Special Comment: Mr. Obama, Prosecute Bush War Crimes

[Loejyrrab]

I'll vote to re-elect Obama but the only enthusiasm for doing so will arise from the realization that any of the Repub mongoloids, if elected, would be a disaster of unmitigated proportions.

The sad fact that this very average Obama would look the other way on the myriad of crimes and misdeeds of the Bush Adm, is sickening. I expected a lot more from him when I vote for him in 08. Well, we'll see what happens.

[talllikelurchis]

Someone should torture, Olbermann, the most American hating piece of shit in the U.S.!

[deathleopards]

Why should we do that? Why does he hate America? Because he voices his views and questions the people in power? That is what a true American does. Not someone who blindly agrees with those in power. Shouldn't true Americans stand up and be above horrible things like torture?

[talllikelurchis]

@deathleopards So if your family was in danger and the only way to "SAVE" them.....was to torture the person with knowledge of saving them and torture was your only option of preventing their deaths.......you wouldn't torture them? Honestly......is America not worth protecting?........America haters like Olbermann should be tortured for instilling hate in people.

[deathleopards]

@talllikelurchis First of all, there has never been a situation like this so, it's an unrealistic example. Second, torture has been proven to be ineffective and, has only extracted incorrect information. Thirdly, there is something called the rule of law. It means, no matter how you feel or what you think of an issue, you still strictly follow the law. As for using torture, once you use it, it becomes more common.Then people like you come into power and torture every person with an opposing view

[talllikelurchis]

@deathleopards The charge: approving brutal methods -- seen by many as illegal torture -- that were also supported Democrats as well including Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, and other Intelligence! LOL! There is a body of evidence suggesting that brutal interrogation methods may indeed have saved lives, perhaps a great many lives, but when the records were suggested to go public Hillary Clinton blocked them....Biased Olbermann the king of propandist journalism doesn't want you to know that!

[deathleopards]

@talllikelurchis It doesn't matter who supports or opposes torture. It is still illegal. Could you please show me some of this independent peer reviewed evidence which shows that torture worked? Olbermann is dramatic. Who cares?

[giounds]

"Lets step down to reality, does anything here thing we imprison bush?"

Huh?

[burker1307]

This guy is a hunk of shit to say the least. what is his and MSNBC's rating this week? Dead last. These are the dangers of this country people. I would like to see Bushes boot straight up his fucking ass!

[OrmEmber]

Well, it won't happen now. Obama has made Bush and Cheney immune to criminal charges.

Oh well...... disappointing, to say the least.

[KighserSose]

I would love to see obama prosecute Bush.

Maybe olbermann could serve as chief federal prosecutor. Have it air on Jon Stewart show live.

--History will really thank the "progressives" for that. I think Americans would love it!

Get the petitions. Sue, call your local ACLU, MADD, GLAD, PETA, petition Pelosi, subpoena Colin Powell. Did I forget anyone else?

Hurry, get while you can..... come get a piece! Make sure we allocate another 1 Billion for the "Americans recovery from Bush" budget fund.

[jimmybones1985]

I think olbermans my fav American lol

[obrienr]

Keith Olbermann is a stupid piece of shit and I find his affection (i.e., his faux "gravitas") particularly grating. It used to be that you had to kill millions of people in horrible ways to commit a war crime. Now, all you have to do is waterboard someone.

[Avidsh21]

Eloquent and to the point. Keith Olbermann speaks for millions here in America and overseas.

Mr. Obama, please do this - it's our moral duty to pursue criminal justice for the Bush administrations war crimes, they have committed and confessed to crimes against humanity, and crimes against the US Constitution.

[TianSan]

Let's not go down that road... That'll be like chasing unicorns, or stepping into a minefield.

Obama isn't stupid or crazy enough to try that.

[Avidsh21]

What planet do you live on?

[TianSan]

I live on Earth, in the dimension of reality... What reality do you live in?

[Avidsh21]

You wish.

[Avidsh21]

Sorry - I really don't mean to be rude - but torturing people, warrantless domestic spying, firing US attorneys for political purposes, deleting millions of emails in violation of Federal law - these are all serious crimes.

The United States prosecuted people for waterboarding US soldiers. Why the double-standard here?

It's an imperialist fantasy to think that because a sitting President does it, it is legal.

[TianSan]

1) Are we under the assumption that the people that have waterboarded US Soldiers, that that was the only thing they did?

2) There are 3 parts of the legal system, ones that make the laws, ones that interpret the laws, and ones that enforce the law. If it was under Bush's time and interpretation that waterboarding is not illegal, then you can't prosecute people that did it when it was legal.

3) It's crazy to prosecute the CIA unless you want to prosecute Bush. Anyone think we can do that?

[darmokandgalad]

Your #2 argument there is basically "If the president does it, it's not illegal."

And the branch of government responsible for interpreting laws is the judicial branch, not the executive. Bush's branch is responsible for enforcing laws as he is part of the executive branch.

But of course, none of this matters to you. You're not interested in facts or reality because you already know what you would like to be true and you'll lie about whatever it takes to make it seem real.

[TianSan]

I never said Bush's branch was in charge of interpreting laws, where in my comment does it say that?

The only thing I said was that during that time, it was not ruled illegal, because waterboarding was not deemed as torture.

I wouldn't put Bush behind bars, the same way I wouldn't put a slave owners behind bars for what they did before the slaves were free.

[TianSan]

and besides it is really quite silly to be trying to imprison the CIA, unless if you want to imprison Bush.

