NY Times on Bush, aides, and their fight to stay out of jail | Philly

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Thursday, November 13, 2008

NY Times on Bush, aides, and their fight to stay out of jail

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).

The Times article notes:

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.

Posted by Will Bunch @ 12:28 PM Permalink | 55 comments

Comments

Posted 12:38 PM, 11/13/2008

jfar86

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?

Comment removed.

Posted 12:42 PM, 11/13/2008

bird11

"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.

Posted 12:45 PM, 11/13/2008

jmc

It's really hard to get a conviction with anger and delusion as your only evidence.

Comment removed.

Posted 12:49 PM, 11/13/2008

Delco Conservative

Will, you and your ilk are pathetic losers! You'll never get GBW on any of these BS charges.

Posted 12:56 PM, 11/13/2008

Gibba Mang

I would support an Obama DOJ investigation into the fuiring of Federal Prosecutors for purely political reasons. The Bush administrations overt actions to remake the DOJ into a conservative leaning Department was morally and ehtically worng. Civil servants at all levels of government should be hired for the qualifications and competence, not their political ideology. In fact, Bush administration appointees lowered the standards soley to get their candidates hired.

Comment removed.

Posted 01:06 PM, 11/13/2008

JourneyHome

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.

Posted 01:07 PM, 11/13/2008

bird11

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.

Posted 01:14 PM, 11/13/2008

Gibba Mang

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.....bird, I was addressing two seperate practices by the Bush Administration so I apologize if I wasn't clear. You are correct that the attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President. That type of conduct is unethical, but not illegal. But the DOJ did break regulations in explicitly hiring only individuals who expressed a conservative ideology. That was one of many reason why I felt Gonzales should have been shown the door years ago.

Posted 01:43 PM, 11/13/2008

pete317

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.

Posted 01:44 PM, 11/13/2008

Bender

Can't bush just push for all these people to be indicted then pardon them on 1/19/08?

Posted 01:52 PM, 11/13/2008

Gibba Mang

pete....as bird said in an earlier post, it is customary that any political appointee, in thisd case US attorneys, submit their resignation at the beginning of a new administration. They serve at the pleasure of the president. What Bush did was fire a "select 8" during the middle of his second term for what appears to be political reasons. If these 8 attornies were so incompetent, why were they still in the DOJ after 6 years into his administration?

Posted 01:59 PM, 11/13/2008

CD75

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.

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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.

E-mail Will by clicking here.

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