Washington's highest priorities will include restoring the Rule of Law. Doesn’t That Include Prosecuting The Guilty?

Washington's highest priorities will include restoring the Rule of Law.  Doesn’t That Include Prosecuting The Guilty? Not Just Talking About Their Corruption

And War Crimes!

 

"The action I am taking is no more than a radical measure to hasten the explosion of truth and justice. I have but one passion: to enlighten those who have been kept in the dark, in the name of humanity which has suffered so much and is entitled to happiness. My fiery protest is simply the cry of my very soul. Let them dare, then, to bring me before a court of law and let the enquiry take place in broad daylight!"

- Emile Zola, J'accuse! (1898) –

 

Could Gitmo Get Worse? The Policy Implications of Executive Accountability

 

As Congress and the Obama Administration start to clean the mess left by Bush, Cheney, and their respective minions, Washington's highest priorities will include restoring the Rule of Law.  A fundamental bedrock of modern democracy, it has withered under a multi-faceted assault by the White House entailing executive secrecy, self-aggrandizement, cronyism, corruption, and violations of various statutory, constitutional, and international legal obligations.

 

To repudiate the Bush legacy and restore fundamental American values, few steps would cover as much ground as ending surveillance, detention and torture. Obama's impending inauguration offers hope for progress on all three fronts, but observers have overlooked how enforcing executive accountability would support these concrete policy changes. Leaving former officials unaccountable could lead to even worse problems taking their place….

 

Is it just me or are folks suddenly becoming concerned, at least mouthing the concern, with accountability when the culprits are about to escape from town?  Where have they been?

 

For All You Folks Who Think I Should Lighten Up Now And Then.

 

 

 

 

The Constitution Project: Immigration Authority As A Counter Terrorism Tool

 

SOME OF THESE FOLKS ARE TRULY SQUIRREL FOOD AND SHY A FEW SANDWICHES SHORT OF A FULL PICNIC BASKET!

 

CBS' Smith: Coulter "says that I am certifiably insane. Perhaps I am, for having her on the program this morning"
On CBS' The Early Show, Harry Smith teased an interview with Ann Coulter by saying, "Ann Coulter is in the studio this morning. She has a brand new book ... and in it, she says that I am certifiably insane. Perhaps I am, for having her on the program this morning." Read More

 

On Hannity & Colmes, Coulter continues attack on single motherhood, calling it "a recipe to create criminals, strippers, rapists, murderers"
On Hannity & Colmes, Ann Coulter defended a statement in her new book, Guilty: Liberal "Victims" and Their Assault on America -- that children whose parents divorce are "future strippers" -- as "something that needs to be said," later saying of her book's contention that the children of divorces would become strippers: "Yes, and they will be, and that is a fact." Coulter also referred to single motherhood as "a recipe to create criminals, strippers, rapists, murderers." Read More

 

Dobbs on NM investigation: "Maybe [Richardson] messed with Senator Hillary Clinton one time too many"
On his radio show, Lou Dobbs baselessly suggested that Hillary Clinton and James Carville "ratcheted up" the federal investigation into business and government dealings in New Mexico: "What, an investigation into the New Mexico governor [Bill Richardson]? Maybe he messed with Senator Hillary Clinton one time too many. When James Carville calls you 'Judas,' look out -- things tend to happen. They ratcheted up an investigation." Read More

 

Savage on Obama choice for CIA director: "[M]aybe Bill Ayers picked Leon Panetta"
Discussing President-elect Barack Obama's choice of Leon Panetta to head the CIA, Michael Savage asserted, "[M]aybe Bill Ayers picked Leon Panetta." He later asked, "Is it Bill Ayers and his crowd in Chicago who said 'Pick Panetta. He's a man we can trust'?" Read More

 

Dobbs again questioned human-caused global warming, suggested sun may be more responsible
Lou Dobbs again questioned the impact of humans on global warming and suggested that solar activity may be far more responsible for global warming, ignoring the conclusion by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that "it is extremely likely [>95% chance] that humans have exerted a substantial warming influence on climate" and that this "estimate islikely to be at least five times greater than that due to solar irradiance changes." Read More

 

Dick Morris claimed Franken is "stealing [the election] right in front of our eyes," echoedWSJ's claims of disputed ballots being counted twice
On Hannity & Colmes, referring to the Minnesota Senate election, Dick Morris baselessly claimed that Al Franken and the Democrats are "stealing it right in front of our eyes" and asserted that both disputed ballots and their duplicates were counted, resulting in votes being counted "twice." Morris and Sean Hannity echoed claims in a Wall Street Journal editorial that alleged double counting of duplicate ballots during the recount. But the Journal simply asserted that there was double counting, echoing an accusation by Norm Coleman's campaign. Read More

 

After penning book blasting "the way liberals use victimhood," Coulter portrayed herself as victim of an NBC "setup"
Following reports that her January 6 appearance on NBC's Today had been canceled, Ann Coulter -- who reportedly told CBS News her new book is "about the rewards and praise you get for being a victim and the way liberals use victimhood" -- complained during appearances on Sean Hannity's radio and television programs that "the Today show thing was a hoax from the beginning" and "a setup to block me from other TV shows." The next day, CBS' Harry Smith told Coulter: "[T]he more I listen to your complaints, the more I kept thinking, well, you're the whiner. You're the one who's claiming victimhood here. That you're the victim of this great left-wing conspiracy." Read More

 

Coulter claimed a reportedly "fairly typical" vote shift proves MN Senate election is being "openly stolen"
Ann Coulter asserted that "the inestimable economist" John Lott Jr. has said the "500 corrections" made to unofficial Senate election returns prior to the beginning of the recount is a "statistical impossibility." In fact, Lott -- a discredited research scholar -- wrote in a FoxNews.com column that the "sizes of the errors" in some Minnesota precincts which led to the 504-vote correction were "surprisingly large," but did not claim they were statistically impossible. Further, an election analysis by Minnesota Public Radio has shown that changes in vote totals of up to 1,000 votes after polls close are "fairly typical in Minnesota." Read More

 

CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight baselessly included Franken in segment on "Dems behaving badly"
Lou Dobbs Tonight baselessly included Al Franken in a segment on, in host Lou Dobbs' words, "Democratic Party scandals and downright bad behavior." During both Dobbs' teaser for and introduction of a report by CNN correspondent Casey Wian, CNN ran on-screen text reading "Dems Behaving Badly" over video footage that included Franken. During the portion of Wian's report on the Minnesota recount, on-screen text read, "Dems behaving badly: Democrats rocked by party scandals." Read More

 

On Hardball, Buchanan said Reid doesn't want Burris seated "[b]ecause he's an African-American"
On Hardball, Pat Buchanan said of Roland Burris' appointment to the Senate and the Senate leadership's refusal to seat him: "[W]hy does [Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid not want this guy? Why can't he get elected? Because he's an African-American." However, neither Matthews nor Buchanan mentioned that Reid stated -- well before Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed Burris -- that the Senate would consider rejecting anyone appointed by Blagojevich. Nor did they mention that Reid previously denied that his opposition to Burris was based on race. Read More