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Vermont Candidate Backs Prosecution of President Bush For Murder
BURLINGTON - Charlotte Dennett, the Progressive Party candidate for Vermont attorney general, said Thursday that if elected she would prosecute President Bush for murder.
Vincent Bugliosi, left, speaks at a news conference in Burlington, Vt., Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008. Bugliosi, the author of the book, "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder." was in Vermont to support the candidacy of Progressive candidate for attorney general of Vermont, Charlotte Dennett, right.(AP Photo/Toby Talbot) Dennett, an attorney from Cambridge challenging incumbent Democrat William Sorrell, was joined by Vincent Bugliosi, a famed prosecutor who took on Charles Manson in the early 1970s, at a press conference in downtown Burlington.
As Vermont attorney general, Dennett said she would appoint Bugliosi, who published a book this year called "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder," as a special prosecutor to hold Bush accountable for deaths stemming from the Iraq war.
Dennett said Vermont is the ideal state to bring murder charges against Bush, since the state has carried the country's highest per capita deaths of soldiers in the war. It is also home to nearly 40 communities that moved to impeach the president last year.
"Lots of Vermonters feel very frustrated that the impeachment efforts did not go anywhere," she said. "This is another avenue for us."
Bugliosi, a 74-year-old Los Angeles resident and author of the famed "Helter Skelter" book about his prosecution of Manson, called Dennett a "valiant and patriotic woman" willing to put her reputation on the line to bring to justice what he sees as one of the worst criminal acts in recent history.
He told a small crowd gathered in downtown Burlington on Thursday morning that his book clearly lays out evidence showing that Bush and his administration misled the American people and the U.S. Congress into war in 2003.
"George Bush and his people have gotten away with thousands and thousands of murders," Bugliosi said, citing both American and Iraqi deaths in the five-year-old war. "We, the American people, cannot let him get away with this."
Bugliosi said any state attorney general or local district attorney can bring criminal charges against Bush once he leaves office early next year. He said Vermont could take on the soon-to-be ex-president by bringing conspiracy to murder charges against him, using his own public statements during the build-up to the Iraq war as evidence.
"Bush and his administration deliberately told lies to deceive people and get the support of the country behind the war," he said. "That information went out through the media and was heard by residents of the state of Vermont."
Sorrell said Thursday that promises to prosecute Bush for murder makes "good political sound bites," but said he does not believe he - or any other local or state prosecutor - has that authority.
To bring about a murder or conspiracy to murder charge against Bush, the actual crime - the death of an individual - would need to take place within his jurisdiction, Sorrell said, which in this case is the Green Mountain State.
"And if I remember correctly, Vermont is still the only state George Bush has not visited while president," Sorrell said.
Dennett said she read "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder" earlier this year and was interested in pursuing Bugliosi's notion that local prosecutors could bring criminal charges against the president.
She was put in touch with him through a friend who has a mutual publicist with Bugliosi. Within a half hour, the two were on the phone discussing the possibility of prosecuting Bush once he leaves office, she explained.
"Right away I felt a real rapport with him," she said.
But Dennett said she is not a single-issue candidate, adding that she is also interested in issues surrounding the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon and its proposal to extend its operating license beyond 2012.
When asked by a reporter if she thinks she has a chance against Sorrell, a well-entrenched incumbent, Dennett said she thinks the Democrat is a "nice man," but that her push to hold Bush accountable for the deaths in Iraq will "strike a chord" with Vermonters.
"I think I will have a groundswell of support," she said.
The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 4.
- Posted in
138 Comments so far
Show AllBecuase Bush has not been impeached, he can - and certainly will - pardon himself for anything before he leaves office.
Of course, I'm assuming that he intends to leave office.
q
A president cannot pardon himself according to the constitution.....lizard
All presidents since the twenties have been 'selected in' by the CFR (Council on Foreign Relations). Not a member? Get lost!
Obama, McCain, the Clintons, and Bushes are members, and as far as pardons go, they don't eat their own. Do some research on this organization (and not just from their propagandistic website or their supporters).
quickstepper !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Who says Bush is not going to declare Marshall Law,
void any election not making his child McBush his
successor, and continue on .. . . .
