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Presidential Poison (the signal to support prosecutions will haunt Obama)
The Wall Street Journal ^ | April 23, 2009 | Editorial

Posted on 04/22/2009 8:10:00 PM PDT by St. Louis Conservative

Mark down the date. Tuesday, April 21, 2009, is the moment that any chance of a new era of bipartisan respect in Washington ended. By inviting the prosecution of Bush officials for their antiterror legal advice, President Obama has injected a poison into our politics that he and the country will live to regret.

Policy disputes, often bitter, are the stuff of democratic politics. Elections settle those battles, at least for a time, and Mr. Obama's victory in November has given him the right to change policies on interrogations, Guantanamo, or anything on which he can muster enough support. But at least until now, the U.S. political system has avoided the spectacle of a new Administration prosecuting its predecessor for policy disagreements. This is what happens in Argentina, Malaysia or Peru, countries where the law is treated merely as an extension of political power.

If this analogy seems excessive, consider how Mr. Obama has framed the issue. He has absolved CIA operatives of any legal jeopardy, no doubt because his intelligence advisers told him how damaging that would be to CIA morale when Mr. Obama needs the agency to protect the country. But he has pointedly invited investigations against Republican legal advisers who offered their best advice at the request of CIA officials.

"Your intelligence indicates that there is currently a level of 'chatter' equal to that which preceded the September 11 attacks," wrote Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee, in his August 1, 2002 memo. "In light of the information you believe [detainee Abu] Zubaydah has and the high level of threat you believe now exists, you wish to move the interrogations into what you have described as an 'increased pressure phase.'"

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: bho44; bleedingheartattack; bush; cia; democrats; dhimmicrats; enemieslist; first100days; muslim; obama; obamalegacy; obamathekenyan; obamathemuslim; obamatruthfile; politicalpurge; politicalwitchhunt; purge; showtrials; torture; underthebus; worst100days; wot
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To: When do we get liberated?
he isn’t dumb enough to do anything.

He is not merely dumber than a box of rocks, he is Evil. He is determined to destroy America. Common sense will not stand in his way.

21 posted on 04/22/2009 8:27:07 PM PDT by P-Marlowe (Somebody stole my tagline)
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To: St. Louis Conservative
This is what happens in Argentina, Malaysia or Peru...

Barak Obama -- our first 3rd World President?

I doubt Obama is this stupid move for MoveOn, Zaza Huffington, or any of his Nutroots worshipers. I'd bet he has had his butt reamed by his megalomaniac boss, George Sorus.

22 posted on 04/22/2009 8:28:40 PM PDT by Ditto
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To: DannyTN
The chief target right now may be Cheney, since he has had the temerity to speak out (interviewed on Hannity). Maybe the Obama crowd thinks he will be easily intimidated, but I don't think so.

Maybe Obama thinks he can just throw some red meat to his base, that they'll be satisfied, and then he can divert their attention with another issue before it gets serious, but he may have unleased something he can't stop, since Congressional Democrats aren't under his control.

I hope that the majority of the American public would be appalled at the idea of prosecuting a previous administration over policy differences, and that the Obama gang will refrain from following through (or extraditing anyone to the Hague) for that reason, but I've guessed wrong before.

23 posted on 04/22/2009 8:29:52 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: St. Louis Conservative

The more I think about this...the more I think it’s RAZZLE DAZZLE.....better watch out what’s going on elsewhere that they don’t want us to look at....


24 posted on 04/22/2009 8:30:19 PM PDT by goodnesswins (Free Speech for THEE, but NOT for ME????)
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To: goodnesswins
The more I think about this...the more I think it’s RAZZLE DAZZLE.....better watch out what’s going on elsewhere that they don’t want us to look at....

Yes. When I lived abroad, I was amazed at our navel gazing while things went on all about us. Dangerous things.

25 posted on 04/22/2009 8:33:50 PM PDT by Bahbah
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To: Man50D

The threat alone is a shot across our Constitutional bow.


I agree. And the fact that so many dems are in favor of it is disturbing.


26 posted on 04/22/2009 8:34:37 PM PDT by ElayneJ (q1`dsz)
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To: When do we get liberated?

I wondered what message Obama is trying to send with this nonsense, and to whom. The terrorists or whatever politically correct term now describes them, cut off people’s heads. Bin Laden and his boys are not impressed by Obama saying America is living up to our highest ideals and banning torture and all that.

So I figure the Move on.org crowd and various liberals will get a tingle somewhere on their bodies by this. But this sends no discouraging message to the real evil in the world.


27 posted on 04/22/2009 8:34:40 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: St. Louis Conservative
To the left all disagreement is criminal because the Left is Correct and no one can be correct who does not support the Party line. There is no room for disagreement even when the Party Line changes a little or totally. That is because politics is not about what works or what is better for the country or even what lines one's pockets the most efficiently. It is about Us and Them. Policy and ideology is not important except as it supports Us against Them. It is wholly logical that We would prosecute and punish Them whom we replaced. They did not accept the Party Line and therefore are criminals, even where the Party Line was formed ex post facto.

The Left in power does not worry that the other side will pay back in the same coin because the left cannot ever envision being out of power once they have taken power. Clinton talked about repealing the 2 term amendment. I believe Hussein will seriously try it and/or some other method to eliminate term limits for the Left. Amnesty and ACORN should handily accomplish that for the left but Hussein will want it for himself, too. Chavez is the model.

