Catching Criminals is Important Too Mr. President

Hello Papamoka Bloggers - It's only the first week, and I don't wish to be negative, but so far President Obama seems lukewarm on Bush crimes. It's early, but I'm still nervous. He signed impressive executive orders restoring transparency and ethics, and ordering Guantanamo Bay closed and ending torture, but going after Bush crimes and Justice Department priorities are still a mystery.

Republicans are still trying to cover their tracks. Many believe Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) is delaying the confirmation of Attorney General nominee Eric Holder by one week to delay him from going after Bush, Cheney et al on wiretapping. They may be trying to make a deal. Other Republicans are threatening to withdraw their support on the stimulus bill and other legislation if the Administration moves against Bush. So far there's a lot of smoke, but the fire is missing.

The biggest crime is about to expire, and Obama knows it. George Bush reauthorized the illegal wiretapping himself because Colmey stopped the hospitalized John Ashcroft from signing the paperwork. Remember, Colmey criticized Gonzales for trying to force him in front of that congressional committee. Well, that bit of lawbreaking is about to expire - the statute of limitations runs out in March. We need Obama and his Justice Department to act soon .

Whistleblowing on the day Obama took office has revealed the extent of the wiretapping. The NSA spied on all Americans, including journalists and politicians. George Bush probably benefited from knowledge learned through wiretaps. It's probably one reason why he always seemed to have inside information. His Administration, especially Rove and Cheney, were a little too good at exploiting weakness; it's obvious now they had an edge. If they did it, it represents a string of felonies and it should NOT BE IGNORED! Obama must act!

I find the whole justice debate mind-blowing. Evidence of Bush lawbreaking is extensive, yet the majority of Republicans still defend him. They impeached Bill Clinton over perjury, yet fail to criticize Bush over anything. They act as if he's above the law. They call anyone who questions him an "extremist." They always describe him as a "good guy" who "did his best" during very "difficult times." They describe him as a "decent man" who "tried to do the right thing" but fell short. It's extraordinary listening to them.

My Republican friends and family won't even question his past actions. They're almost "sheep-like" in their reverence for the man. They say "he kept us safe" as though nothing else matters. It's obvious to me now that objectivity, self-awareness and reflection are not strong Republican personality traits.

It's obvious there's a double-standard in the country today, but I can't figure out why. Is it party loyalty? It's very strange. We threw Nixon out of office, and he was a Republican, so why not question Bush? Do we need White House tapes? What do they need? Ordinary Americans appear almost brainwashed. They scream about Blago, and call for investigations and justice against Democrats on a regular basis, yet rarely question their own actions. It's amazing to watch.

Even journalists seem to ignore the severity of the Bush crimes. Dismissing FOX "News," correspondents on corporate news networks like CNN and MSNBC these days talk about how "difficult it would be to prosecute" and how "most in Washington are looking ahead." Except for a few like Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow, they talk as if enforcing the law [for politicians] is optional. I often walk away from the news dumbfounded that our nation has become so selective in the way it views justice.

So, ask yourself what will happen if nothing happens? I'll tell you! Average Americans will begin to question the fairness of justice, and start to see unequal justice. "Why care if they don't" will be asked everywhere? It will mean a slow and steady erosion of respect for the legal system. Is that wise? It may not be obvious right away, but it will begin to surface in courtrooms across America over time. Do you really want to take that risk Mr. President?

The Obama Administration may be playing political gamesmanship, knowing something we don't know. We can only hope they're doing the right thing, because inaction would be a disaster for the future of the nation. A majority of the country knows that Bush lawbreaking was extensive, and ignoring it would set a dangerous precedent for future presidents - both Republican and Democrat. American justice should be more important than political expediency. Catching criminals is important too Mr. President, so please act soon.

Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

George Bush single handedly destroyed the respect most foreign nations had for America simply because he could. In Bush’s private little war in Iraq and outright refusal to use diplomacy, he has made the office of Secretary of State impotent and almost pointless. George Bush is not well known for the diplomatic talent of his father and all over the world they now look at America as the bullying nation carrying not only a big stick but a constant threat against nations that do not see the Bush philosophy of “With us or against us” mentality.

How amazingly simple is it to see that the next Secretary of State needs to not only be a diplomat, well rounded on world events, but carries a resume that includes a spouse that is a previous President of the Untied States of America. Not that Hillary needs Bill Clinton to do the job, but it sure as hell could help that a popular U.S. President around the world just might be traveling with the Secretary of State on missions to repair relationships all over the world on behalf of the United States of America. Over at Gallup they have this latest poll on Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State…

Most Americans Back Idea of Clinton as Secretary of State
Nearly 8 in 10 Democrats favor the possibility

by Jeffrey M. Jones
PRINCETON, NJ -- A new Gallup Poll finds a majority of Americans (57%) in favor of Barack Obama appointing Hillary Clinton as the secretary of state in his administration. Thirty percent oppose it. - Gallup

Hillary Clinton no longer has to prove herself to the American people and could easily spend the rest of her political career as a Senator from New York. Not that she would languish in that position but I think she could do more for her country as a peace maker around the world with not just our allies but with many nations no longer friendly with the United States. If President Elect Barack Obama wants to talk with nations out of favor in todays political climate, then he needs an ace up his sleeve and Hillary Clinton and her husband are in fact TWO aces! In her position as Secretary of State she would not be a thorn but an extremely well placed political asset in the diplomatic corps for her nation.

It would be a huge mistake for the President Elect to even think of not insisting that he has made his choice for Secretary of State and it is Hillary Clinton. It is the President Elects choice and Hillary Clinton is the one he wants for the position and that should be the end of the discussion. Frankly, I honestly believe that this is a done deal already and I firmly endorse it. Hillary Clinton earned the position on her own merits.

Then there are the detractors that say that former President Bill Clinton is the cause for all the media hype over this issue. Get over it, Bill Clinton will not be the Secretary of State but he will be a brilliant advisor to the Secretary of State and the President as to how we as a nation can restore trust and faith in America. Isn’t that what we the people really want? Isn’t that why we voted for Obama in the first place? If our President Elect wants Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State then she will in fact be our next Secretary of State. Congratulations to you Senator Clinton.

Papamoka

My thanks to Memeorandum for this news tip...

*****My twin Brotha from anotha Mutha has linked in at the Gun Toting Liberal! Thank you GTL...