Why is Pat Leahy, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pushing a "Truth Commission"

[EFerrari]

and not our system of Justice?

Doesn't that strike anyone as a little bit off task?

:shrug:

[DJ13]

1. Commissions are the usual path in DC when you want to bury the truth

Leahy has many long time Democratic/Republican colleagues in the Senate (and the House) that might be found to be complicit in the various Bush crimes, so a commission is his way to keep the truth from getting out.

[VP505]

2. Can't say for sure but,

a consequence of forming a commission like that, intended or otherwise may be that NO ONE ever gets convicted of the crimes we all know occurred.

[Mist]

3. I think the pols are trying to end-run this one, to make sure criminal charges aren't brought. nt

[Mist]

4. Actually, who has the legal standing to bring charges? Who has the legal standing

to sue? I would think any citizen could do so, but I'm no lawyer.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Because real accountability would require trials and justice for all who were complicit.

Which would have to include the members of congress (of both parties) who pleaded ignorance of the obvious crimes when they were occurring.

I think that, in the future, historians will judge us harshly for our willingness to allow the criminals to escape justice for the sake of preserving the myth of being a nation of laws. And, many Americans will resort to the "I didn't know" defense used by the "good Germans" not that long ago when the full extent of the crimes are brought to the light.

[MarjorieG]

6. Rather have health care, erergy investment, or, investigation of low level, but can't get to Bush.

Intent, following orders, and don't bring up Nuremberg. Time, money spent to try to prosecute vs decent effort to discover torture, where the Iraq money went, how we got into war-energy meeting planning Iraq, etc.

[Solly Mack]

7. K&R

[Moochy]

8. You are mistaken if you think they are after the truth

He's a senator... He's got the the ruling class's back.

[L. Coyote]

9. LEAHY: "to investigate abuses during the Bush-Cheney Administration" D'oh!

Read what he wrote:

I have proposed the idea of a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate abuses during the Bush-Cheney Administration -- so they never happen again. These abuses may include the use of torture, warrantless wiretapping, extraordinary rendition, and executive override of laws.

===========

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A Truth Commission to Investigate Bush-Cheney Administration Abuses
by Senator Patrick Leahy
Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 10:05:00 AM PSThttp://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/2/12/1350/08709/262/696385

It's great to be here blogging at Daily Kos!

We have just emerged from a time when White House officials often acted as if they were above the law. That was wrong and must be fully exposed so it never happens again.

The Daily Kos community and the netroots played a vital role pursuing, demanding, and exposing the Bush-Cheney Administration's numerous abuses. But there's still more we don't know, and more we must uncover, about the misdeeds of the past eight years.



That is why I proposed the idea of a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate abuses during the Bush-Cheney Administration.