Latino Sexual Oddysey

Used to send a weekly newsletter. To subscribe, email me at ctmock@yahoo.com

Friday, July 13, 2007

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial - TIME FOR TRUTH

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial - TIME FOR TRUTH
Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times
July 13, 2007



What is President Bush hiding? He insists he's acting on principle in defying a congressional subpoena for testimony and documents concerning the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. His defense: to maintain his office's ability to get good, candid advice from his aides. Claiming executive privilege for himself and former aides including Harriet Miers, he says he played no part in the firings.

But congressional investigators smell coverup: They think Bush is trying to avoid the political and legal fallout of having it revealed the firings were part of a plan concocted by top aide Karl Rove to politicize the federal criminal system. Under this plan, various attorneys were pressured to target potential Democratic candidates and stop investigating Republican officials for corruption.

If this were proved, Bush would not only look bad for having denied any role, he would also be party to obstruction of justice. It isn't illegal to fire U.S. attorneys, though presidents usually have that done when they assume office, not mid-term, with a specific agenda. It is illegal -- an obstruction of justice -- to have them fired to chill prosecutions.

Whatever is revealed in a dispute that appears headed to the courts, Bush is not doing a good job of hiding his basic contempt for the legal system and the democratic principles of openness and accountability. During these premature lame duck days of his presidency, when a number of Republicans are rising up against him, he is less concerned with advancing programs than protecting those close to him politically. That was driven home when he commuted the prison sentence of former top Cheney aide Scooter Libby -- and refused to explain why to Congress. Libby was convicted of obstructing justice in a federal probe of the leak of ex-CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity. Erasing his 2½-year prison sentence continues that obstruction by removing "any incentive for him to cooperate with the prosecutor," says Plame's husband Joseph Wilson.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home