(Related Digg, links to HuffPo story. -rep.)
by Justin A. Martell
Air America conducted a recent poll in which 9,000 or 90% of its respondents would like to see members of the Bush Administration do time in prison for alleged war crimes.
The poll was conducted in response to Joe Klein of Time Magazine's idea that a pardon from President Obama for George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld for War Crimes "would brand them for crimes without the agony of a trial."
For Air America's respondents, that is not enough. In addition to wanting members of the Bush Administration to serve jail sentences, some would like to see them serve those terms after being subjected to "enhanced interrogation techniques."
This has not been the first sign that many would like to see see the Bush Administration investigated. Just a week ago a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll of 1,027 respondents indicated that 38% wanted a criminal investigation while 24% favored an independent inquiry.
Calls for investigations did not surface after the Bush Administration left office. While top Democrats like Nancy Pelosi have opposed prosecution of the Bush Administration, 56 house Democrats signed a letter to then Attorney General Michael Mukasey calling for an war crimes investigation with regard to the administration's interrogation tactics last June. Also in the same month, Congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced 35 articles of impeachment against President Bush.
President Obama has said very little as to whether he intends to support the prosecution of Bush Administration officials. The most he ever elaborated on the issue was during an interview with the Philadelphia Daily News, saying, "I would want to find out directly from my attorney general--having pursued, having looked at what's out there right now--are there possibilities of genuine crimes as opposed to really bad policies."
Sources:
http://www.pubrecord.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-02-11-investigation-poll_N....
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/128423/
http://www.pubrecord.org/docs/mukasey_letter_060708.pdf
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/11/kucinich.impeach/
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