Bringing Bush to Court
December 1, 2006 12:42 AM Subscribe
United States v. George W. Bush et al. Retired federal prosecutor Elizabeth de la Vega has written a hypothetical indictment for a hypothetical grand jury charging President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell of violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, thereby commiting a conspiracy to defraud the United States by tricking the nation into war. Though a work of fiction, the evidence presented is real. Part 1 is the introdutction, part 2 is the indictment, and part 3 is the beginning of grand jury testimony, with more to come over the next few days.
Ya know ... this reminds me of that great early cable TV show called "The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald", wherein Vincent Bugliosi (prosecuting) and Gerry Spence (defending) mounted an actual trial for Oswald with a real judge, jury, evidence & witnesses; observing as far as possible genuine courtroom procedure. Bugliosi shredded Spence (no mean feat -- I'm a BIG Spence fan).
Doesn't this subject matter just scream for the same treatment?
.
posted by RavinDave at 1:41 AM on December 1, 2006
Doesn't this subject matter just scream for the same treatment?
.
posted by RavinDave at 1:41 AM on December 1, 2006
Good stuff. Can't wait until it happens for real.
posted by orange swan at 3:37 AM on December 1, 2006
posted by orange swan at 3:37 AM on December 1, 2006
What, you're going to read a report written by an enemy combatant?
(Oops, has that little memo not been forwarded yet from the Oval Office yet? My bad...don't worry, history will catch up with me.)
posted by maxwelton at 4:11 AM on December 1, 2006
(Oops, has that little memo not been forwarded yet from the Oval Office yet? My bad...don't worry, history will catch up with me.)
posted by maxwelton at 4:11 AM on December 1, 2006
Here's hoping people RTFA, because it really is good stuff.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 4:26 AM on December 1, 2006
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 4:26 AM on December 1, 2006
One hapless fellow, for example, stole a truck filled with frozen turkeys and drove it across state lines to Wisconsin, thereby landing himself in federal prison rather than in county jail. For good measure, the following week -- before he'd been apprehended for the frozen-turkey heist -- he stole a truck filled with packaged frozen broccoli and drove it to Iowa.
nevermind Bush, this guy is seriously awesome
posted by matteo at 7:09 AM on December 1, 2006
nevermind Bush, this guy is seriously awesome
posted by matteo at 7:09 AM on December 1, 2006
"A Fraud Worse than Enron" is a bit of a crap title though.
posted by rhymer at 7:09 AM on December 1, 2006
posted by rhymer at 7:09 AM on December 1, 2006
Why a bit of a crap title? Too much hyperbole or not enough?
posted by leftcoastbob at 7:35 AM on December 1, 2006
posted by leftcoastbob at 7:35 AM on December 1, 2006
"If I Did It" by George W. Bush.
posted by Floydd at 8:07 AM on December 1, 2006 [2 favorites]
posted by Floydd at 8:07 AM on December 1, 2006 [2 favorites]
The Frozen Turkey Heister... good stuff!
As much as I love that she's written the book, what would it take to actually get this process started? How many books about the 'President's use of prewar intelligence' do we need before someone starts the ball rolling? Seriously...
posted by rmm at 8:16 AM on December 1, 2006
As much as I love that she's written the book, what would it take to actually get this process started? How many books about the 'President's use of prewar intelligence' do we need before someone starts the ball rolling? Seriously...
posted by rmm at 8:16 AM on December 1, 2006
Though a work of fiction, the evidence presented is real.
Fake Trial- Real Evidence.
Real War- Fake Evidence.
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 8:54 AM on December 1, 2006
Fake Trial- Real Evidence.
Real War- Fake Evidence.
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 8:54 AM on December 1, 2006
The defendants are President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Don't forget Douglas Feith. According to Feith's former deputy, Lieutenant Colonel Karen Kwiatkowski, the Office of Special Plans was "a propaganda shop" and she personally "witnessed neoconservative agenda bearers within OSP usurp measured and carefully considered assessments, and through suppression and distortion of intelligence analysis promulgate what were in fact falsehoods to both Congress and the executive office of the president."
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 9:01 AM on December 1, 2006
Don't forget Douglas Feith. According to Feith's former deputy, Lieutenant Colonel Karen Kwiatkowski, the Office of Special Plans was "a propaganda shop" and she personally "witnessed neoconservative agenda bearers within OSP usurp measured and carefully considered assessments, and through suppression and distortion of intelligence analysis promulgate what were in fact falsehoods to both Congress and the executive office of the president."
