Conyers demands special counsel in CIA tape investigation.
Conyers demands special counsel in CIA tape investigation.
In response to Attorney General Mike Mukasey announcing he would appoint John Durham, the Assistant United States Attorney from Connecticut, to investigate the CIA’s tape destruction, House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) said “it is disappointing” that Mukasey “declined to appoint a more independent special counsel in this matter.” From his statement:
Because of this action, the Congress and the American people will be denied — as they were in the Valerie Plame matter — any final report on the investigation.
Equally disappointing is the limited scope of this investigation, which appears limited to the destruction of two tapes. The government needs to scrutinize what other evidence may have been destroyed beyond the two tapes, as well as the underlying allegations of misconduct associated with the interrogations.
The Justice Department’s record over the past seven years of sweeping the administration’s misconduct under the rug has left the American public with little confidence in the administration’s ability to investigate itself. Nothing less than a special counsel with a full investigative mandate will meet the tests of independence, transparency and completeness. Appointment of a special counsel will allow our nation to begin to restore our credibility and moral standing on these issues.
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More theater of the absurd.
You can’t swing a dead cat in the BA without hitting a criminal.
January 2nd, 2008 at 7:54 pmNothing to see here… let’s move on.
January 2nd, 2008 at 7:58 pmI doubt Conyers will really do anything other than complain about it. He could have stood up with Kucinich to impeach Bush & Cheney, but he is too scared to do it. It’s time for him to retire and allow new blood in DC to take his place.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:01 pmConyers is joking right? This was his audition to be a writer on Jay Leno?
Hey John…You have a Caging List of minority voters from Greg Palast in your desk drawer. It should be enough to put the entire administration in the clink. Why are you denying the “Congress and the American People” justice.
Do you think we forgot?
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:04 pmIn a devastating New York Times op-ed today, 9/11 Commission leaders Tom Keane and Lee Hamilton accused the CIA of stonewalling their panel. The chairman and co-chairman alleged that those in the Bush administration who knew about videotapes of CIA detainee interrogations but failed to inform the 9/11 panel “obstructed our investigation.” But lost in their historical record is one other inconvenient truth: President Bush tried to stonewall the 9/11 Commission from the very beginning.
For the history on Bush’s opposition to the 9/11 panel, see:
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:06 pm“Bush Stonewalled 9/11 Commission from the Beginning.”
Conyers was once the Lion of the House of Representatives, but now he is an old Lamb who does nothing. This is what happens when someone stays in Congress to long past their prime.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:12 pmAG Mukasey has a conflict of interest problem already, and should recuse himself and appoint a Special Prosecutor (someone from outside the DOJ)
Jose Padilla’s lawyers argued before the Florida Federal Court that Abu Zubaydah was tortured into saying Padilla was an al Qaeda associate. The DOJ dismissed Padilla”s allegations as “meritless,” asserting Padilla”s legal team could not prove that Abu Zubaydah had been tortured. Well, it”s clear now that they certainly COULD have, if the tapes of the interrogations of Abu Zubaydah had been made available!
Now here is where Mukasey’s role comes into question. U.S. District Judge Mukasey, now attorney general, was the one who signed the warrant used by the FBI to arrest Padilla in May 2002. Court records show the warrant relied in part on information obtained from Abu Zubaydah”s interrogation. So we have a problem Houston.
The then Judge Mukasey could only issue a warrant based upon legally obtained evidence, and confessions under torture are certainly not “legally obtained”. So either Mukasey was misrepresented the evidence, and would be liable to be potentially a party in those who were presented with “perjured evidence”; or he knew that torture was used in obtaining the confession and ignored it.
In either case he is unsuitable to run an investigation, as it will, inevitably, involved himself. Thus a Special Prosecutor is necessary… Odds that this will happen? Zero percent.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:16 pmThe AG appointed Durham to to serve as “Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia” for purposes of this matter. Durham will still report to the Deputy Attorney General, who in turn reports to Judge Mukasey. This is not like the Scooter Libby case, in which the “special” prosecutor was guaranteed substantial independence from Main Justice.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:16 pmHEY CONYERS!!!
HOW ABOUT CONDUCTING YOUR OWN INVESTIGATION WITH IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS!!!
