Isikoff: Obama ‘curtly’ dismissed even a single torture prosecution
Published: May 21, 2009
Updated 6 months ago
President Barack Obama held an unusual meeting on Wednesday with representatives of human rights and civil liberties groups who have been disappointed by many of his recent decisions with regard to detainees.
The meeting was off the record, but MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow reported that Obama was “demonstrably not pleased” when told that he was “allowing President Bush’s policies to become his own.” Obama also “curtly” dismissed any suggestion of a truth commission or even a single symbolic torture prosecution.
Newsweek’s Michael Isikoff, who had spoken with attendees, told Maddow that in addition to the president, the White House was represented at the meeting by Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Senior Advisor David Axelrod, Attorney General Eric Holder,and White House Counsel Greg Craig. He called the meeting “extraordinary” and said it was “a sign of just how seriously they take the rebellion … they’re getting from the left.”
According to Isikoff’s sources, “the leaders of these groups repeated many of their criticisms” of Obama’s policies for dealing with detainees — including the use of military tribunals and indefinite detention — and “Obama didn’t like that.”
“He started out the meeting by complaining at one point about the mess he’d been left by his predecessor, and … he was quite clear he didn’t like it,” Isikoff stated. “He said, ‘It’s not helpful to equate me with President Bush.’”
Isikoff also noted that Obama had “curtly” dismissed as too distracting not only a possible truth commission to investigate Bush-era human rights violations but even the idea of a single symbolic prosecution for torture that could serve as a “trophy … to show that such conduct would not be tolerated again.”
“The president could have said, ‘That’s Eric Holder’s decision to make,’ but he didn’t,” Isikoff noted. “He seemed to cut it off.”
Maddow commented that Obama’s private actions seem to be contradicting his public statements that the matter of prosecutions is up to the attorney general to decide.
“The whole idea of criminal prosecutions really ought to be left up to the Justice Department,” Isikoff agreed. “The one thing you don’t want to have happen is political considerations. … Those political factors should not have any influence whatsoever.
However, Sam Stein, writing at the Huffington Post, provided a far less contentious account of the same meeting. According to Stein, “Obama expressed frustration with Congress’ decision to remove funding for the closure of the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay. The president declared that his hands were tied in some ways regarding the use of reformed military tribunals. … The president also left the door open for the future release of detainee abuse photos.”
Elisa Massimino, CEO of Human Rights First, described the meeting to Stein as a “lively and detailed and serious” session that lasted over an hour. She said it “was really a back and forth discussion,” during which Obama “emphasized that he was in this for the long game. He said he realized that you can’t change people’s misperceptions overnight, that they have had eight long years of a steady dose of fear and a lack of leadership and that is not something that you wave a magic wand and make it go away.”
Massimino acknowledged, however, that the meeting did not answer all her concerns. “I don’t think that this fits the overall framework that the president had articulated,” she commented, “about using our values to reinforce a counter terrorism strategy against al Qaeda.”
This video is from MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, broadcast May 20, 2009.
Download video via RawReplay.com
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“He started out the meeting by complaining at one point about the mess he’d been left by his predecessor, and … he was quite clear he didn’t like it,” Isikoff stated. “He said, ‘It’s not helpful to equate me with President Bush.’”
Excuses are like assholes, everybody has one.
So Obama was “displeased” to hear complaints that he is Bush junior on all these issues. Obama “curtly” dismissed the idea of a special prosecutor to investigate the obvious crimes of the Bush criminal cabal.
Well Obama, I voted for you. But now I am “displeased” enough to vote for your recall if that opportunity presents itself. I’m not willing to “curtly” dismiss your lying hypocrisy, asshole.
Is this FINALLY ENOUGH to get people to start working on building a “NEW LEFT” called Democratic Socialism?! My Gawd! As they say in Alcoholics Anonymous:”The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”.
Even the #*^&%#@ “progressives” fell in line behind the Obama-Bush-Lite game. You are getting what you deserve but, unfortunately, dragged us TRUE Progressives in the muck with you.
I am ASHAMED of the Progressive Non-Movement!!!
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM: An EQUAL playing field found here!
What is Democratic Socialism?
http://www.dsausa.org/pdf/widemsoc.pdf
Obama has to protect his handlers.
It’s not helpful that you’re abandoning the rule of law because it would be “distracting”. Either we’re a country under the rule of law or not. Wasn’t part of the motivation for the founding of our country that the British crown proclaimed itself above the law? And he can “curtly” dismiss suggestion of upholding this as “distracting”. I’m tempted to put the call out to all fanatical Jodie Foster fans.
