Looking Back to Protect the Future - Prosecute Bush

[babylonsister]

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/dlindleyyoung/2009/07/looking-back-to-protect-the-fu.php?ref=reccafe

Looking Back to Protect the Future - Prosecute Bush
July 12, 2009, 1:14PM

By D. Lindley Young


WASHINGTON, D.C. (TMT) (7/11) - The Republicans tout the rule of law as their moral banner, but, now argue that it should not be applied to George W. Bush because we need to look to the future. This is, as the saying goes: baloney.

It is the height of hypocrisy to argue we should not look back at the Bush administration's war crimes, FISA violations, disregard for the War Powers Act of 1973, the National Security Act of 1947, constitutional violations, and other high crimes and misdemeanors, if they really believe that rule of law is important, or that it matters at all.

All crimes occur in the past. So, carrying the Republican argument to its logical end, no crime should be prosecuted. Is this, let's call it the "in the past" exception, only reserved for the most serious crimes by those in the highest office? Are they arguing the Richard Nixon concept that "if the President does it, it is not illegal"?

Congress has a Constitutional obligation of oversight in order to assure a balance of powers. That oversight requires investigation when there is reason to beleive that the President has exceeded his powers or committed crimes and the Attorney General Eric Holder has a duty to prosecute criminal conduct be a president, even if it is a Republican. This should not be a partisan issue. This should be about assuring that democracy works and making clear that no one is above the law.

Let the cards fall where there may. The investigation alone could act as a deterrent to future crimes by Presidents.