An Indictment For Cheney: Yes, Virginia There Really Is A Santa Claus!

Like the M&M said, "He DOES Really Exist!"

Hanukkah, Christmas And Kwanza came Early for me this year (yesterday, actually) when I heard that Bloomberg Business Week is reporting that former U.S. Vice President and soulless bipedal life-form, Dick Cheney, is to be INDICTED (along with 5 other officials) in Nigerian Court For Bribing Nigerian Officials over the course of a decade (5 years during which he was CEO of Halliburton) in order to secure a $6 Billion natural gas contract in that country.

Also noteworthy: KBR/Halliburton pled guilty last year in US court regarding the case and paid a $579 Million settlement.

In a related story, I was thoroughly disgusted to also learn that the not only has the Obama Administration ALREADY blocked the investigation and prosecution of war crimes involving six former members of the Bush Administration being carried out by Spain... But, they also are actively trying to strong-arm other countries, diplomatically, to do the same inexcusable, unjust and hypocritical thing.

They already put the Kabosh on Spain's investigation into 6 former Bush officials regarding the use of torture, by pressuring them with diplomatic threats.

Uh, HELLO? President Obama?
Re: What your officials did to Spain and will, likely try to do to Nigeria is Criminal, in and of itself.

It's called AIDING AND ABETTING Or, perhaps, acting as an ACCOMPLICE AFTER-THE-FACT or Whatever.

It is Wrong and it is Utterly Reprehensible!

How on Earth can you, your administration or even our country as a whole maintain any shred of moral high ground in the world when we will lip synch support of the international bill of human rights and the Geneva Conventions and declare that we are unfailingly against the use of torture and even Prosecute people in our own country who are guilty of torturing other people or torturing animals... that we are pursuing a "War On Terror/Terrorists" And we want/expect cooperation from other countries...

But... if it's a case where our own government officials or former government officials are being sought out for war crimes/torture/crimes against humanity cases...

WHAT?... Suddenly... Wait... Hold on... These guys get a Free Pass?!

President Obama: Sir, if there is No Justice to be found at the Top Levels Of Our Federal Government, Then there is No Justice Anywhere.

*Not only that, but, it rather begs a question:
What gives US courts the right to prosecute some blue-collar guy down the street for torture of a person and/or persons...
When those very same courts won't fulfill/are ordered not to fulfill that particularly important item in the U.S. Constitution which requires that our courts mete out "equal treatment under the law"?...
When they are forbidden from prosecuting another guy down, perhaps, the very same street for torture of a person or persons... solely because he works for or used to work for the federal government?

Personally, I find the slimy business of aiding and abetting Americans guilty of war crimes and using Diplomatic Extortion and Threats to help them evade facing up to what they have done, publicly, much more damaging to the reputation of the Office of the President of the United States; to the White House; to the Obama Administration and to America's honor, too.

It would, undoubtedly, improve America's reputation and solidify her moral high ground in the world IF we actually Honored our signed treaties with other countries and our solemn pledge to readily assist other countries in bringing international criminals - particularly war criminals - to Justice.

Hell... the GOP wants INTERPOL to help them nab Julian Assange (of Wikileaks).

Undoubtedly, so that they can lynch him in a public square (with Fox TV getting exclusive broadcasting rights).

And, he hasn't even tortured anyone!

Mr. Assange's only crime has been to expose government officials - some of whom were actively involved in permitting/promoting torture - as well as exposing those individuals and countries who are either:
A.) actively pursuing them as criminals to bring to Justice
Or...
B.)actively assisting them - through the use of diplomatic threats and extortion - to evade that same Justice.
(Guess which one currently describes the U.S.A.?)

In other words, Mr. Assange has done the dastardly deed of exposing America's hypocrites for all the world to see. They've been caught with their fancy pants down... Quelle Horreur!

Re: Mr. Cheney's Indictment in Nigeria:
The U.S. has had an Extradition Treaty with Nigeria since 1931.
Upon being indicted, a valid arrest warrant will be issued for Mr. Cheney.
And, according to the U.S. Attorney's own Manual, this particular type of confirmed "Red-Notice" is to be Enforced. Period.
This bears repeating:
*According to the Justice Department's Own Manual:
The United States Of America is then, by law, required to help locate Mr. Cheney.
(That's an easy one: Just look up his Secret Service detail, he'll be with them.)

To refuse to do so... to refuse to honor international agreements to pursue valid court-issued arrest warrants... to refuse to assist INTERPOL... by refusing to see to it  that Mr. Cheney be escorted to the airport and then flown to have his day in court in Nigeria where he could then defend himself (haha) against those bribery indictments for which his own former company pled "Guilty"...
Will do nothing more than solidify the perception of the White House and the U.S. as being what they, honestly - in the eyes of the law - are:  Complicit, Voluntary Accessories After-The-Fact...
Simply put: Criminals.

Hell, Cheney should consider himself damn lucky that Nigeria only wants him for bribery.
And, as a show of appreciation, he should turn himself in to INTERPOL, willingly.

(Sigh.)

Well, this'll put a big smile on your face...
Here's One of the Greatest Moments In News Of All Time (From MSNBC's Countdown): Enjoy! I damn sure did.
(Aw hell, I can Dream, can't I?)
An Indictment For Cheney?

House Democrats Approve Extension Of Unemployment Benefits Despite 168 GOP Members "No!" Vote.

On Friday, the House of Representatives successfully passed a motion to extend unemployment benefits for millions of unemployed Americans.

Most noteworthy is the outcome of the voting: 231 House Democrats voted In Favor of the extension (and 20 Dems - who should definitely be voted out of office ASAP - voted Against it.).

As for House Republicans, a stunning 168 members of the party devoted to extending tax cuts for the wealthiest 2%, voted Against the extension.

Remarkably, there are signs that some semblance of human compassion still exists in the GOP... At least in a grand total of three Republican members who actually voted in Favor of the extension. (*I Salute You Three, Whoever You Are.).

Now, the measure moves on to the Senate for a vote.

The last time the Senate voted on the extension, the Senate's Republican members said what they pretty much always have said - at least since 2006 - namely, "No!".

It has become excruciatingly obvious that every last one of those heartless and callous GOP Senators is in acute need of the experience of being unemployed and cut off, too.

Here' a brief clip on the story from MSNBC's Countdown.
Enjoy!
L.

House Dems Approve Unemployment Benefits Extension For Millions