President Obama's Reply to Leahy's Announcement of a Truth and Reconciliation Committee

[BlueJessamine]

President Obama's first White House press conference.

Excerpt from the Transcript:

THE PRESIDENT: Sam Stein, Huffington Post -- where's Sam? Here.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. Today Senator Patrick Leahy announced that he wants to set up a truth and reconciliation committee to investigate the misdeeds of the Bush administration. He said that before you turn the page, you have to read the page first. Do you agree with such a proposal, and are you willing to rule out right here and now any prosecution of Bush administration officials?

THE PRESIDENT: I haven't seen the proposal, so I don't want to express an opinion on something that I haven't seen.

What I have said is that my administration is going to operate in a way that leaves no doubt that we do not torture, and that we abide by the Geneva Conventions, and that we observe our traditions of rule of law and due process, as we are vigorously going after terrorists that can do us harm. And I don't think those are contradictory; I think they are potentially complementary.

My view is also that nobody is above the law, and if there are clear instances of wrongdoing, that people should be prosecuted just like any ordinary citizen; but that generally speaking, I'm more interested in looking forward than I am in looking backwards. I want to pull everybody together, including, by the way, the -- all the members of the intelligence community who have done things the right way and have been working hard to protect America, and I think sometimes are painted with a broad brush without adequate information.

So I will take a look at Senator Leahy's proposal, but my general orientation is to say, let's get it right moving forward.


The full transcript is here:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/02/obamas_first_white_house_press.html

[ixion]

1. "no one is above the law"...

but "generally" he's not interested in actually holding those thugs and war criminals accountable to that law.

Great. Some change. :eyes:

[snappyturtle]

2. Oh I think President Obama is just not going to be the face of making

the war criminals accountable and that he'll quietly support his DOJ and Congressional efforts. Of course he's interested in moving forward but also expressed that no one is above the law.....he won't ignore findings or stand in the way of Leahy. Keep the faith!

[ixion]

3. i really hope you're right

:hi:

[Luminous Animal]

4. Actually, his administration is doing the exact opposite

of quietly supporting Congressional efforts by invoking the Bush era's defense of "state secrets" to cover up U.S. torture...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5022013

[snappyturtle]

6. I know ...I'm not happy about this but there's more to go after. nt

[crickets]

8. Perhaps not.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5019857

[Luminous Animal]

9. I am not sure what your point is but

as I have pointed out elsewhere and Garbo did in that thread, Letter is a DOJ careerist appointed by Carter and served in the Clinton WH.

[bdamomma]

5. I hope Leahy and possibly Senator Whitehouse look into this.

[classysassy]

7. Take away

Nancy's table,let the AG investage chaney and jr.