MoveOn Enters Torture Fray, Calls For Special Prosecutor

[Cali_Democrat]

The Huffington Post

By Ryan Grim


MoveOn.org will enter the debate over torture investigations on Tuesday, asking its members to call on Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the architects of the Bush administration's program of detainee torture.

The foray represents a new direction for MoveOn, which has previously been focused on pushing the progressive agenda - the stimulus, Obama's budget, healthcare, cap and trade - through Congress. Groups to MoveOn's left have long been critical of the organization for not making investigations and prosecutions of Bush-era criminal activity a top priority.

The call for a special prosecutor adds MoveOn's rather loud voice to the growing chorus demanding that crimes be investigated. It's also an indication that the call for accountability for those who committed crimes during the Bush administration is becoming a mainstream Democratic position, and one the White House will find harder to move past.

The group will only deliver the petition to Holder, however, if it gathers 200,000 signatures, making the call a test of the appetite of the progressive base for investigations.

MoveOn makes the case that without consequences for breaking the law, rogue behavior is only encouraged. "So far there's been no accountability for the architects of Bush's torture program -- the top officials who justified keeping detainees awake for 11 days straight, waterboarding them repeatedly, and forcing prisoners into coffin-like boxes with insects," reads the letter from MoveOn to its members. "We need real consequences for those responsible -- it's the only way to keep this from happening again."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/20/moveon-enters-torture-fra_n_189277.html

Click here to sign a copy of the petition!!!!!

http://pol.moveon.org/torture/

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. "The call for accountability"

THAT has been the most disappointing thing about the 2006 elections. People voted for Democrats to "make them accountable" and Pelosi took it off the table. :(

[Cali_Democrat]

2. Shameless self-kick

Sign the petition people!!!!

http://pol.moveon.org/torture/

[Teaser]

3. unfotunately, this ensures that nothing will happen

MoveOn is a master of FAILocracy.

Ugh.

[ben_jenne]

9. I thought the same thing, has moveon ever accomplished

anything except fund raising for themselves?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

4. C'mon guys... I'm with you but there's no such thing as a "special prosecutor"

Petition signed and thread kicked and recommended.

Now... sorry to harp on this, but doesn't MoveOn have access to lawyers? "Special prosecutor" is a legal term that should be used properly, which means not using it at all because the category no longer exists. (The SP law expired years ago, shortly after Bush took office. Remember how neither party wanted it renewed? The pugs were still mad about Iran/Contra and the Dems were steaming about Ken Starr.)

Fitzgerald was a Special Counsel, for instance.

I support their call 100% which is why the improper phrasing irritates me.

It is an unforced error to have petitions asking the AG to do the impossible. Holder cannot appoint a "Special Prosecutor," he can appoint an Independent Counsel or a Special Counsel, depending on whether the counsel is from inside the gov't or outside.

It's a needless error that makes the effort appear un-serious. And I am seeing it everywhere, not just from Move On.

The ACLU petition called for "an independent prosecutor" which is a good vernacular description of the general class of Independent and Special Counsels.

When making a petition use the ACLU petition as a model because you KNOW the ACLU will phrase everything right. (Hey, they helped get the memos released.)

[Cali_Democrat]

5. Hmmmmm........interesting

I really didn't know that.

I learn something new here every day. :D

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

6. I got it hammered into my head during the Fitzgerald thing

The Fox News panels, having no other arguments on their side, used to make fun of liberals for calling Fitzgerald a Special Prosecutor.

And it really annoyed me because they were right.

I don't like them to be right about anything, even trivia.

Our side is the side that always used to win in the Courts because our lawyers (like the ACLU and NAACP) were super-smart perfectionists. When you're going to turn in 100,000 signatures on something you gotta cross those T's and dot those I's.

[ananda]

7. My comment.

If we are a nation that believes in the
rule of law and human rights for all,
then we must also hold those laws and
rights enforceable.

[pat_k]

8. kick!