Prosecuting Torture, Part 2

On last night's Countdown, Keith Olbermann produced the following 'Special Comment' urging soon-to-be president Barack Obama to prosecute former Pres. George Bush, former Vice Pres. Dick Cheney, and administration officials for war crimes.

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Olbermann gives a concise argument for the prosecution, but he also gives a great deal of attention to the gestures that Obama has made toward not prosecuting. Most important, however, is his final argument, which I will summarize this way: many of our biggest disgraces as Americans and as people have been the times in which we sought an earlier compromise in place of dealing directly with the political consequences.

This in no way suggests that there isn't a great deal of hardship with our current climate. Especially considering the heightened divisiveness fostered by and festering since the mid-90's. However, the lack of action will most certainly serve as presidence and opportunity in the future for domestic malfesance. And worse, it will endanger the very DNA of our country, staining the Constitution and endangering the democratic nature of our republic. Nothing will prove the unitary executive like the not holding of its proponents accountable for their crimes.

Is this who we really are? Is this who our children and grandchildren want to be?