Keith Olbermann Special Comment: President Obama must prosecute Bush and Cheney for torture

Keith Olbermann delivers a special comment on Countdown about how President Obama must prosecute war crimes perpetrated by the Bush Administration and vice president Dick Cheney. Weeks later, a call to arms has been picked up by Senator Pat Leahy:
We have just emerged from a time when White House officials often acted as if they were above the law. That was wrong and must be fully exposed so it never happens again.

The Huffington Post community and the netroots played a vital role pursuing, demanding, and exposing the Bush-Cheney administration's numerous abuses. But there's still more we don't know, and more we must uncover, about the misdeeds of the past eight years.



That is why I proposed the idea of a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate abuses during the Bush-Cheney administration. These abuses may include the use of torture, warrantless wiretapping, extraordinary rendition, and executive override of laws.




I have set up a petition at BushTruthCommission.com, and I hope you will sign it to urge Congress to consider establishing a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate the Bush-Cheney administration's abuses. We already have over 7,000 signatures, but we need to hit 10,000 signatures -- or more -- by next week, to build momentum behind this idea.

During the past several years, this country has been divided as deeply as it has been at any time in our history since the Civil War. It has made our government less productive and our society less civil. In this week when we begin commemorating the Lincoln bicentennial, there is need, again, "to bind up the nation's wounds." President Lincoln urged that course in his second inaugural address some seven score and four years ago.



Rather than vengeance, we need a fair-minded pursuit of what actually happened. The best way to move forward is getting to the truth, finding out what happened, so we can make sure it does not happen again.




The Obama administration has already made huge strides to restore the Constitution and renew our commitment to international law after eight corrosive years. But we must read the full page on this dark chapter in American history before we can turn it for good, which is why I feel so strongly about investigating what really happened.

 I hope you agree.



On Monday, I delivered a speech at Georgetown University where I outlined my ideas about why we need a truth and reconciliation commission and how it could work.



A truth and reconciliation commission would be tasked with seeking answers. It would provide Congress and the American people with a shared understanding of the failures of the recent past, so we do not repeat them in the future.


Thank you, in advance, for taking action at www.BushTruthCommission.com to prevent history from repeating itself and joining me to support the creation of a truth and reconciliation commission.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sen-patrick-leahy/a-truth-commission-to-inv_b_1...

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Truth
• and
• reconciliation
• commission
• Dick
• Cheney
• torture
• George
• Bush
• war
• crimes
• Iraq
• illegal
• warrantless
• wiretapping
• president
• Obama

[darkwarriorkane]

@klrdotorg I got my info from the ratings board unless they are wrong in which case I'm sorry Personally I watch CNN unless I'm on youtube so Olby isn't my news source most of the time. He's a little bracing for my taste. Again I was wrong and I'm sorry for that

[klrdotorg]

@darkwarriorkane

Wrong ... we got info from the guy -- and it wasn't from buddying up to him. You asked for an example of "wrong fact" ... and I gave you one in the first 2 minutes.

His ratings now match Bill-O's? Who's ass did you pull that bullshit factoid from? He has less than 1/10th the viewers. Where the hell do you get your info from pal? Oh yeah, Olby. He's a liar. You should be more discriminating with your news sources.

[darkwarriorkane]

@klrdotorg What did we get from KSO before we stopped the torture? Bin Laden, a real plot, or anything? Did Bush just sit on that info for a couple years? By the way his rating now match Bill-O who is Fox's biggest guy so I'd say both sides of the news are about equal.

[klrdotorg]

@darkwarriorkane

Bad taste? Every show this guy does is in bad taste. Now, nobody watches him ... so who the hell cares?

I'll name one wrong fact. A minute & half into this screed of bullshit, KO claims we didn't get "anything from him (KSM) until we buddied up to him". That's a crock of shit.

The fact that you think he's a truth teller is hilarious. Nobody twists facts and spins like this guy. You obviously like your news as biased as possible. Too bad. RIP KO.

[darkwarriorkane]

@ehunter2 name me one wrong fact here? Just one.

[darkwarriorkane]

@klrdotorg no he isn't and RIP implies he's dead that's just bad taste mate.

[klrdotorg]

This smug, pretentious, pompous douche bag is gone. RIP

[undeadpresident]

Bush did 9/11 and conned us into war, and out of all that you choose to prosecute for torture? That's like charging a man who robbed a convenience store with jaywalking cause he didn't use a crosswalk.

Gatekeeper.

[thesupremeper]

Yes Yes Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keith woke up on the right side of the bed that morning.

[ub30f]

Obama should be tortured for his stupidity - lol