Countdown: Advisor Yoo Put Bush Above the Law
By Heather Friday Jul 17, 2009 12:00pm
David Shuster and Harper's Scott Horton break down John Yoo's poorly written op-ed at the Wall Street Journal, defending his part in allowing the Bush administration to spy on millions of Americans under the guise of keeping us safe from terrorists.
From The Anonymous Liberal--John Yoo: Still Lying:
In this morning's Wall Street Journal, John Yoo has an op-ed defending himself from the malpractice charges set forth in the recent Inspecter General's report. As with the opinions themselves, the op-ed is deeply disingenuous and misstates the law repeatedly.
Not surprisingly, Yoo begins the op-ed with a collosal straw man. He points out how important it is to intercept al Qaeda communications and writes: "Evidently, none of the inspectors general of the five leading national security agencies would approve." Of course, the issue is not whether intercepting communications is a good idea, but whether the program violated the law. Yoo was not a policy maker. He was a lawyer. His job was to state what the law was, not what it should be.
From Think Progress-- In Op-Ed Attacking IG Report, John Yoo Never Mentions That He Refused To Cooperate With The Investigation:
Last week, the Inspectors General of five separate intelligence agencies released a congressionally-mandated report on the Bush administration’s post-9/11 surveillance programs. The report focuses much of its criticism on John Yoo, a former deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel, who wrote “legal memos undergirding the policy.”
In the Wall Street Journal today, Yoo responded to the report, claiming that the inspectors general are ignoring history and are simply “responding to the media-stoked politics of recrimination.” But in his attack on the report, Yoo neither responded to the specific criticisms of his legal reasoning nor mentioned that he refused to cooperate with the investigation.
Instead, Yoo persisted in pushing the flaws in his legal argument, such as the claim that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act did not take war into consideration.
Scott Horton has more at The Daily Beast--Torture Prosecution Turnaround?:
The attorney general is leaning toward appointing a special prosecutor to investigate Bush-era torture policy, sources tell Scott Horton. Inside the logic driving Eric Holder’s possible conversion.
Login or Register to post comments.
and enjoy the same illegal benefits which Bush/Cheney created ,, because he certainly are protecting Bush/Cheney from being investigated and prosecuted..
Obama also is using most of the dictatorial power Bush/ Cheney enjoy and expanding on some...
i have to get with it. i was thinking attorney general eric holder was making that decision regarding investigating 'Bush/Cheney'.
Of course Obama is punting to Holder...
... The Office of the President of the United States of America is TAINTED!!!
yeah maybe your correct. maybe everything regarding investigating bush/cheney is obama's fault. he's only trying to get the economy going,reform healthCare,talks with russia,iran and deal with financial crisis. that's holder's job in my opinion but you may be correct.
I never insulated that Obama has nothing to do...
... But I am saying that the Office he holds is TAINTED.
To date The President of the United States of America can:
~ Hire a lackey lawyer to write memos justifying why the POTUSA can violate common law, international law, Constitutional law in regards to warrantless wiretapping Americans and the illegal use of treatment and detainment of POW's.
NO?
THE OFFICE IS TAINTED!!!
.
Taint so.
okay i got it. you have it figured out. i'm just learning. i'm not that knowledgable. i'm just thinking that it seems complicated/complex. addington/yoo knew what the opposition strategy would be.
I know what taint is and it's not the WH but the place between the orifices.
Between our ears?
maybe yours.
ron,
As long as "A" President of the USA can violate the Law, "ANY" President can.
THE OFFICE IS TAINTED!!!
Do you really believe that Obama does not sign off on every policy which reflects his administration's policies..
Obama and Emanuel are protecting the crimes and corruption of the Bush/Cheney administration and tell me WHY>>
Obama is treading on criminal grounds when he stops the investigations and prosecution of criminal crimes of the prior administration. The oath Obama took when swore into offices states that Obama should even help to prosecute any crimes against our constitution and laws..
Talk about double talking
Obama Early in January stated stated he did not believe that anybody is above the law. At the same time stated it was time to move on.. opposed to looking backwards."
April
Obama released memos detailing the Bush administration's "enhanced interrogation techniques." and simultaneously condemned those techniques stated that the interrogators who carried them out would be protected from prosecution.
Double entry....
I haven't a frakkin' clue, Pete.
And it's something that bothers me not only about Obama, but about Democrats like Pelosi and Reid. Why are they afraid to make a simple, declarative statement about torture? How are we better served by not being honest and showing that we can not only own up to our mistakes, but correct them and take measures to make sure it doesn't happen again, as well as prosecute/penalize those responsible for the transgression in the first place?
the would-be king-maker. Don't you just hate it when US Law Code get's in the way? I can't believe this idiot hasn't been disbarred yet. Then again I can't believe that he was ever admitted to the bar.
... let this guy remain on the faculty.
And, no, I don't consider it 'free speech' to entertain this schmuck's legal theories about torture.
They knew they were breaking the law. That was the whole purpose of the 'moral clarity' song and dance they sold to the press. And the press lapped it up, treated torture as if it really was a gray area, that this was something we could legally do to keep the country safe.
Instead of looking at the law, the media fell all over themselves to accept Yoo's theories - which do not establish law nor render a judgment, only express an opinion. I would think any time someone says, "Yes, I know it's been illegal in the past, but we're going to ignore that, chuck all the checks and balances out the window, and assign the prezzy-twit supermagical plenipoteniary powers to protect the nation!" - that a sensible, thinking person would say, "Hey, now WAIT JUST A MINUTE."
