Obama might pursue criminal charges against Bush (Biden says criminal violations will be pursued)

The Guardian ^ | 4 Sep 08 | Elana Schor

[SkyPilot]

Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden said yesterday that he and running mate Barack Obama could pursue criminal charges against the Bush administration if they are elected in November.

Biden's comments, first reported by ABC news, attracted little notice on a day dominated by the drama surrounding his Republican counterpart, Alaska governor Sarah Palin.

But his statements represent the Democrats' strongest vow so far this year to investigate alleged misdeeds committed during the Bush years.

"If there has been a basis upon which you can pursue someone for a criminal violation, they will be pursued," Biden said during a campaign event in Deerfield Beach, Florida, according to ABC.

"[N]ot out of vengeance, not out of retribution," he added, "out of the need to preserve the notion that no one, no attorney general, no president -- no one is above the law."

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

If only your hair PLUGS grew as much as your nose, Joe.

[aculeus]

Another blunder by Biden. Americans do not want a criminal trial of their President.

Keep it up plughead.

[BruceysMom]

Joe, buddy, can I call you Joe?
A) Your not going to win.
B) STFU

[Moonlighter]

Hmmm...if he’s concerned about wrong-doings, then I’m sure he’ll be investigating the Clinton presidency for criminal misdeeds as well? We all KNOW there was no corruption there! </sarc>

[publiusF27]

Isn’t that unconstitutional on its face?

Not really. If evidence of a crime emerges after the nomination, it could be prosecuted. However, if they have evidence now, they are both Senators, and they should try to impeach the President.

[freeangel]

“I’d worry about your own son”

‘just thinking about the same thing. An ad that talks about a criminal hurting people, getting them thrown out of homes, and the people he associates with and why they should not be in jail—then a picture of lying Joe and his son. Oh wait—that might be a family attack and we all know that the dems wouldn’t ever think of doing THAT to a family.

[Entrepreneur]

So now Plagiarist Joe is stealing lines from “Uncle Joe” Stalin?

[lionheart 247365]

Biden should be very careful before casting stones at the executive branch . If Palin/McCain win , the culture of corruption may have term limits self imposed .

[Adder]

I thought you couldn’t be prosecuted for actions committed in the performance of your constitutional duties.

I mean if you killed someone or was caught speeding thats one thing and certainly prosecutable.

But I have a hard time imagining how they could twist bush’s actions into criminal offenses...they better not. It sets an awful precedent.

It would make us start to resemble the Roman empire....

[Proud 2BeTexan]

Please keep this up!! PLEASE say this long and loud! Then you can tick off the rest of the nation.

[FreedomPoster]

What kind of idiots while running for president want to start a tradition where outgoing presidents are summarily arrested and tried for crimes?

These people are playing with fire. If they push things to that level, we will soon come to the situation where someone won't leave office, and the possibility of a real civil war. Real crimes are one thing; made up political prosecutions are quite another. See the first quote on my FR home page regarding how that works.

I was already thinking about pinging the CWII list on this, and your comment cemented it for me.

CWII ping.

[DuncanWaring]

That’s five CWII pings in 48 hours.

Things are getting interesting.

[ctdonath2]

I’m really surprised at the intensity of this “Bush is a criminal” meme - with no real articulable crime (”lying to the people”, even if true, is not a crime).

Indeed, if an outgoing most-powerful-person-on-earth knows he’s headed straight for a kangaroo court with real consequences, he won’t.

The hysteria is reaching a tipping point. It can’t continue harmlessly indefinitely.

[Centurion2000]

These people are playing with fire. If they push things to that level, we will soon come to the situation where someone won't leave office, and the possibility of a real civil war.

They certainly are.

[Dead Corpse]

"[N]ot out of vengeance, not out of retribution," he added, "out of the need to preserve the notion that no one, no attorney general, no president -- no one is above the law."

So what was Biden's Senate vote on Clinton's charges that got him Impeached in the House?

[publiusF27]

I thought you couldn’t be prosecuted for actions committed in the performance of your constitutional duties.

I mean if you killed someone or was caught speeding thats one thing and certainly prosecutable.

But I have a hard time imagining how they could twist bush’s actions into criminal offenses.

There is "sovereign immunity" which protects officers of the government in performance of official duties, but Presidents can be impeached (tried) and if convicted of "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors" by the Senate, they can be removed from office. After removal from office, they can still face criminal charges, but the only punishment for an impeachment conviction is removal from office.

There's no way they could get 2/3 of the Senate to say Bush did anything treasonous, and I seriously doubt anyone could conjure up some other "high crime or misdemeanor" which would gain the support of 2/3 of the Senate. Once Bush leaves office, he's a citizen. He can't be tried for "high crimes and misdemeanors" any longer, but can be tried for any violations of the law he may have committed while in office. If there were violations of the law which were serious enough to prosecute after he leaves office, they would darn sure be serious enough to qualify as "high crimes and misdemeanors" today, and would probably get 2/3 of the Senate. In other words, this is a bunch of hot air. They're going to do nothing to Bush after he leaves, because no one is alleging any crime now. They're just screaming "he lied to get us into a war!" It's pretty funny to me. I opposed the idea of invading Iraq at the time, and remember how few friends I had on the right AND the left on that issue. Now they want to say they were kind of against it all along, and were only for it a little bit because Bush fooled them, that clever rascal. What a load of BS.

[redgolum]

Look at their internal websites.

They fully intend to try Bush and half the military for “war crimes”. If Obama wins, Bush had better skip the country.

[redgolum]

“Interesting” is not quite the word I would use.

[DuncanWaring]

Recall the ancient Chinese curse.

[redgolum]

“May you live in Interesting times.”