Posted on 02/09/2009 11:47:00 AM PST by xtinct
WASHINGTON (AP) - The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee is proposing a "truth commission" to investigate abuses of detainees, politically inspired moves at the Justice Department, and whole range of decisions made during the Bush administration. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said the primary goal of the commission would be to learn the truth rather than prosecute former officials, but said the inquiry should reach far beyond misdeeds at the Justice Department under Bush to include matters of Iraq prewar intelligence and the Defense Department.
Leahy outlined his suggestion for a "truth and reconciliation" commission during a speech at Georgetown University Monday.
"I'm doing this not to humiliate people or punish people but to get the truth out," he said.
The panel he envisions would be modeled after one that investigated the apartheid regime in South Africa. It would have subpoena power but would not bring criminal charges, he said.
Among the matters Leahy wants investigated by such a commission are: the firings of U.S. attorneys, treatment and torture of terror suspect detainees, and the authorization of warrantless wiretapping.
"Rather than vengeance, we need a fair-minded pursuit of what actually happened" during the Bush administration, Leahy said.
Some Democrats have called for criminal investigations of those who authorized certain controversial tactics in the war on terror. Republicans have countered that such decisions made in the wake of the 2001 terror attacks should not be second-guessed.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Any proposal from Patrick Leahy for “truth” about anything is a study in oxymorons. Leahy and truth do not exist in the same universe.
Necklacing? Haven’t thought of that one, however I see an attempt to re-create the “Cultural Revolution”.
Leahy is the one who got Lake Champlain reclassified as one of the Great Lakes so that Vermont could cash in on some program. I think it was reversed because everyone considered it ridiculous, although they may have had to go to court to accomplish that.
Heck, the money for it is probably in the “stimulus” bill.
A senate truth commission? BAWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA (inhales) HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAH!
Exactly. This is a time-honored strategy.
When Obama or somebody in his group denied that they were considering trials for Bush and people in his administration, somebody on FR said that it wouldn't start at the top. First you'd here flaky folks like DU and some of the more rabid media folks, like Olbermann, start talking about it. Then some congress critter would pick it up. And then, before you know it, Bambi will begin to reconsider and the entire country will be howling for Bush's blood.
We've done steps one and two. As usual, everything is moving faster than I expected. So I guess step three couldn't be too far away.
The Federal Government no longer represents (works for) us. We work for the Government... literally.
I mean, what’s next? Kill the male children of all Bush Administration members? Raze their hometowns and salt the ground?
Justice, Demoncrat style...
It’s a cultural thing. Now that we have a Kenyan president, we should start adopting some of the colorful customs of his native land.
There’s a reason that pathetic POS is called ‘Leaky’ Leahy and it has nothing to do with his bladder control.
Let’s ventilate the reasons for his nickname before this so-called ‘truth’ panel, and be sure everyone in America knows about it.
Let the impeachment proceedings begin!!!!
Oh wait...
Watch more of these time andmoney wasting veiled threats arise as Republican resistance to the Pork bill stiffens.
Maybe we should investigate ACORN and it's connection with Obama and election fraud?
If Lehy will go that route at the same time he goes Bush beating, I will take THAT deal!
And what’s really sad is....most of their dumbed-down constituents believe it because they don’t know any better. Hence the leftist agenda to keep them dumbed-down. Those of us that know the truth will either be eliminated or re-educated and eventually the truth will become what the leftists lie about.
Hell, they’re already blaming this current meltdown on Republicans. And the useful idiots will get no ‘other’ news from here on from mainscream media.
Witness Zero/Big “O” saying that the mess was waiting for him when he took office. Well hell yeah, it was waiting for you, doofus. Your socialist guys had been controlling the congressional purse strings for TWO FREAKIN YEARS by the time you showed up!
Let the Soviet-style kangaroo court show trials begin!
This is fine, as long as they do it for the Clinton admin first.
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