Senior Judiciary Committee Dem (Rep. Nadler): Impeach Torture Memo Author

[sabra]

Source: HuffPost

Rep. Jerry Nadler, a senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, called Monday for the impeachment of federal judge Jay Bybee, one of the principal authors of the torture memos released last week by the Obama administration.

"He ought to be impeached," Nadler said in an interview with the Huffington Post. "It was not an honest legal memo. It was an instruction manual on how to break the law."

Nadler, a New York congressman, is chairman of Judiciary's Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Subcommittee. Bybee is currently serving a lifetime term on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, appointed in 2003 and confirmed before it was publicly known that he had authorized the torture of detainees.

Nadler is meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday to argue that the release of the torture memos further buttresses a call he had made earlier for a special prosecutor on torture.

"Any special prosecutor on torture would have to look at the authors of those torture memos," said Nadler. "And certainly you have real grounds to impeach him once the special prosecutor took a good look at that. I think there ought to be an impeachment inquiry looked at in any event. Which should happen first, I'm not sure."

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/20/senior-judiciary-committe_n_189026.html

[mbperrin]

1. Sic 'em!

Please.

[onehandle]

2. That would be good start. Then take a close look at EVERYONE that Bush put on the bench.

From the lowest circuit to the two Supreme Court Justices.

Me. I'd impeach them all.

[Soylent Brice]

3. FINALLY. some GOOD news today.

K&R

[bobthedrummer]

4. K&R-PROSECUTION IS ESSENTIAL.

[Demeter]

5. Just do It!

before it's too late.

[MasonJar]

6. Thank Heaven for reps like Nadler. Keep up the good work, Jerry.

Too bad Holder will listen to Obama and not Nadler.

[aquart]

7. MY congressman. MINE.

So proud.

[pleah]

8. K&R

[Me.]

9. So Now He Calls For Impeachment?

How expedient, now that the wind is blowing that way. Many of his constituents have been BEGGING for impeachment against the * people for years and all we got was short shrift, explanations of how he felt it would do more harm than good and politicize the process. I'm glad he's finally seen the light and too little is never too late. I used to have a lot of respect for him and was glad he's my rep, now I no longer hold the same trust for him. Especially as he wouldn't even meet to discuss any type of impeachment with the very people who put him in and keep him in office.

[jaysunb]

10. THIS is the correct approach !

Let the Congress do it's job and let the President be " presidential."

[No Elephants]

17. A President is never so Presidential as when he is on the right side of history and not shirking his

job.

[Umbral]

11. The Mormons will excommunicate a convicted murderer, but torture must be OK...

since this Bybee fellow still claims membership. Odd bunch, the Mormons.

on edit:

I'm guessing he didn't have much trouble making it through the Senate conformation hearings either!

[Metta]

12. Sweet. About time. All the luck and mazel, Congressman.

Time and the weight of history are certainly on your side. :toast:

[Hulk]

13. Gosh...wouldn't it be something if we held these pigs accountable??

I am grossly disappointed with the Obama administration for their proclamation that they will NOT prosecute those persons involved with torture. Let's just open the doors on all these political and white collar criminals. Hell, we'll roast a few extra blue collar types and those too poor to afford any collar.

This is sad. I thought President Obama would put a stop to these crimes and allow criminal proceedings to go forward. Instead, he puts a stop to SOME of the crimes and does NOTHING about those who are involved in disgracing our nation and our Constitution. Shame on us!

[Iowa]

16. Huh?

"I thought President Obama would put a stop to these crimes and allow criminal proceedings to go forward."

------------

I expected nothing of the sort. Obama was 1) adamantly opposed to impeachment and 2) supported retroactive immunity for illegal spying on American citizens. We knew these things long before election day. There was no basis to expect that he would prosecute criminals if those criminals happened to be players in the DC establishment. Now when it comes to things like imprisoning pot smokers - well that's a whole other issue! When it comes to imprisoning pot smokers, he laughs and cracks jokes. This is a guy who believes that there is one set of rules for the well-connected... and another set of rules for the little people.

We got exactly what we paid for - better than the alternative and not a penny more.

[Overseas]

14. K&R !! //nt

[Vidar]

15. Thank you, Mr. Nadler.

[No Elephants]

18. Contact your Representatives and beg them to support Nadler (or forever hold your peace).