How should Obama react to the allegations of Bush policies?
First it was allegations of torture, now it’s a CIA program kept secret from Congress that has the Bush administration in hot water again.
According to The New York Times, leading Democrats on Sunday demanded investigations of the highly classified counterterrorism program kept secret from the Congressional leadership on the orders of Vice President Dick Cheney.
The Wall Street Journal cited anonymous government officials who said the secret program was a plan to kill or capture al-Qaida operatives. The Journal also reported that money had been spent on planning and training but had not become fully operational.
The assertion that Vice President Dick Cheney ordered the program kept secret from Congress came amid word that Attorney General Eric Holder is contemplating opening a criminal probe of possible CIA torture. (New York Times)
President Obama has been resistant to an investigation of possible crimes committed by the previous administration; however, the new developments have put more pressure on him to take action.
Despite that it could be a distraction from domestic issues like the economy, should Obama more aggressively pursue criminal investigations of the Bush administration? Or should he forget the past and move forward?
How important is it that the Bush administration is held responsible for possible crimes committed?
While I’d like to see the Devil’s spawn Dick Cheney in jail, I’d rather not see another minute of time or money wasted chasing the past. I realize that these investigations never result in any real consequences for the offenders.
Obama has enough on his plate to tackle to be concerned with the past. As indicated, nothing ever comes out of these things anyway. You can argue about many things done in every administration such as Clinton’s sex????? I’m not sure what it is.
That’s in the past as is every other blunder in all administrations. Let it go and move on.
it would “be a distraction from domestic issues like the economy”…
but President Obama needs to aggressively pursue criminal investigations of the bush administration…
it is very important that the bush administration be held responsible for crimes committed by its management team…
or the American way of life and justice no longer exists.
our country was founded on rules and laws…
that have to be obeyed.
no individual is above the law…
if there’s evidence and proof that crimes were committed…
and people like bush, cheney and rumsfeld are found guilty…
administer the proper punishment.
to any true, patriotic, loyal American…
there should be no question of this.
Let’s do a poll. How many Americans agree with the secret program that was never even administered that the Dem’s are harping over? Hmm, secretly target and kill al qaeda leaders or relive the 90’s? Talk amongst yourselves.
Although I would not like to see another “fiasco” as we had in the 1990’s investigating Clinton and Monica’s fling, dragging our Country through more humiliation, this torture agenda created by Cheney is too much to ignore.
To ignore the torture that was ordered under the Bush Administration is the same as condoning what they did to prisoners. It is a continuance of the arrogance and “above the law” mentality that Cheney coveted throughout his reign of power.
I do agree with jfmoyn about wasting another minute chasing the past, but this torture issue is just too much damage to ignore. Our Country must do the right thing here and pursue Cheney to the fullest extent of the law. We all know Bush was just a puppet anyway, leave him alone. The rest of the World will respect us again if Cheney is held accountable. The trials do not have to be broadcast on every television channel like Clinton’s fling with Monica. Keep it closed but moving forward. Make him spend his Haliburton profits on attorneys.
Every President has sought to “protect the perogatives of the office”, I do not think President Obama will be that much different. However, he seems “willing to be compelled” by the public and Congress on certain issues, much in the same way President Lyndon Johnson asked to be “forced” to sign the Civil Rights Voting Act..
Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice are all War Criminals. We made sure to prosecute the members of the Nazi Party after World War II but made sure our “leaders” were exempt from those same policies. Can’t have justice in the world if it’s metered out based on capitalism. Bush and his henchmen need to be stood in front of the World Court and prosecuted for their war crimes.
P.S. - It’s high time that smirk was wiped off Bush’s face!
I for one don’t really care if there was or wasn’t a program in place to kill terrorists. Do whatever is necessary to hunt them down and put them in the ground.
I highly doubt Congress knew nothing. This is all an effort to deflect focus away from Pelosi and her “I didn’t know about the waterboarding tactics”. You must be really be ignorant/blind/partisan/etc to think anything goes on without Congress, or at least a few in it, knowing about it.
Look people, Bush & Cheney aren’t in office anymore. Let it go. Obama knows to tread lightly because someday they may ask questions about him or second guess his decisions. It’s more about protecting the office of the President, rather than an individual. His AG however, may not be that smart.
A complete non-issue.
It’s no coincidence this latest red herring from the Democrats seeped up out of the sewers over the weekend. It’s meant to deflect attention from the Obama administration’s dull performance at the G-8, his more or less useless meeting with the Russians, his incoherence regarding the simmering revolution in Iran and the Honduran coup/not coup, and last week’s revelations about his “stimulus” disaster. Nobody gives a rip about this except the most partisan Bush haters.