Leahy: Congress Will Do Truth Commission with or without Obama

[kpete]

Leahy: Congress Will Do Truth Commission with or without POTUS
By: emptywheel Tuesday February 10, 2009 4:02 pm

Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy and White House Chief Counsel Greg Craig discussed on Tuesday the Senator's proposal to set up a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate potential crimes of the Bush administration.

"I went over some of the parameters of it and they were well aware at the White House of what I'm talking about," Leahy told the Huffington Post. "And we just agreed to talk further."

.................

Leahy did add an important ripple to the story in the interview with the Huffington Post: Congress will likely proceed with investigations regardless of whether Obama is on board.

"Oh yeah," Leahy said when asked if he would go forward without Obama's endorsement. "I think the Senate and the Congress as whole has an oversight responsibility that has to be carried out here anyway. Now it is much easier with the cooperation of the administration. A lot of things with the subpoenas I issued the past few years, we got a lot of information but a lot of it was held back."

...............

"What I would much rather see is to see us working together," said Leahy. "We have a common interest, both the Congress and the administration to get this thing worked out ... In this instance, this is so important that our common interest is to get the truth out."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/10/exclusive-leahy-talks-to_n_165774.html
via:
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/02/10/leahy-congress-will-do-truth-commission-with-or-without-potus/

[ColbertWatcher]

1. Good, that's what Congress is supposed to do! (It's about time). k+r, n/t

[Vincardog]

2. As long as it is ont a 9/11 whitewash type "investigation".

[jtrockville]

9. Commissions are the same as a whitewash. Don't expect different.

We need a special prosecutor.

[Vincardog]

32. Second that

[librechik]

33. yeah--if they don't lead to prosecutions,

and they never do!

[burythehatchet]

3. People sometimes forget that Cheney tried to kill him with the anthrax

[CountAllVotes]

4. Leahy is seeking revenge

not that I blame him one bit.

Let the trials begin!

:kick:

[Lance_Boyle]

28. not revenge at all - Leahy's commission is a toothless sham. n/t

[Jennicut]

17. Yes, that is true.

I like Leahy. At least he will do something, anything.

[pleah]

5. WE WANT PROSECUTIONS! We already know they committed crimes!

A commission is not going to do anything to them.

[tblue37]

20. The point is to accumulate so much incontrovertible evidence

that the public insists on prosecutions, which then provides political cover to make them possible. It was the results of congressional hearings that forced Nixon to resign to avoid impeachment.

Politicians won't stick their necks out on something as politically risky as prosecuting people as high up as a president and VP, or even their highest aides, without a clear groundswell of approval by the public. Imagine these hearings oN CSPAN, with the public getting more and more furious about the CheneyBush administration. Soon after the publicly aired evidence piles up sufficiently, they will be able to appoint a special prosecutor and start prosecutions.

Don't forget, WE know all this stuff CheneyBush did, but the general public, who get their news from the MSM, do not. They just think there were policy differences and therefore would have no stomach for prosecutions without more outrage.

[pleah]

24. You might be interested in this.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=385&topic_id=270624

[tblue37]

34. I would if I could hear it, but since I am severely hearing-impaired, such

videos, without at least a brief summary of what they are about, just frustrate the bejaysus out of me.

I went to the thread anyway, hoping that someone on it would let slip something about what he said, but what I read was "His last line was brilliant," with no hint whatsoever of what his last line was. So now, of coruse, I am doubly frustrated!

[pleah]

35. Sorry it took so long.

Transcripts were not up yesterday.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29137822/


:)

[KoKo]

6. WELL DAMMIT, LEAHY! Stop BLOVIATING AND DO IT!

SHEESH! ENUFF ALREADY! :banghead: I'm still waiting for Rep. Jesse Jackson's hearings on Election Reform and his promise to put an Amendment to the Constitution to make VOTING A RIGHT for ALL AMERICANS in the CONSTITUTION/Bill of Rights! Where are you Jesse...Where are you CONYERS...and now LEAHY...

What have you EVER DONE FOR US? :shrug:

[truebrit71]

7. Good....stop talking about it and get it done...

...

