Rep. John Conyers, Jr. : Why We Have to Look Back

[babylonsister]

Why We Have to Look Back

By John Conyers Jr.
Friday, January 16, 2009; Page A19


This week, I released "Reining in the Imperial Presidency," a 486-page report detailing the abuses and excesses of the Bush administration and recommending steps to address them. Arthur Schlesinger Jr. popularized the term "imperial presidency" in the 1970s to describe an executive who had assumed more power than the Constitution allows and circumvented the checks and balances fundamental to our three-branch system of government. Until recently, the Nixon administration seemed to represent a singular embodiment of the idea. Unfortunately, it is clear that the threat of the imperial presidency lives on and, indeed, reached new heights under George W. Bush.

As this report documents, there was the administration's contrived drive to a needless war of aggression with Iraq, based on manipulated intelligence and facts that were "fixed around the policy." There was its politicization of the Justice Department; unconscionable and possibly illegal policies on detention, interrogation and extraordinary rendition; warrantless wiretaps of American citizens; the ravaging of our regulatory system and the use of signing statements to override the laws of the land; and the intimidation and silencing of critics and whistle-blowers who dared to tell fellow citizens what was being done in their name. And all of this was hidden behind an unprecedented veil of secrecy and outlandish claims of privilege.

I understand that many feel we should just move on. They worry that addressing these actions by the Bush administration will divert precious energy from the serious challenges facing our nation. I understand the power of that impulse. Indeed, I want to move on as well -- there are so many things that I would rather work on than further review of Bush's presidency. But in my view it would not be responsible to start our journey forward without first knowing exactly where we are.

We cannot rebuild the appropriate balance between the branches of government without fully understanding how that relationship has been distorted. Likewise, we cannot set an appropriate baseline for future presidential conduct without documenting and correcting the presidential excesses that have just occurred. After the Nixon imperial presidency, critical reviews such as the Church and Pike committees led to fundamental reforms that have served our nation well. Comparable steps are needed to begin the process of reining in the legacy of the Bush imperial presidency. I consider these three points crucial:

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/15/AR2009011503152.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

[fasttense]

1. He talks a good game.

We'll see if he does anything.

[babylonsister]

2. I hear you, but why even bring it up if he doesn't intend to do anything?

It'd be in Conyers' best interest to not go there, especially after the (non)impeachment debacle.

[Bandit]

3. I am at the point where Conyers has lost his credibility with me

He says one thing and does another time after time..

[okiru109]

4. i'm glad that there is at least 1 in congress keeping pressure on this critical issue

give'm hell john :toast:

[PRETZEL]

5. I'm not sure how to react to this,

Rep. Conyers has tried to be a thorn in Bush's side in an effort to hold him and his administration. I've always felt that he has had more than enough ammunition for impeachment. But he does know and I give him the benefit of his wisdom that impeachment would not have gotten the desired results of having Bush removed from office. The fact that the Bush Administration was successful in all of their stonewalling efforts should have been made much more public.

It's a ironic twist that both Bush and VP Biden have set the stage perfectly as to how George W. Bush and his administration will be viewed. In the VP debate, during VP Bidens closing remark, he commented that (paraphrasing) "past is the prologue to the future" and ignoring the past ignores valuable lessons into how future situations are handled. Both President Obama and Vice President Biden have used the past well to shape their views of the future.

Outgoing President Bush has always maintained the "history will be his judge." Let's hope so. Let's have an honest assessment of his actions and policies and let history decide for itself. Let's not have a legacy of the Bush Administration shrouded by innuendo and cherry picked information. If President Bush wants an honest assessment of his legacy then he should welcome an honest investigation and discussion.

I'd be more than happy with that.

note to edit subject line.