Do the Secret Bush Memos Amount to Treason? Top Constitutional Scholar Says Yes

By Naomi Wolf, AlterNet. Posted March 25, 2009.

Legal expert Michael Ratner calls the legal arguments made in the infamous Yoo memos, "Fuhrer's law."

In early March, more shocking details emerged about George W. Bush legal counsel John Yoo's memos outlining the destruction of the republic.

The memos lay the legal groundwork for the president to send the military to wage war against U.S. citizens; take them from their homes to Navy brigs without trial and keep them forever; close down the First Amendment; and invade whatever country he chooses without regard to any treaty or objection by Congress.

It was as if Milton's Satan had a law degree and was establishing within the borders of the United States the architecture of hell.

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Peacenik knows there is a big financial crisis going on. Peacenik also knows the corporate media cheered for Bush for eight years as he destroyed civil liberties in the U.S. The same media that frets about Michelle Obama's biceps, just aided and abetted the march to dictatorship in the U.S. Will Obama turn any of this around? Will Yoo or Bush or Cheney be prosecuted? Peacnenik watches the complete corruption of Wall Street and the complete corruption of the U.S. constitutional system. Peacenik wonders if such a sick society can be saved...or deserves to be saved.

Obama Dismissing Yoo Torture Memo Case?

by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse Thu Jan 29, 2009 at 08:19:14 PM PST

Politico reported yesterday that Obama’s lawyers are prepping to defend John Yoo next week by moving to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Jose Padilla. Padilla seeks a declaration that Yoo’s legal memos that purported to authorize torture were unconstitutional. Obama presumably does not plan to support torture or the torture memos. Instead, Obama may argue that the case should be dismissed in order to protect governmental prerogatives, like immunity for government officials acting within the scope of their employment or state secrets. While any of these defenses may have legal validity, what about protecting the public’s prerogative to the rule of law? And, does the US want to continue shielding our government officials from torture liability while prosecuting foreign officials to hold them individually accountable?

This is not a case of a government lawyer simply writing a legal memorandum that is based on convoluting the law. As reported by Vanity Fair (video interview), Bush’s torture lawyers --- Bush’s lawyer Gonzales, Yoo and Jay Bybee (now a federal judge) at Justice Dept., William Haynes DOD lawyer for Rummy, David Addington lawyer for Cheney --- advocated torture that violated international law, the Geneva Conventions, Common Article 3, the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Army Field Manual and US laws. In other words, our government lawyers were advising Bush to violate the laws or commit a crime. Moreover, while the Bush meme is that the source of new torture techniques "trickled up from the ground at Guantánamo" to DC, it appears that the "origins lie in actions taken at the very highest levels of the administration—by some of the most senior personal advisers to the president, the vice president, and the secretary of defense." Further, these torture lawyers participated in ensuring that torture was implemented by flying down to Guantánamo to pressure the military to torture after witnessing "interrogations".

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Its bad enough, as Punditman has posted, that Obama is prosecuting Bush's wars. Peacenik wants to cut Obama some slack. Peacenik understands that its tough to stop a war in its tracks. But, if Obama's justice department starts defending Bush's accomplices, it kind of makes Peacenik want to ralph. Its almost the weekend. Peacenik doen't like ralphing. But come on. Give Peacenik a break.