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Leahy Bails on 'Truth Commission' Plan
Those of you following the George W. Bush prosecution trail will be interested to know that Patrick Leahy's "truth commission" is a no-go. I was in a meeting with Leahy and four other Vermonters on Monday when he broke the news to us.
We had asked for the meeting to learn why he supported a truth commission over the appointment of a special prosecutor.
Halfway through the allotted 30 minute meeting (with him taking up much of the time explaining why he was not generally opposed to prosecution, since he had been a DA for eight years and had the highest conviction rate in Vermont), he told us that his truth commission had failed to get the broad support it needed in Congress, and since he couldn't get one Republican to come behind the plan, "it's not going to happen." It was a sobering exchange. The meeting had begun with our expressing serious concerns about ongoing dangers to our democracy, with the trend going to executive power while damaging our Constitution.
"We are a nation of laws," said Dan DeWalt, who had helped organize 36 Vermont towns to vote for impeachment of Bush on town meeting day. "If we have a system of justice, why not let it take its course? It seems to many Americans that the rich and powerful don't have the same system of justice, and they're getting away with torture, murder, fraud, and Ponzi schemes."
By the end of the meeting, we were beginning to wonder whether anything at all was going to done - by Congress, by Attorney General Eric Holder, by President Barack Obama - to hold the Bush team accountable for its crimes.
Leahy's own aversion to appointing a special prosecutor appeared to be more practical than philosophical. "We don't want another Abu Ghraib," he said. "You know, ‘Boy, did we get those privates and corporals.' So many up on high will never get touched. It's like the war on drugs - ‘let's get those black kids on cocaine.'"
So it's not that Leahy had a problem with prosecutions per se. "I just worry that the prosecutions will be done only on middle-level people," he said.
Well then, what would happen to the higher-ups? Leahy had said, on previous occasions, that the purpose of his truth commission was to grant immunity to those willing to testify - presumably middle-level people - and we could infer from that that they, in turn, would spill the beans on their superiors.
If any of the witnesses lied under oath or were less than thorough in their answers, Leahy had told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow a month ago, they could be prosecuted for perjury. But that still left the fate of high government officials uncertain.
Leahy had hinted to Maddow that if officials refused to honor subpoenas, they, too could be prosecuted. But in the real world, as Monday's news suggests, the people most responsible for the crimes will continue to get off free.
We should at least be content, Leahy said, with his success in forcing former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's resignation in 2007.
After Leahy left the meeting, his aide, Chuck Ross, assured our group that there was no one more devoted to protecting the Constitution than Leahy.
"He has been persistent in the face of obfuscation," Ross said. "He got rid of Gonzales. I would challenge you to find someone who has done more to defend the Constitution."
Then Ross let out a memorable one-liner: "He's all you've got."
What? Leahy's all we've got to protect the Constitution? And we have to accept Gonzales's resignation as the only punishment for years of gutting the rule of law? It took about five minutes for all this to sink in.
Then fellow Vermonter John Nirenberg spoke, I think, for all of us: "If he's the only guy, this is not a healthy situation."
It is, perhaps, no coincidence, that the same time Leahy downplayed the truth commission, congressional aides were quoted by reporter Jason Leopold of Consortiumnews.com that "the focus has shifted to the economy and that pressure for a special prosecutor to bring criminal charges over the Bush administration's past actions could become a distraction to that focus."
Leahy's aide Ross had said the same thing. Everyone was focusing on the economy.
So now, it seems, the wrecked economy - complements of the Bush administration -- is becoming the excuse for congressional inaction after eight years of unremitting malfeasance by the Bush administration.
This is serious, folks. Appointing a special prosecutor had been the top issue on President Obama's Web site when he took office. Either he's not listening any more, or his supporters are "looking forward, not backward," just as he prefers - and just as his right flank (the CIA, the neocons, and everyone else who has something to hide) desperately want.
It remains to be seen if Obama's huge base can get through to him on this issue, now that he occupies the White House. If they cannot, then the failure to hold even a truth commission, let alone prosecutions, signals a return to the same old way of doing things. Deterrence be damned.
- Posted in
54 Comments so far
Show AllWe will never get a trial of the Bush administration. To many senior dems and repubs would be sharing cells. The higher ups knew war crimes were being committed, and did nothing but give out cash a approval. Pelosi, Rockefella, et al, would have to be rounded up with Bush and Cheney. Hell, even President Obama, if he had knowledge, could possibly have to take the stand.
D Rock: Like I have posted many times: How can you expect the unjust to prosecute the unjust when most of them are culpable.
