Sheldon Whitehouse Urges Investigation of Bush Administration

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Sheldon Whitehouse is always good for getting liberals like me all excited about actual justice for Bush Era crimes. If only he could get his colleagues to jump on board. While I sympathize about the potential media circus, and the political ramifications, some things just shouldn't be swept under the rug. What Bush has done, and what President Obama will end up giving precedent to is an utterly unaccountable Executive Branch. What could a President ever do again that would be worthy of investigation, let alone impeachment?

[Excerpt]

Whitehouse: Torture Probe Should Look At Bush Officials

. . .[I]n America, high office does not put one outside the law. Indeed, it borders on unethical for a prosecutor to refuse to investigate the corpus delicti of a crime because of concern as to where the evidence may lead. . .

Amen, brother.

Read more at: TPM Muckraker

Conyers to Investigate Bush White House?

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Well, I wasn't lit on fire by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse's promise to investigate the Bush Administration's various abuses of power. Much as I like Whitehouse, I've just been let down too many times over the last couple of years. But now, Congressman John Conyers is getting in on the action? Sure, he's let us down before too, but it's nice to know that something is going on in both houses!

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Conyers publishes massive report on 'Imperial Presidency'
Report demands investigation of Bush administration's abuses of power

Everyone wants to know: will Obama order investigations into the Bush administration's abuses of power? But, perhaps the new question should be: if he doesn't, who will?House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) is at least going to try. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Whitehouse to Investigate Bush White House?

Photo of Sheldon Whitehouse from TPM Muckraker

The standard liberal lament is that the Bush Administration is going to get away with everything. We held on to hope through two years of (nominal) Democratic control in the Congress. But Congress was worried about scaring away voters for this past election, and didn't do much of anything. So, we thought, if we just wait until we have a lot of Democrats, and a Democratic President, something will finally be done about Bush's lawlessness.

But Barack Obama seems to want to be "nice," and look forward and not back. Joe Biden has been similarly wishy-washy on the issue as well. And to tell you the truth, I'm not really surprised. I'm disappointed--very much so--but I sort of expected this. But alas! There is yet another glimmer of hope! Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse says if Obama won't go after Bush, he will! Dare we get our hopes up one. More. Time?

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Whitehouse: If Obama doesn’t investigate Bush’s crimes, I will.

“I think that there’s a lot that remains to look at, and I appreciate that President Obama doesn’t want to make it his purpose as a new president, with America in real distress in many directions, to go back and look at all this, but I think we in Congress have an independent responsibility, and I fully intend to discharge that responsibility,” Whitehouse said. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

More Sheldon Whitehouse vs. Bush White House

Photo from source, Raw Story

I posted a piece on Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse last week, showing how he was taking on the White House over Congressional subpoenas. Well he's still at it, this time taking Bush's "king like" powers to task. Keep it up Senator!

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Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on wiretapping: President is not king on matters of spying on Americans

Whitehouse condenses the three legal opinions from Bush's OLC to:

1) "I don't have to follow my own rules, and I don't have to tell you when I'm breaking them."

2) "I get to determine what my own powers are."

3) "The Department of Justice doesn't tell me what the law is, I tell the Department of Justice what the law is."

Read more at: Raw Story

Sheldon Whitehouse vs. Bush White House

Photo of Sheldon Whitehouse from source, TPM Muckraker

Congress is getting my hopes up again! The news that the Senate has ruled "Executive Privilege" claims by the White House invalid, regarding Congressional subpoenas, got my hopes going. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's recent statements have lifted them further. Keep going, guys, don't let me down!

By the way, wouldn't it be strange if a guy named "Whitehouse" helped bring down this White House? It's not exactly ironic, but I still think Alannis Morrisette could sing about it. . .

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Whitehouse on Contempt-of-Congress Fight: Bring It On

. . .Whitehouse welcomes the Constitutional showdown that would result. "I'm astounded at the breadth and the scope of the privilege that they claim," the first-term senator said. "I actually hope that it comes to a point where we end up litigating it and getting a court decision and settling this question.". . .

Read more at: TPM Muckraker