Let's hope that this is true and that he truly does rescind some of those orders.

Oh please please please let this happen. I'll cry tears of joy.

Whoa -- he really may be the Messiah after all.

Edsel: Whoa -- he really may be the Messiah after all.

Awesome.

*heart*

I'll stick with for now...if he goes through with it, he is indeed a .

What a "prudent" thing to do.

My God, a President we'll be able to respect. It's been so long.

Obama hits the ground running.

/dayam

Gee I wonder if he'll find any impeachable offenses between now and Jan 20. Because I would be ok with that. Its not too late.

quickdraw: Gee I wonder if he'll find any impeachable offenses between now and Jan 20. Because I would be ok with that. Its not too late.


What a kick in the balls that would be. "Hey I just took your job. BTW, see you in court."

I'm more interested if he's going to also review the 159 signing statements that Bush made during his tenure.

George W. Bush signing statement listing

I'll hold my breath and wait for decisions on the Patriot Act and GITMO

bulldg4life: I'll hold my breath and wait for decisions on the Patriot Act and GITMO

I think Gitmo's guaranteed to be gone. Both Obama and McCain have been consistent about wanting to close it. Patriot Act expires in 12/09 -- I would think that even if they want to continue parts of it, they'll just do so under new legislation rather than keep renewing it.

bulldg4life: I'll hold my breath and wait for decisions on the Patriot Act and GITMO

yeah, i'll agree with that.

Still, this is a good sign.

Whatever.

I want Bush in shackles, answering to a judge.

BuckTurgidson: Whatever.

I want Bush in shackles, answering to a judge.

I hear Pres. Bush was once in handcuffs, although at the time, he was only answering to Mrs. Bush.

+1 for hopeful greenlightiness. I think it's best this get spread around- Obama's keeping a once-I'm-in-office promise (not just a campaign-demeanor promise, an actual promise of policy) before the campaign is even over. I love it.

BuckTurgidson: Whatever.

I want Bush in shackles, answering to a judge.

I'm not 100% convinced he was the methods and tactics guy. It's far more likely that he said, "I want this general sketch of an end goal," and then his go-to men took over. They're the ones that need to be swinging at the end of a rope. Sure, he's guilty of willful ignorance, and he may even be criminally complicit, but I don't think that he was privy to the more sleazy behavior.

So what are the rules on pardons? Can Bush say "I pardon Cheney for whatever." Or do the people actually need to be accused of a specific crime before Bush leaves office?

Occam's Chainsaw: I'm not 100% convinced [Bush] was the methods and tactics guy. It's far more likely that he said, "I want this general sketch of an end goal," and then his go-to men took over. They're the ones that need to be swinging at the end of a rope. Sure, he's guilty of willful ignorance, and he may even be criminally complicit, but I don't think that he was privy to the more sleazy behavior.

Irrelevant. The American people didn't vote the go-to men into office. Bush is the captain of the USS Failboat and can go down with it.

/doesn't believe in "plausible deniability"

Good Lord I hope so. We desperately need someone who is going to address the issues instead of monumentally fark them all up. I watched No End In Sight today and lemme tell you, did his administration completely jack up this war. We could have done a very good job there, but we certainly did not. If I were an Iraqi, I would hate America for life for what we did to that country.

By far the worst president this century. That goes without history judging him. With history judging him, he make make the coveted #1 a-hole in the oval slot.

Quadraton: I hear Pres. Bush was once in handcuffs, although at the time, he was only answering to Mrs. Bush.

His mom? Ewww...

vartian: I'll stick with for now...if he goes through with it, he is indeed a .

That's pretty much what I was thinking.

Coco LaFemme: My God, a President we'll be able to respect. It's been so long not something that has happened within the memory of anyone currently living.

FTFY.


BuckTurgidson: I want Bush in shackles, answering to a judge The World Court for crimes against humanity.

FTFY.

Lew Stool: Irrelevant. The American people didn't vote the go-to men into office. Bush is the captain of the USS Failboat and can go down with it.

/doesn't believe in "plausible deniability"

Yeah, but now you're getting into the age old question of who is more complicit, the boss that orders the hit or the hands-on guy with the chainsaw. Unless there's some truly damning evidence hiding under a rock somewhere, I don't think we're going to get anything concrete to point the finger at Bush. His bag men, though, they need the short rope treatment so that future bag men will be reminded that what you do in the boss' name can come back on you.

Our definition of treason needs to be revisited. It's far more realistic for a person in power to sell their country to a corporation, a party, or an ideology than to a foreign nation. And all of the above are just as dangerous to the republic.

The Onanist: Quadraton: I hear Pres. Bush was once in handcuffs, although at the time, he was only answering to Mrs. Bush.

His mom? Ewww...

You can burn in hell for putting that mental picture in my head. Gah!

That should've read, "In this modern age, it's far more realistic for a person..."

Geekette: You can burn in hell for putting that mental picture in my head. Gah!

Yeah, sorry about that.

FTFA: John Podesta, the pre-transition team's chief, has been meeting informally with allies and friends to give them a broad sense of the procesS...Podesta is known as a political liberal, and his role in running the transition -- or the pre-transition -- has been cause for concern among more centrist Democrats.