Yes they knew they were breaking the Law but the MSM didn't just let them do they helped them break the law.
The corporate owned government is the same as the corporate owned media.
When you pay the piper you get to call the tune.
Everything you hear see and read in the msm has been taylored to fit the corporate needs.
All these so called pundits wheather they will admit it or not are paid liars or just fools.
republicanism is a mental illness!
Al-Jazeera Reporter Imprisoned in Guantánamo Bay to Sue George Bush
supports the claims of any "Islamo-fascist rag-haid" detainee from the Central Asian wars against ANY Murkin.
This suit has as much chance of any success as a turtle has of crossing an interstate hiway...
.. that's why they're bringing the suit in Europe ..
I agree, Woody, this would go nowhere in the American courts.
In the meantime, Mr al-Haj is gathering lots of evidence from other detainees. This is very encouraging news.
What you are saying is ... forget our constitution , laws and our laws agreement we have made with the rest of the world.. And If you believe something is too hard to accomplish then the h... with it..
So that makes us a law-less country. Our constitution , bill of rights , freedom means nothing just as Bush stated when taking office and this is a dictatorial government and the president can do any d... thing he wishes and is ABOVE our laws and constitution..
I can see that a lot or Americans really believe in our laws and constitution...
What excuse is there for not prosecuting treason , illegal spying , stating you will not obey the laws passed by the house and senate.
We are talking about our DEMOCRACY and spreading it across the globe..
I'm saying quite the opposite!
I'm being realistic. Bush and Cheney destroyed your constitution, rights and freedoms. They changed the laws to suit themselves.
They MUST be held accountable for their criminal actions. I just don't see it happening from within the USA.
... if the corrective action comes from outside the U.S., we'll have lost that much more. The same crowd that hates the U.N. is banking that the nations won't stand up to us and call us out.
Yet that's what they kept insisting the U.N. do regarding Iraq, Iran, and North Korea.
And very sad.
Group Seeks Probe of Mass Graves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQwJaAhtCi8
.
Isn't it nice to know that in America, laws don't matter?
.
is to insulate the Rulers from the insolence of the unruly.
Holder is putting this out there to see if there is any push back. To see what kind of shit he will get if he pursues this torture investigation. If it doesn't get too bad he will maybe go after the torturers. He knows it is the correct thing to do but he seems worried what will happen if he does. He needs reassurance that if he does it that there will not be any huge repercussions. Like a plane crash or something.
... eight years.
Would someone PLEASE grow a fucking spine in Washington D.C.?!?!?!?!
WE are in these disaster and WE all will have to suffer together..
Were is the "WE" coming from !!!
I do not see any of the Elite , government officials (including the persons behind the policies and actions creating this disaster) sufforting for their actions/lack of actions losing the jobs , wages being cut , losing their benefits or their homes..
And I wonder just how many have gain more wealth by knowing about the decission which were going to made and the inside information about the economy..And this is conflict with our constitution and laws..
So what people are saying is wealth and power trumps our constitution and laws..
Good thing bush wasn't wearing a kilt at the time.
And this is conflict with our constitution and laws..
So what people are saying is wealth and power trumps our constitution and laws..
If you the president , war contractor , Blackwater or in holding of great power ,, you can do anything to anyone you wish and people have to forgive you and forget, but if a you are not of the power to be and smoke a joint , write a bad check you owe your soul to the company store..
Another double post
http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,352090,00.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEZmoAhHtDI&fe...
both of these guys were in on giving Cheney and bush the 'unitary executive" they wanted. addington and yoo were two to three steps ahead of everyone. addington knew what cheney wanted and he gave it to them. in my opinion this strategy of torture was to escalate/prolong the war(s)/occupation. i believe it was a cause and effect strategy. 2 minute quick read.
http://www.truthout.org/article/addington-yoo...
Is keeping and using some of the same illegal policies which Bush/Cheney put in place..
It seems as if EMANUEL is running to store.. using his short finger to get it all done..
"His job was to state what the law was, not what it should be."
Actually I think his job was to write legal opinions affirming whatever Bush Co wanted to do.
I am relieved to see Schuster still on tv after he actually brought up all the warnings and pre-9/11 stuff...that showed that adm DID in fact 'know' something major was coming down.
People think I am trying to push the LIHOP thing...well, the Bush/co administration's 'failure' was either that...or plain, stupid incompentence...which should not have been tolerated either.
(I still think it was LIHOP, btw. 9/11 was just a tad bit toooooo convenient! for those people and Col. Wilkerson's comments in Feb's VANITY FAIR about preparing Condi for her (ahem) testimony for the 9/11 whitewash is extremely important..as he admits they were told to dig up info for her TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAD BEEN INTERESTED IN al-Qaeda.....
It annoys me that these hit men for the right wing get great jobs when they are done screwing up the world.
Ridicule anyone who is thinking about attending Chapman Univ. (where they hired Yoo) or Pepperdine Univ. (where that butthead Ken Starr ended up), these schools and corporations that hire these %$#&#@%ing people need to pay the consequences for legitimizing and feeding them.
...and where the hell did Gonzales get a job?
I'll boycott MacDonald's if I have to.
I was wondering why Yoo hasn't been disbarred, and I found this:
Professor John Yoo Could Face Disbarment
Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. ;o}
We're gonna get Yoo for war crimes. I really wanted Bush and Cheney and maybe Rumsfeld too, but this guy will do...I guess.
[/sarcasm]
Login or Register to post comments.