Monday, January 12, 2009

Olbermann and Maddow do it again

Former Bush Press Secretary Scott McClellan had his mother send my mother a signed copy of his book, "What Happened." I finally started reading it, pre-judged by the notion that the title punctuation should of been a question mark. Did anyone else but me notice that the Bush administration never denied the accuracy of McClellan’s accusations? (Non denial denials always point to the real truth.) Most of the attacks were directed at McClellan’s loyalty and the horror of making money from selling his book. (I guess this means everyone else in the administration will be writing their books pro bono.)

I’m about half way through What Happened and I am stunned with Scott’s candor. "What Happened," may be the best assessment to date of the truth inside the Bush administration. Scott, bravo, well done. You are truly one of the few inside the Bush administration that has moral character. It took a great deal of courage to step away from Bush. Thank you for doing the right thing. Don’t worry about your detractors, in the long run, truth has a way of winning out. History will set you free and this time, history will be written by the internet.

Keith Olbermann ("He’s Evil" - - - Sarah Palin)

Olbermann hosted Professor Jonathan Turley of George Washington University, who has repeatedly impressed me with his reasoning toward the issue of torture. I agree with his assessment; there is no issue. Torture is illegal, and Pres. Bush authorized and used torture; end of story. Currently the issue is: Will the Obama administration prosecute these war crimes? In Bush’s last interview he seemed quite candid in his participation, as has the Vice-President. How can you not prosecute?

Turley made the strongest case yet when he points out that Obama will take an oath to uphold our laws,


"He can’t do that by having one of his first acts be to ignore them. There’s no question that crimes were committed by his predecessor. And he can either begin his administration as a man of principle and allow the law to take us wherever it may lead or he will inherit the same type of moral relativism that corrupted the previous administration."
Well said Turley! I couldn’t agree more. If Obama begins his presidency by ignoring these crimes, the era of Bush ethics will continue.

The real questions is often deflected into, Will these crimes be handled by a Congressional Investigation or will Obama’s Attorney General get the honor? I like to frame the question as, does Bush get the rich white man Congressional trial or does he get the Live-on-TV kangaroo court the left has been frothing for? I’m covered in froth. Bringing me back to may favorite quote:

"I am the sterling silver ladle of justice, pouring it’s frothy white cream over the freshly picked strawberries of crime." - - - The Tick.

When Bush is arrested he should make bail. He wouldn’t be much of a flight risk. What country would have him? It would be like asking, "Would you like to hold this live grenade?"


Rachel Maddow

Rachel hosted Major David J.R. Frankt, the lead defense counsel for Mohammad Juwad, one of the "detainees" in Guantanamo. Major Frankt has single handedly inspired me out of my nearly permanent cynicism by revealing that most of the military tribunals/commissions have been doing their best to end their own job. They have rejected the idea of obviously unConstitutional trials. He called the trials fixed. When joining the military they took oaths to protect the Constitution.

It's been too long since I've experienced an example of ethics. I hardly recognized it.

1 comment:

Lowell said...

Hi Tommy,

Do you know Scott McC personally? I have not read his book but have heard the detractors so it was nice to have a "second opinion."

Does he speak to motivation with re: exposing the Bushites? Does he speak to internal conflict defending the Chimp knowing what he was saying was false?

Is the book worth reading?

Do you think others will come forth with their own tales of subversion, perversion and just plain nastiness in the Bush Admin?

Hope you're well.

Jacob