[opihimoimoi]

8. Its all in the Plan the get the Man.....I love it

[kpete]

10. UPDATE

Rachael just had Leahy on, she reads a general consensus emerging to give ‘em all a chance to testify at the commission and get immunity, or else face criminal prosecution if the facts so indicate. If you’re not with ‘em, you’re agin’ em. Has the popular political advantage of appearing as a “middle way”. Hmmm.

[opihimoimoi]

16. For our Nations Credibility...we must pursue the facts...if its criminal...prosecute

If its Bush...send him to jaii;...that would help restore our INTEGRITY

[chill_wind]

11. K & R n/t

[MasonJar]

12. No to Commissions that give immunity to everyone who testifies.

We need a special prosecutor.

[MasonJar]

13. No to Commissions that give immunity to everyone who testifies.

We need a special prosecutor.

[Golden Raisin]

14. Blah, blah, blah.

Talk is cheap and that's all Congress is apparently good for. No congressional committees. No commissions. Hell, they couldn't even get Condi or Rove to show up when subpoenaed. We need an impowered special prosecutor who will kick ass. I'm not holding my breath, particularly with Pelosi still on the scene.

[jtrockville]

15. Leahy said on Rachel's show tonight: he wants the truth to come out.

Hey Leahy! WE KNOW THE TRUTH. High ranking administration officials ALREADY ADMITTED to torture. That's the truth.

So if all you're seeking with this "commission" is the "truth", PLEASE DON'T BOTHER WASTING YOUR TIME AND OUR MONEY.

[BlooInBloo]

18. I see you talking Leahy...

[chill_wind]

19. OTOH, just watched this video (Countdown)

Hope a lot will do the same.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x270624

[Spurt]

21. No commission required.

There is an existing system to deal with it all - the Justice system.
Erudite persons in the US and around the world have verified that crimes were committed. There are adequate and required ways of dealing with such contentions.
The notion of an alternative system being required strongly suggests that a foretold outcome is being sought.

And the WH should have nothing to do with the whole business other than to fulfill the disclosure and provision requirements of any legitimate party. (It must also refrain from obstruction of any kind - and pardons.)
The WH should have no influence over the investigation/prosecution of itself, no matter who is resident.

[tom_paine]

22. Hooraay for Pat Leahy. Match those words with ACTIONS and you've got something there.

A spine.

[Ganja Ninja]

23. NO NO NO! Fuck the Bipartisan Commission BS!

What's wrong with letting the justice department handle this? I'd much rather see this done in a court of law with judges and jurors then another bipartisan commission like 9/11. This is sweeping it under the rug.

[IDemo]

25. I equate "Truth Commissions" with the annual tomato throwing festival in Spain

While some folks may get a bit messy, no one really gets hurt.

Time for a special prosecutor.

[loudsue]

26. We don't need any frikkin "truth commission". We need a TRIAL and CONVICTION.

We already have the truth, Leahy, and you damned well know it.

This is just another way to get away from having to convict one of their own. Did you hear him on the news last night, saying "conviction would take 15 years, and we don't have that long. We just want the truth." ????

It's just another bullshit committee these bastards want to form. Screw 'em. We want to see the bush junta in JAIL.

[Lance_Boyle]

27. T&R COMMISSIONS *BY DEFINITION* PRECLUDE JUSTICE

That's how these "commissions" work - get everything out in the open, and in exchange, there will be no prosecutions. It's BULLSHIT of the highest order, and Pat Leahy should be run out of DC on a rail for even suggesting that we allow a free pass to traitors. FUCK LEAHY AND HIS STUPID T&R COMMISSION IDEA!

[Phred42]

29. T&RC are created to find out what needs to be covered up - don't kid yourself.

This will end up being a get out of jail free card for the guilty

[bdamomma]

30. after hearing Jonathan Turley we have an obligation to

investigate these crimes (not even the Obama administration), by the Geneva Conventions we are the ones who drew up those conditions and if we do not support this we are just going back on our word.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x270624

[flyarm]

31. more kabuki dancing..they have no intention

of holding anyone accountable..stop the pipe dreams!

It's all theater..all theater!!!!!!!!