Obama is a cupcake for wealthy interests and for AIPAC. When all is said and done, the banks will be ready to lend but there will be no borrowers. Political instability will increase due to the systematic marginalization of homeless and jobless people. Collapsing third world economies will spread to the West resulting in a serious economic worsening. Hyper-inflation will lead to a lost generation. The transformation to a better world of balance will be long and harsh. One spark igniting a nuclear exchange could end it all. Don't worry be happy!
I've argued all along that a "Truth Commission" was essentially a scam like every other Amerikan special "blue-ribbon" commission, at least in the post-Warren Report era.
So I can't exactly complain that even this farce has been blown off.
A Special Prosecutor, while problematic, is not necessarily the fraud on its face that the commission would have been.
Still, even this pseudo-setback is another reminder that our duopolistic political elite has degenerated into an organized crime syndicate. The politicians have circled the wagons around their turf, even if this means shielding the Bush criminal maladministration from being brought to justice.
As I've written before, We the People are like the kids in the back seat of the car yammering to stop off for ice cream. The parents have no intention of complying, but at first they string the kids along with "We'll see", etc. until it becomes obvious that they're not going for it.
"Moving forward" has about as much significance and meaning as "We'll see". And all of the lesser-evilist, compulsively "half-full" philosophy in the world doesn't change the bitter truth that even the least-objectionable incumbents don't even pretend to be working for We the People. They're in a league of their own, and the citizens are literally paying spectators-- we pay for the ticket, sit in the stands, and cheer or boo as the players do exactly what they wish at our expense.
And, perhaps worst of all, once it settles in that the window of opportunity has been slammed shut, caulked, and nailed down forever, the "sensible" pundits and activists will in fact "move on", even with a brief show of reluctance.
· Yr Obd't Servant
"compulsively 'half-full' philosophy"
Nice phrase. Because optimism feels so good, its destructive potential is usually overlooked. And no, that's not an argument in favor of pessimism.
In my nearly 60 years on this planet, I have NEVER seen as big a collection of cowards on Capitol Hill as this.
For the last 8 years, Democrats have given a blank check to a known war criminal, now they won't even investigate, much less prosecute high crimes. Rethugs are no better, goose-stepping behind their fuhrer-wannabe, now cringing that Flush Limpdick might not think kind of them.
PHUCK THIS SHIT!
Hi Charlotte...Nice article. It has been reported from the beginning that the Leahy commission was just a way of distracting from a real prosecution.
The facts are known. No need for a 'truth commission'. The US is under the control of the dem/repub Parties. Sadly, prosecution might have to come from Spain or some other nation.
The people of the US spoke during the last election. The voters do NOT want a prosecution. You and I are in the minority.
Rosemary 12:15 -------- When did voters declare they did not want prosecution? Obama even to this date has not said he will not prosecute. Most polls show a majority want prosecution.
Obama even to this date has not said he will not prosecute.
______________________________________________
He's still in "We'll see" Deception Mode. (see previous comment)
· Yr Obd't Servant
I am in no way defending or trusting Obama. I am denying that the voters ever declared they do not want prosecutions.
True - nobody asked the voters about whether we wanted the Starr commission. Republicans achieve their goals through arrogant aggressive initiative. The Republicans just started and continued with the Starr investigation, spending years and millions for the purpose of cowing the Ds. It worked.
Democrats achieve their goals through passivity and clearing the way for Rs. They don't try very hard. I am not faulting Leahy, but the lack of support he got from his party for even the tamest of approaches to war crimes and other violations.
People talk of lack of courage among Ds. That is only a small part of it. If you did a Venn diagram of R and D goals, there would be an enormous overlap.
Joe
And I have not said that I will not transfer $100,000 into your bank account.
Glenn ford...The voters voice their wishes in the voting booth. During the last election, in my State, half of the candidates for Attorney General promised to prosecute. The 2 candidates who did that, Charlotte and I, came in last. If the voters wanted a Prosecution they would vote for State Attorneys General and/or County Prosecutors who make that pledge. Only the AGs and Prosecutors have the authority to bring forth an Indictment.
-We should at least be content, Leahy said, with his success in forcing former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's resignation in 2007.
-After Leahy left the meeting, his aide, Chuck Ross, assured our group that there was no one more devoted to protecting the Constitution than Leahy.
-Then Ross let out a memorable one-liner: "He's all you've got."
-criminal charges over the Bush administration's past actions could become a distraction to that focus."
I guess the thinking that elected Bush to two terms is still in play, namely, there is a sucker born every minute.
Well contented Americans I guess you are sitting back and having a cold one after having seen off Gonzales way back in 2007.
