Obama Refuses to Answer Special Prosecutor Question
http://www.democrats.com/obama-fails-citizen-power-test

Cheney Leaves Door Wide Open for Pre-emptive Torture Pardons
http://www.democrats.com/cheney-leaves-door-wide-open-for-pre-emptive-torture-pardons

Leopold: Conyers Proposes Bush War Crimes Coverup Commission
http://www.pubrecord.org/politics/604-conyers-wants-independent-panel-to-probe-bushs-torture-war-policies.html

By David Swanson

There's a blanket pardon I want President Bush to issue and one I want him not to. Both would involve preemptively pardoning people before they're charged with any crime, much less convicted, and doing so without naming them. One would be decent, just, and Constitutional; the other would be none of those things. One would please people around the country and the world. The other would please the Washington establishment. Bush may very well issue neither of them, but to logically make any sense, without denying important facts, he would have to issue one or the other.

An hour ago I wrote that the "Special Prosecutor Question is the First Test of Obama's Commitment to Citizen Power."

Throughout the 2008 campaign, candidate Barack Obama insisted he was running not to empower himself, but instead to empower ordinary citizens like you and me.

Now he has to prove it.

Sadly, he failed his first test. Once again, he refused to answer my question, even though it was far and away the top vote-getter on Change.gov. Why did he refuse? Because it was a "previously addressed question."

Gimmea&#!^break.

President-elect Obama made two references to torture during his introduction of his nominees for DNI (Dennis Blair) and DCIA (Leon Panetta). The first was indirect but unmistakable:

we know that to be truly secure, we must adhere to our values as vigilantly as we protect our safety with no exceptions.

The second was direct:

I was clear throughout this campaign and have been clear throughout this transition that under my administration, the states does not torture. We will abide by the Geneva Conventions that we will uphold our highest values and ideals.

Wow - AP's Deb Reichmann actually asked Dick Cheney the question we've been asking for months: will Bush pre-emptively pardon torturers? She even credits unidentified "blogs" with the question! (Who knew she and Cheney read blogs?)

Interestingly, Cheney refused to deny such pardons would occur. All he said is the torturers did nothing wrong in his opinion. But that leaves wide open the possibility that others in the Administration disagree. And those others could include George Bush, who might therefore issue pre-emptive pardons. In other words, Dick Cheney left the door wide open for pre-emptive pardons for torturers - and for those who authorized torture, including Cheney and Bush himself.

Throughout the 2008 campaign, candidate Barack Obama insisted he was running not to empower himself, but instead to empower ordinary citizens like you and me.

Now he has to prove it.

Twice now, President-elect Obama has asked ordinary citizens to vote on the questions they most wanted him to answer. Twice I submitted this question:

"Will you appoint a Special Prosecutor - ideally Patrick Fitzgerald - to independently investigate the gravest crimes of the Bush Administration, including torture and warrantless wiretapping?"
-Bob Fertik, New York City

In December my question was #6, but Obama only answered the top 5. Now my question is #1, and it is getting attention beyond the blogosphere.

On Wednesday the New York Times featured the question in an article by Michael Falcone:

REPORT NAMES 30 BUSH OFFICIALS COMPLICIT IN TORTURE

President Bush and his aides repeatedly ignored warnings that their torture plans were illegal from high State Department officials as well as the nation’s top uniformed legal officers, the Judge Advocates General of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, a new published report states.

“These warnings of illegality and immorality given by knowledgeable and experienced (government) persons were ignored by the small group of high Executive officers who were determined that America would torture and abuse its prisoners and who had the decision-making power to secretly require this to be done,” said Lawrence Velvel, chairman of the “Steering Committee of the Justice Robert H. Jackson Conference On Planning For The Prosecution of High Level American War Criminals.” Velvel is a noted reformer in the field of American legal education.

I. INTRODUCTION.

Bruce Fein issued a colorful challenge to those of us who believe Barack Obama could un-pardon George Bush if Bush pre-emptively pardons himself before the strike of noon on January 20.

"The idea that a President can revoke prior pardons that have been delivered and accepted is facially absurd. Could President Jimmy Carter have revoked Nixon's pardon? Could George W. Bush have revoked the Marc Rich pardon? Could Clinton have revoked the Weinberger pardon? Could Obama revoke the commutation of Libby and send him to prison?

Cindy Sheehan asked if I could record a 3-minute goodbye message to Bush and Cheney for her radio show, so I wrote down and read the following:

Never more than in this moment, George, have you been a uniter, not a divider. The joy at your departure is world-wide and wonderful. But I don't want to fully embrace it because I don't want this to be the last we see of you. When I was four years old I watched Richard Nixon leave, and that was just about the last we saw of him, and that is what brought us you. Instead, we should have had monthly reports of regret and repentance from Nixon's prison cell for 20 years. You yourself may have longer than 20 years to live, although with your boss we may have to hurry or invest in a heart transplant. My strongest wish, George, is to give you and Dick and Rummy and Condi and Yoo and Bybee and all the gang what you have denied to so many others: a fair trial.

I posted this originally on a discussion board, where the topic
asked if the two parties are really just the same. It's another one
that is raw, but to the point. I do believe.

On the one hand, Democratic and Republican Politicians are both
Corporate Whores. On the other hand...what kind of whore do you want?
(Nearly all) Democratic Politicians will basically take it from (most)
anyone who will pay enough and push them around. On the other hand
(nearly all) Repubs are the S/M Dominatrix's that will get inside your
mind and control you even when they are not around.