Bush administration officials who broke the law should face criminal prosecution and shouldn't get immunity in exchange for testimony under a proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission being discussed in the Senate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said in an interview broadcast late Wednesday.http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Pelosi_says_truth_commission_would_be_0226.html
Senate Judiciary Chairman Pat Leahy (D-VT) yesterday announced his committee will hold hearings on creating a panel to investigate alleged crimes committed by Bush administration officials, including torture of detainees and illegal wiretapping. Leahy has said the panel would avoid criminal charges except in cases of perjury.
Pelosi said she supported the investigation, but any plan should hold open the possibility of prosecution.
"Senator Leahy has a proposal, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which is a good idea," Pelosi told Rachel Maddow on MSNBC Wednesday. "What I have some concern about there is it has immunity. And I think that some of the issues involved here, like the politicizing of the Justice Department and the rest, may have criminal ramifications, and I don't think we should be giving them immunity."
She's holding out for more in full knowledge that she'll never have to get it. She doesn't want the truth to come out. I don't trust her as far as I could throw her. Maybe I'm wrong about her. If so, then accept my apologies.
Let's be politically realistic here: I'm not sure that a full-blown criminal proceeding could get off the ground. (Maybe it could. If so, great.) But I'd hate to see nothing just because people are holding out for better.