And with "don't worry about prosecution, we'll have a truth commision" Leahy on the job you needn't worry. He is all you got, after all.
If only you had voted in some members of a party that were not complicit in the crimes of the past eight years, a party for which the protection of the constitution was more than a distraction.
Remember, they hate you for your freedoms, Ha-Ha!
Leahy's arguement does not wash. Prosecutors pro forma plea bargain small fry to get the big ones.
I am glad his farce collapsed, it gives the Spanairds the right to prosecute.
Obama's Base??? Is either doing nothing or he is ignoring them because ---
1) No single Payer
2) Afghan mess
3) Palestine mess
4) Bankster Heist
"he couldn't get one Republican to come behind the plan"
Fancy that glenn, in the US, prosecutions only go ahead when the olleagues of the suspect "get behind the plan".
Dennett sez: "... the failure to hold even a truth commission, let alone prosecutions, signals a return to the same old way of doing things."
***
Small quibble with the language here.
Use of the word "return" suggests "the old way of doing things" actually went somewhere it has to return from.
Same we can believe in!
"It remains to be seen if Obama's huge base can get through to him on this issue..."
Another delusion.
It seems like ages ago that we were admonished to "First, elect Obama and many other Democrats, and then hold their feet to the fire."
Still waiting for that fire (tick, tock, tick...) Daniel David? Anybody?
Why wait passively for Daniel David or whoever? It is up to everyone. Problem is, we don't quite know how yet. Wanting is not enough. Any good ideas?
Joe
Sorry if my sarcasm was too opaque.
DPAs such as the absent Mr. David were so vociferous in support of their Savior and his party as to lead one to suspect (1) they believed that fire would build itself, and (2) Obama would then hold his own feet to it, turning on his well-heeled donors and sneering "Gotcha, suckaz!" I was inviting Mr. David, if he still visits here, and others of his stripe, to give us a status report on their pyrotechnic project.
Meanwhile, homelessness, eminent domain abuse and electoral reform, my three areas of particular interest, show no sign of nearing resolution after some thirty years of thoroughly bipartisan malfeasance. Quite the reverse, in fact.
It's enough to make one believe we've been invaded and conquered by asbestos-footed mutants in human form.
I got the sarcasm, Jethro Tullamore, it's difficult to signal sarcasm in text, isn't it?
Perhaps after helping the Dems sucker you lot for the n'th time, DD is basking in the glow of his/her glorious victory.
Back at the beginning of our war of aggression in Iraq, I wrote on Internet blogs, suggesting to the world's nations that they would have to unite to "stop us before we killed again." Since then, there appears to be the beginning of a world movement to contain the threat our nation poses to world peace. The Spanish initiative is just one indication of this phenomenon. We can't depend on the great majority of our bought and corrupt US leaders to police what is supposed to be our republic of laws. It is now up to the world to hold us to account, as we and other nations held the Germans to account at Nuremberg.
Alanlak 1:48 ----------- Good Point !!!!
REALLY good point.
Agreed. We need to get on the gold standard and off the nuclear bomb bully standard.
Was anyone really expecting anything other than a gesture?
It is the bone thrown to keep the pack quiet and it is getting pretty old.
D Rock is right. Jane Harmon, Nancy Pelosi and several other war industry shills were in on extraordinary rendition, torture and the elimination of habeus corpus early on. They were notified in 2002 in a White House meeting, which has been reported in many venues. They voiced no objection and went on record with bland assurances of support for the Bush/Cheney Regime. If there is an investigation, the Repubs will make damn sure some Dem blood is shed. The Dems won't allow it, especially with Pelosi controlling all Dem legislative activity.
Then there is the fact that Bill Clinton was already renditioning people. Bush/Cheney merely beefed up an existing program, just like Cheney's VP-run political assassination squad, which already existed when Bush/Cheney took office (see S Hersh).
Lastly, there has been no systemic Dem critique of Bush/Cheney lawlessness. This is probably because the Dems want the executive power arrogated by Bush/Cheney for their own purposes. No doubt Obama thinks he will use these illegal powers "responsibly". Authoritarian rulers always claim they had no choice; the nation was in crisis, enemies were at the gates, our very lives were at stake.
Yeah. Our very lives probably are at stake.
SO WHADDYA GONNA DO ABOUT IT???? Talk some more? Regurgitate more history? OR ARE YOU GOING TO ACT? The purpose of these articles and threads is not just to raise awareness and clarify ideas. If you're not prepared to ACT based on what you learn and understand, you can talk until the bus comes to take you to the camps. It's like the victim of domestic rape. They can talk about it to their friends, they can read and write about it to gain more understanding of the dynamics of their oppression, they may even come to understand ways that they enabled the behavior, BUT, until that "victim" stands up and takes some kind of meaningful action, taking into account the full brutality of their oppressor, NOTHING will change. And of course, some victims find a certain stability to being a slave.