And that's who the target should be, why should the CIA get all the blame?

Lets step down to reality, does anything here thing we imprison bush? if we can't, then we shouldn't imprison the CIA.

[darmokandgalad]

I'm not going to debate this with you because, frankly, you're a Republican and you aren't connected to reality. You don't care how the world actually works, you only care about how you want it to work. You've also proven yourself to be a liar in that you're already trying to claim that you never said Bush's branch was responsible for interpreting laws.

Have fun in fantasy land. Goodbye

[TianSan]

Actually I'm a democrat, you can tell that by the channels I subscribe to.

I'm prochoice, progayrights, antigun, I believe in taxing the rich a bit more to help the poor out more.

Don't you feel stupid now?

I'm a democrat, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with all the views of my fellow peers.

Get down to reality. This is the CIA. No one in their right mind would persecute their own countrymen and patriots, for them taking advantage of a loophole.

[TianSan]

Yea it sucks, but that's the reality of the world. The best thing Obama can do right now, is make the rules and enforce those rules to make sure no one does them anymore... And not prosecute Bush, or the people that worked under Bush on Bush's time.

I understand you want to correct a wrong, but prosecuting our CIA and Bush, when it was under Bush's watch, isn't correcting a wrong...

Two wrongs don't make a right.

[Avidsh21]

You apparently are pretending that the power to make laws willy-nilly, to suit an agenda, resides with the President. Fortunately, in a democracy, no single leader has such power.

No laws have changed, and the legal "opinions" of John Yoo et al., are directly in the line of fire for their flawed reasoning.

[TianSan]

I am not pretending anything. What I am saying is that you cannot prosecute the CIA or the President if the legal interpretations was that it is legal. You can overturn those interpretations, but you can't punish the people that acted accordingly before those interpretations were changed.

You have every right to argue those interpretations and try to get them changed. What you don't have is the right to punish those before the interpretations were changed.

[TianSan]

When they abolished slavery, segregations, and established prohibition, do you think they imprisoned everyone that had slaves, or segregated people, or people that drank alcohol before it became illegal?

Of course torture has always been illegal, but through interpetation during Bush's time Waterboarding was not considered torture. Of course we know better, but that is how the law was interpretted at that time, and it would be wrong to prosecute the CIA, and a colossal waste of time and money

[AngelAnnihilation]

Yeah well Obama is still using the the warrant-less wire taps and domestic spying... Also why would you tell our enemies our methods of interrogation? Obama isn't dumb hes just naive and an ideologue. He lacks any prior administrative experience and to top it off OBAMA knew about the torture methods back in FEB of 2008 when they got put to a vote in the senate and quess what he did??? NOTHING! the bastard never even showed up to vote. This is the guy who's running the country.

[Avidsh21]

Where were you when Bush was President? When he set those torture programs in motion, and then lied that it was the "bad apple" soldiers who were abusing prisoners on their own. When they were actually following orders under policies set by the Bushies. Where were you then?

Are you complaining about a president who thinks clearly and speaks like an intelligent person? Where did you get that "lacks experience" line? Fox noise? It's total BS.

[das1029]

The Republican majority during the Clinton administration were dogmatic in implementing and excuting a hearing to impeach Pres. Clinton for perjurious statements about Monica Lewinsky.

They felt it was absolutely necessary for the "integrity" of the office of the President, the constitution, and our nation.

But international war crimes, like "admitting" torture sanctioned by a US president should be overlooked?

Some of you people are the biggest hypocrites in the WORLD!!!!!

[MajNorberg]

...if Obama wants to be remembered as a great president...he would have to prosecute the Bush Admin...........that's change.....no one is above the law......period.

[ciabones]

BooHoo....They get water poured over their faces,

put in stress positions, have to listen to loud songs

over and over, withholding of water, and sleep depri-

vation....please I'd take that any day over having to

jump out a 110 story building because your above

the impact zone and theres unimaginable heat all

around you. Lets not forget what led us to where we

are today. So fuck you and your terrorist rights Mr

Olberman. These guys are fighting out of uniform so

the Geneva Conventions dont apply.

[TheLyinLiberal]

"The (y) work for us" at :22. The 'y' is silent. lol.

Doesn't Olby usually reads a teleprompter better when he's acting out his lefty rant-a-thons?

[olbermanblows]

The interrogation of Khali Sheik Mohammed and its methods were APPROVED by the Senate Committee (which included Nancy Pelosi) Bush was acting on that committee's advisements. That's it, That's all. Try blaming the Democrats and the Senate Committee and stop just singling out Bush just to ridicule him.

[gingerlives]

Great video Olbermann keep up the good work!! 100% correct

[baronmorris]

Torture is criminal. Bush should have been impeached - checks and balances. It's unlikely & perhaps unwise for Obama to go after Bush w/ criminal charges; it would open an ugly can of worms, set a nasty precedent, be horribly divisive, distract from a positive agenda, & still probably fail. Bush can issue pardons to pretty much anyone. It's unlikely that he would ever be convicted.

The failure is that of Congress, not Obama. Perhaps Congress should be censured?

One has to pick one's battles.

[mikejunior80]

Bush was and is indeed the worst President in American history if indeed Abraham Lincoln was the greatest leader in the history of the United States.

I can positively agree also with Keith Olbermann that the (now)President of the United States should seek to prosecute the former president for these evil deeds and further hold him and all other elected officials of the previous administration accountable for all such acts of torture and corruption among other things.