Too True Specter and Cornyn Oppose Truth Commission

Source: Talking Points Memo

Too True! Specter and Cornyn Oppose Truth Commission
By Zachary Roth - March 4, 2009, 3:57PM

GOP senators Arlen Specter and John Cornyn are leaving no doubt where they stand on Senate Judiciary chair Pat Leahy's proposal to create a Truth Commission to look into the Bush administration's war on terror policies.

They oppose it.

In a press release the pair sent out, Specter said:

When this idea of the so-called 'truth commission' first surfaced I said it was unnecessary because you had a change of administration, you could walk in the front door, ask for directions to the relevant filing cabinet, go in and open the drawer and find out anything you wanted to know. Well that's been done. And it's being done to a greater extent. You had some rather startling disclosures with the publicity in recent days about the unusual, to put it mildly, legal opinions which were issued to justify executive action.

Cornyn added:

I oppose the creation of a so-called 'truth commission' because it is a redundant and politically divisive exercise that would distract the Executive, Congress, and the American people at a time when we should be focused on reinvigorating our economy and winning the war on terror. This roving, unaccountable inquisition into each and every grievance with a Bush Administration policy is a backward-looking proposition that is directly at odds with President Obama's stated goals of unity and moving forward. Now is not the time for government to waste more of taxpayers' money by outsourcing a core Congressional responsibility.




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that Cornyn was so about "unity and moving forward". I expect he'll be Obama's biggest cheerleader from now on. :sarcasm:

But we should have a special prosecutor to look into the crimes of Bush/Cheney. And lets go all the way and re-investigate 9/11 and JFK Mr. Magic bullet. Does the SS usually stand down while in a motorcade?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY02Qkuc_f8

To look into if there were any crimes comited...if there were we would not want them to go unpunished now would we sense we all believe in the rule of law...and if they are Innocent then they need to be cleared so that there names will not be tarnished by it.

it will be a lifetime job!

might find going right to indictment and trial a better idea since he thinks all the evidence is in a file cabinet. Cornyn on the other hand wants to dance around the issue with the same old tired excuses "redundant and politically divisive exercise that would distract" that have been offered up by the Democratic Leadership. In all fairness I might disclose that I am opposed to a Commission to find out what we already know, perpetrated by who we already know. Before this so called Truth Commission has even been formed they are talking immunity. Immunity IMO puts people above the law and NO ONE should be above the law.

to explain all of Little Lord Pissypant's behavior.

And sadly, he's what passes as a reasonable and fair Repug these days.

From your statement it seems your desire is to use words to obscure the truth. Let's look:
1. You begin by calling an investigation "redundant" which is patently false. The stated purpose of the commission is to obtain firsthand information UNDER OATH as to whether criminal acts occurred. No such comprehensive testimony has occurred nor is any other "redundant" investigation currently ongoing or pending.
2.You state such a commission would be "politically divisive" which is either untrue or reflective of the Republican party endorsing felonious behavior...which is true?
3.You state such a commission would "distract the Executive, Congress, and the American people". Yet obviously the President would in no manner be involved and neither are the "American people" charged with "reinvigorating the economy and winning the war on terror". If your major concern is the distraction of the legislative branch will you, personally, call for a special prosecutor to answer the questions of the American People instead?
4."This is a roving, unaccountable, inquisition" No Sir...I dearly wish it truly was in each of those particulars..."roving" because it needs to reach to those who have so far ignored subpoenas in open contempt of Congress..."unaccountable" would be nice since their job is to call to account those who felt they were above the law...and finally "inquisition"-how riotously ironic you should name the last political body to pompously endorse waterboarding and torture while claiming the mantle of God's blessing on their actions...
5.Mr. Obama is my President and I respect his opinion. My opinion and the rule of law trump that however.
6.The money is piddling, setting up a commission is delegation-not "outsourcing" and since you acknowledge oversight as in your words "a core Congressional responsibility" either perform it yourself, call for a Special Prosecutor, or sit down and shut up Sir.

begin criminal investigations immediately.

obstructing justice.

How pathetic! I'm not so sure I want a "truth commission", but I do want hearings to determine if bush and his group of clowns are guilty for having broken laws much more grievous than adultery.

This country is so f*cked up when it comes to justice in the "white collar" venue. Posses an ounce of marijuana and you go straight to jail and carry a record for life. Fuck the country over royally, be responsible for bankrupting this nation, politicizing the justice system, starting unjust wars, killing hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians, thousands of US military, and wounding and destroying lives of MILLIONS.....and you walk free.

Such bull shit!

...which eventually led to Monica. And they probably weren't shy about pursuing the Paula Jones matter, either.

I prefer justice to truth. John Cornyn wouldn't know truth if it hit him in the face. And after watching the Thomas hearings, where Hill and Thomas gave diametrically opposing testimony under oath, I think I understand Specter's view of an oath.

truth commission.

The Republic Party; always out of touch.

from Specter's drones that answer the phone. Are they all ideologues or something? Wonder what I'll lame excuses with an obnoxious delivery I'll get when I call about this tomorrow.