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Television makes you forget. Lazy summer days make you forget. Splashy magazine covers filled with mindless gossip make you forget, too. But no matter how many pop icons die, or reality TV couples divorce, we're not going to forget that Dick Cheney is a war criminal and should be in jail.
There's another group that isn't going to forget that most important fact, and it's democracyforamerica.com
Without fail when I receive an email from this group about an issue, be it health care reform or corporate-tax loopholes, I am reminded there is news more important than Jennifer Anniston's love life or the rollout date on the new iphone.
Today I saw this headline in my inbox: "Will Dick Cheney ever go to jail?"
Excellent question. It's one I ask frequently and try to discuss with my like-minded friends who are increasingly disinterested in the topic. Move on already. Forget the Bush Crime Family and look forward to a more hopeful, promising future. We have the White House and the Congress, what more do you want? they gently chide me.
I can't let it go. Perhaps it's because I devoted eight years to the field of study that might be called "Bush Criminology" as part of my job to bring you, gentle listener, the important sound clips (and occasional parodies) of the day.
I listened to every deceptive speech, watched endless hours of CSPAN, followed the surreal and strangely fascinating Defense Department daily briefings with Donald Rumsfeld, listened to the lies of the revolving-door White-House Spokesmodels from Ari-the-Liar to Simple Scottie to Foxy the Snowman and Doublespeak Dana. I watched Colin Powell's reputation sink at the UN Security Council Hearings about Iraq, as he knowingly lied, knowingly presented false "evidence" for war. I watched Condi side-step and shoe-shop through the Katrina tragedy and through two wars, one illegal invasion, and endless Sunday morning talk-show appearances where she tried to explain so precisely, with such elegant words, why it was legal to indefinitely detain foreigners who were not guilty of anything more than being a taxi driver at the wrong place at the wrong time, sucked up in a web of phony arrests and kidnappings and eventually turned over to U.S. authorities for cash or weapons or both.
I watched these weasels in expensive clothing smirk and rationalize and make excuses for their High Crimes and Misdemeanors for eight, long years and none of them rose to the level of absolute evil depravity as Dick Cheney. Not even Karl Rove, who might have masterminded a couple of stolen elections and rolled out some catchy policy phrases, but the TRUE architect was always Deadeye Dick. He seems ubiquitous today, but during his tenure as VEEP his appearances were scant. When he did emerge from his undisclosed location to appear before the cameras, it was obvious he was the mastermind behind all the Bush Crime Family plotting and all the plans to kill, rape, pillage, and steal their way through the mideast.
I am not ready to let him get away with it and neither is Democracy For America. Their email continues:
Recently, Newsweek broke big news. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder may be on the verge of appointing a special prosecutor to investigate cases of torture from the Bush era. This is a major step in the right direction. If we hope to ever hold Bush or Cheney or Karl Rove accountable for their reckless disregard of the Constitution, we need the Attorney General to get the process started.
The problem is there's enormous political pressure to sweep the past under the rug. The fact Attorney General Holder is sending signals that he may move forward despite this pressure shows real courage. But courage alone is not enough. We need action. Attorney General Holder needs to hear from you.
LET ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER KNOW YOU DEMAND THE TRUTH NOWTorture shouldn't be a political issue. Illegal activity must not be swept under a rug. It goes to the core of our fundamental values as Americans. As he decides how to proceed, Attorney General Holder needs to hear that from you.
It takes more than a new President to restore the rule of law. It takes accountability. Thank you for everything you do to move America forward.
We can't move on until we bring these criminals to justice. We cannot, with our continuing silence, give tacit approval for torture and abuse of our Constitution and the ignoring of human rights laws. The Bush Administration's illegal actions must have consequences or we haven't moved forward at all. So please, turn off America's Got Talent and take a minute to let Eric Holder know we're behind him and we want justice.
You'll feel better, trust me.
