Anyone who has read any of my comments knows I have been very critical of President Obama for his stance on torture, spying and other crimes of the past administration. There have been countless diaries posted condemning our President for not doing enough, and just as many condemning the diarists for not giving President Obama more time to work things out. I freely admit, I have been in more support of the former and less supportive of the latter. Lately though, I have come to a different conclusion: Leave the President alone and place the blame squarely where it stands: On Madam Speaker's shoulders.
Step on through to the other side, if you will.
I guess I should start with a couple disclaimers. First, I came to back Obama very reluctantly, I almost wrote in Al Gore's name instead. Second, I don't have a lot of time to chase down links, so I won't have any in this diary, although it is screaming for them.
Now on to blaming Pelosi. Why should she get all the blame? Well, because the whole mess is her own damn fault. Remember her famous statement: "Impeachment is off the table." What she was really saying is, "All the criminals can have a free pass." Considering she was (is) one of the criminals, how can you blame her for wanting them to get a free pass. If you don't know why I am calling her a criminal, you haven't been paying attention. She was one of the members of congress who got to witness torture via video. Impeach bush, impeach herself.
By taking impeachment off the table, she told the past administration, and any future administration, that criminal acts won't be prosecuted. You tell a bunch of criminals that they can act like criminals without fear, and guess what? So, the last administration took that ball and ran with it. They ran all over the Constitution. They knew they could do it with the rethugs in charge, and Nancy gave them the green light to continue doing it with the Democratic party in charge. Bush (Cheney) expanded his imperial presidency with the Democratic Congress. This should never have happened, but it did because Madam Speaker gave them permission to do so. She gave up congresses only power to check the power of the presidency; impeachment.
So, do you see where I'm headed yet? I bet some do.
When the Obama administration came into office, they had absolutely no reason to give up the power Bucheneysh claimed. And they haven't. They still claim the right to rendition. They still haven't shut down the illegal spying. They are talking about closing Gitmo, but nobody ever mentions the New and Improved Gitmo; Bagram AFB. Iraq? The message seems to change daily.
Yes, I know the Obama administration is a million times better than the last POS we had in office, that is not my point. He has done things the last administration would never have done in a million years. Any democratic president will be better on social issues than any rethuglican. That's a given. But on the issues of torture and spying, they are giving the criminals a pass. Why? Because it was already done once. If Nancy and the rest of the congress had done their damn job, protecting the Constitution of the U.S., then Obama wouldn't have to do anything. The guilty would already have been ferreted out and punished. Then Obama could truly concentrate on those matters that he finds most important. Obama inherited the mess that NANCY left him, and now he is thrashing around trying to make it go away. It is not going to go away. There are just too many patriots who feel the sting of the black eye we got, and no amount of "looking to the future" salve is going to make that sting go away.
So, the next time you feel like sending a message to our President showing disdain for his stance on the illegalities of the past administration, make sure you send Nancy a message, too. After all, it is her damn fault.
Anybody who wants to chase down links to put in the comments, that would be kool.