Obama's Truth-Commission Ideals Mesh With Congress's

[Solly Mack]

Obama's Truth-Commission Ideals Mesh With Congress's

President Obama, taking questions from reporters earlier today, fielded one on the possibility of a truth commission to investigate the Bush administration for potential abuses of wartime power, including torture. Obama seems essentially opposed to the idea (he repeated his axiom that it's better to look forward than back) and said such a commission shouldn't be a witch hunt--that, if it's done, it should be "done in a bipartisan fashion, outside of the typical hearing process that can sometimes break down and break it entirely along party lines, to the extent that there are independent participants who are above reproach and have credibility."

If a commission is created, President Obama would prefer it to be modeled after the 9/11 Commission (after which Conyers's plan is modeled), White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said at his daily press briefing this afternoon. Gibbs's quote, according to a transcript from the White House press office:

I think that the President would see a 9/11 Commission as a -- to be, in all honesty, a model for how any investigation or commission might be set up because I think we can all understand that the 9/11 Commission was comprised of very respected members that, despite being Democrats or Republicans, put their party identification away in order to answer some very serious questions.

The 9/11 Commission, comprised of former lawmakers and private-sector policy experts (list of members here), served as a model for Conyers's plan when it was drafted, according to House Judiciary Committee spokesman Jonathan Godfrey.

[Sebastian Doyle]

1. The 9/11 commission was even more bullshit than the Warren Commission

If that's their ideal, why fucking even bother? :puke:

PROSECUTE the fucking bastards.

[stillcool]

2. I think the 9/11 Commission..

was one of the worst shows the government has ever put on.

[EFerrari]

3. Or maybe we should commit truth and prosecute these bastards.

[Metta]

4. A total whitewash and con job. A way to talk loud and say nothing. Happy karma.

I'm becoming more and more disappointed at how light weight Obama is becoming with his policies. He's the perfect Dem politician, so far. Change? I hope.

[babylonsister]

5. Has anything been decided? I think special prosecutor is the way

to go.

[Solly Mack]

6. No. Absolutely nothing has been firmly decided

Not really. I'm sure we'll learn more in the coming weeks.

Conyers plans to hold hearings.

But from this statement he agrees with a commission-like environment

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/04/conyers_to_hold_hearings_on_torture_memos.php

and from this, Leahy seems to want a "commission of inquiry"

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705298665,00.html

We'll see how it all plays out.