In a startling reversal on Fox News Sunday, Nancy "impeachment-is-off-the-table" Pelosi said the law might compel Democrats to press forth on some prosecutions, even if they are politically unpopular, adding: "That's not up to us to say that doesn't matter anymore." Of Bush administration crimes Pelosi questioned "do we even have a right to ignore it."
In recent weeks the passion of the public for holding the Bush administration accountable has taken the party by surprise, as the question on Obama's Change.gov website which had the most votes as a priority involved the appointment of a special prosecutor.
The Bush administration has acknowledged authorizing torture, which, because many prisoners in Guantanamo were known to have been swept up because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, may have been practiced on innocent persons. The Bush administration also withdrew the case of Jose Padilla, in which an American citizen was tortured for 3 1/2 years before being granted a trial, before the constitutionality of Padilla's treatment could be decided by the Supreme Court. Had the constitutionality of Padilla's "enemy combatant" status been struck down, the administration might have been open to charges of kidnap and torture.
Already well-known are Bush's frequent admission of authorizing illegal spying, which is what brought Nixon's downfall.
PLEASE PLACE A CALL TO YOUR CONGRESSMEMBER NOW IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THIS TURN OF EVENTS. THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN AND THEY MUST CONTINUE TO DO SO IF ANYTHING IS TO COME OF THIS. ALSO PLACE A CALL TO HOUSE JUDICIARY CHAIRMAN JOHN CONYERS: 202-225-5126
In other news, members of the National Impeachment Network have issued a list of demands to Obama for the relinquishing of unconstitutional executive powers. The Constitution Agenda includes:
* Ask the Supreme Court to review the Military Commission Act for Constitutionality, and act to repeal it. The MCA allows Americans to be tried by military tribunal, rather than a civilian jury trial as guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment.
*Lead Repeal of the Patriot Acts, I and II. Al Gore has urged repeal and has said: "These constant violations of civil liberties promote the false impression that those violations are necessary in order for them to take every precaution against another terrorist attack. But the simple truth is that the vast majority of these violations have not benefited our security at all; in fact, they have hurt the effort to improve our security."
* Signal intention to roll back Warrantless surveillance.
* Overturn The Executive Order entitled "Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq" which criminalizes anti-war protesters and provides the President with the authority to confiscate the assets of whoever opposes the US led war.
* Overturn NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD 51 and and HSPD-20 which loosely defines a "catastrophic" National emergency and gives the President dictatorial powers for control all governmental and private sector functions using "enduring constitutional government." as double-speak for a ruse to controlling EVERYTHING.
* Declare the reaffirmation of every US citizen's right to a jury trial as stated in the 6th Amendment, and declare that "enemy combatant" status as upheld in Ex parte Quirin cannot apply in an indefinite war for the simple reason that a precedent must show "a similar question of law and factual situation" in order to serve as a precedent (Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Law.) The "factual situation" of an open-ended, infinite war horizon is qualitatively different from war against a nation-state, which is what the Quirin decision applied to.
UPDATE
Push the snowball
We know what Pelosi is, but politicians make statements like this for a reason, pressure coming from somewhere. But we are not passive observers, if everyone reaches out and gives the little snowball a push it turns into a big snowball. Nevermind if you think she is serious or not, CALL YOUR CONGRESSPERSON AND ADD TO THE CHORUS! They have their fingers to the wind and we are the wind...Until she is trapped into following up on her words. Just leave a message right now, the capitol switchboard is 24/7 and will connect you to your congressman's office answering machine. (202) 225-3121 Say "I want you to keep this investigation-prosecution talk going..." We're just farting around on our computers anyway, may as well make a call...
(202) 225-3121
