Why Bush "owned up to secret CIA prisons"

[DeBunk]

It's very simple why he did this now:

He needs this Congress to pass amendments to the War Crimes Act now. The Congress is only going to meet for a short time before the elections. The next Congress may impeach him on the War Crimes Act. He wants this Congress to cover his ass.

Don't take my word for it, listen to Bush himself:

"And some believe our military and intelligence personnel involved in capturing and questioning terrorists could now be at risk of prosecution under the War Crimes Act simply for doing their jobs in a thorough and professional way."

The personnel he's taking about is him.

http://bunkport.blogspot.com/2006/09/why-bush-owned-up-to-secret-cia.html

[yourout]

1. Spot On.

Major ass covering in progress.

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. ROTFL! Brilliant of you!

I've been trying to figure this out all day - I bet you're right!

And indeed, the "personnel" he's talking about is himself.

Thanks for making the connection!

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Why would this law be automatically retro-active?

[DeBunk]

6. Because he owns the Justice dept and the current Congress

Only a change in a house of Congress can bring him to justice.

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. That's what I mean. When the house changes, why would they have

to apply the law retroactively? George Bush should be held accountable for the laws he broke, at the time that he broke them.

[DeBunk]

17. Bush owns the people who would hold him accountable

He has the House the Senate and the Justice Dept.

Something has to give first.

[liberal N proud]

10. If that is how they write it, it will cover his little ass

and dicky boys as well as rummy's

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. I just wrote how laws were over turned in order to get Clinton.

Why wouldn't we do the same to George Bush to ensure that justice is served?

[DeBunk]

29. That could happen

But, it makes it politically harder to get justice.

[Avalux]

4. He mentioned the time factor in his speech today.

Paraphrasing - he said that Congress will be in session for just a few short weeks and this legislation should be first and foremost on their list. He looked scared when he said it too.

;)

[madokie]

18. yes he did and yes he is scared

I would hate to have to live with that fear feeling deep in my gut. All I can say to him is suck up sucker because it goes downhill from here, your day is coming

[TomInTib]

20. I liked the way he linked Congressional action and the scary guys.

Along the lines of:

"and to these 9/11 family members here, I want to tell you that as soon as congress takes some action on this, we will go and bring those responsible for (whatever) to justice".

[bluerum]

5. If the dems let them ram an "amnesty" bill through over the course

of the next two months it will be a travesty.

This administration needs to be held accountable for lies, dishonesty and trashing the constitution. Forget about the Geneva conventions for the time being.

[DeBunk]

7. Bush is basically asking for Congress to take us out of Geneva

At least that's my read on it.

[bluerum]

26. Yes. He asking congress to pass some legislation that would let

those who have tortured and abused and trampled the constitution or otherwise broken the law in the name of fighting terra to have a free pass.

After all,,, they were pertectin us from terra-istas.

Juss duin their jobs.

In the line o duty.

Know what ah mean?

[jaxx]

8. Bush wants those amendments passed NOW

Please don't let those dems get ahold of me!! :rofl:

[AlCzervik]

9. Bush's big pre-game photo-op, "Bringing the architect of 9/11 to justice"

right before 9/11 and in front of some families of 9/11---sorry but it was just a big photo-op and i hate being this fing cynical but thats whats happened to me since Bush "took" office.

[DeBunk]

14. You need to forget the Bush/Rove invincibility myth

He can't do anything with these men because any evidence he has was obtained illegally.

We wants to change the law or eventually we will have to let some of them go.

[NashVegas]

11. Talking Points Memo Nails It

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/009641.php

As we speculated last night, President Bush wants to gin up a hail mary pre-election political fight over the constitution (no pun intended) of military tribunals for accused terrorists. This election-timed stunt is intended to put fourteen faces on the president's fight over the rules for his kangaroo courts.

Coincidentally enough, Josh posted on the issue at 1am or so this morning, before news of the *'s statement broke:

So key Republican senators are opposed to kangaroo courts to try terrorists and enemy combatants in Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere. So says the Post. Good for them. And I guess it goes without saying, good for the country.

It occurred to me a couple days ago that maybe the last hail mary pass these jokers in the White House would come up with was engineering a bum's rush October congressional debate on the rules to govern trials of captured enemy combatants and accused terrorists.

[TahitiNut]

15. Well, if there was EVER a time for a filibuster ... AND ...

... denial of "unanimous consent" on every freaking request, that time would be in any attempt to skate on war crimes.

I swear I will NEVER vote for any legislator that allows such an abomination to go through. I don't give a flying fuck whether they're "R" "D" or "Q" ... never.

This nation is an outlaw nation unless and until these bastards are imprisoned for their crimes.

[razors edge]

16. thats exactly how i saw it

[KoKo]

19. Jeffrey Toobin analyst on CNN today said that there was a "Loophole"

in the Supremes decision that meant Congress has to pass whatever Bush does. So this makes sense that he's going to be urging his Repugs to cover his sorry butt. I hope he doesn't get the usual Dems who turn and vote with the Repugs on this one..in an election year.

[DeBunk]

24. Toobin's a bit of a douche. He's also a lot wrong.

Whatever Congress passes has to be Constitutional. That is unless Congress passes a Constitutional amendment (which has to go to the States and pass by a super majority etc..).

The Court told the President and Congress what would be Constitutional. It also said any law must adhere to Geneva article 3.

So unless Congress is ready to pass and un-constitutional law and/or take us out of the Geneva Conventions. I don't think Bush is going to get his way.

[graywarrior]

21. It will be interesting to see what diversion they will come up with

before the elections.

[ComerPerro]

22. and he wants the vote before the election for the political reasons, too

so Republicans can attack incumbent Dems who voted against it.

[DeBunk]

23. There's that too

But, remember a lot of Republicans are giving him problems on this.

[Canuckistanian]

25. What a coward

If you're going to act like an asshole and use grandiose and manly-man excuses to justify it, why take the girlie-man's way out and just change the rules?

It's the ultimate "if-you're-not-nice-to me,-I'm-taking-the-ball-home" policy.

[mdmc]

27. r

:kick:well done

[Eric J in MN]

28. Please contact your Senators and Rep. against changing

...the War Crimes Act to create exceptions, or to stop prisoners who were treated in an illegal manner from filing a lawsuit.