NYT EDITORIAL: MUST DO LIST to undo Bush assault on our democracy (their words)

[yurbud]

March 4, 2007
Editorial
The Must-Do List

The Bush administration’s assault on some of the founding principles of American democracy marches onward despite the Democratic victory in the 2006 elections. The new Democratic majorities in Congress can block the sort of noxious measures that the Republican majority rubber-stamped. But preventing new assaults on civil liberties is not nearly enough.

Five years of presidential overreaching and Congressional collaboration continue to exact a high toll in human lives, America’s global reputation and the architecture of democracy. Brutality toward prisoners, and the denial of their human rights, have been institutionalized; unlawful spying on Americans continues; and the courts are being closed to legal challenges of these practices.

It will require forceful steps by this Congress to undo the damage. A few lawmakers are offering bills intended to do just that, but they are only a start. Taking on this task is a moral imperative that will show the world the United States can be tough on terrorism without sacrificing its humanity and the rule of law.

Today we’re offering a list — which, sadly, is hardly exhaustive — of things that need to be done to reverse the unwise and lawless policies of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Many will require a rewrite of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, an atrocious measure pushed through Congress with the help of three Republican senators, Arlen Specter, Lindsey Graham and John McCain; Senator McCain lent his moral authority to improving one part of the bill and thus obscured its many other problems....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/opinion/04sun1.html

[acmavm]

1. Yep, they got a lot of guts considering how much of this the media,

especially the NYT is responsible for. They lied for and buried stores about the bush** criminal cabal since before 2000. Now they're trying to act like they have some right to bitch.

Also, dupe...


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3143813

[yurbud]

3. four years late, and half a trillion dollars short...

[acmavm]

5. EXACTLY.

[rodeodance]

2. Beautiful, just Beautiful to see.

[bonito]

4. Happy to see this in the msm.

[dogindia]

6. big k and big r...lets keep this kicked

[halobeam]

7. kick and rec

[Tuesday_Morning]

8. Glenn Greenwald weighed in on this

Such a good piece I'm not sure what parts to include here. Highly recommend reading the whole thing. http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/03/04/hearings/index.html

Confrontational investigations, subpoenas, and hearings are the priority


snip

The NYT Editorial is well-intentioned and possibly helpful in re-focusing attention on these issues, but the Editorial's suggested solutions are ultimately misguided. None of the proposed measures -- from restoring Habeas Corpus to enacting new FISA legislation to closing secret CIA prisons to repealing the interrogation provisions of the Military Commissions Act -- is realistic, because it is just not possible to marshall the filibuster-proof number of votes in the Senate right now to accomplish any of that. That's just reality.

snip

Far more than legislative solutions right now (which have no chance of succeeding), what we urgently need are compelled, subpoena-driven, aggressive hearings designed for maximum revelation and drama. Hearings are able, in a dramatic and television-news-friendly environment, to shed light on how extreme and radical this administration really has been in all of these areas. More than trying to repeal the worst legislative abuses of the last Congress, hearings -- real and dramatic and probing -- were the real promise of electing Democrats to take over the Congress. It is time -- and it is beginning to be past the time -- for that to start in earnest.

snip

Incidents of this kind -- whereby the administration will engage in any efforts without limits to prevent an examination of its actual conduct -- are too numerous to chronicle, literally. Sen. Jim Webb has spent the last two months -- unsuccessfully -- merely attempting to obtain an answer from the administration as to whether they believe they have the authority to attack Iran without Congressional approval. The administration has repeatedly breached all of its commitments to provide to Congress any real information about how it used its illegal eavesdropping powers on Americans when it exercised those powers for five years with no oversight (on whom did they eavesdrop in secret?). And just last week, Attorney General Gonzales expressed the same contempt for Congressional oversight as he has been exhibiting for years, albeit more explicitly this time, when he told Bob Novak that, in essence, he has more important things to do than respond to Congressional inquries.

