1/13 Better to Risk Freeing Criminals than Allow Investigations into Corrupt GOPers?

2002: President Bush faints today while eating a pretzel, resulting in a large bruise on one of his cheekbones, and another bruise on his lower lip.

“An empty Bag cannot stand upright.” Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanac, 1740

The Bush Years Remembered: A Record of a Mess of Historic Proportions …

He’s been bad, bad, very bad. Remind yourself just how bad. Consider a purchase of the 2009 calendar, “Poor George’s Almanac”. Rep. Barney Frank (profiled recently on “60 MINUTES“) says of it: “I’m impressed”. You will be too! Click–> HERE <– to read why, and to view sample pages. All author profits, up to $10,000 will support the non-profit ‘Action Against Hunger’ (almost 90% of funds raised by this charity help those in need, an excellent record).

FBI Agent: Bush Political Play Could Harm Investigations

“It’s sad that we live in a time when a talented and honorable person … is impeded from doing important work because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons.”  President Bush, speaking of the resignation of Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales, August 27th 2007, after Gonzales had dragged talanted and honorable people through the mud for political reasons.

2007: Carol Lam was one of the prosecutors fired on December 7th 2006 by the Bush/Gonzales Justice Dept.  Her successful prosecution of Rep. Randy ‘Duke’ Cunningham, a Republican, could well have been a factor. 

Today’s San Diego Union-Tribune quotes the head of the FBI’s San Diego office, Dan Dzwilewski, as saying that Lam was a key asset to investigations that were still ongoing.  Dzwilewski said of the firing, “I guarantee politics is involved”.  Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) said that the San Diego FBI office told her that the Dzwilewski quote was accurate “but they also said they’d been warned to say no more”. 

Is it the case that the Bush administration values soft glove treatment for Republican criminals over successful prosecution of ongoing criminal cases? For another example of a change in federal prosecutors seemingly designed to help Republicans jump to March 10th 2006.

Bush: Iraqi People Owe Americans “a huge debt of gratitude”

 ”Don’t overload Gratitude; if you do, she’ll kick.”  Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanac, 1741

2007: President Bush said in a radio address today that the “Iraqi people owe the American people a huge debt of gratitude”. 

Bush: “We don’t torture” — Bush Insiders: It’s Torture to Me

2008: Today the New Yorker magazine publishes remarks by US intelligence chief Mike McConnell, who admits that waterboarding, a technique used by the Bush administration, “would be torture” if it were used on him.  “If I had water draining into my nose, oh God, I just can’t imagine how painful”, said McConnell.  Bush Attorney General Mukasey also said that he “would feel that it was” torture if it was used against him.  CIA director Gen. Hayden admits that waterboarding may well be illegal under US law.  Despite these opinions from Bush administrator insiders, Bush maintains, “We don’t torture”.