For the life of me, I can't figure it out. It makes no sense.
His continued insistence on keeping confidential the facts contained in the 6000 page report about what atrocities the CIA committed during the Bush era has gained him nothing, and now has him fighting off heat from his Congressional friends. I can't believe that he is doing this to protect some low level CIA staffers since we all know that their torture orders came from high up in the Bush administration, probably from Cheney himself. It doesn't add up!
Join me after the jump if you're as perplexed as I am, and maybe we can figure it out together.
When President Obama first took office, I understood it. I didn't agree with it, but I understood his motives. Simply put, he wanted to "Move On", to use a cliche from the Clinton era that spawned the popular liberal web site. He wanted to move forward and get things done, and didn't want the time and energy of his infant administration consumed by lengthy legal and Constitutional battles that in the end would be resolved by the 5 to 4 split Supreme Court who would likely give the Bush criminals a "Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free" card.
Politically, I'm sure he (naively)thought that by giving Bush, Cheney and Company a pass, their fellow Republicans in Congress would be grateful. That it would foster a spirit of "Bipartisanship" with Congressional Republicans which he presumed he would need to get his legislative agenda passed. The alternative, I'm sure he conjectured, which would result from an aggressive prosecution of ex-administration, would be severe pay back by Congressional Republicans in the form of filibustering his entire legislative agenda until he agreed to let the Bush criminal family go.
But as we all know now, the Republicans weren't grateful. Instead, as soon as he agreed to let the Bush/Cheney crowd off the hook, their Republican friends in Congress promptly got up and punched President Obama right in the face. No Bipartisanship, no cooperation, not so much as even a small friendly gesture towards the new President. I'm sure President Obama must now be siting around saying "Those Ungrateful Bastards", perplexed at how Republicans could have thrown the olive branch back into his face. Why would they do such a thing? They did it because they are exactly what, in the back of your mind, you thought they were, A Bunch of Ungrateful Bastards!
So flash forward to today, after seeing how UN-appreciative Republicans have been. How the olive branch gestures he made when coming into office got him nothing from Republicans. How Cheney and the other criminals now mock him by openly taking pride in their crimes. After all that has transpired since President Obama made his initial "Let's Move On" decision, I have to ask:
Why Is Obama Still Protecting His Predecessors?
I truly have no idea. Is it out of his "Christ-like" merciful nature? Come on Mr. President, I'm not sure that Jesus Christ himself would have shown such mercy. And now you're facing political heat from within your own Party as well as from many of your friends on the left over your continued concealment of the truth. All to protect those that mock and scorn you. It doesn't make any sense!
So in closing, I have two questions for you to ponder:
1. Why is President Obama Still Protecting His Predecessors? and
2. After all that has transpired, will he decide to now allow the release of the 6000 page report and throw the Bush/Cheney crowd to the wolves?
Please offer your thoughts on these questions in your comments.
TAH! TAH!