Until then, you have no room to complain about what the DoJ does or does not do.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:26 pm#6, I think Pelosi had him neutered last January.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:34 pmIf the US is interested in regaining some of its currently inexistent credibility, it will have to hold Bush and the rest of the War Ciminals accountable for their crimes. Clinton in saying that she will going around the world making a visit of good will with them… who is she kinding? The War Criminals in the White House and in the Pentagon and CIA must face the consequenses of their criminal actions. INDICT; IMPEACH; IMPRISON BUSH AND CHENNEY.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:40 pmRight on.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:41 pm7-Comment by Mr JJ
Excellent summary!!!!!!!!!!!
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:43 pmthanks Schumer and the rest of the republocrats
bowing to special interests again helped the american people get no justice
you should be proud.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:48 pmConyers actually had the huevos to stand up and criticize anyone about investigations? Seriously?
Let’s see…Conyers publishes “Constitution in Crisis,” listing multiple crimes committed by bush and cheney, excoriates the 109th congress for not investigating, advocates for every American to stand up:
…then, when Cindy Sheehan actually takes him up on his “call to arms,” presents a petition and insists on impeachment, he has her arrested!
Then he gives everyone else a big fat, “Er…nevermind….”
The biggest war criminal in U.S. history and Conyers chooses his spineless party over your country. Time to retire Mr. Conyers, and take the jellyfish dems with you.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:48 pmConyers is joking right? This was his audition to be a writer on Jay Leno?
Hey John…You have a Caging List of minority voters from Greg Palast in your desk drawer. It should be enough to put the entire administration in the clink. Why are you denying the “Congress and the American People†justice.
Do you think we forgot?
Comment by 2MillionLightYearsToAndromeda — January 2, 2008 @ 8:04 pm
Because he is being blackmailed by AIPAC – just like every other “elected” official.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:55 pmLie, cover-up and deceive.
Yep, George W. Bush, the anti-George Washington.
-GSD
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:58 pmSo WHY are we, and the Democrats even concentrating on the tapes and their destruction. There are a lot of issues there, but so what.
What is the MAIN issue that is being overlooked? TORTURE!!!
Screw the tapes.
Did this President authorize the use of torture? If so we should not only be talking about impeachment, but we should be talking about JAIL time.
Why are the Democrats pussyfooting around about this?
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:12 pmaipac? or just the speaker?
randi rhodes opines that his chairmanship is threatened
if he should assert his rightful duties…
too bad he has caved…
i wish we could make these dems understand that whatever bushco has on them, as far as blackmail evidence, is irrelavent as far as the desperate need for leadership… i don’t care (much) what it is – i will stand behind the dem who stood up to and prosecuted these criminals…
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:13 pmLast month Conyers (on Democracy Now) trotted out some really lame ass excuses why as to why he won’t convene impeachment hearings. He and Leahy are heartbreakingly timid.
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:18 pm#16, exactly what does AIPAC have on him? Or is it really Pelosi who’s calling the shots on this? Don’t committee chairs always fall in lockstep with the speaker?
Another frozen scandal.
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:44 pmImpeach the psychopath in chief and his vice.
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:45 pmMukasey: Bush’s newest “poodle”.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:02 pmBesides, I don’t trust Conyers at this point either. What he says is accurate; however, he wouldn’t even be having to deal with all of these scandals if he had the cajones to have brought impeachment following the Downing Street Memo some years ago…..where the hell has Conyers been??
John Conyers is part of the problem since he didn’t perform his duty under his oath of office: impeachment. Everything that has happened since that time and that which will occur can be directly pinned on Conyer’s spineless reversal on impeachment.
This would all be water under the bridge right now if Conyers and Congress had done their job!!
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:04 pm#20 We will discover that AIPAC has a stranglehold on this administration and even has Hillary in it’s grasp. This is why we cannot afford to elect Hillary. She is pro establishment which means pro AIPAC. Wasn’t she in attendance at their last meeting?
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:06 pmThe only way to uncover this crud is to break the Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton cycle.
I believe that Obama is the only one who can unite us to bring real change. Here are six reasons and your chance to vote your favorite among Clinton, Edwards or Obama. Please check it out. I would love to hear your comments!