DANCE ON AMERICA . . . .THE PIPER CAN WAIT.
quickstepper !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Who says Bush is not going to declare Marshall Law,
void any election not making his child McBush his
successor, and continue on .. . . .
DANCE ON AMERICA . . . .THE PIPER CAN WAIT.
They must be growing some Serious Cannabis in Vermont these days
The personal attacks lend nothing to whatever credibility you wish to establish, frankly.
Moreover, the insinuation that anybody who believes that Bush is a criminal or even wrong about ANYTHING must be high is so passe at this point in time, you're using it is merely evidence of your own desperation. Even Limbaugh has graduated onto the next class of empty argument.
He has done what he needed to do to keep America safe...I can either promise you or bet you that he will not be brought under any charges except by the monday morning quarterbacks on sites like this
care to bet or what?
I can either promise you or bet you that he will not be brought under any charges
Well, so what? Are you really retreating to that cyclical, ridiculous argument that merely because Bush hasn't been impeached means he's done nothing wrong? That's lame and again adds nothing at all to your credibility.
Frankly speaking, words about how Bush did what he need to do to keep America safe have little value when they come from somebody who clearly has a deficit of understanding of the true issues. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to attack you but you're failed to impress me.
How has he done what he needed to do to keep America safe?
Are we safer now that we were 8 years ago?
And what about the US exploitation of the world that caused the animosity to begin with? WE helped make it un-safe to begin with, from US foreign policy... which, as bush senior firmly stated: " the american way of life is non-negotiable"... doesn't that imply that we were always willing to play less than fairly in order to ensure that we would achieve what we wanted, in out interests, rather than in the interests of those on the other side of international " agreements"...?
If this is indeed the case.. we are being protected from enemies that we ourselves created.. yesno? and if that is the case.. wouldn't attempting to remedy underlying imbalances and injustices be more successful than military force?
I don't know precisely what this might look like on the ground.. anyone?
Correct.
-- How safe is the United States, *economically,* with US taxpayers shelling out $15 billion per month on the Iraq and Afghan wars? See http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home
-- How safe is the United States, *morally,* with the Iraq War having, to date, been responsible for the death of over 1,000,000 Iraqis? See http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/01/31/6768/
-- How safe is the United States, *physically,* with the Democratic/Republican duopoly not content with waging two wars in the Middle East (Iraq and Afghanistan), but also willing to up the ante by invading Pakistan and Iran as well. ... With, we are told by both major party candidates, the use of nuclear weapons "not off the table."
How safe are US ports? How safe are US airports? In short, how safe should a country expect to be when it is perceived by virtually every nation in the world as the leading exporter of state-sponsored terrorism.
And how safe financially is America when, because of a corrupt Republican ideology of 'free market forces know best', in collusion with corrupt bankers & Wall Street, are now trying to soak American taxpayers for up to $1.3 trillion (Paulson gave that figure today) as they run off to hide from prosecution.
Safe? Ha Ha.
Snow Wolf is just playing with you guys. Why bother answering? He doesn't care about your arguments, he thinks its fun to spew these stupid comments ,which even he doesn't believe, to get your goat. He is a comedian. It's ok to laugh, but comedians should not be taken seriously. It stops being funny then. lizard
Good point, javier.
But I think that, at the same time, there is a certain kind of person who says various "off the wall" things because they, in reality, want someone to tell them just how off-base they are.
I used to tutor a senior citizen on the computer -- nice guy, very likeable -- but every once in a while he would say the most racist, bigoted things you could imagine. I didn't take him for a racist in the *vicious* sense of the word, rather, I think he was testing me, a non-racist, to see just how his opinions stacked up in what you might call "the normative world."
So, you know, let Snow Wolf speak. He may surprise even himself as to how goofy he, in fact, sounds.
Cannabis could be used to grow oil and replace petroleum if that's what you're afraid of. Petroleum production is peaking out and the war machine will be losing ground. Get used to it.
You should know! You must be on crack!
In April or May, Guardian columnist George Monbiot (with a group of chanting supporters) tried to arrest speaker John Bolton at the Hay (Wales) Festival of Ideas. He was politely ushered from the room by local police.
