"Payback" is defined (dictionary.com) as: "something done in retaliation" ... Tim Russert, on today's Imus show, explained that Americans are tired of all the partisanship and just want Congress to start acting like grown-ups ... i've heard that exact same message from numerous Democrats when they're asked about whether a Democratically-controlled Congress will be obsessed with investigations of republicans and maybe even impeachment hearings against bush ...

but this theme badly, very badly, misses the point!

when Democrats regain control, and they will, the mission should not be "retaliation" ... it should NOT be "they did it to us so why shouldn't we do it to them?"

The issue of good governance and justice DEMANDS that crimes be prosecuted and it demands that restitution be made for ill-gotten gains ...

bush et al have tried to indemnify their conduct by pushing the new Military Commissions act through the rubberstamp republican Congress ... but justice will nevertheless be served ... this is not some childish dispute about cutting ahead in the lunch line in school; torture and holding prisoners without a right to counsel and violating constitutionally-guaranteed habeas corpus and waging war for oil are among the most serious crimes there are ... as i watched bush sign the new law into effect, surrounded by his cronies, a chill ran through me ... i thought to myself "my god, they're actually doing this" ... i couldn't help but reflect on the Nazis rise to power ... in my view, these are evil men who should be brought to justice ... they'll have their day in court ... to sweep all this under the rug of bi-partisanship is nonsense ... people far more clear-seeing than Tim Russert prosecuted war criminals at Nuremburg ... they didn't say "gee Mr. Hitler, you really shouldn't have done all that bad stuff but let's put all that behind us so we can start addressing the many problems we face."

again, this is NOT about revenge; it's about justice ... the defendants will be given every opportunity to make their case on their own behalf ...

we've all heard the anti-war slogan "bush lied and soldiers died" ... lying to Congress and the American people, as bush did about Iraq, is a very serious crime ... what exactly is Mr. Russert suggesting with his "the American people just want Congress to get on with the nation's business?" ... Democrats have been unable to call hearings and subpoena witnesses ... republicans have completely aborted the process of checks and balances since bush took office ... things that should have been examined when laws were broken have been completely ignored ... there is no statute of limitations on these crimes ... the American people demand to know the truth and we demand justice ... we can never allow crimes against our country, and that's what has happened under bush's corrupt regime, to go uninvestigated and unprosecuted ... the innocent will be set free; the guilty will be punished ... you have a problem with that, Timmy?

Why was the 9/11 commission unable to get all the testimony it needed from bush government officials? ... many who were called to testify were muzzled by the adminstration ... the American people demand to know what really happened ... whether LIHOP, MIHOP or anything else, it is inexcusable to have blocked open access by the 9/11 commission to anyone who had information ... when Democrats return to power, they owe the American people the truth about this unimaginable national tragedy ... this is not "revenge"; this is an examination of whether high crimes and misdemeanors were committed by the bush administration ... either they were or they were not ... only a full investigation will reveal the truth ...

and finally, we had the very disturbing energy meetings with Halliburton Dick Cheney and his close friends in the oil industry ... the American people demand to know what was said in those meetings ... any reasonable examination will quickly lead to the conclusion that it was all about planning for the Iraq war ... "no blood for oil" our signs read as we marched through the streets ... worldwide, 10 million people demonstrated against this imperial war for oil ... 10 million people!! that's a whole lot of people ... since the US invasion of Iraq, oil companies have experienced all time record profits year after year after year ... whwen the facts prove that the invasion of Iraq was for their sole, greedy benefit, the American people demand that every penny they stole, while Americans died for a lie, gets returned to the national treasury ...

and Timmy wants to "get on with the nation's business and put all this "partisanship" behind us" ... well, that's fine with me ... when Democrats return to power, they should invite republicans to fully participate in all the badly needed investigations ... and the punishment and restitution demanded from those found guilty should also be supported in a bi-partisan manner ... Mr. Russert's call to bury the truths of the past 6 years is very strange indeed coming from someone in the news business ... when no daylight has been allowed to shine into the people's halls of government, investigations are necessary ... we must send a loud and clear signal to future governments that the American people will not allow crimes against our country and our Constitution and the American people themselves and international law to go unpunished ...

examining the conduct of the government and revealing the truth to the American people is the most important function our government can perform ... to view a thorough investigation and prosecution and punishment of what has occurred during these years of one-party rule as "payback" is incredibly naive ... Justice, Mr. Russert, is not payback ...

i'm wt2 and i approved this message ...