"Obama signals he isn't interested in 'truth commission' to investigate Bush abuses" LINK

[Blackhatjack]

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Obama_signals_he_isnt_interested_in_0209.html

"President Barack Obama gave a cool welcome at his Monday night press conference to Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy's (D-VT) call for a "truth commission" to probe alleged abuses under George W. Bush, offering a fresh signal that the new president may not be interested in investigating President Bush.

Obama claimed at the first press conference of his presidency that he had not seen the proposal from Sen. Leahy and would have a look at it -- "but my general orientation is to say let's get it right moving forward."

But "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," Obama said."

MORE********

The rest of the World is NOT deaf, dumb and blind to the crimes of the Bush Administration, and they are waiting to see if the new Obama Administration will take the high road and restore our moral standing in the world or if it will simply pretend to be an amnesiac as to who is responsible for the torture and violations of constitutional and international law.

Make no mistake Obama has his attention on the most pressing problem facing this nation at the moment.

But as Jonathan Turley has pointed out, if Obama turns a blind eye to the Bush Administration war crimes then he will 'own' them. Obama has no other choice but to take on these crimes where the evidence is overwhelming.

And never again will we be able to criticize other countries for their engagement in torture where we have turned a blind eye against torture carried out in our name.

[Old Codger]

1. Not just the rest

of the world waiting to see, the American people are waiting to see also. We do not need a commission we need an investigation and a trial of any parties involved in law breaking activities... If the new administration leaves it go and does nothing they are guilty of aiding and abetting after the fact which makes them culpable also. A commission will investigate and investigate til all chances of anything meaningful coming out will have been so whitewashed as to be meaningless. Be a one hit wonder in my book my votes will go somewhere else next election, congress and the senate had their chance, now it is up to Obama, he has his chance and it is his choice now no matter what they say about it being up to justice, justice will follow his lead.

[KansDem]

2. "...let's get it right moving forward."

Is he saying let's move forward with the investigation and let's get it right?

I don't think he is dismissing Sen. Leahy's call for an investigation. I think he just wants to make certain it's done right.

[Blackhatjack]

3. I am hoping after Obama plugs the hole in the boat he will look for the person responsible...

No doubt the passage of the 'Financial Stability' bill is critical to 'fixing the hole in the boat.'

But we can't turn a blind eye to the wide range of wrongdoing visited upon our country and the rest of the world by the Bush Administration.

[Radical Activist]

4. "Obama supports prosecution of Bush admin officials."

That could have been the same headline for the blog and it would have been more accurate. Obama didn't actually say he was uninterested in a truth commission. He did say he would support prosecution if wrongdoing is found. There's too much spin in this blog post.

[Blackhatjack]

5. I really don't think he has another choice .... n/t

[omega minimo]

17. A big "IF"

[KittyWampus]

6. the thread title is terribly misleading. If written by Rawstory, it seems they're just playing to

the "stir shit up on the Left" crowd.

[MiniMe]

7. He is letting the justice dept and the Senate handle it, as he should

And the President is staying out of it. Obama wouldn't and shouldn't make the decision.

[bushmeister0]

21. Apparently, someone else is making the decision for him.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5031337
From another post:

"US defence officials are preventing Barack Obama from seeing evidence that a former British resident held in Guantánamo Bay has been tortured, the prisoner's lawyer said last night, as campaigners and the Foreign Office prepared for the man's release in as little as a week.

Clive Stafford Smith, the director of the legal charity Reprieve, which represents Ethiopian-born Binyam Mohamed, sent Obama evidence of what he called 'truly mediaeval' abuse but substantial parts were blanked out so the president could not read it."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/11/binyam-mohamed-release-torture-letter

In fact, the entire document was redacted.

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2009/02/11/CSSlettertoObama.pdf

I don't think I trust the Pentagon ( or DOJ) to make the decision. But, I guess, ignorance is bliss, isn't it?

[anonymous171]

8. Anger from the left is what is needed. Even if it is hysteria

Everything helps. Keep it up Raw Story.

[glitch]

9. A cool welcome is still a welcome, I'll take it. nt

[EFerrari]

11. Yes. And maybe the fastest way for it to become over politicized

is for Obama to publicly promote the idea. I don't want a "truth" commission anyway but prosecutions. We don't need a long investigation, we need subpoenas.

[glitch]

13. Yeah, truth commissions are for people who don't have working judicial systems

oh wait. Kidding, I think our judicial system can be repaired. I would infinitely prefer investigations and prosecutions, and I am hoping this is a start.
If it turns out a truth commission is all there will be, then I'll be mad. Ok, fucking livid (my own truth admission).

[EFerrari]

14. LOL. I hear you, glitch.

:pals:

[Lance_Boyle]

10. GOOD - the T&R Commission idea is shit

get everything out in the open (yeah, right) on the condition that there will be no prosecutions. FUCK THAT. Leahy needs to STFU and start prodding Rep Conyers to do the fucking job he's neglected for the past 6 years. Failing that, Conyers needs to step aside and let someone take over who's willing to do the damned job. Leahy the silent and complicit can just go to hell.

[SoCalDem]

12. Perhaps he's "not interested" in the same way that Poppy was "not interested"

in the plan that Saddam had...to take back Iraq's errant "province..Kuwait"..:evilgrin:

[Old Codger]

15. On the other hand

I just finished listening to that portion of last nights news conference a few more times and am will to be cautiously optimistic on what was said, it can indeed be construed to mean he is willing to go forward with investigating all of it but seems to want to go slowly and get it right ( I sincerely hope this is the correct interpretation of that statement).

[Mark Twain Girl]

16. The more Obama weasels on this, the more he owns it too. Either power is accountable or it's not. nt

[omega minimo]

18. whuup there it is

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5019606

:hi:

[Still Sensible]

19. Personally I think it more likely that Holder will pursue

the scandals in the Department of Justice. I don't think we have heard anything but the tip of the iceberg over there. I'm in favor of Leahy's hearings to try and get to the torture issue, but I fear getting past layers and layers of protection and deniability, it might be very hard to emerge with a prosecutable case against those at the top.

[DCKit]

20. It's not Obama's responsibility. Congress needs to do their damn job. n/t