Thursday, January 29, 2009

Putting Torture Behind Us


"Rather than lose forever the chance to grow from our missteps," Nicholas Kristof (NYT) has a interesting "proposal for confronting Guantánamo without distracting from the work on the economic crisis."

Photo Credit: Nicholas D. Kristof. (Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times)

Monday, January 26, 2009

Feingold: Give Appointment Powers to the People

Senator to Push For Constitutional Amendment

John Nichols (The Capital Times) reports:
"Following New York Governor David Paterson's controversial selection of Kirsten Gillibrand to fill the U.S. Senate vacancy created by the resignation of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and with the impeachment trial of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich for abuses of office allegedly including the bartering off of the vacant Senate seat of President Barack Obama, Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold wants to require that Senate vacancies be filled by the voters rather than individual governors...."

Continue Reading.

The People vs. Dick Cheney


Karen Greenberg answers the question:
"Will Obama bring the Bushies to account? Will Congress? Some local DA? A judge in Europe? Anyone...?"
Illustration: Roberto Parada (Mother Jones)

Who Will Throw the Book at the Bushies?


In a companion piece to "The People vs. Dick Cheney," Jonathan Schwarz reports:
"If Congress won't, these folks might...."

Friday, January 16, 2009

Obama, Pakistan, terrorism | Salon


Obama, Pakistan, terrorism | Juan Cole | Salon:
"The president-elect wants to work with the Pakistani government to "stamp out" terror. It's not nearly that simple." Continue reading.
Photo Credit: Juan Cole. The Vineyard of the Saker: Amy Goodman interviews Professor Juan Cole on Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Kurdistan

Vote to Hold the Bush Administration Accountable

UPDATE

An open letter to Barack Obama

Dear President-Elect Obama:
While I understand your desire to put the mistakes and failures of the Bush administration behind us and to focus on the future with a positive agenda of change, I believe it is absolutely necessary to the credibility of your promise of change that you investigate the abuses of the Bush administration and hold accountable anyone who has abused his or her power of office or participated in criminal acts.

Without holding government responsible for past abuses, there is nothing to preclude those same abuses from recurring. When you take the oath of office on January 20th, you will swear to uphold the Constitution. You cannot do so while allowing those who have disgraced it to fail to pay consequences for their actions.

Those who voted for you are passionately hopeful that you will live up to your campaign rhetoric and act boldly to do what is right for our country--no matter the political cost. We are facing unprecedented problems domestically and internationally. We need bold actions, truth, and real solutions.

I implore you to do what is necessary to restore the faith of Americans in our country's leadership by upholding your duties to protect the Constitution.

Thank you.

EVERYONE PLEASE VOTE TO APPOINT A SPECIAL PROSECUTER BY CLICKING ON THE BADGE ABOVE.

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