Leahy announces hearings on Bush investigations set for next Wednesday.

[babylonsister]

Leahy announces hearings on Bush investigations set for next Wednesday.


Speaking on the Senate floor this morning, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) reiterated his call to hold a truth commission to investigate Bush wrongdoings, and announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee would hold hearings on the matter next Wednesday. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) rose after Leahy to support the call for investigations into “this past carnival of folly, greed, lies, and wrongdoing.” “If we blind ourselves to this history, we deny ouselves its lessons,” he said, warning that such an investigation will not be comfortable or easy:

WHITEHOUSE: We are optimists, we Americans. We are proud of our country. Contrition comes hard to us. But the path back from the dark side may lead us down some unfamiliar valleys of remorse and repugnance before we can return to the light. We may have to face our fellow Americans saying to us, “No. Please. Tell us that we did not do that. Tell us that American did not do that.” And we will have to explain, somehow. This is no small thing. And not easy. This will not be comfortable, or proud. But somehow, it must be done.

Watch it at link~

A recent poll found that a large majority — more than 60 percent — of Americans favors investigations into Bush wrongdoings, including warrantless wiretapping and torture. (Read Leahy’s full remarks are here, and read Whitehouse’s full speech here or watch it here.)

more/transcript...

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/02/25/leahy-whitehouse-investigations/

[spanone]

1. big k&r

[gademocrat7]

2. K & R

[AndyA]

3. Thrilled to send this thread to the Greatest page!

Long overdue, better late than never, I suppose. ;)

[Hepburn]

4. Oh, yeah!!!! K&R

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

5. My money says it ends up a whitewash.

I have zero faith that any genuine justice will come from ANY "investigation" the government has any part in. It doesn't matter which side is in charge of it- they're ALL complicit unless it ends up with Georgie Boy and Dickie Doo blindfolded and tied to a post in front of a firing squad.

[Imalittleteapot]

6. Yep.

[jtrockville]

8. That's exactly what "commissions" are: a whitewash.

[Deny and Shred]

15. Never thought about it, but you're right. BTW, didn't Nancy P want

to go forward with prosecutions, and not a Truth Commission? She made it seem like the commission would be instead of prosecutions. If so, then it is a complete whitewash - and we can expect to see the same actors serving in another Repub Admin, just like Abrahms, Negroponte, Poindexter, etc were all first choices for appointments.

[ThomWV]

7. This is all fine as long as there is no immunity for anyone above Sargent or GS-9

[Winterblues]

9. Doesn't he know that all the Bush* Cabal are immune from testifying.

Surely he knows that Bush* told all his aides that they never have to testify because they are special and privileged. If no one answers subpoenas and Contempt Charges are never enforced how can there ever be an investigation?

[pleah]

10. Prosecutions and nothing less!

Damn it.

[wryter2000]

11. Awesome!

I'll have to find a videotape and tape it. There's nothing better than a great Senate hearing.

[arthritisR_US]

12. fine, just don't grant any immunity for testimony! n/t

[ThomWV]

13. I've been thinking about this all afternoon. Who will be the invited witnesses?

They will have a panel, some of the people will have been chosen by Leahy and Whitehouse, some by the Republicans. What will they say? What will be recommended? A panel, sopena power? When will they report? What will be their scope? How many people? Who?

So many questions.

[blogslut]

14. Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na,

Batman!



I love Patrick Leahy. There. I said it.