There is no doubt that the health care legislation is important. Getting true health care reform would be a great step forward for this nation. However, if one weren’t paying attention, one would easily think health care is the only issue of importance these days. I guess our media only has an attention span capable of handling one important thing at a time. The reason that bothers me so is because yesterday I was reading the local newspaper and saw an article, buried somewhere far from the front page, describing how a local member of the national guard was killed last week in Iraq – DURING HIS THIRD TERM! What is going on in Iraq is so egregious that it makes me sick to my stomach. Since the economy tanked Iraq has worked its way to the back pages of the newspapers and, seemingly, off the charts of the broadcast news media. We seldom hear anything about it. And, this month at least 47 American troops have died in Afganistan with the military leaders there requesting more troops which makes real the possibility of 100,000 troops in Afganistan if they get their way.

On top of two unwinnable wars going on – that no one except the troops who keep going back over and over again seem to be aware of – being forced out of the news by the health care debate, today I saw footage of an interview Dick Cheney gave on Fox “news” yesterday, which also made me sick to my stomach. Cheney is back claiming that torture works and blasting the Obama administration for “allowing” an investigation into the heinous abuses of certain CIA agents and contractors (presumably Blackwater employees) who committed war crimes while “interrogating” so-called enemy combatants. I only saw exerpts of Cheney’s interview, but that was enough. The guy is either an idiot or a pathological liar (or both). And, as far as I’m concerned, the sooner the man is SHUT UP the better. That means, take the “limits” off these investigations so that Dick Cheney can get what’s coming to him. He made the ludicrous claim that it is “against the rules” (I can’t remember his exact words) for one administration to investigate a previous one. That type of thinking, of course, would only encourage future administrations to ignore the constitution as Bush/Cheney did – especially if Obama gets away with “looking forward and not backward,” a policy that puts Obama, to a certain degree, on the same plane as Cheney (ughhhh!).

I heard with my own ears Dick Cheney claim that the President is the top law enforcement officer, as per the constitution, in the United States. Well, while that explains a lot about what went on in the Bush administration, it couldn’t be further from the truth. While it is true that the President appoints the Attorney General and the Attorney General is part of the Cabinet, it is imperative that the Attorney General be the top law enforcement officer in the nation (IT’S IN THE CONSTITUTION THAT WAY – REALLY!) and that the Justice Department be non-partisan and work independently of the White House. In the Bush administration it was obvious that the Attorney General was a White House “minion” and following the orders of the administration, which was one of the most critical areas the Obama administration had to correct once in office. If you remember, Monica Goodling was hiring attorneys during the Bush adminstration and they had to take a loyalty pledge to get a job, and Justice Department lawyers were writing “memos” that gave Bush/Cheney “permission” to violate the one law after another – INCLUDING TORTURE – as if these partisan “memos” made it OK.  Many outstanding career prosecutors left the Department because of the atmosphere created once Bush was in office due to the fact they, in good conscience, couldn’t participate in the undermining of their department. This nation will not survive in its present form if and when the people lose faith in our justice system as being fair and based on facts – not partisan political gain.  If the Bush/Cheney theory were true elections would REALLY mean something, wouldn’t they? – and, do you really think that if the “shoe was on the other foot” Bush and Cheney wouldn’t investigate Obama if Obama had violated the law?

A good example of what happened under Bush was the imprisonment of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman at the whim of Karl Rove. Rove still hasn’t had to answer for his involvement in that injustice and that case is a major “test” of the Obama administration and Eric Holder.   If Rove and his co-conspirators are allowed to “get away” with a VERY SERIOUS CRIME we will all be worse for it.  This idea of not “looking back” is NOT IN THE CONSTITUTION. If you think about it, should that become precedent, there would never be another conviction for a crime – ANYWHERE – OR, WE WOULD HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT OUR LEADERS ARE ABOVE THE LAW – BECAUSE THE CRIME ALWAYS HAPPENS BEFORE THE PROSECUTION OF IT!  It’s almost as if President Obama wants to confirm President Nixon’s claim that “if the President does it, it must be legal.” That is clearly the position that Cheney takes, and the Fox network is more than willing to give him a platform in which to spout his crap – and that is exactly what it is (there’s actually a better word for it, but I don’t use that word, except for an occasional bad golf shot! :o). IT’S TIME FOR ERIC HOLDER TO PUT THESE THUGS IN THEIR PLACE – And he should start with Cheney! President Obama is worried about the “distraction” doing so would create. THAT IS FAULTY THINKING!

