The Political Class Will Always Protect Itself
If left to its own devices, the political class will always protect itself. You can see it happening right now with the Obama administration's extreme reluctance to punish the law breakers of the Bush administration. Obama wants America to "look ahead," and not get bogged down in the past. Now where have I heard that before?
Oh yes, when Ford pardoned Nixon for the good of the nation. When Reagan and his cronies were allowed to get away with Iran Contra in the 80s. Yes, somehow when it comes to the most exalted members of the political class, there's never a good time to prosecute them, never a good time for them to be held accountable.
Does Obama not get it? Does he not understand that he was elected by people like me who were and still are outraged by the actions of the Bush administration? Get caught selling dope three times and you'll spend a long time in jail. Lie the country into a war, murder hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, illegally wiretap your own citizens, and start a torture program and you get to retire to your mansion and make millions in speakers fees.
I don't think that we're asking for too much. We are simply asking our elected representatives to actually uphold the law. It is part of the job description, no? Why then the foot dragging? Why the assurances to CIA torturers that they won't actually be held accountable for torturing people because they were "just following orders"? Why the ridiculous notion that members of the Bush administration won't be prosecuted unless the Republican Party signs off on the idea? Wouldn't that be like asking permission from the 5 Families before putting John Gotti on trial?
The reason I want these people to pay for their crimes is the very reason that the other members of the political class don't want them to: accountability. I want the members of the Bush administration who broke the law (and flaunted it) to go to jail. I want every wannabe Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, or Alberto Gonsalez to look back on history and see what happens when men drunk on power think they can get away with anything. The politicians on the hill--of both parties--don't want that because it might set a dangerous precedent. If politicians were actually held accountable, it might change how Washington operates and they couldn't have that.
Oh yes, when Ford pardoned Nixon for the good of the nation. When Reagan and his cronies were allowed to get away with Iran Contra in the 80s. Yes, somehow when it comes to the most exalted members of the political class, there's never a good time to prosecute them, never a good time for them to be held accountable.
Does Obama not get it? Does he not understand that he was elected by people like me who were and still are outraged by the actions of the Bush administration? Get caught selling dope three times and you'll spend a long time in jail. Lie the country into a war, murder hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, illegally wiretap your own citizens, and start a torture program and you get to retire to your mansion and make millions in speakers fees.
I don't think that we're asking for too much. We are simply asking our elected representatives to actually uphold the law. It is part of the job description, no? Why then the foot dragging? Why the assurances to CIA torturers that they won't actually be held accountable for torturing people because they were "just following orders"? Why the ridiculous notion that members of the Bush administration won't be prosecuted unless the Republican Party signs off on the idea? Wouldn't that be like asking permission from the 5 Families before putting John Gotti on trial?
The reason I want these people to pay for their crimes is the very reason that the other members of the political class don't want them to: accountability. I want the members of the Bush administration who broke the law (and flaunted it) to go to jail. I want every wannabe Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, or Alberto Gonsalez to look back on history and see what happens when men drunk on power think they can get away with anything. The politicians on the hill--of both parties--don't want that because it might set a dangerous precedent. If politicians were actually held accountable, it might change how Washington operates and they couldn't have that.