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 9:01 AM on December 1, 2006
I guess you have to imagine something and articulate it before it can happen, but I hope this doesn't end up being some sort of onanistic politico Pr0n, not that I'm immune from slobbering all hot and bothered over this fucker, but for chrissakes, this can't just stop at a fictionalization, because the price this country has paid in blood, morality, security, dignity (not to mention actual money) is no fiction, so let's make this happen! Go Team*!
*And there is an "I" in this team and it stands for Impeachment and Indictment.
posted by Skygazer at 9:10 AM on December 1, 2006
*And there is an "I" in this team and it stands for Impeachment and Indictment.
posted by Skygazer at 9:10 AM on December 1, 2006
Bush says that history will judge him, I say ITMFA.
posted by melangell at 9:16 AM on December 1, 2006
posted by melangell at 9:16 AM on December 1, 2006
Sorry, growabrain, I didn't check your link before putting mine up. But, I guess it's safe to say I second the motion!
posted by melangell at 9:19 AM on December 1, 2006
posted by melangell at 9:19 AM on December 1, 2006
Are people that naive? Bush, et al are corporate-friendly leaders. Clinton was not, by comparison.
Now let's see, which president was impeached (for simply lying to protect his family)?
Not only will Bush not be impeached, he will become a legend- like that dunce Reagan has become.
posted by wfc123 at 9:46 AM on December 1, 2006
Now let's see, which president was impeached (for simply lying to protect his family)?
Not only will Bush not be impeached, he will become a legend- like that dunce Reagan has become.
posted by wfc123 at 9:46 AM on December 1, 2006
Not only will Bush not be impeached, he will become a legend- like that dunce Reagan has become.
George Walker Bush International Airport? Ick. And maybe even a little tacky.
posted by effwerd at 10:24 AM on December 1, 2006
George Walker Bush International Airport? Ick. And maybe even a little tacky.
posted by effwerd at 10:24 AM on December 1, 2006
Not only will Bush not be impeached, he will become a legend- like that dunce Reagan has become.
posted by wfc123
Sorry but I call BS on that. The Iraq war is the biggest strategic error this country has gotten itself into since Vietnam and that's not just me, it is the consensus from the halls of government (Powell, Kissinger, Clarke etc..etc..), the military, the press corp, the left, the right and the center.
Quick, what do you think of when you think of Nixon or Lyndon Johnson?
Probably Watergate and Vietnam and neither one of those presidents is considered a legend in the way FDR, or Lincoln are.
I'm sure that after he's a bad memory an effort will go out to try and deify him, but the Right already has a saint in Ronald Reagan (who kooky as he was, at least could pronounce the word nuclear and work with Democrats). If anyone claims GWB as a legend in the future it'll probably be some batshitinsane proto-nazi neocon splinter group.
posted by Skygazer at 11:44 AM on December 1, 2006
posted by wfc123
Sorry but I call BS on that. The Iraq war is the biggest strategic error this country has gotten itself into since Vietnam and that's not just me, it is the consensus from the halls of government (Powell, Kissinger, Clarke etc..etc..), the military, the press corp, the left, the right and the center.
Quick, what do you think of when you think of Nixon or Lyndon Johnson?
Probably Watergate and Vietnam and neither one of those presidents is considered a legend in the way FDR, or Lincoln are.
I'm sure that after he's a bad memory an effort will go out to try and deify him, but the Right already has a saint in Ronald Reagan (who kooky as he was, at least could pronounce the word nuclear and work with Democrats). If anyone claims GWB as a legend in the future it'll probably be some batshitinsane proto-nazi neocon splinter group.
posted by Skygazer at 11:44 AM on December 1, 2006
Skygazer: you're assuming the word 'legend' can only be used in a positive sense. There's such a thing as legendarily bad.
posted by Ryvar at 11:12 AM on December 2, 2006
posted by Ryvar at 11:12 AM on December 2, 2006
Are Congressional Wars Coming? Since Cheney Has Already Said He'll Ignore the Democratic Congress, It Seems Likely
posted by homunculus at 3:46 PM on December 6, 2006
posted by homunculus at 3:46 PM on December 6, 2006
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posted by homunculus at 1:13 AM on December 1, 2006