Bush Administration Must Face Major Investigations

It’s important for the sake of American democracy the new Congress conduct investigations and hearings into alleged constitutional violations and possible crimes committed by President George Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and the White House administration's cabinet and staff over the last eight years.

Here are some of the lingering questions: Was there an orchestrated White House campaign to deceive the American people about Iraq’s nonexistent weapons of mass destruction? Did the Bush administration violate laws by ordering the wiretapping of law-abiding American citizens? Did the Bush administration invade Americans’ privacy in other ways that might be illegal? Did the Bush administration sanction torture, a violation of American law? Did the Bush administration promote war profiteering as part of a massive scheme defrauding the American people?

If Bush’s and his operatives' deceptions go unnoted in the official record, then American democracy will undoubtedly suffer. This, in its starkest terms, will mean any future president, including President-elect Barack Obama, can lie about war justifications with impunity, pry into American people’s private lives and order torture.

The vast public record speaks for itself when it comes to Bush, but one can sense more controversial information about his administration will come out after he leaves office. This is because Bush will no longer be able to use his office to hide information. What do we NOT know about what Bush has done while president?

There will be a tendency among some conservative and centrist Democrats to leave Bush alone. This would be a huge, historical mistake. There is plenty of time and energy to tackle the country’s major financial and foreign policy issues as House and Senate committees investigate the Bush administration. The public has the right to know how Bush and the GOP have sidestepped and weakened democratic structures. But, most importantly, major investigations would send a message to future presidents there are limitations to their power.

Some pundits think Bush will pardon himself and Vice President Dick Cheney before he leaves office, but even if he does the investigations can and should go on.

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