Any one listening to Rick Sanchez right now - holy cow!

[jillan]

Manfred Nowak - UN special rep on torture is on with him.
Nowak is saying that we need to investigate Rumsfield, Cheney and Bush.

Nowak is saying that there is enough evidence to make a case against Rumsfeld.

Rick has been doing a damn good job lately. (CNN)

[GodlessBiker]

1. Excellent.

[CrispyQ]

2. Sanchez surprised me more than once during the campaign.

I hope this picks up steam.

[lxlxlxl]

3. he 'sanchezed' it though

it was presented as a UN/Intl Law vs. Bush Admin argument, and it didnt touch on the important issues like what if other countries (russia/china/iran) use the same justifications for war on terror type policies, what the historical context for actions against pinochet/milosevic are, and all of the other angles you cannot cover if you only spend three minutes on a gravely serious issue.

as long as CNN tries to fit real news in five minute segments between commercials, they are going to fail miserably (see last eight years)

if you think little victories like this mean anything, i put it to you that it is like finding a nickel in a landfill. tv does not work. misinformation is a conservative social force.

[ejpoeta]

4. I can only hope....

that this new administration investigates these war criminals. and if they won't, then I hope the UN does. someone needs to do SOMETHING to make sure this doesn't happen again.

[Pithy]

5. I would change the title of the original post

I saw it too and ran here to post that the UN has strong evidence that Rumsfeld can be prosecuted for war crimes. I felt that Nowak also implied that Bush, too, should be investigated. This is hugh.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

6. Let's get Holder confirmed first. The Repukes will continue to hold him up in

committee if they fear that he will go after Dumbya, Cheney et al. Get Holder confirmed; then go after these criminals.

[jhain]

7. have to admit

I was standing in the middle of my living room in STUNNED silence.

Hope he keeps it up.

[Peace Patriot]

8. I feel pretty strongly that, when Pelosi said, "Impeachment is off the table," she was

speaking for the entire national political establishment, and she meant prosecution as well, of any of the real perps--Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and a few others, and anyone they wish to protect. (They may decide to throw some meat to the plebians, but it won't be "the deciders.") I feel also that immunity for the top perps was part of a bargain to convince them not to nuke Iran, and to leave peacefully when the time came. I think we were that close to an outright nazi putsch. This all occurred circa winter 2006-07, around the '06 election and just after--the last time Iran was really on the table. I think it was formal. I think some insider group went to them with evidence of their crimes, told them the above, and also forced Rumsfeld out at Defense. Pelosi then went off to the Middle East to take the word--no attack on Iran. Iran gave the British sailors back, nice and friendly, the same week (--March '07). And that was that. There will never be any prosecution of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld, and any they choose to protect, in this country. Could happen at the world court, but the US isn't a member. Could happen in courts in any other country (thus making it difficult for the perps to travel there). Could possibly happen in private civil suits here--but if the judge wants to remain on his/her bench (and live long and prosper), he/she will foul up or dismiss the case.

My guess is that, IF this bargain happened--and it's just a speculation--the motives of the insider group were a mixed bag--pissed off military, pissed off FBI, pissed off CIA, pissed off U.S. attorneys, pols like Pelosi trying to keep a lid on things, and possibly some other kinds of power players--corporates, billionaires, maybe even Daddy Bush. Leon Panetta comes to mind. (I think he's deep cover CIA.) They probably thought they were saving the country. Maybe they were--saving it from Armageddon, at least.

Anyway, that's what it smells like to me. You notice how Cheney practically bragged that he okayed torture? He's not worried. He and Rummy can fly to Dubai at any time and run their private corporate wars from there, with all the loot they've stolen, and their private armies, and all the operatives they have in place, around the world (and here), by now. Or they can languish (or scheme) here. It doesn't matter. They are untouchable. And they have too many peoples' files (--as well as invasive programs, created just for them, paid for by us--to keep spying). If they get crossed, we will see more smoldering ruins, like Eliot Spitzer's career, and Michael Connell's plane.

I hate the secrecy, and We, the People, being treated like children. But maybe they're right, that we could not take finding out that we are no longer a democracy. I also hate to be so negative, but I do think we need to face reality--all of it, really analyze our country with open eyes--in order to devise effective strategies for taking it back. Priority #1, in my opinion: Restore transparent vote counting.