28 posted on 04/22/2009 8:37:52 PM PDT by arthurus ( H.L. Mencken said, "Every electioTo a lefty lmn is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.")
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To: St. Louis Conservative

we need to run a highly charismatic ulta conservative Republican in 2012, somebody who understands the meaning of payback.


29 posted on 04/22/2009 8:38:05 PM PDT by RC one
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To: DannyTN

“That leaves only Bush.”

Hello? Cheney! That’s what it’s about, in my opinion. Bush was never the target.

I don’t think Cheney will be prosecuted. But they’ll try. They’ll have hearings. They’ll haul lawyers, especially Gonzales, in to testify. They’ll refuse to listen to any operatives that tell them enhanced techniques worked. They’ll take every opportunity to smear Cheney. Maybe they’ll even manage to convict one or two nobodies chasing their white whale.

That’s what the whole Valery Plame/Scooter Libby was about.


30 posted on 04/22/2009 8:40:19 PM PDT by Tublecane
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To: Dilbert San Diego

The “mesage” is to domestic dissidents- i.e. Christians, Conservatives, gun fanciers, etc. Disagreement is criminal.


31 posted on 04/22/2009 8:40:35 PM PDT by arthurus ( H.L. Mencken said, "Every electioTo a lefty lmn is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.")
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To: Verginius Rufus

The chief target right now may be Cheney

One would not rationally think Dick Cheney would be someone easily intimidated. I will stand up for and with this fine American no matter what!

Watched the man on Hannity and sure wish he was in better health, we need a “FU Leahey” sort of guy right now. BUT you never know from the road what lies in the bushes. He sure looked like a very confident patriotic statesman, the sort they had back in 1776. Was nice to see him speaking his mind on Hannity, about the only Republican that will.

CHENEY-PALIN 2012!


32 posted on 04/22/2009 8:42:10 PM PDT by dusttoyou (Republic of Texas is rising again!)
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To: Ditto

Bingo!

This is Soros’ dream come true.

I say bring it. Once a case is filed, the door to discovery is open. Let’s drain this swamp. Depose Pelosi & the rest of the maggots.

Levin has offered the services of his law firm, others will follow. We can raise defense funds.

Bring it, b***h.

Once discovery starts, a lot of dhims will wish they’d never heard of BO.

Anyone else recall when the mentally retarded Speaker was asking if waterboarding was harsh enough?

Let’s go. Get all the memos, we know the good guys have documented everything. Then hit the jackals with subpeonas from here to Kowloom & post every frickin response to every single form interogatory online for all of us to see.

And we can talk about Holder’s conflict of interest since his former law firm defends terrorists.

BO doesn’t have the cajones to do this. Soros just wants to demoralize & thereby disrupt our intel agencies.


33 posted on 04/22/2009 8:44:16 PM PDT by jazminerose
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To: Verginius Rufus
I hope that the majority of the American public would be appalled at the idea of prosecuting a previous administration over policy differences..

Sadly, I think the majority of the American public is busy watching American Idol, and really does not give a damn what game politicians play. (I say that hoping we do not get hit again. If the Democrats push that and we have another 3000 dead in some spectacular attack, that party is out of business.)

If this thing goes forward, it's the political class on all sides that will start peeing their pants. Good policy or bad policy, setting a precedent that something done in good faith could lead you into prison or financial ruin is not why any of them went into the political industry. Deciding that the next set of climbers and clowns in government are somehow entitled to revenge over the previous set over policy differences will end the tradition of of a peaceful transition of power.

It is Third World BS.

34 posted on 04/22/2009 8:44:54 PM PDT by Ditto
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To: St. Louis Conservative
Most divisive president since they started measuring.
35 posted on 04/22/2009 8:46:19 PM PDT by Cold Heart
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To: Man50D

Is this a Constitutional issue? If this is, I would like to know. Where in the Constitution is this prohibited?


36 posted on 04/22/2009 8:48:53 PM PDT by When do we get liberated?
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To: P-Marlowe

agreed.


37 posted on 04/22/2009 8:49:42 PM PDT by When do we get liberated?
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To: jazminerose
Soros just wants to demoralize & thereby disrupt our intel agencies.

I'm convinced that George Sorus is nuts. He has no real strategy or goal in mind. He is simply obsessed, but he has all the money in the world, and none of the people around him, including servants like Obama, have the courage or integrity to tell him to go get some treatment.

38 posted on 04/22/2009 8:51:14 PM PDT by Ditto
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To: Dilbert San Diego

Ah, but you are wrong. Apparently the real evil in this world, and the greatest threat to this country are conservatives like us. We are the new terrorists. Nothing to fear from Al Quida he is doing everything to be their buddy.


39 posted on 04/22/2009 8:52:40 PM PDT by When do we get liberated?
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To: St. Louis Conservative
Am I the only one that hopes they'll actually have the show trials, witch hunts and grand spectacle?

This is clearly the STUPIDEST political move of the last 100 years.

The split will be as violently disastrous as the Civil War...metaphorically speaking, of course.

In a mere 100 days the dims will have completely blown their chance to remake the nation. The "moderate" dims will begin to desert in droves on nearly every controversial issue before the congress and they'll get a fairly severe trouncing at the polls in 2010.

If this moves forward, no matter what else happens Obama is out in 2012, if not sooner.

40 posted on 04/22/2009 8:54:22 PM PDT by Mariner
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