The distraction of Cheney and Bush under investigation IS EXACTLY WHAT OBAMA NEEDS in order to get the health care bill passed. Get it out of the news and into the conference rooms of Congress so that they can come up with a “public option” that mirrors medicare or the Veterans administration’s health care. As it stands now, I’m concerned that what Congress will come up with is a plan that forces the 50 million or so Americans without health care to join Blue Cross or some other for profit insurance company which will then give these companies even higher profits. Does anyone besides me find it interesting that in the middle of the worst economic downturn in 70+ years the health insurance companies are still getting away with double digit increases in premiums – despite profits in the BILLIONS OF DOLLARS?! While I’m thankful that I’m one of the people with health insurance (and a day job), my paycheck will be about $100 lighter EACH MONTH starting soon because of increased health care insurance premiums. I’m pretty sure that is happening EVERYWHERE. So it is imperative for Congress to come up with a plan that ACTUALLY DOES COMPETE WITH THE PRESENT FOR PROFIT PROVIDERS, and that would best happen if Republicans had their attention on something more important to them.

I guarantee that if President Bush and Vice President Cheney were under investigation for what both have admitted to – which is war crimes – the public attention of Republicans would switch from health care.  Their interest is not in what’s best for this nation, it’s in REGAINING POWER, anyway they can.  So, Bush/Cheney under investigation would “trump” the health care debate because Rush Limbaugh and company would “get” the longterm effect of the general public understanding how many crimes were actually committed by GW’s administration.  Two things would then have a chance of being accomplished. First, true health care reform would have a decent chance of passing. Secondly, and in my view MORE IMPORTANTLY, we could restore the foundation of this great nation which is that we are a nation of laws and not men. President Obama and Attorney General Holder could reaffirm that our constitution is a sacred document and that NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.  I mean, how can President Obama with one breath affirm that no one is above the law (I heard him say that with my own ears) and then with the next breath say we’re not “looking backward?” As stated above, JUSTICE REQUIRES LOOKING BACKWARD! I don’t think President Obama understands that while Cheney is busy riling up the Republican “base” with his outrageous lies, the distractions which Obama wants to avoid by “looking forward” are happening anyway.  And, to the diehard Republicans, Cheney becomes a hero. I’m sure that Obama would claim that investigating and prosecuting Cheney for his crimes would make him a martyr to the “base,” but I feel that would be only for the extreme “fringe.” There are many Republicans who still don’t understand the truth about how far “over the line” Bush and Cheney went. THIS NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT OUT INTO THE OPEN. The continuing idea of secrecy IS ONLY MAKING MATTERS WORSE (and, for any Republican – or Democrat for that matter – who believes the President and Vice President should be able to commit crimes – well, all I can say is – well, actually, I don’t know what to say to someone who thinks like that – except that I, and millions like me, expect our leaders to follow the pledge they make when taking public office, which is to uphold the constitution.  Defending that pledge is what our troops are sacrificing their lives/limbs for).

Cheney’s latest outrageous claims about how President Obama is weakening our national security are OVER THE LINE themselves. His misinformation and lies are one thing, but his constant claim that he “kept us safe for the last eight years” is such nonsense that someone needs to put him in his proper place, and whether Obama likes it or not, he’s the one responsible for doing so. It’s like Cheney wants another attack to happen to this nation and he’s almost encouraging it (and, if another attack does happen, as far as I’m concerned, it would be because Cheney/Bush MADE US LESS SAFE with their outrageous behavior in office).  CHENEY NEEDS TO BE SHUT UP! Oh yes, and if you’re not aware – BUSH/CHENEY DIDN’T KEEP US SAFE FOR THE PAST 8 YEARS!  9/11 happened on their watch and there was sufficient warning which THEY IGNORED to call them asleep at the wheel. I along with millions of other Americans are not willing to give up our liberty for Cheney’s idea of protection. Make no mistake, these interviews Cheney keeps granting to Fox are designed to protect himself from being investigated or prosecuted for his many crimes which would expose the truth (Cheney wants to be able to enjoy the $100 Million he profited from the Iraq war).  And the truth is, the fact Cheney and Bush allowed us to be attacked is not a reason to torture, it’s not a reason to throw out the fourth amendment to the constitution and violate the privacy rights of millions of Americans, it’s not justification to lie us into an endless occupation of a soveriegn country, it’s not justification to out a covert CIA agent, it’s not a reason to suspend habeous corpus, it’s not a reason to refuse subpoenas to Congress, it’s not a reason to politicize the Justice Department, and it’s not a reason to condone massive lying to Congress.  The next interview Dick Cheney should have is under oath in front of a Grand Jury!