|
Biden: criminal charges against Bush administration a possibility
|
View this Thread in Original format
| josh4 |
| quote: |
Barack Obama would consider charging Bush administration over Guantanamo
Joe Biden, Barack Obama’s vice-presidential running mate, has indicated that a new Democratic administration could pursue criminal charges against the Bush administration over the treatment of detainees in Guantanamo bay.
Mr Biden said at an event in Deerfield Beach, Florida: If there has been a basis upon which you can pursue someone for a criminal violation, they will be pursued
Mr Biden said at an event in Deerfield Beach, Florida: “If there has been a basis upon which you can pursue someone for a criminal violation, they will be pursued, not out of vengeance, not out of retribution, out of the need to preserve the notion that no one, no attorney general, no president - no one is above the law."
His statement is the strongest indication yet that an Obama administartion might seek legal redress against the President George W. Bush. It could undermine Mr Obama’s message of bipartisanship and moving beyond the battles over Iraq.
In April, Mr Obama struck a similar note when he promised that he would ask his attorney general to review the Bush administration’s decisions to differentiate between "genuine crimes" and "really bad policies".
"If crimes have been committed, they should be investigated," he told the Philadelphia Daily News. "You're also right that I would not want my first term consumed by what was perceived on the part of Republicans as a partisan witch hunt, because I think we've got too many problems we've got to solve."
Democrats on Capitol Hill have issued a blizzard of subpoenas to Bush administration aides as part of a inquiries into the authorisation of brutal interrogation tactics used at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.
Three White House officials have been held in criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to respond to subpoenas. Former counsel Harriet Miers, former chief political adviser Karl Rove and current chief of staff Josh Bolten have all refused to appear.
Mr Biden said at an event in Deerfield Beach, Florida: “If there has been a basis upon which you can pursue someone for a criminal violation, they will be pursued, not out of vengeance, not out of retribution, out of the need to preserve the notion that no one, no attorney general, no president - no one is above the law."
His statement is the strongest indication yet that an Obama administartion might seek legal redress against the Presidetn George W. Bush. It could undermine Mr Obama’s message of bipartisanship and moving beyond the battles over Iraq.
In April, Mr Obama struck a similar note when he promised that he would ask his attorney general to review the Bush administration’s decisions to differentiate between "genuine crimes" and "really bad policies".
"If crimes have been committed, they should be investigated," he told the Philadelphia Daily News. "You're also right that I would not want my first term consumed by what was perceived on the part of Republicans as a partisan witch hunt, because I think we've got too many problems we've got to solve."
Democrats on Capitol Hill have isseued a blizzard of subpoenas to Bush administration aides as part of a inquiries into the authorisation of torturous interrogation tactics used at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.
Three White House officials have been held in criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to respond to subpoenas. Former counsel Harriet Miers, former chief political adviser Karl Rove and current chief of staff Josh Bolten have all refused to appear.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...tanamo-Bay.html |
Starting to get picked up by the MSM. We'll see where this goes and if they backpedal at all. One thing is sure, you don't want to be throwing out these kind of promises only to recant later. |
|
|
| Zild |
| They better back this up. I've actually been jerking off over this all day. |
|
|
| Fir3start3r |
I'm quite surprised they felt the need to even mention it during their campaign (unless they're that desparate...)?
Even if they thought they had this election in the bag and the allegations are as serious as they say, they why not just campaign on their own merits other than trying to round up those potential voters with BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome)?
I'm beginning to wonder if this whole election is going to simply become one big anti-Bush vote.
Gawd knows that if one took a swig every time Obamasiah mentioned Bush in his Democratic nomination speech they'd have a hangover for a month... |
|
|
| Audigy7 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Fir3start3r
Gawd knows that if one took a swig every time Obamasiah mentioned Bush in his Democratic nomination speech they'd have a hangover for a month... |
That'd be pretty impressive to have a month long hangover from 8 swigs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/u...gewanted=1&_r=1 |
|
|
| Fir3start3r |
Did you include insinuations besides being literal? |
|
|
| Lebezniatnikov |
| quote: | Originally posted by Fir3start3r
Did you include insinuations besides being literal? |
lol |
|
|
| josh4 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Fir3start3r
I'm beginning to wonder if this whole election is going to simply become one big anti-Bush vote. |
I'd be surprised if you didn't expect that from the beginning. I'd argue thats all the last two elections were, the Democrats just weren't strong enough to make it count.
|
|
|
| Clovis |
Yeah they sure are desperate, I mean you'd be too after back to back slam dunk speeches by McCain and Palin.
Woah nelly... |
|
|
| Fir3start3r |
| quote: | Originally posted by josh4
I'd be surprised if you didn't expect that from the beginning. I'd argue thats all the last two elections were, the Democrats just weren't strong enough to make it count.
|
Can't play the video...in Canada....stOOpid internet...
You're right josh4 about expecting the anti-Bush rhetoric, but why do they have to keep mentioning it over and over and over...
Are they that dumb down there or what??
(no offence) |
|
|
| The17sss |
Found this critique interesting:
| quote: | To be quite honest, there’s nothing objectionable about this (Biden's) statement. Who could object to holding elected officials accountable for crimes they commit in office? In this case, Biden is completely correct — no one is above the law, and we need to make sure that we don’t set precedents that undermine that concept.
Note too that Biden says If. If violations occurred, they plan to investigate them. As long as they stick to that approach, that seems not just fair, but fundamental to good government.
However, the real story here is that Democrats have controlled Congress for almost two years now, and they have conducted investigations into these allegations. What have they found? Nothing. The 110th Congress has abdicated all of its other responsibilities to focus on witch hunts, hoping to find a Holy Grail of Bush Derangement Syndrome. Despite wasting thousands of hours and millions of dollars, they’ve come up with a big nothingburger.
The real outrage here is either that the Democrats are so deep into the tinfoil hat brigade, or that they are so incompetent. Neither of those options speak well to keeping them in leadership roles. That’s why Joe Biden answered the man’s question carefully, and in my mind, completely appropriately. If Republicans want to become a party of real reform, they’d better get used to acting on it.
|
|
|
|
| josh4 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Fir3start3r
Can't play the video...in Canada....stOOpid internet...
You're right josh4 about expecting the anti-Bush rhetoric, but why do they have to keep mentioning it over and over and over...
Are they that dumb down there or what??
(no offence) |
The same reason any politician has to repeat the rhetoric over and over - to make sure everyone hears it. People like you and me might be very familiar with it because we tend to hear it the first time its said, and the second, and the third. It takes a while to reach the general public. Going into the DNC most Americans still didn't have a grasp on who Obama was even after all that with Hillary. |
|
|
| Fir3start3r |
| quote: | Originally posted by josh4
The same reason any politician has to repeat the rhetoric over and over - to make sure everyone hears it. People like you and me might be very familiar with it because we tend to hear it the first time its said, and the second, and the third. It takes a while to reach the general public. Going into the DNC most Americans still didn't have a grasp on who Obama was even after all that with Hillary. |
That said, I would have thought everyone would have been aware of Bush's history by now :p :crazy: |
|
|
|
|