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/1/2/22840/86271/686/429523
CHANGE ’08. OBAMA ‘08
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:35 pmIf a special counsel is appointed Bush and Cheney will step down. Now Mike will give his final report that the tapes were destroyed by the Transformers who have returned to their planet so case closed. If that doesn’t fly look for Mark to push Mike out of the top job. Yes Cheney fires those who don’t follow his orders. Look how well Dana Perino is doing as an idiot. Was Sarah Taylor on drugs during her testimony or what.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:48 pmIt’s high time we have a Special Counsel investigate the Bush crimes against America.
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:38 pmIf President Clinton should be investigated for 8 years because of a middling land deal , shouldn’t Bush be under investigation for failure to uphold his oath of office and for his desecration of the Contitution?
If Conyers walk was as tall as his talk, the BushitCo conspirators would already be serving out their sentences.
January 3rd, 2008 at 12:37 am.
Because he is being blackmailed by AIPAC – just like every other “elected†official.
Comment by plunger — January 2, 2008 @ 8:55 pm
When being blackmailed works, does it then make it legitimate to do so?
THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR CONYERS INACATION!
R E M E M B E R:
The terrorists didn’t suspend Habeas Corpus, nor did the president or V.P….
… CONGRESS DID!
The terrorists didn’t refuse council, redress and due process…
… CONGRESS DID!
The terrorists haven’t been briefed about WARRANTLESS WIRE TAPS OF AMEIRCANS or TORTURE, taking oaths of silence …
… CONGRESS HAS!
Congressional
T R E A S O N !
Congress sits on their hands to hide the blood stains!
Conyers refuses to define High Crimes and Misdemeanors because there is no definition that DOES NOT include him. A failure to act on known criminality, makes one an accomplice to that crime.
.
January 3rd, 2008 at 2:03 amI feel so much better now that Conyers is chairing Judiciary and has the ability to write these really stern, stern letters. Thank you so much, Mr. Conyers, for your stern letters on behalf of the Constitution.
January 3rd, 2008 at 3:06 amP.S. to ThinkProgress — why are you giving Conyers a pass and writing overly favorable headlies (that was originally a typo, but I actually like it) on Conyers’s little performances. He’s demanding NOTHING. At least, not in any way that will make a shred of difference.
Come on out, Mr. Conyers, and take a curtsey for your lovely performances. Maybe you could stomp your feet and proclaim your disappointment just a bit more. Keep on performing. Send a few more really strongly worded letters about how disappointed you are. If we’re lucky, you and your ilk will allow BushCo to run out the clock on investigations for their crimes. If we’re not lucky, well… you’ve probably kept yourself out of the gulags since you’re performing the crucial role of fake oversight, and you can sip your cognac and laugh at the rest of us who get dragged away.
January 3rd, 2008 at 3:12 am#9 HEY CONYERS!!!
HOW ABOUT CONDUCTING YOUR OWN INVESTIGATION WITH IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS!!!
Until then, you have no room to complain about what the DoJ does or does not do.
{yawn} I agree! – Wake me up when we can force the Senate and Congress to act accordingly, this is all smelling like last year’s dogsh!t.
January 3rd, 2008 at 8:02 amWarning to Iowa: If you pick a scab, you’ll get your wound infected.
January 3rd, 2008 at 8:50 amoops… my comment was for the Huck thread! Too early.
January 3rd, 2008 at 8:58 amBut John, will your voice be the only one heard? And will we hear nothing more from your democratic party? Will you be left out in the cold? Surely this will go nowhere, right John?
January 3rd, 2008 at 8:59 amWow, 35 posts and not one Troll. I’m disappointed. I wanted to ask a troll “If Bush has done nothing wrong, why is he afraid of a Special Prosecutor?”. Oh well, they wouldn’t have answered anyway.
January 3rd, 2008 at 9:51 amI’m not sure why people think AIPAC would be blackmailing the Dems when it’s been Bushco and the national intelligence apparatus that’s been wiretapping everyone in America. Blackmail is Rove 101. I don’t doubt AIPAC would blackmail to get what it wants, but Bushco’s a much more likely suspect IMO.
January 3rd, 2008 at 11:12 amPelosi cannot move against the Bush/Cheney admininstration because she is up to her eyeballs in the 9//1 fraud. She was given her “rise” to power for her complacency.
January 4th, 2008 at 7:01 am