Ms. Dennett could become only the second person in the entire world to actually bring charges against one (to be followed by many more, I hope) of history's great criminals.
He was politely ushered from the room by local police.
There was nothing polite about it...He was physically blocked by two rather LARGE, tough looking hombre's...
To: SnowWolf
That's right anybody talking about prosceuting bush on war crimes/murder is on cannabis......
Personally I would prosecute the whole lot (bush and cronies) and make an example out of them. The only problem is that US judicial system is dead and can only prosecute the small fish who are poor and weak whereas the rich gets away with it.
Please do not think that you have got scott free because Bush and the neocons and all the corrupt Republicans still have to face the last and final test alongwith Hitler, Attila, Ganges Khan, Pinochet and others.
well personally speaking...you don't get to make that call...and neither does she
Congress gets to make that call...and Pelosi punted because she knew it would be wrong...she's already going to be seen Historically as pretty much a failure of a Speaker...why compound it?
You can keep your two parties for all anyone cares these days. Yeah, "impeach" a president on a sexual affair which had nothing to do with national security but "reward" a president who dragged a country into Iraq based on LIES and compromised national security. No wonder Osama bin laden is laughing at you.
Clinton was an incompetent phony but I agree with you about Impeaching him...waste of time effort and Money
Pelosi punted because she is complicit & herself liable.
Vincent Bugliosi has made the case for state and county prosecutors having jurisdiction in this matter if people from their area have died due to Bush's lie- based war. I am not a lawyer, but he is and it is worth a try.
Joe
Actually, a President cannot pardon himself. McCain will pardon Bush as one of his - if not THE - first acts as President. And yes, Obama will pardon Bush also if push come to shove.
But anyway, as much as I agree with the idea of prosecuting Bush for murder - although war crimes would make more sense in my view, since those don't require jurisdictional limitations - it ain't gonna happen. Just like impeachment ain't gonna happen. Take a look at Snowwolf's post. He is a pretty good example of a normal cross-section of Americans who 1) don't give a rat's ass what our elected officials do in our name, 2) don't pay enough attention to even find OUT if our elected officials have committed any crimes or not, and 3) even if they found out the truth that Bush DID commit crimes - up to and including murder and war crimes, etc. - they would be about as supportive and interested in bringing him to justice as they are about getting off their couches in the middle of American Idol or Cops to write a letter of protest to their Congressman.
Face it, there are too many zombie mush-brain complacent sheeple in the American populace just like Snowwolf who either don't care about crimes committed by their leaders, or else - just like Snowwolf - they think that anything an American President does is perfectly fine and justifiable because "God loves America, and we are the good guys."
"The only thing required for evil to flourish is that good men do nothing."
The people don't get to decide who gets prosecuted. Of course it can be done. It was done with Nixon no? This is an exciting event. This is the most important race with the eviction of Pelosi second most important. Vermont leads this nation's more progressive elements. Of course it can be done. lizard
Good point, Demonstorm. One can blame the corporate media a lot for deceiving the masses. But even the corporate media has revealed that the invasion of Iraq was based on lies. Same with Bush's illegal spying on Americans, it was (and is) blatantly illegal, has been widely reported on. And yet many people just are too comfortably numb to care.
I promise you...He will not be prosecuted for anything
and when his admisitration is looked at through the prism of history and not politics he will be seen about the same as Truman...pretty good...not a Lincoln or FDR but no slouch either
and tell me...did they just migrate from Woodstock into Vermont...or was it something over time...I remember when that state was relatively normal
What state do you live in anyway?
I am FROM Seattle but work/live in Maryland... I know...I've got nerve calling Vermont abnormal huh?...*s*
snow-wolf.. I live in vermont- and I can tell you there is a lot of " normalcy" here.. there is also.. a hugely active political population. town meetings are well attended and participation is strong. This is grass-roots democracy and civic participation in action. Vermonters have strong beliefs.. and those are based on law, not religion.
What is abnormal about that?
Maryland is not too different from Vermont. You should move to South Carolina and see how well you really can hold on. Sure, there are plenty of blind ones similar to you despite the poverty and joblessness that's killing them but you won't need those "bothersome" labor unions you complain about.
