Don Siegelman of Alabama, secret legal memorandums from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel and the role of the former White House aides Karl Rove and Harriet E. Miers in the firing of federal prosecutors.
Mr. Bush has used his executive powers to block Congressional requests for executive branch documents and testimony from former aides. But investigators hope that the Obama administration will open the filing cabinets and withdraw assertions of executive privilege that Bush officials have invoked to keep from testifying.
“I intend to ensure that our outstanding subpoenas and document requests relating to the U.S. attorneys matter are enforced,” said Representative John Conyers Jr., Democrat of Michigan and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. “I am hopeful that progress can be made with the coming of the new administration.”
Also, two advocacy groups, the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights First, have prepared detailed reports for the new administration calling for criminal investigations into accusations of abuse of detainees.
For now, Obama needs to stay focused on the economy, but one hopes he will also allow the relevant committees in Congress to continue their work in the short term. One hopes...but is it more likely that an Obama administration will over-protect the old White House in order to protect their own? It happens every time.
Will, your calls for the criminal prosecution of the Bush administration are very childish, and they're getting old. It's time to move on. Besides, wouldn't these prosecutions hurt the spirit of bipartisanship that Obama claims to be bringing to Washington?— jfar86
Comment removed.
"but is it more likely that an Obama administration will over-protect the old White House in order to protect their own?" What's the matter Will already setting up the lefts alibi when all these accusations amount to NOTHING! Besides Obama can't withdraw a priviledge that applies to someone else - that is like your second wife deciding that your first wife no longer has the protection of spousal priviledge.— bird11
It's really hard to get a conviction with anger and delusion as your only evidence.— jmc- Comment removed.
- Will, you and your ilk are pathetic losers! You'll never get GBW on any of these BS charges.— Delco Conservative
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
There is nothing childish about breaking the law - the DOJ scandal is harrowing - if it becomes precedent to politicize the Justice Department to Witch Hunt your political adversaries - we have just invented the KGB. There should be a check down on all of the alleged abuses of executive power (including signing statements - saying the law just passed doesn't apply to you) but not to the extent that the RNC went after Clinton to derail his Presidency. Clinton was an a** for giving them that opportunity and yet he still delivered a balanced budget and surplus to them. Seeing Bush and Rove hang on the White House lawn - like the RNC hung Clinton will serve no purpose. Writing clear, unambiguous law after researching the events with clear penalties should put a stop to rouge executive misconduct and power grabs. Again these aren't minor issues but loopholes that need to be closed for the sake of our collective security, democracy and to prevent tyranny. Bush has opened that door quite a bit. We need to slam it shut. I don't care if his fingers get caught in it or not. There are bigger issues at stake. One of the problems in life as well as politics is running around trying to get even...it's a waste of time and accomplishes nothing and drags you down. Fix the rules that have been exploited and move on - their smugness will catch up with them later.- Gibba - even if I agreed that it was morally and ethically wrong to fire those U.S. Attorney's - it is not illegal. U.S. Attorneys are not civil servants they are Presidential appointments. After Obama gets into office there will be a huge turnover of U.S. Attorney's - most will tender their resignations because that is the way it is done. U.S. Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President.— bird11
- Comment removed.
- Gibba, funny that you don't mention that Clinton fired the entire department and replaced them with his liberal stooges. If what Bush did was so horrible, why isn't there any outrage over this or threats to investigate Clinton. I guess when a republican does it, its evil and illegal, but when a democrat does it, its perfectly fine.— pete317
- Can't bush just push for all these people to be indicted then pardon them on 1/19/08?— Bender
- Comment removed.
- Music to my ears. Go ahead, investigate and prosecute them. If you want Obama's presidency to fail and the democrats to be hated, please, please do it. It will turn the public against the dems and Obama faster then anything else.— CD75
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
- February
- January
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- January 2008
- News | Sports | Business | What's Happening | Restaurants & Food | Entertainment | Living | Marketplace | Jobs
