The Galloping Beaver
Excellent, Rev.
Based on what is transpiring thus far in the "transition" it will be surprising if Obama pursues criminal charges. The "Change We Can Believe In" is apparently a re-hash of the clinton era, so business as usual in the Oval Office appears to be on tap.
Real change will once again take a back seat to political expediency . . . .
Great post, Rev.
One way or another, the truth, the whole truth, has to come out, and even the pardons are not a barrier to that.
Accept a pardon and you lose your Fifth Amendment rights on whatever turf you were pardoned for, so one of the powerful congressional chairs pursuing these crimes could compel you to testify.
A great deal is already known, and the journalist-historians aren't going to quit. Some congresscritturs won't quit. Bloggers aren't going to quit. Keep the faith, and pass the ammunition.
There is one thing to say on the other end, though: the Justice Department is stocked with people who were themselves complicit and knowledgeable about the torture regime; they won't all go away once Obama comes into office because there are just too many of them. So, expecting Justice to do the investigation and prosecution would be a real problem given that department's prior involvement. Not sure what the solution is, but that's the mess that the Bush years left.
Oh, and I agree that there will undoubtedly be pardons all around before Bush leaves office.
Excuse my ignorance of American politics/law, but wouldn't there have to be some convictions before Bush issues any pardons? Surely a pre-emptive pardon prejudges the issue of guilt?
Can Bush give immunity from prosecution?
Excuse my ignorance of American politics/law, but wouldn't there have to be convictions before there were any pardons?
Wouldn't a pardon issued before a conviction was achieved pre-judge the case?
hopper,
see the Ford pardon of Richard Nixon. Nixon never spent a single day in court.
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