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| Obama refuses to rule out charges against Bush officials | |
| 2009-01-12 | |
| US President-elect Barack Obama said Sunday he was not ruling out possible prosecution for abuses committed under the George W. Bush administration, saying no one "is above the law." "We're still evaluating how we're going to approach the whole issue of interrogations, detentions, and so forth," Obama said in an interview aired Sunday on ABC's "This Week" program when asked about alleged abuses under Bush. "Obviously we're going to be looking at past practices and I don't believe that anybody is above the law," Obama said. But Obama, who takes office on January 20, added he wanted his administration to focus on tackling problems moving forward, rather than reviewing policies under his predecessor. "My instinct is for us to focus on how do we make sure that moving forward we are doing the right thing," he said. "That doesn't mean that if somebody has blatantly broken the law, that they are above the law. But my orientation's going to be to move forward."
Obama also criticized Vice President Dick Cheney for his public defense of "extraordinary" interrogation methods used against top terrorism suspects, including simulated drowning known as waterboarding. "Vice President Cheney, I think, continues to defend what he calls extraordinary measures or procedures when it comes to interrogations and from my view waterboarding is torture," he said. | |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #9 If the economy sinks deeper into the tank, he may be forced to let Congress run hearings as a distraction. Can't fix the economy but we can beat up the past. There are lots of ACLU sharks looking for an opportunity to keep the 9th Circuit busy. |
| Posted by: Skunky Glins 5*** 2009-01-12 21:32 |
| #8 I'll put my money on Texan. Please make sure the Illinoian/Kenyan/Indonesian/whatever he is, wears a shirt. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-01-12 13:23 |
| #7 lets just have Bush and obama fight , i put my money on bush |
| Posted by: rabid whitetail 2009-01-12 12:32 |
| #6 A lotta noise. If he goes after them for using methods that have probably prevented us from being hit since 9/11, and we get hit again, he will be well burnt toast. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-01-12 11:41 |
| #5 That's not a game you wanna start, Chuckles. |
| Posted by: mojo 2009-01-12 11:27 |
| #4 I have to agree with Alaska Paul. My exact sentiments. Why set a precedent? No one thought about Reagan having hearings and criminal proceedings against Carter for being stupid and incompetent and scamming the American people into voting for him. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back 2009-01-12 10:53 |
| #3 Let's not forget the precedent this sets, of course, being smarmy and stupid is |
| Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839 2009-01-12 10:18 |
| #2 IF O decided to prosecute any Bush people it would have to be initiated at the gitgo. He cant wait until later in his admin. Its either go or blow. His startup doesnt need have a big political morass opened right at the beginning of his 100 days. It aint gonna fly. Bush and Cheney are out and O is gonna posture and do nothing. It wont help O in the polls anyway. And the precedent of the incoming doing revenge on the outgoing works both ways. You go in there and you someday find you are in there too. O aint that stupid enough. He can talk and then walk. The moonbats are going to get the old "trust me." Big O is gonna be Presidential and give us all a profile and look solemn. And Bush is gonna go back to Texas and Cheney is going to shake hands with Scrooge McDuck. |
| Posted by: Angleton9 2009-01-12 06:26 |
| #1 I do not think that the Big O will push this, as Fitz probably has quite a file and phone transcripts of the Big O w/r/t Blago. Let the sleeping dawgs lie. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2009-01-12 01:18 |