Letters to the Editor
farbie
Published Letters: 157 Editor's Choice: 2
-
OPEN LETTER TO BARACK OBAMA
[Read the article: The motivation for blocking investigations into Bush lawbreaking]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Kudos, Glenn, to an absolutely terrific article today. Here's my open letter to Barack Obama:
OPEN LETTER TO BARACK OBAMA:
Dear Senator Obama:
As you may know, I have been fighting the FISA “compromise” ever since it was dreamed up by Jay Rockefeller, Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Unfortunately, it appears that you have drunk the “Kool-Aid” that Rockefeller has been drinking ever since he was included in the secret briefings that the Bush Administration held shortly after 9-11. Key Democrats, including current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, former ranking House Intelligence Committee member Jane Harman, and several others were extensively briefed on both the illegal wiretapping and NSA data-mining programs, as well as the illegal torture-rendering that was going on at Guantanamo. While they did not actively formulate and create these illegal activities, since they were advised of them, they are at least complicit co-conspirators.
It appears that this crime-enabling behavior began with the Reagan Administration, and continued throughout the first Bush Administration and the Clinton Administration. Iran-Contra, which was also illegal, was covered up by the subsequent pardons of George H.W. Bush and the lack of investigation by the Clinton Administration.
We have now reached an absolutely critical juncture in American history: are we to continue down the lawless path towards unmitigated fascism, or will we return to the rule of law that is embodied in the Constitution and that has served this country well over the last 200-plus years?
The choice is yours, Senator Obama, since it appears at this juncture that you will likely be the next President. Will you be guided by the rule of law, or will you be guided by the dark forces that exist in BOTH parties?
First, since you failed us completely on the FISA vote, I expect that you will redeem yourself by actively pursuing, PRIOR TO THE ELECTION, a process of impeachment that will preclude George W. Bush from pardoning himself and others involved in the following illegal activities:
1. Illegal wiretapping, in violation of FISA;
2. Illegal torture, in violation of the Geneva Conventions;
3. Lying, or directly ignoring contrary evidence, to get the U.S. into a war with Iraq.
My understanding of constitutional law (admittedly very old, having taken Constitutional Law in 1979) is that the President cannot pardon any crime for which he is impeached. I fully expect George Bush to pardon everyone, from Dick Cheney on down, who was in any way involved in the implementation of the above three crimes. If, however, impeachment proceedings begin prior to his leaving office, I doubt that any court ruling on any pardons issued by Bush would give full effect to pardons directly related to impeachable offenses.
The future of the rule of law, and, therefore, the future of the country, is directly at stake. If there are Democrats who enabled the Bush Administration with its criminal activity, they must also suffer the consequences of their enabling behavior, including Nancy Pelosi. If we allow the Bush Administration to get away with its criminal activity, what will prevent future administrations from going further, and condoning active murders, incarcerations and torture of “suspected” terrorists? Nothing.
Senator Obama, it’s time for you to rise above the politics that you have recently become embroiled in, and demonstrate true leadership, “change that we can believe in.” If you can’t, then that phrase is meaningless, just an empty slogan.
-
@BALDWINKSI
[Read the article: The motivation for blocking investigations into Bush lawbreaking]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Just so you know, Baldwinski: Chris Dodd DID put a hold on the FISA bill, back in early November, which Harry Reid IGNORED!!! For that reason, I really put the blame for the FISA disaster on Harry Reid, who, despite feigning "opposition" to retroactive immunity, enabled its passage by ignoring Dodd's hold. I think, based on Glenn's article, Reid was probably probably concerned about the Demos who are complicit in Bush's crimes, i.e., Pelosi, Daschle, Rockefeller and Steny Hoyer.
-
GREAT ARTICLE, GLENN
[Read the article: Al-Marri and the power to imprison U.S. citizens without charges]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Glenn, you deserve the highest praise for your consistently superior, well-thought-out, and factually correct analyses of the precarious state of the Constitution. The entire mess that we find ourselves in is due in large part to the incredible apathy of the American people, who have tuned out and turned off. If this were happening 35 years ago, at the time of Watergate, there would be massive street demonstrations and news reporting of such demonstrations. Now, the FISA Amendments of 2008 passes with nary a demonstration (albeit there's a lot of us online who are screaming) and the 4th Circuit continues its trend towards fascism.