Thursday, September 4, 2008

If He Stands by This, Joe Biden is My New Hero

From ABC, via Daily Kos, via a friend:
Looking to the future but with one eye on the past, Biden also promised that an Obama-Biden government would go through Bush administration data with "a fine-toothed comb" and pursue criminal charges if necessary.

"If there has been a basis upon which you can pursue someone for a criminal violation," he said, "they will be pursued, not out of vengeance, not out of retribution - out of the need to preserve the notion that no one, no one, no attorney general, no president, no one is above the law."

Plan to restore the rule of law in America:
Step 1 - Elect Obama/Biden.
Step 2 - Get Dodd as attorney general.
Step 3 - Release the document-combing hounds that are idealistic young DOJ attorneys and interns.
Step 4 - Assemble the case.
Step 5 - Show it to a grand jury.
Step 6 - Proceed on rational course following results of Step 5.

Obama and Biden should continue to say what Biden apparently just said, but not get any more specific. It needs to be for the legal system to resolve. They have to stress that it won't be political and they won't be involved. And they shouldn't be.

Seriously, regardless of the results of this process, it will do much to restore some sense of balance to the uncomfortably skewed and seemingly fragile edifice that is the separation of powers in our federal government. The law must apply to everyone at all times--equally. If it doesn't, then we don't have a president. We'd have a king.

Royalist? Hmm. Is that at all catchy as a pejorative in the 21st Century?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

This is exactly what I was hoping for from Dodd as president or now ideally from Obama/Biden. I have little doubt that if Obama wins Bush will pardon everyone on his way out though.