DISQUS

trevor · 1 year ago

What I find insane is he wants to give them immunity, but he doesn't have the balls to admit that they did anything illegal (or did ANYTHING, for that matter). He uses words like "believed" to wiggle his way out of it. I want a White House reporter to grow a pair and call him out on his bullshit, even if it means losing their job.

I think the only thing Bush could do to have any chance of not being the worst President in history would be to admit his mistakes and resign. But we all know that will never happen.

dave · 1 year ago

Bush has clearly committed crimes and the amazing thing is that so many people give him a pass on it.

I gave it a fair amount of thought whether I would use the adjective "criminal" in the title of this post, but that's exactly what this is about. That he committed crimes isn't in doubt. It's just that no one seems to want to say it out loud.

kid mercury · 1 year ago

you're 100% right dave. amongst more delusional people your statements may sound extreme but the facts are the facts, the guy is a criminal and the list of crimes is shockingly long. what i find even more disgusting, though, is the general apathy and ignorance towards this matter. once it hits people financially (and we're gearing up for that) then you'll see people start to care. of course, by then it's too late.

cshotton · 1 year ago

It's kind of like the "mentally challenged" kid in the back of the third grade class. The one who stomps frogs, spits on people, and flings his spaghetti in the lunch room. People know he's off, that he's got problems with the adults in his life, and that eventually third grade will be over and he will be gone. Rather than drag his parents in for a useless conference about his behavior and cause all sorts of turmoil, everyone is just willing to wait until they pack up their meth lab in their ratty Chevy van and move to another town, taking junior with them.

(By the way, his predecessor committed crimes, too. Arguably more blatant. And odds are high that his successor will, as well. That is the nature of presidential politics. Those on the disempowered side view executive privilege (abuse) as a crime. Not excusing it, just observing.)

dave · 1 year ago

Re your second paragraph, on this one we agree. Clinton absolutely did break important laws and I supported his removal, and called on him to resign many times. But it's getting worse. The laws that Bush breaks are central to what makes this country unique. If his successor breaks the law the way Bush did, there may not be much left after his or her term. That's why leaving Bush alone is probably something we'll end up regretting. (I think the real reason we don't challenge him is the obvious one, we don't want to have our phone tapped or end up in Guantanamo.)

cshotton · 1 year ago

You are right, indeed. It is very scary and that is the single biggest reason I am attracted to the collaborative vision around Obama. Neither of the other 2 likely candidates will break significantly from the status quo. There are always going to be corrupt people in government, but raising the expectations of the public to demand better can only help. Otherwise our ennui of the post-Reagan years is gonna be irreversible soon.

Harl Delos · 1 year ago

If the idiots in Congress had kept their eyes on the ball, they could have removed Clinton from office. It was a slam-dunk case, and the disbarment proceedings were swift and certain. Dipping your wick doesn't qualify as high crimes and misdemeanors, though.

Obama appears to have scruples, but that doesn't mean much. For all Hillary talks about "35 years of experience", she leaned on a managing partner at Rose, mismanaged a travel office and a universal health care initiative while first lady, and has an office manager running her Senate office. And yet, Barack has even less experience, and Barack says his abilities as a COO are deficient.

They say that Hiram Ulysses Grant had high standards, and he obviously had commanded an army with success, but when he went to the White House, it was like leading a sheep to slaughter - one of the most scandal-ridden administrations of the century.

And I don't see anybody capable of assuring a clean administration among those seeking the job, nor among those recently knocked out of contention. (Could Bloomberg do it? I know nothing of his character, his management skills, or his political leanings, except Nyawkers seem to like him significantly more than Rudy.)

amyloo · 1 year ago

Desertion.

Chris Love · 1 year ago

http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pardonchartlst.htm

BetterBadNews · 1 year ago

ATT broke the FISA laws in march and april 2001 not in
Sept 2001. Immunity ?
This an amnesty bill not an immunity bill.

cshotton · 1 year ago

OK, this is a fun thought experiment.

I'd give immunity to everyone the RIAA has ever thought about suing, has sued, and/or has won a judgement against.

I'd give immunity to stem cell researchers.

I'd excuse everyone who committed a "crime" of looking at, talking to, or dealing with a TSA agent that resulted in an illegal search, detention, or inclusion on the silly no-fly list.

kawika · 1 year ago

I'd like President Obama to pardon Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and a host of other demogoging Republicans for each and every high crime and misdemeanor they've committed. Obama can take the high road to move the country past this abomination of an administration. Meanwhile, the history books will have a permanent record of these demagogues' every offense -- from warrantless wiretaps to waterboarding -- that has defiled the Constitution. I can't recall another group of American leaders so eager to devour our civil rights and responsibilities -- or a flock of followers so eager to fork them over. Also, I'd like proactive immunity for myself, just in case I do something stupid.

DaveW · 1 year ago

I'd like to give immunity and forgiveness to the people who have killed 10's of millions of unborn children since Roe vs Wade.