Democrats in Congress need to realize right now that the administration will not produce or disclose any meaningful evidence unless and until they are truly forced to do so, and forcing them to disclose meaningful information is going to require a willingness to fight hard. Vague little threats of future action or pseudo-tough allusions to subpoenas are pointless. Far more than legislative solutions that will go nowhere and have no chance of passing (absent real changes in the focus of public and media attention), what must be the first priority are efforts to shine a bright light on what this President has been doing in the dark for years.

snip

more at link

[Mrspeeker]

15. will it ever be possible?

the ruling class (the RICH) wants to remain in power (RICH).

[Senator]

9. That's a "Can't Do List"

The only Must-Do is Impeachment.

All the rest is just blather. (Yes, even the Cut the Funds Hoax.)

Only Impeachment ... is actually DOING.

It's the only thing that makes any sense on any level - moral, logical, political, historical, electoral -- you name it. (That is, if one's not mired in the Beltway Bedlam Blather Bubble -- like the NY Times.)

It is our ONLY meaningful option.

--

[yurbud]

11. I agree. this is an improvement for NYT, which is why I posted

I would prefer to see them impeached

[Senator]

13. It's at least a starting point for mock and ridicule

Which is what I suggest doing: [e-mail]

Ask them if they've ever heard of a veto, or a signing statement, or the planet the rest of us live on -- where their list is just a pipe-dream without impeachment.

--

[yurbud]

14. that's a good one. did you already send it?

[Senator]

16. This was sent...

...by "our organization."

Euphemedia Dreamin'

Editors:

Thank you for publishing your pipe-dreams in the form of "The Must Do List."

While it is occassionally amusing to hear from the "non-reality-based community," there's nothing funny about the level of willful ignorance that is the basis of what is more accurately called a "Can't Do List."

I hadn't considered that a newspaper could suffer from dementia. But are you really expecting a reaction other than bewilderment or outright laughter at this dead-pan agenda of "Musts?!?" Because unless the NY Times has conjured up a magic potion to circumvent "rule by signing statement," what exactly are you recommending that Congress DO about any of the items on your laundry list of bushcheney regime atrocities?

Have you detected even a whiff of evidence in the past 6 years that anything short of impeachment and removal could or would alter the actions of this regime in even the most minute way?

Ban This Tortured Logic, Really.

Here on Earth we all know that Only Impeachment can even begin to offer a mechanism for progress of any kind -- on any front. We can only hope that more of our fellows, particularly those in the Euphemedia, snap out of their stupor and start demanding it.

And yes, I suppose it's possible that over 30 sitting US Senators would stand to approve and defend war crimes (though it's not the certainty that you fearfully imagine). But at least the noble yet failed effort would redeem the American People -- in the eyes of the world, our ancestors and founders, our children, and for posterity.

I'm sure they'll print it immediately. Don't you think?

==

[DemBones DemBones]

19. If Bush and Cheney could simultaneously be impeached

and CONVICTED, making Pelosi president, that would be great. But impeachment does not guarantee conviction. Only two presidents out of forty-three have been impeached and neither was convicted.

I also don't want Bush impeached and convicted, only to have Cheney move up to the presidency and appoint someone like McCain or Giuliani to be VP, who could then run as a sitting VP in 2008. (For that matter, under this scenario Cheney could run for re-election to the presidency and serve two full terms in addition to finishing Bush's term.)

Nor do I want Cheney impeached and convicted, allowing Bush to replace him with McCain or Giuliani, who could then run as a sitting VP in 2008.

Be careful what you wish for.

[EFerrari]

10. Rec'd and bookmarked.

Thanks.

[Drum]

12. Kick & Rec!

:kick:

[Time for change]

17. Great list of essentially tasks our country needs to take to restore its

reputation as a decent civilized countries.

But along with that list, and effort towards impeachment needs to get underway. As long as Bush/Cheney remain in power, the multiple violations of our Constitution and our democracy are condoned.

[grizmaster]

18. The War Commissions Act needs to be REPEALED

not modified. It is the most anti-Constitutional, anti-human-rights piece of legislation in American history that I know of.

Anything less than a complete removal of the Act destroys habeus corpus, violates our treaty obligations (especially the Geneva Convention), and destroys the War Crimes Act.