Political Ideas

President-Elect Obama’s website asked for questions. People submitted and voted on questions, and finishing in sixth place was this one:

“Will you appoint a Special Prosecutor – ideally Patrick Fitzgerald – to independently investigate the gravest crimes of the Bush Administration, including torture and warrantless wiretapping?”
Bob Fertik, New York City

Now round two begins, and we’d appreciate your voting for this question:

“Do you believe the pardon read more

By David Swanson

Russ Baker’s new book presents an account of the U.S. government that is both remarkably new and extensively documented. According to this account, George H. W. Bush, the father of the current president, devoted his career to secret intelligence work with the CIA many years before he became the CIA director, and the network of spies and petroleum plutocrats he began working with early on has played a powerful but hidden role in determining the direction of the U.S. government read more

By David Swanson

Trying to squeeze any sort of peace on earth out of our government in Washington has been a steep uphill climb for years. For the most part we no longer have representatives in Congress, because of the corruption of money, the weakness of the media, and the strength of parties. There are not 535 opinions on Capitol Hill on truly important matters, but 2. Our supposed representatives work for their party leaders, not for us. Luckily, one of the two parties claims to want to read more

Or How to Look Only Forward and Still Look Like an Ass
By David Swanson

The wonderful thing about big lies is their kettle logic. The term, of course, derives from the story of the man who offered several mutually incompatible excuses for returning his friend’s kettle in damaged condition: “It broke too easily.” “It was like that when I got it.” “I improved it for you.” “I never borrowed the thing.” Et cetera. A big lie is not just a beautiful read more

By David Swanson

I’ve never had any use for the Senate Armed Services Committee before, or even for the idea that someone who was armed could provide a service, but the report on U.S. torture policy that the committee released on Thursday is noteworthy.

There’s nothing new in it. I’ve read similar reports by lawyers and academics and activist groups with none of the resources of the SASC. The report reaches conclusions we’ve all known for years: torture has not been the read more

By David Swanson

The Pardon Scorecard is expanding rapidly, tracking punditry and advocacy against and in support of Bush pardoning crimes he authorized. Happily, the Against column is much longer than the Support column. Sadly, Bush is highly unlikely to give a rat’s ass. Even more sadly, most of the statements against such pardons begin by announcing that Bush has every right to make them if he chooses, before proceeding to criticize, read more

This is from Steve Hildebrand:

This is not a time for the left wing of our Party to draw conclusions about the Cabinet and White House appointments that President-Elect Obama is making.

So, you’re not even going to deny that these are a bunch of right-wingers? You’re going to ask that people shut off their brains and mouths and simply obey?

Some believe the appointments generally aren’t progressive enough. Having worked with former Senator Obama for the last two years, I can tell read more

The ACLU sent out an Email on December 4th joining a chorus of voices in declaring that Bush has the power to pardon crimes he authorized but shouldn’t use it. This is a step forward for many organizations and publications that have never supported impeachment or prosecution. But it is potentially less than helpful. The impeachment power was created precisely in case a president ever pardoned someone for a crime he was involved in. Both James Madison and George Mason made this argument. read more

Heavyweight hooded sweatshirt with pocket in black with popular MASH font. A must have especially if you are going to be in DC for the historic inauguration of Barack Obama. (We’ve got space for thousands right in front of the FBI building, but you have to dress the part.) The cost is $22 plus $5 for shipping. BULK RATE: $10.75 each for 50 or more plus shipping.

By David Swanson

Not only is President Elect Obama talking about keeping on key Bushies like Robert Gates.

Not only is Bush transforming appointees into career civil servants, in order to prevent Obama from bringing in new people. (Read the WaPo story.)

But — and this has not, as far as I know, yet been reported — Bush is firing dozens of employees in various departments who have been whistleblowers or are known to lean left politically, and replacing them with loyal Bushies. Or so read more

I discussed Obama with Canadians on this terrific radio show: LISTEN HERE.

By David Swanson

In response to an Email advocating lobbying the new Congress and president-elect for complete withdrawal from Iraq and other goals, I received mostly positive responses, but a sizable minority sent replies like this one:

“Can’t you wait a minute? Give the President-Elect a moment to breathe, to catch his breath, to exhale? Stop this uber anti-militant stance to pause for the appreciation of what has been accomplished. Have a little mercy! Time enough for all this read more

By David Swanson

According to news reports, one of the names president elect Obama is considering for running our national education system is Colin Powell.

This is not from The Onion, but the Houston Chronicle. But there’s hardly a non-humorous way to envision it. Presumably schools will be required to institute new policies in favor of cheating on tests if they want to keep their federal funding. Lying will be developed as an read more

By David Swanson

Former Vice President, and the man elected president in November 2000, Al Gore was asked on the radio this morning about a letter that Gore Vidal and many others have sent to presidential candidate Barack Obama urging him not to concede a stolen election.

(Read and add your name to the letter here:
http://afterdowningstreet.org/donotconcede )

Al Gore, like the rest of us, hopes it doesn’t come to that but discusses his memory of what happened eight years ago. Above all he stresses read more

By David Swanson

Imagine for a second that it’s November 5th, and the Democrats are set to control both houses of Congress and the White House. Perhaps they even control 60 Senate seats, making Republican filibusters impossible. Now what?

For the past two years, numerous activist groups have opposed the demands of their own members by arguing that the Democrats were helpless. They couldn’t get past filibusters or vetoes, and were therefore as impotent as newborn babes.

This was largely read more

By David Swanson

John R. MacArthur, publisher of Harper’s Magazine, has a new book out called “You Can’t Be President: The Outrageous Barriers to Democracy in America.” Sort of an odd topic at the very moment that we’re expecting to elect the first African-American president. But this is probably going to be a very valuable book for a lot of people to read on November 5th, if McCain wins, if McCain steals it, and — especially — if Obama wins the White read more

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