Ha! More like Hitler. Over 1 million Iraqi civilians killed--that's
MASS MURDER.
I think there is a possibility Bush will be prosecuted--if he doesn't run to his property in Paraguay!
You promise? What power do you have to promise anything? What do you take yourself for? The court jester thinks he is important! hahaha......... lizard
SnowWolf September 19th, 2008 11:45 am
I promise you...He will not be prosecuted for anything.
That's very true, even a sure thing. Nonetheless, GO CHARLOTTE DENNETT!
Well...at least you're a realist...
she is just shamelessly pandering for votes
(much like the Democrats in Congress that promised to end the War if elected)
Cooooooooooool.
Joe
Snowwolf is your typical redneck drone who is oiling his gun and booking a flight on the next Wolf Kill Expedition with a hot chick in tow to massage his ego. They think with their limbic system and will not stop until they've lassoed, branded, and corraled anyone and everyone who looks different than they and exhibits a penchant for analytical thought. Rednecks are dominating the conversation due to their sheer numbers, which is why we will soon have to outsource or import any cultural commodities to allow those who are curious and thoughtful to access their sanity.
Enough!!
Wow
That was a lot of words for my dumb hick brain to com-pre-hend
but you have some interesting observations
I did like the visual of the hot chick massaging my...ego...thank you
Yep, that pretty much clinches it. You're just here throwing chum into the water for the vicarious thrill of watching the sharks.
I understand the fun of stirring it up, but please don't ask us to take you seriously.
Snow wolf is no redneck, or typical American. He is perpetrating a hoax. He likes to sound outrageous because he gets his kicks from being oppositional. Who knows what he truly believes? Who cares? It is best that he continue playing the fool for our amusement. Bring in the clown!!!..........lizard
GW probably won't be convicted of war crimes, even if he is tried. Just because it doesn't happen, doesn't mean that it shouldn't. Any country with so many fascist sympathizers such as snow wolf probably won't do the right thing. If this was post WWII and Bush's name was Hitler and we still had the Nuremburg Court, certainly Bush and many others would be convicted of war crimes based on the existing evidence.
It makes me feel hopeful that there are courageous and truly patriotic people like Charlotte Dunnett who will stand up to do what is right and just.
Long live Justice and Democracy!
I'm a Fascist Sympathizer?...who knew?
C'mon Dude...am I a dumb hick who doesn't know any better or an evil Skinhead Nazi Collaborator?
(which is all news to me by the way)
Most likely you're just some bored, frat-boy type with a few minutes of spare time on his hands playing around here for shits and grins.
Again, there's nothing really wrong with that, but don't expect to be taken seriously.
I'd say he's a coward for never replying with anything but the 'company' line, or a 'contrary' as spoken of in the movie "Little Big Man", but either way an anti -social type in complete denial. Some people, I guess, will do anything for a paycheck, sad, very sad.
Uh, dude, dumb hick, SnowWolf or whoever you are--you said Bush would be viewed by future generations "sympathetically"--so yes, that's pretty sick. Bush launched two illegal wars and continues to occupy territories where over 1 million people have been killed as a result. The wars were launched on the basis of bogus lies about WMD. His administration authorized TORTURE of detainees in violation of international law and WIRETAPPING of US civilians in violation of FISA. And you are silly enough to show up on this forum day in, day out like some sort of spook or an idiot--not sure which. Surely there is a forum where your views would be lauded. Isn't there a forum for Bush sympathizers? Oh right, of course not--maybe you could start one?
I'm guessing you are jewish. Most comedians are jewish.................lizard
Whether Charlotte Dennett is successful or not: at least we know she has a conscience. You go girl! Vote third party.
Although it would be nice to see GWB get what should be coming to him, as some here have pointed out, there is about a snowball's chance in hell of it actually happening. He simply is too powerful, connected, and untouchable. Would I like to see him prosecuted for murder, treason, manipulation of intelligence (talk about on oxymoron) to create a false premise for war, you betcha. Sorry, no bets coming from me (I already got f*cked by people who gambled with my money on Wall Street, even though I did not give them permission to do it, in addition to the fact that some people in this country are completely incapable of living within a budget, for which I and many other taxpayers will be paying dearly for their mistakes).