My feeling is, Obama is eating the shit sandwich left by the Bushies, but he’s going to need to get real on prosecuting these bastards who authorized torture and shut down Gitmo, AND give the detainees their day in court. We’re a nation on laws and need to start acting like it. I have a son in Iraq right now and don’t want torture to happen to him; that’s the risk we run by screwing with the Geneva convention. So let’s prosecute the crap out of these war criminals (i.e. Cheney, Bush, Rice, Rumsfeld).
My other problem with Obama is single-payer health care….the docs and nurses fighting for us on this option don’t even get a seat at the negotiation table? That to me isn’t change I can believe in. Screw the insurance companies and big pharma, we MUST have a voice in fixing this problem.
Well, boo-hoo for Obama. He bristles at being compared to Bush, but he insists upon enabling Bush-era criminality be refusing to enforce the goddam laws of the land.
I voted for the guy, raised money for they guy, canvassed for the guy . . . and now he’s sticking it to me and HE’S the one who’s upset???
What is wrong with this picture.
WOO HOO I’m able to comment again! God did I hate that shitty site Raw had up for a while!
Anway Westcoast, YEAH I’m feeling about the same as you. The war crimes prosecutions and single payer are HUGE issues and Obama acts like they don’t matter at all. There are quite a number of other things he’s being right-wing on but those two issues ARE huge and he’d better wake up to that fact and soon. It’s like the idiot thinks he got elected because of his charm or some such shit.
bobdevo, “What’s wrong with this picture?” indeed!! If he thinks his feeling have been hurt now just wait a bit longer of this stalling on what HAS to occur - war crimes prosecutions - and he’ll recall the slight hassle he’s getting on the issue now with fondness.
President Obama told the people at that meeting that “his hands were tied” on things like indefinite detentions and renditions?!?!?
WHO IS OBAMA REFERRING TO?!?!
Who are these powerful invisible people who are tying Obama’s hands?!?
They outta be identified, charged with treason, and given the maximum penalty. Life or Death, whatever it is.
“…Is not something that you wave a magic wand and make it go away.”
Seems to me the “magic wand” is being waved rather strongly and the Obama Administration is acting as though it all has already gone away. A hundred days of facade and now it’s time to fold the tents up and head out immediately, please. Ah’s Prez, ya heah? So the first “Black President” will sanction all the crimes of the “Last White” President. Man, Sojurner Truth is really going to welcome YOU someplace, but I don’t think it will be Heaven. What’s next? Cannibalism?
It’s what ususally follows murder and torture.
Appreciate Maddow, along with ALWAYS consistent Turley and Glenn Greenwald keeping pressure on this, but IS ANYONE really under ANY illusions as to whether the A.G. is NOT a political position? WTF?
That much has been clear since the days of Hoover, and he wasn’t even the A.G. , but merely, well… the one and only, what seemed like a life tenure, FBI director.
In what frakking universe do people believe, at this point in our history that ALL “law enforcement” both at State and Federal level are ANYTHING BUT a POLITICAL Police that’s more interested in keeping their delusional fake masters, the bureaucrats happy, rather than us, the Citizenry, whom they all REALLY work for, technically, though never in practice? It’s always about controlling political dissent. What the hell do people think this entire FAKE war on terror is about?
Patriot ActS??? My gunowner friends understand the concept that criminals will find a way to get guns, illegally anyway, so gunlaws only prevent law abiding citizenry from exercising their RIGHT to defend themselves and against gvt tyranny. But somehow many disingenuous republithugs and even Dems, cannot fathom that same legal logic applies to the unCONSTITUTIONAL ‘pariot actS’ and all other illegal crap passed since 9/11. If there were such thing as anything other than gvt sponsored falseflag terrorism, if such a group were truly intent on doing it, you honestly think our laws are gonna stop them? WTF? Really, we already have laws against murder. IT’s illegal. Criminals ARE criminals because they commit them regardless.
It’s about controlling YOU, the Cititzenry. If NO FlyList, DHS/MIAC/Fusion center Extreme RightWinger memo written UNDER BUSH yrs, in 2007 targeting both traditionally Rightwing as well as Liberal Leftwing groups like animal rights and environmentalists, DHS funding boyscouts to HUNT down disgruntled vets in simulated scenarios, do NOT pose a clear and present danger to the Republic, and the Constitution, I do not know what is. We’ve dropped SO far down the rabbit hole… is there any hope for salvation, with these puppets, apologists, enablers, and torture coverup artist warmongers still in govyt?
Seriously, my fellow Liberals, how much betrayal is enough? What is it gonna take for you to wake up and admit that oBUSHma was, is , and always has been a tool of the Wall St. Bankster Gangsters.
