Several Democrats and advisors lately have indicated that no prosecution of the Bush administration should be pursued. A statement along these lines was made at Netroots Nation by an advisor to Obama from the University of Chicago Law School.
From The Nation:
Netroots face bipartisan attacks on the rule of law.Politicians, legal experts and progressive activists grappled with Republican abuses of power at the third annual netroots convention on Friday, debating how an Obama Administration might restore the rule of law. Cass Sunstein, an adviser to Barack Obama from the University of Chicago Law School, cautioned against prosecuting criminal conduct from the current Administration. Prosecuting government officials risks a "cycle" of criminalizing public service, he argued, and Democrats should avoid replicating retributive efforts like the impeachment of President Clinton--or even the "slight appearance" of it. Update: Sunstein emailed to emphasize that he also said and believes that "egregious crimes should not be ignored."
Define "egregious"...Mr. Sunstein. Or ask someone like Don Siegelman. Note from Greenwald's blog...Cass Sunstein just married Samatha Powers.
"Give me a break," responded former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman, when told about Sunstein's advice during an interview with The Nation. Siegelman took a court-sanctioned trip to tell attendees about his conviction for corruption, currently on appeal, which he says was motivated by a malicious Republican effort to destroy his career. Discussing alleged White House abuse of the Justice Department, which led to Alberto Gonzales' resignation, Siegelman said "what Karl Rove has been accused of doing would make Watergate look like child's play." The former governor also urged activists to press Congress to hold Rove in contempt for defying a House subpoena in a related investigation. His supporters have launched an Internet campaign, ContemptforRove.org, to advance the cause.
Glenn Greenwald today points out that it is not just the advice of Sunstein we are facing...he adds
Harold Ford and Chuck Schumer to the list.
He quotes Jane Mayer in presenting Schumer's position.
Here's what The New Yorker's Jane Mayer reported last week during her Washington Post chat:
Albany New York: I've already ordered your book from Amazon, but am very interested in your take on why there's been no little effective political opposition to any of this Administration's initiatives. Is it a question of limited public awareness or interest, or a more political calculation that one shouldn't appear to be soft on terrorism?
Jane Mayer: Since you're in New York, let me tell you about a conversation I had with one of your senators, Chuck Schumer. When I asked him why, given his safe seat, and ostensible concern for civil liberties, he didn't speak out more against the Bush Administration's detention and interrogation programs, he said in essence that voters don't care about these issues. So, he said, he wasn't going to talk about them.
Guess what, Senator Schumer, voters do care very much. We do intend to talk about it.
Harold Ford's statement at Netroots Nation yesterday was absolutely unbelievable. Remember, this is the fellow that James Carville wanted as
to replace Dean as chairman of the DNC.From Greenwald's blog today. Shame on you, Harold Ford.
Former Congressman Harold Ford appeared at the Netroots Nation conference yesterday, argued that Bush officials shouldn't be held accountable for crimes they committed while in office, and then insisted that Democrats shouldn't be expected to defend civil liberties and Constitutional rights because "the Constitution doesn't poll very well." In arguing against prosecutions for Bush lawbreaking, Ford said that Bush officials already have been subjected to accountability for their lawbreaking: "'I think that accountability was brought in 2006 when lost in the House and the Senate,' Ford said. 'And we have only eight more months of George W. Bush . . .'"
Ford is chairman of the DLC, the group which he calls
the "policy shop" of the 2008 nominee.
Don Siegelman was right. Give me a break.
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