« previous | MUCK HOME | next »
Report: Bushies Who Approved Torture Likely Won't Get Pre-Emptive Pardons
The White House is unlikely to grant sweeping pardons to former Bush administration officials who may have encouraged or enabled torture in approving harsh interrogation methods for terror suspects, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Some Republicans have been pushing for President Bush to grant the pardons before he leaves office. But White House officials point to opinions put out by the Justice Department that supported the administration's methods, and say that pardons -- which would no doubt draw fire from congressional Democrats and other administration critics -- are unnecessary.
It's unclear whether the incoming Obama administration intends to prosecute officials from the CIA, DOJ, and other government agencies who approved the harsh methods. A spokesperson for the Obama transition team told the Journal: "No decisions about interrogation issues will be made before the full national security and legal teams are in place."
But some congressional Democrats, as well as liberal legal scholars, have called for such prosecutions, over activities including water-boarding and the NSA's warantless wiretapping.
Josh
Zachary
Oh, the delicious irony.
I don't think the Bush Enablers have any right to be surprised if the president declines to issue pardons for something they spent the last eight years telling him is perfectly legal.
Oh, sweet, sweet, irony.
November 25, 2008 6:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Quick: we have less than two months in which to waterboard these crooks before they slink off to their corporate rewards.
November 27, 2008 2:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
AND NOW FOR THE REALLY BIG PARDON
http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2008/11/trigger-for-cheney-presidential-pardon.html
Stories just don’t get much better than this.
November 25, 2008 7:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I hired this attorney who would tell me torture was legal... and he did... so I can't be prosecuted..."
November 25, 2008 7:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Story is that former Falcon Dog Fighter Pro
Football player is getting an early release so he can be put in charge of the Transition Team along
with a slot in the last of this administration's
DOJ team.
KEEP DANCING AMERICA. . . THE PIPER CAN WAIT.
November 25, 2008 8:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
one thing which has been apparent for years is Bush's complete belief that he is doing God's will.
He most likely sincerely thinks that, although New Testament thought pushes the idea of forgiveness... our nation's heritage sticks with the eye for an eye (Old Testament) reprisals...
Too bad so many folks have brought God down into the mud with them... and that they have spread that filth and false concept so far and wide...
Also too bad it has occurred in a nation with so much power... and so many sheeplike followers... IMHO
November 25, 2008 10:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pardons to be put in envelopes and left discreetly in the very same black hole that all the key evidence of wrong doing now resides.
November 26, 2008 6:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
In reading Obama's tea leaves, we see the comments that he's not prone to prosecute, but wants the facts out. Of course, the facts are not in dispute, and once legally in the public domain, no President can stop external entities from bringing charges to get the ball rolling.
Once the facts of the tape recordings came out in Watergate, the scandel took on a life of its own. No one could have stopped it after that point.
My preference is for Holder to ask Congress to appoint a special prosecutor.
Letting it fall to history only assures Obama will meet up with it in the furure, and quickly.
Pax,
jK
November 26, 2008 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good. There is no defense that hasn't already been adequately dismissed by legal precedent.
They knew what they did. They knew it was illegal and therefore tried to cover it up, which is proof of intent IMHO.
For the record, I'm not a disinterested observer. I own americantorturemuseum.com (parked) where I plan to at least memorialize all the asshats who participated in this macabre form of 'law enforcement'.
Enjoy.
November 27, 2008 7:50 PM | Reply | Permalink