Liberal? Podesta was chief of staff under Clinton starting in 1998. He also runs the Center For American Progress. He knows what he's doing. fark the DLC. Their bullshiat triangulation strategies were already Oh Snapped by Dean's leadership at the DNC. What has the DLC contributed but waffling and obfuscation?

abb3w:

As much as I would like to see Bush and all his friends hang, it's extremely unlikely unless there is significant evidence found.

There is extreme political polarization and despite a likely Democratic victory, they (and even if Republicans joined it) would be hard pressed to get anything done without making themselves utter fools. (Though I think it would be better for the nation's healing).

Let's face it, America's solution is to simply forget: Indians, slavery, racism, Japanese internment camps, manifest destiny, yellow journalism, sexism, etc...

quickdraw: Gee I wonder if he'll find any impeachable offenses between now and Jan 20. Because I would be ok with that. Its not too late.

I see nothing in the Constitution inherently precluding impeaching someone for high crimes and misdemeanors after they have left the office. Admittedly, getting 67 votes out of the Senate to convict is unlikely. It's looking like the Dems still only have about a 1-in-4 shot of the fillibuster-cracking 60, let alone the 67 for impeachment conviction without needing defectors.

superbeerchan: I'm more interested if he's going to also review the 159 signing statements that Bush made during his tenure.

Easier solution: ask the House and Senate to solve the problem by passing a law prohibiting the consideration of any Presidental signing statements for matters before the courts. Sign it, with no comment.

Boom. Problem ends... at least until the House and Senate become really, really, really stupid.

BuckTurgidson: I want Bush in shackles, answering to a judge.

I want him and Cheney dead and buried so I can piss on their graves. Alas, as long as they leave office by the end of January (either to Obama or McCain), it's not worth assassination. If President Dubya is still in office on January 21, 2009... well, I'll give the Secret Service until February 1 to shoot him themselves. If he's still hiding in the White House after that, I'm willing to head to DC, but I expect I'd have to get in line by then.

Seriously, there's no realistic chance of that. So, I'll probably just have to wait for Prez Dubya and VP DickyChin to die without my intervention. It's OK; I've got a good couple decades on them for life expectancy.

I can wait.

Occam's Chainsaw: Our definition of treason needs to be revisited. It's far more realistic for a person in power to sell their country to a corporation, a party, or an ideology than to a foreign nation. And all of the above are just as dangerous to the republic.

More important is a revisit of the Benign Power of Pardon. While it's generally a good thing, I think there should be two exceptions.

1) No-one, who holds the office of President of the United States either elected or acting, may be pardoned for any felony they commit while holding that office, until after they have left the office; and only by request of a subsequent President, with the assent of two-thirds of both House and Senate.
2) When treason or any felony is committed, and the President shall be tried and convicted as a co-conspirator to the offense in trial by Judge, Jury, or Impeachment, the pardon issued by said President for said offense shall be null and void.

Should narrow the scope for abuse a smidge.

If you want to make it have big nasty teeth... the prohibition against ex post facto laws doesn't apply to constitutional amendments. That, however, might be too nasty a can of worms to open for this offense. I'd cheerfully settle for the amendment to close the loophole, and post officio impeachment to make sure the bums never get near a federal job again.

Looks like a good time to invest in popcorn.

Dr. Rosenrosen: So what are the rules on pardons? Can Bush say "I pardon Cheney for whatever." Or do the people actually need to be accused of a specific crime before Bush leaves office?

That's not a bad question, and I don't know the answer for sure but I'd imagine there needs to be a charge to be pardoned. If not that is way too imperial.

OK, most people agree that line-item veto is too much power for a President, right? So how is this legal or accepted?

FTA: 4. There are more than 50 people working on the pre-transition right now, and they're tasks are fairly specified. Teams have been appointed to review major agencies in the executive branch. It's not clear whether professional staff personnels, as well as agency activities, are being reviewed. Other teams are looking at every executive order President Bush signed and are preparing recommendations.

You know, I can see how one of the two could have gotten through a quick proofreading pass, but not both.

I mean, I'm about to go to bed, and they both just leapt at me.

why is this 100% commie?

/damn you Drew for changing the definition of commie

Good. I hope here replaces a bunch of them.

So if Bush is impeached, will his presidential pardons be voided?

/'cause that would be extremely cool.

CaesarSneezy: OK, most people agree that line-item veto is too much power for a President, right? So how is this legal or accepted?

Where have you been? The Bush administration has been trying to expand the power of the Executive and now you have a problem?

It's almost certainly true that lobbyists will be able to give advice in some advisory capacity.

That's adequate reporting, there, adequate reporter.

/coming to you live from the Department of Redundancy Department, I'm Dick Wang Pecker-Cox

Good. That's the one thing party-switches are good for, otherwise they tend to make no real difference.

Devil Slide Wolf: why is this 100% commie?

/damn you Drew for changing the definition of commie

The guage should probibly be "right" and "left" The commie and facist standard is retarded.

BuckTurgidson: Whatever.

I want Bush in shackles, answering to a judge.

THIS dammit THIS

100 days, anyone?

please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please! Pretty motherfarking please!

24-Bit Voxel: Dr. Rosenrosen: So what are the rules on pardons? Can Bush say "I pardon Cheney for whatever." Or do the people actually need to be accused of a specific crime before Bush leaves office?

That's not a bad question, and I don't know the answer for sure but I'd imagine there needs to be a charge to be pardoned. If not that is way too imperial.

Do a GIS on Richard Nixon.

Barack Obama: Ready BEFORE Day One