Read this and pay close attention to the date…
Full press pool report:
Pool report #5
November 10, 2008
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
President Bush escorted President-elect Obama out of the Oval Office and walked him to down to the motorcade waiting on the south driveway.
(Josh Bolten separately escorted John Podesta to a car much further back in the motorcade.)
As they walked down the path, the president could be seen pointing things out to his soon-to-be successor.
They did not linger at the car and the motorcade took off at 3:45 p.m.
Michelle Obama left before her husband for her own separate schedule in Washington for the remainder of the day and will be traveling separately back to Chicago later tonight.
We’re not being told what she will be doing in her extra time here, so we leave it to your imagination and reportorial instincts.
The motorcade encountered crowds of people gathered outside the White House as it made its way off campus and headed toward Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
After arriving, President-elect Obama went into a previously unannounced “private” meeting at the airport’s Fire Station 301.
We’re not being told who it’s with but it will last about an hour. Podesta was not in the meeting, or at least did not stay around in the meeting,
because he was spotted walking the other direction down the tarmac a few minutes after we arrived.
O Force One Frequent Flier Bonus Points to the first blogger to post 10 guesses about the identity of today’s future cabinet secretary.
We’re holding on the plane.
Obama
NEEDS YOU AND I
TO
MAKE HIM PROSECUTE THEM.
HE NEEDS COVER. HE NEEDS To be able to say
The Voters Made Me Do It.
If you the Voter (or non-voter) do not make the effort to sign every Petition,
Contact Attorney General Holder,
Call every Congressman, Call every Senator, write the President, Contact the House and Senate Judiciary Committees…
YOU WILL BE
THE REASON
Obama Fails to Indict and Prosecute
The Bush Torturers (of course there will be plenty of blame for Obama and the Congressional Dems).
SIGN THE PETITION Calling for a Special Prosecutor and an Investigatory Congressional Commission.
http://ANGRYVOTERS.ORG
over 250,000 signed
Join us and call yourself a Patriot
.
Obama doesn’t call the shots. He’s playing by the rules according to what he’s told to do, regardless of what he wants. He is nothing more than a puppet, like Bush, being controlled by higher powers. They don’t want to shake the status quo, because they know of the deep complicity that the Democrats share with the Bush White House.
Ultimately, I believe that a terrible open secret exists within Washington which they do not want the public, and the world, to know about. This secret is a horrible shame which the Democrats and the Republicans don’t want to deal with, and they would rather bury and forget:
That 9/11 was an inside job orchestrated by the United States of America.
Google “The Obama Deception” and watch this movie, and you will see for yourself that America, and everyone who voted for and supported Obama, has been fooled into believing that “change” had come to the White House.
Calling it left or right is absurd.
It is soft on war crimes, which is illegal by treaty, or it is compliant with law in our treaties.
Obama and the GOP are soft on war crimes.
Simple.
You’re right. Obama and the Republicans are soft on war crimes. Obama’s argument for being soft is that war crimes investigations/commisions/prosecutions would be divisive and distracting at a time when we are facing a grave economic threat. This argument has some merit. Does it justify covering up war crimes? I don’t know.
Justice is so inconvenient.
Obama has so much on his plate.
But Don Siegleman can rot in prison while Cheney/Bush/Rove/Stephens/Addington/Bybee/Woo walk away scot-free.
This is not going away. Obama owns Bush’s crimes until he capitulates.
Otherwise, vote for an independent in 2012. Fuck Obama and the horse he rode in on.
Bernie Sanders for President.
Obama’s disregard for the rule of law has made me disgusted and ashamed that I voted for him.
I won’t let it happen again.
To all those complaining bitterly and castigating your President: think for a minute about what it takes to mount a successful prosecution. You people want trials NOW. Until there is ironclad evidence that cannot be refuted or tossed out, a trial will simply be a sham, and the prosecutors will lose. Do you have any idea how long it takes to get such evidence together? Do you have any idea how much material was destroyed, or lost, or never kept? Obama has said repeatedly that records of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay were in such a condition that it was difficult to determine who some of the prisoners even were. Why do you think prosecuting Cheney et al should happen less than four months after the new government takes over? Unless a kangaroo court tries them without consideration for the law, it might easily take two years to put a case together. You want it to happen NOW and if it doesn’t, you want to kick the President out of office. Who would replace him? Cheney’s minions are the rich and powerful, and they WANT you all distracted and upset. Instead, you should keep up steady pressure, talk to your friends, family, neighbours, colleagues about war crimes trials. Write letters to the WH, your local media, your Senator. As more voices keep asking, the reaction will grow. Don’t assume the war can be won in one day or one month. This requires hard work. Work at it. Quit complaining, dammit. That benefits no one.