Letters to the Editor
farbie
Published Letters: 157 Editor's Choice: 2
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Re: THE BIG HOUSE
[Read the article: The right-wing understanding of Government]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Chris, I hate to disappoint you, but unless this Congress somehow grows a spine and begins impeachment hearings PRIOR to Bush's leaving office, there's no way that ANY of the criminals in this administration are going to serve time. The real issue, key, in my opinion, is the right wing noise (attack) machine's taking over the MSM. The Demos are afraid that they will look badly in the MSM, and so are acting meek and submissive. Way to look strong, heh, Demos? Even Obama has been infected with the "meek and submissive" disease, given his reversal and cave-in on FISA. I repeat the letter that I posted a couple of days ago, in case you haven't read it:
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.
*I have since reviewed my copy of the constitution, which provides in part:
"[the President] shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, EXCEPT IN CASES OF IMPEACHMENT." The only way for Congress to stop Bush from pardoning himself and all others in his administration who have committed crimes is to begin impeachment proceedings. Even if the impeachment proceedings were not completed by the time Bush's term runs out, it should prevent him from attempting to pardon himself, Cheney and others.
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MY VOTE FOR OBAMA, OR AT LEAST MY DONATIONS, DEPEND ON HIS UPHOLDING THE RULE OF LAW
[Read the article: Political harmony v. the rule of law: an easy choice for the political establishment]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I don't care what Harold Ford thinks about the rule of law. It's more important what Obama thinks: it's time that those of us who are active "netroots" vote with our pocketbook, if not with our votes themselves. Obama has forsworn public financing of the fall campaign, which arguably gives us some influence over how he conducts himself. If thousands of us refuse to donate anything to his campaign, as I intend to do unless he reverses his lawless FISA course, then he will get the message that the rule of law is more important than the survival of the existing political class. As readers of this blog know, I wrote Obama a few days ago urging him to support efforts to impeach Bush, just to prevent him from issuing a blank pardon of all those involved in the lawless activities of his administration. I urge all of you to do likewise.