Turley: Obama is obstructing justice and a “war crime investigation”
By SusanUnPC on April 17, 2009 at 10:35 AM in Abuse, Bush/Cheney, Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, Obama's Broken Promises, President Barack Obama, Torture, Unitary Executive Powers/Signing Statements
This is classic Obama modus operandi: He screws the left which believed his campaign promises while placating the intelligence agencies — and keeping the always-ready-to-pounce rightwing tamped down — with his refusal to uphold his constitutional duty to enforce criminal law. As Turley says, Obama’s motive is “painfully obvious”: It’s all about politics. And the left? Those duped dopes who believed his campaign promises (titter) are STILL daintily sidestepping the clear path to blaming Obama even though they KNOW his decision is morally and legally vacant, and that Obama is directly obstructing a criminal investigation.
From the video of Jonathan Turley who is a professor of law at The George Washington University Law School: “Obama is equating the enforcement of criminal laws, which he took an oath to enforce … with an act of retribution, in some sort of hissy fit or blame game. You know, it’s not retribution to enforce criminal laws. What it is is obstruction to prevent that enforcement. And that is exactly what he has done thus far.”
“He’s trying to lay the groundwork to look principled when he’s doing an utterly unprincipled thing.”
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MORE TURLEY — I typed as he talked:
”There are very few things worse for a president to do than to protect accused war criminals. And that’s what we’re talking about here. President Obama himself has said that waterboarding is torture, and torture violates at least four treaties and is considered a war crime. So the refusal to let it be investigated is to try to obstruct a war crime investigation that puts it in the same category as Serbia and other countries that have refused to allow investigations to occur. [...]
”He is trying to sell the idea that it is unprincipled to investigate war crimes because it’s going to be painful and, quite frankly, I think the motive is obvious. He knows that it will be politically unpopular because an investigation will go directly to the doorstep of President Bush and he knows it, and there’s not going to be a lot of defenses that could be raised for ordering a torture program.”
Oh, and Rachel Maddow’s reaction to Turley’s comments? Did you see her explode in self-righteous indignation at Obama’s blockage of a criminal investigation? Did you witness Rachel’s objections to Obama’s singular appropriation of the decision to bring criminal charges all unto himself, a la George Bush?
You didn’t see Rachel’s reaction? Huh.
She didn’t react? Wow. Well, count her among many on the left who cannot bring themselves to criticize “The One.”
The Sad Self-Delusion of the ‘bama-Lovin’ Left
Here I make my case:
- Andrew Sullivan, a highly vocal, longtime opponent of torture, cannot bring himself to say the “O” word at his blog at The Atlantic: “The last seven years have revealed that almost the entire American establishment views itself as immune to the moral and ethical rules it applies to every other country in the world. Now we know, at least. And you can be sure they [gotta love those vague pronouns!] will protecting each other to the bitter end.”
- The Washington Post rationalizes Obama’s political expediency and calls it “courageous”!: “Dealing With a Disgrace – President Obama strikes a wise balance in coming to terms with the torture of terrorism suspects.”
- The New York Times editorial details the “brutal interrogation techniques” but sidesteps Obama’s moral fog.
- Even the ACLU, in its summary of its extensive findings, “Abuse of Power: The Bush Administration’s Secret Legal Memos” — quite incredibly — gives Obama a pass on his failure to seek criminal prosecution.
Check out all the reactions via Memeorandum.com.
It’s amazing. We’re left with the conservative Jonathan Turley, Mel Goodman and No Quarter’s Larry Johnson to call out Obama’s political expediency and moral cowardice.
Here’s the most poignant aspect of Mel Goodman’s title, “Obama’s Search for a Moral Compass“: He hasn’t one.
Put aside for a moment that Obama is assuming the sole power (there’s that unitary executive power grab rearing its ugly head again) to determine if torturers should be tried for breaking criminal laws.
As Jonathan Turley puts it tersely, President Barack Obama is OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE.
No president is above the law. None.
Or used to be.
I guess.
Once upon a time.
Watergate. What a quaint era in our nation’s history.
by Ronald Scott
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