BLM -- corruption and prosecuting crimes comes up!!!

[beachmom]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/14/222339/071/485/495813

A reporter/bloggers asked Obama the following question:

"I know you've talked about reconciliation and moving on, but there's also the issue of justice, and a lot of people -- certainly around the world and certainly within this country -- feel that crimes were possibly committed" regarding torture, rendition, and illegal wiretapping. I wanted to know how whether his Justice Department "would aggressively go after and investigate whether crimes have been committed."

Obama's answer in full:

What I would want to do is to have my Justice Department and my Attorney General immediately review the information that's already there and to find out are there inquiries that need to be pursued. I can't prejudge that because we don't have access to all the material right now. I think that you are right, if crimes have been committed, they should be investigated. You're also right that I would not want my first term consumed by what was perceived on the part of Republicans as a partisan witch hunt because I think we've got too many problems we've got to solve.

So this is an area where I would want to exercise judgment -- I would want to find out directly from my Attorney General -- having pursued, having looked at what's out there right now -- are there possibilities of genuine crimes as opposed to really bad policies. And I think it's important-- one of the things we've got to figure out in our political culture generally is distinguishing betyween really dumb policies and policies that rise to the level of criminal activity. You know, I often get questions about impeachment at town hall meetings and I've said that is not something I think would be fruitful to pursue because I think that impeachment is something that should be reserved for exceptional circumstances. Now, if I found out that there were high officials who knowingly, consciously broke existing laws, engaged in coverups of those crimes with knowledge forefront, then I think a basic principle of our Constitution is nobody above the law -- and I think that's roughly how I would look at it.

Considering the politics involved in a presidential campaign, I am very, very pleased with this answer.

[Inuca]

1. ANd I hope he will get

a damn good AG!

[beachmom]

2. Great minds think alike!! :) This is also now on the front page of HuffPo:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Permalink:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/15/obama-would-immediately-r_n_96690.html

This story is HUGE.

[blm]

3. It makes it possible for it to become the OVER-RIDING issue we all know it is.

Clintons CANNOT go there with their record of protecting BushInc.

Blow this up as far as we can on the internet forums TODAY and TOMORROW and overtake this BS against Obama.

The POWERFUL ELITE take care of each other. Obama will NOT protect Bush and his powerful cronies as Clinton did throughout the 90s.


I have a post up in GD - P on this. beachmom - you can get attention at kos as a top poster. We either POUND on this NOW or lose a perfect opportunity to get Clintons exposed more fully.

[Inuca]

4. That's an excellent point!

I'll do my extremely modest best in the little time I have.

[karynnj]

5. This seems to be a diary about it at DKOS

though the diarist who had supported HRC made his change in support to Obama over this - so he made his change the subject. But here's the link - http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/15/121138/360/188/496126

It is not a good diary as that twist is all that the underlying comments are on - I've posted because at least in the one case it shows there are some waiting to here what BLM and others have spoken of.

[beachmom]

6. I wonder how other bloggers who support Hillary will deal with this.

I am thinking of Armando (Big Tent Democrat). I don't read him anymore, but I guess he shills for Hillary. Yet he can't deny the power of what Obama said. I wonder if there will be more defections from those who support Hillary but who also are VERY interested in getting Bush crimes prosecuted. That will NOT happen under the Clintons.

I actually liked the diary -- why do you think it is not a good diary?

[karynnj]

7. Oh - I wrote it wrong

The diary it self is very good - but because of the title maybe, the comments when I had read it were all welcome aboard, congratulations etc rather than discussing the issue - though it might also refect just that Obama's words and the diary were already saying what had to be said. I thought the title was too placed the diarist rather than the issue in the center.