IT IS YOUR CHOICE. IT IS ONE OF THE HARDEST CHOICES YOU WILL EVER MAKE IN YOUR LIFE - AND IT CAN SET YOU FREE. Do you really want to be free or is your slavery comfortable?
Peace.
right I guess, but what "meaningful action" do you suggest? Author Dennett was "doing something". She was doing a lot, in fact. That's when "liberal" Pat Leahy slammed the door in her face after arrogantly lecturing her about his personal qualifications. She's got a lot of heart. I would have told Leahy what Dick Cheney told him.
The mechanisms of social control have gotten so complicated and elaborate and all-pervasive that I am not at all sure the anybody in the national security state even knows how to operate them all.
jareilly April 2nd, 2009 3:12 pm
GNR'L Stryke -Sick Out - 3 Outcomes: 1. Card Check Now; 2. Single Payer Now; 3. End Iraq/Afghan NOW. - Pick a date in the middle of the work week, Call in Sick, Meet in the middle of Main Street, every Main Street, with a 100000 close friends, in waves. Shut it DOWN. 3rd time's a charm.
They are terrified of us jareilly. They always have been and left to themselves they are going to screw us to death while sodomizing 14 yr olds in front of their mothers and slicing men's penis' with razors. Right now jareilly, can you hear the screams? Americans are doing that right now.
How would you feel if you were an autonomous self directed Citizen of the United States? Would such a person consider taking a day of their lives in community with massive numbers of fellow Citizens to change their country? 3rd time's a charm. 3 Days that would change American history...
Consider the possibilities.
All these men and women Dims & Repugs (name your own exceptions)are here to screw us to death - including BHO - unless we stop them. We can only do that by shutting down their Empire, 1 Day, 2 Day, 3 Day.
Peace.
Ok;what can we do?A suggestion to start a secret (as much as possible)of people all over the country that feel as we do that being treated like shit has got to stop.If we can get enough people to participate from the different congressional districts we can pool our thoughts and ideas about who to back.The only money to pay is for a website and that only if we get enough people to make it viable.Tony
e-mail sandnton@comcast.net
madam let me tell you what the bought and paid for congress/senate and president are going to do - in a phrase of the street
sweet fuck all
with that in mind - the question has always been and still remains - what are you going to do (now that you know the truth)
and the answer once again in a phrase of the street is: sweet fuck all
next................
Get the mid-level people so they won't be around to become high-level people. If we had done that the last time we had a chance, we wouldn't be in Iraq now.
There was never going to be any real investigation of anything because, as one poster already pointed out, the Democrats are just as culpable as Bush. Pelosi, Reid and numerous others were briefed about the torture, the illegal wire tapping, and pretty much every other disgusting and illegal action that was committed. This makes them just as guilty. The other reason is that Obama wants the option to continue this type of action should he deem it necessary.
'Don't get fooled again' - Pete Townsend
This is true. Leahy can't come up with a good reason because it's rather difficult to explain that the Democratic leadership in Congress was complicit in Bush's many crimes.
Not a peep, except for maybe five Congress members.
It's another reason to embrace the third party of your choice. What have you got to lose?
-TIA
let's follow the money! every penny paid, every penny received -- all to a public database. without this minimum, the lawlessness will continue.
We don't need new commissions. What we need are better pols. Just adding more commissions with no successful returns will further soak the taxpayers with more bills. Why isn't VT replacing that old spineless Leahy anyway? Hasn't that state got far better progressives/liberals? VT isn't MO for god's sake.
Well, he's up for election next year. The problem here in Vermont is General Dynamics. They have a machine gun factory which gives jobs with defense contracts brought in by Leahy. It's sad. I hope Leahy loses in 2010. I was one of the Vermonters who signed for the truth commission. Probably all I accomplished is to get on a Republican shit list after our good senator published the list.
The way folks like Leahy, Feinstein, Liebernazi, etc ... handle defense contractors and betray its voters is one of the strong reasons I felt kicked out of the Democratic Party and stayed Independent. I'm sorry to see your state of VT undergoing such betrayal. Sanders doesn't look too bad though he's going to need Independent company sooner than later lest he become corrupt like the rest. I'll see if I can find an Independent candidate to replace Sen Bond in my state of Misery (MO) although I know that's a really long shot.
I believe one of the reasons the Dems. didn't say much when informed of the illegal and immoral goings on of the Bush criminal enterprise was because of the Patriot Act that forade them from commenting even to their aides. I may be wrong and would appreciate a correction. It still does not excuse those in power from prosecuting the criminals now though. A crime against humanity and the U.N. treaties and our Constitution and just about any law you can think of was broken by this mess of human scum.
This is one of the most depressing pieces I've read.
Democracy is toast.
Leahy's odd behavior tells the sad story.
Trickle down justice, Mukasey for Gonzales.
Gotta look forward, no time for the Constitution.
The worst generation is how we'll be remembered.
Cowards, psychopaths and sell-outs.
The country went down without even a fight.
Pathetic. Just Pathetic.
Cygnus-X1-isaHole sez: "The country went down without even a fight."
***
Ayuh. The coup was completed in 2002, and USAns slept through it.
The Bread and Circuses phase of the empire has already arrived -- with precious little bread, at that -- but The People (sic) have not yet fallen to the subsistence level for which they've been conditioned. It's going to be a spell before they're ready to act.
medical marajuana will save the planet.
"Leahy's odd behavior" is right. I would like to hear him explain exactly why he backed down.
Now I have to question my own behavior. I was not such a big fan of the truth commission because I feared it would confer immunity on people too far up the line. I wrote to Leahy, whom I respect, questioning the adequacy of such a commission.
He is not such a young man, fiercely attacked from the right, nit-picked (possibly) from the left. Perhaps we on the left should have done more to support him. Then we might have had some public education. Now we have nothing.
But I could be wrong.
Joe
Disappointing but not surprising. Democrats with spine are an vanished species.
His constituents need to find a way to make regret caving in. Playing nice with criminals isn't a qualification for the US Senate.
The rest of us need to push away the smoke screen of economic crisis and get this done.
The Richfilth Oligarchy bought our entire political class in wholesale lots (quite cheaply) starting in the early 70's. None of their current behavior is exceptional only the depth of our collapse. They will not willingly change their behavior - BUT - they are gutless weasels. That means they can be terrified. We can terrify them with the specter of shutting down the capitals in each of their states. Gnr'l Stryke - Sick Out - Nobody goes to work that day! I even suspect people who work in the state governments, not to mention DC, might find themselves with a bad case of the flu that day.
Just imagine it - then make it happen: Card Check Now; Single Payer Now; Out of Iraq/Afghan Now.
We're on our own children. The richfilth politicians are here to screw us to death for their richfilth Masters. It is truly Them or Us and there's a lot more of us than there are of them. That's why Master is terrified of us just like every Master before them. We can shut the Empire down.
"We the People" right?
Peace.
Is anyone surprised? Oh please. This video from the editor of http://tvnewslies.org revealed the 'Truth Commission' to be a sham weeks ago.
Please view it to understand where we are, and where we're going, despite all the hype and all the hope to the contrary.
Google: Leahy TvNewsLies. It's worth the wake up call.
Shame on you Senator Leahy, your nothing more than a paper tiger, who bought you off Senator? What happened, did someone blackmail you? I don't doubt that you wanted to follow through on the misdeeds of the Bush Administration, but something of greater importance than the Constitution you swore to uphold intervened. What was it Senator, better still who was it?
The same goes for the whole Federal Government from the top down. You have affectly tied the hands of Lady Justice, left her blind, deaf and mute. I am so angry at all of Washington DC Congressional hotshots, Justice Department stoogies, Senators, Vice-President Biden, President Obama. I have a feeling I'm not alone in feeling betrayed by the Power structure of this Country.
I would advocate something but I cannot put it in words for I'm afraid if I did so men in Dark SUV's would come looking for me in the middle of the night. And because I have this fear then the reality is not far fetched, in fact, the power of Big Brother is already here stalking the streets of our Country, I am afraid deeply afraid for my country and for the people of this Country.
I went to bat for you Senator Leahy! I put myself on the line for you publically advocating your "truth commission" because it is the right thing to do, and is the only path likely to produce results. When someone admits guilt and says they are sorry, the karmic debt it erased, and soooo much anger, guilt, angst vanishes.
This will not happen now.
Instead, we have the same old, same old, corruption at top levels beginning with our elected representatives - as in Alaska where me, a former Vermonter, resides now - are reaping the results of someone who WAS a voice of the people turning into a pawn of private interests.
ANother nail in our global coffin.
A voice of Truth, for Truth, is worth 1000 voices of corruption and vice and self-interest. There is so much POWER in Truth.
I'm sorry for you Senator Leahy. You fell off the wagon. I pity you and what you are personally reaping.
We had a chance at the Truth... YOU blew it. We who believed in you...deflated. Perhaps that serves a greater darker interest...you think?